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Presenting Philaclub.net

To make the introduction to Philaclub.net easier to read here is a question and answer quiz. In this way I hope to answer the basic questions, then, as the association grows, I will add to this interview. Enjoy.

  • WHO AM I?

    My name is Bernard Brinette, I am 40 years old and have for seven years now taken a keen interest in stamp collecting. My father taught me much as he had himself collected stamps since childhood. We lived near Strasbourg and I well remember his many trips to the Counsel of Europe to obtain the issues which he had collected since its inception. I was more interested in specialising in past issues of French stamps. I prefer the first classics from 1849, but my interest decreases as the decades advance. I like all French stamps from before 1960 when the monetary reforms produced more current and numerous editions. Thanks to the internet, I have got to know many people who shared my passion, (mostly through the sites of which Ibazar was the precursor), however I thought that a site offering direct sales as opposed to sale by auction could find a place on the Internet.This would offer advantages which I will discuss later. I have been encouraged in this by my acquaintances who were ready to follow me should the project take shape and I feel that this is the right time to start this new venture.

  • WHY CHOOSE PHILATELY?

    In the pursuit of philately I have discovered a fascinating universe which had something in common with my two other interests: mycology (the harvesting of mushrooms) and oenology, (the tasting of great wines). These three domains require some feats of memory due to the diversity of the varieties involved and to the rich pleasure given by the most distinguished samples. But philately also requires historical research as, in addition to stamps, I collect very old envelopes and I am keen to acquire letters written by eminent personalities of the past.The passion for philately is like time travel and, whether it is the first stamps or old letters, I am moved when handling these witnesses to an age long gone.

  • HOW DID I GET THE IDEA FOR THE PHILACLUB?

    With the expansion of the internet I soon realised that a new way of transacting was available to philatelists. It is now possible to access collections world wide without leaving home. Moreover stamps are light and easy to send by post; and they do not lose their value - except in exceptional cases when overpriced.

    We have nearly all used sites like Ibazar which sell only by auction, but I think that the creation of a site for direct sale would offer some advantages on which I will enlarge later. I did not, however, wish to create a personal sales site as I think that my idea may be of use to others who have stock to sell or exchange. I have decided, therefore, to open this site in the form of an association in order to gather together more users, that our choices may be wider and that our costs (especially for computing) may be shared and controlled.. In order to do this it was necessary to find computer technician able to program the data base to carry out our transactions reliably and automatically, and also to find a reliable and cost effective server. These are the parameters which have formed the base of this project to which I hope will live long.

  • HOW DOES THE SITE WORK?

    The answer to this question appears in different parts of the site, but, to sum up, there are two types of user, those who come to buy and who do not have much stock to sell but may use the site free of charge. Then there are the members who are sellers and who, by using part of the site, also become members of the Philaclub association created parallel to it and whose subscriptions will help to cover its computing costs These will soon recoup this modest investment as they will all have the advantage of their own retail space as well as a large number of hits which could never be received on a personal site. You will find more information under the heading of helpful hints and in different news items on the site.

  • WHY ADOPT A SYSTEM OF SUBSCRIBING ASSOCIATES?

    It is a fact that a free site is an illusion as nobody likes working for nothing. The aim here is not any kind of financial gain but simply to share the costs of constructing and running such a site. Paying membership fees provides guarantees concerning the proper running of the site, and gives one a voice in how things are run on the site. In any event the accounting for this project will be clear and simple as, although it will function as an association there are basic costs to be met, this being above all an association of world-wide computer users. As the members will be located allover the country and abroad most of the meetings will be held on the Net, either by E-mail or by some kind of chat room which could also be used for annual general meetings. It also possible, of course, that, from time to time, 'real' meetings may be held in central France or in Paris, whichever is more generally accessible.Before going to the next question, it should be noted that all investments will be designated and that, if one day the site reaches such proportions that wider financial support becomes available, all the members of the Philaclub will benefit and not only its founders, as is sometimes the case. I wish all users one day to reap the benefit of their adherence to the site.

  • WHAT ARE YOUR OBJECTIVES?

    To consider objectives is to make predictions which may not in fact come about, however I consider this project to be based on solid ground. I have a good knowledge of computing and have for two years now studied the possibility of launching this site. As this will be a new kind of site, (user friendly) and I have the backing of many enthusiastic philatelists, I don’t think the launch will take long. I hope that it will grow over the coming months and that we may, for example, acquire fifty to a hundred vendors and a good thousand buying members. Sites offering sales by auction have proved that philatelists find buying on the internet both simple and fascinating. Scanning devices make it possible to examine the stamps even better than with the naked eye. I should add that most of the transactions have been carried out without any problems. As the philatelic market by Internet develops, items can be found at a good price.This is because sales over a certain amount require the intervention of an expert and the prices are 'frozen', in which case it is preferable to use a professional. But the Internet opens many other channels and there is no simpler way to exchange philatelic items. To quote my father: “the entire world is connected to the internet and the entire world has access to it'

  • WHAT ABOUT THE COMPETITION?

    It all depends what is meant by competition. In fact the answer to this question is negative for several reasons. In the first place there is at this moment no site offering the same advantages. If someone had had this idea and had been ready to set it up I would have followed, but I have found no agreement on this point. I agree that that there are several very good and popular sites dealing as auctioneers but they also have their limitations; the auction system is not direct and not always able to offer the best price. One may sometimes sell an item at too low a price and sometimes too high. We can avoid the delays imposed by auction dates, allowing us to directly classify all offers chronologically, following the order established in the catalogues or those used by the major philatelic traders for their sales on offer. This said I have no wish to conflict with the existing sites,the creators of which are generally very pleasant and I am sure that, in the long run, there is room for eveyone.Perhaps by setting up the proposed site they will be inspired to make some small improvements which will benefit all users.Finally I would like to mention future competition, that is say from those who will simply imitate this concept. This I cannot avoid but I have perhaps two advantages: the first of which is to have taken the initiative by innovation and the second being that all will depend on the conviviality and seriousness of the members. In the end people establish their preferences according to several criteria and it is those who respond best to those criteria who will be chosen.




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