Invitation to Promote the Hobby

Omar Rodriguez, APS E-Xpress

While viewing all the extraordinary one-framers in Arlington, Wade Saadi, Janet Klug and I agreed that most of them could easily be great ambassadors of our hobby. By uploading them as short videos on the Internet’s video sharing website YouTube, an enormous viewership of internet users could see them. Since these great exhibits already have a story, told in only 16 pages, they are wonderful candidates for a short, sweet, to the point video. Clearly they have the potential to attract new collectors into our hobby.

As you may have read in the March edition of American Philatelist, Wade and Janet (neither of whom had prior YouTube experience) each put together a short video illustrated with stamps, about a personal topic they feel passionate about. Wade’s video is about toy trains, Janet’s is about cats. The results were amazing and have gathered hundreds of viewers on YouTube. The best part is neither spent money nor much time in making them. You can help the hobby by doing the same thing. It is a win-win proposition.

So here I am, inviting you, on behalf of the APS, to help us make that a reality: Let’s bring many of Arlington’s one framers to the internet! Spend a few hours to translate into video the story you created for your one frame, illustrate it with your stamps and covers, and upload it in YouTube. We will help you navigate the technical side of this.

Sounds daunting? No, it is not. It is actually much simpler than you think. And if you are as inexperienced in the internet as I am, this may be a way to enter the new world in a fun, rewarding way. Your children, nieces and nephews could probably help you with making a video and you get the benefit of learning from them and making them feel a commonality with you!”

Are you at least curious about the possibility?

I am Omar Rodriguez, (contact me at APSYouTubeOmar@aol.com), a fellow collector (Mexican stamps) and APS member. I will personally respond to every email I get. We will send you more information on how to do this, and share with you hints on how to focus your theme so that it gets lots of internet viewers. In the meantime check out Wade’s and Janet’s 2 minute videos at the APS YouTube page.

By the way, if you upload your short video before June 30, you could even win the APS President’s Challenge YouTube competition, with a prize of a $250 gift certificate redeemable for APS products or services. More importantly, you will enter the internet generation and will help us reach new collectors!!!

Hope to hear from you soon.