I joined NAPCA a year ago after I was persuaded to join by a world famous dealer/collector, and he provided my sponsorship. I never gave it a thought, but he is not computer literate and does all his dealings by telephone and snail mail. I am not sure, but I don't think he even has a fax machine. Anyway, after a year I am terribly disappointed in that the majority of members appear to be elderly (as I am) collectors who wish to have nothing to do with the world of the Internet and e-mail, just like the man who sponsored me. While an occasional article is informative, by and large most of the information in the newsletter deals with very obscure topics. This information can usually be obtained from other sources by anyone with computer skills. Don't forget, the Internet allows us to contact many world class experts on an almost instantaneous basis. Very few of the articles and ads are accompanied by an e-mail address, and due to the delays which accompany snail mail, items offered for sale are usually long gone by the time you can contact the seller. I love the idea of NAPCA and the high ideals it strives to meet, but it needs a drastic overhaul and modernization, and until it accomplishes this I can see only a dim future for this organization. I will not renew my membership, as I believe I can find much better uses for my dues.
|