Thanks Rich, for sharing some of these ideas

COA has some potentially very easy and inexpensive simple ways  to
cross-promote our hobby and our organization, for example

Could any information on COA be shared via institutions such as the
Shell Museum on Sanibel? could brochures or other materials at that
institiution or others give information on organizations or clubs to
join to learn more about shells? maybe they do that already.

(I dont mean to single out the Bailey Matthews Museum but on a rainy
day in Sanibel during  winter the amount of potential COA members
going through there must be huge)....

Steve

On 7/27/10, worldwide <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Marcus, Bill, and others,
>
> COA has many constraints in what it can and cannot do, i.e. auctions, since
> it is registered with the IRS as a non-profit organization.  Not that a
> cyber-auction is much different than a convention auction other than the
> logistics, such a venture should not be construed as a business venture.  I
> am not sure the type of IRS non-profit classification COA is registered
> under, but their are many other complicated tax issues that need to be
> investigated before such a venture is even discussed.
>
> The other point still being missed is that COA is not a Florida
> organization; there are many members outside of Florida.  Again, right from
> the start, the conventions were to travel across the country to give
> everyone an opportunity to participate and to find new members.  If
> conventions become confined to Florida, then there is a good chance that the
> Bill Fenzan's of the country might never have an opportunity to learn about
> COA.
>
> I received a private email today from someone who suggested that COA spend
> more of its monies to go out and promote shell collecting and the
> organization in other ways.  To this person it seems that COA is promoting
> to those who already know about the organization.  I am not in any capacity
> to know what COA is doing to that end, but just keep saying to yourself, COA
> is a national-international organization.  That is how it was founded and I
> certainly hope that it stays that way.  COA tries, but cannot be everything
> to everyone.
>
> And don't forget, if profit is the only modus operandi, then COA's
> membership will suffer and dwindle in the long run.  COA must find new blood
> and nurture closet collectors. It's time COA reinvest in itself by promotion
> through various means country-wide and overseas.  The COA Award given at
> competitive shell shows around the world, the shell conventions so far held
> within the contiguous 48 states, and of course, the COA magazine are the
> main-stays in doing that.  Maybe its time to investigate other avenues to
> seek out the uninitiated.  With a growth in membership comes the
> opportunities and funding that COA needs to prosper.  Again, the closed door
> policy to make COA more profitable today will hurt it tomorrow.
>
> Whew!
> Rich
>
> At 04:39 PM 7/27/2010, you wrote:
>>
>> As a collector who buys a lot of shells, I like the ideas that Marcus
>> offers.
>>
>> If high-quality shells are offered on an auction site with proceeds going
>> to pay for common use space at the next convention, I would be encouraged
>> to use it.  As a caveat, though, I need to say that the shells would have
>> to be ones I want for my collection.  Challenges to this approch would
>> include: finding a steady supply of shells that are of high quality,
>> finding the right person or persons to run the operation, and apparent
>> oversight of the process.  The weak links in auction sites are that the
>> best shells are seldom auctioned and some do not invest in building trust.
>>
>> The idea to keep the convention in Florida also has appeal.  If the
>> majority of COA members live in Florida, this make sense. If an
>> appropriate building is found to house the bourse and other activities, I
>> would not mind if it was in the same place.  As Marcus says, there would
>> need to be a way for different people to run the convention so the locals
>> do not get burned out.
>>
>> Earlier this year, I attended the Paris Shell Show and the Antwerp Shell
>> Show.  Both have large bourse operations which seemed to me as big as a
>> COA convention.  Perhaps the folks that put on these events can be
>> consulted for ideas?  I was not charged to enter the Paris show, but did
>> have to pay 2 euros (about $3 at the time) admission in Antwerp.  Both of
>> these events are mainly the bourse, with displays of shells, drawings, and
>> few other activities.   I had a great time at both.
>>
>> Bill Fenzan
>>
>> Norfolk, Virginia, USA
>>
>
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