This week is the deadline for applications to exhibit at the ANA's World's Fair of Money, the National show, to be held this year July28-August 3rd in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor Convention Center.

Making an educational, competitive exhibit (Usually 4-7 all-state cases) on one theme is a bit of work, but it is eductational both for you the collector and the viewer.

Past ANA president, the late Stephen R. Taylor of the 1980s made it a point to travel and exhibit in all 50 states. He would say that "Half the fun of collecting was exhibitiing." Meeting other collectors, explaining what you had and what would be of interest that the collector had to share with others.

Background information and Numismatic Information are the two big point centers (65 out of a total of 100) in an competitive exhibit. So, one not only has to share the common knowledge stuff, but has to do a bit of leg work into background stuff.

When I placed my first ANA convention exhibit as a junior numismatist in 1976, I quickly was given pointers by several friendly judges, and with other opportunites of new exhibits and at that time 5 annual shows in the NYC area, with about 5 more in the Boston-Baltimore corridor, I was able to hone the skills and eventually was recognized with four first place awards (each in a differnet category) at the ANA National shows from 1979-1984.

I took a break and began to exhibit non-competitively for a few years, and sadly, I've been out of it for the past 20 years, just getting back into it last year with a non-competitive exhibit.

So try it. Learn about the stuff you have and share it with others.

George