Paris in Spring
The 17th CCI world Convention - Paris May 2 - 6
photos by Thomas Thomsen, Rodolfo Pozzi, Michael Wiltshire, Nicholas Lanier
May in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
May in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise
(Vernon & Harburg, 1932)*
Holiday tables under the trees
May in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise
(Vernon & Harburg, 1932)*
Paris in spring should be an irresistible proposition, according to this old classic performed by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billy Holliday and Frank Sinatra among many others... But for chess collectors, it seems the lure of the capital on the Seine Metropolis felt a bit mitigated this year. Whether it was the memory of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, and in Brussels, or the uncertain winds of the shaky world economy – a scant 35 collectors turned up for the 17. World Convention of Chess Collectors in the first week of May, when 80 to 100 participants had been expected. What‘s more, only five US participants appeared at the meeting, and only three French members attended, including the organizer Patrice Plain and his wife! Barring the three Italian visitors – Max de Angelis, Milly and Rodolfo Pozzi and the three Dutch members Hans Overgoor, Leo Hovestadt and Joost van Reeij, the major contingent in an International CCI meeting on French soil – originated from Germany! While it seems understandable that French collectors – most of the 20 paid-up members of CCI being from Paris or familiar with Paris – would forego visits to Cluny Museum and Versailles, only Jean-Pierre Brain showed up for the lectures, and one more? member for the chess market.
All quiet , no qualms
In France the state of exception is still in power, security measures and checks were in place at the airports , in all Museums and public buildings. Heavily armed groups of special police are walking the streets, and the underground centre of Les Halles in front of the hotel had a somewhat lax security check of people going in, with some cops passing a metal detector over bags and backpacks. All the same, the city was full of tourists, with crowds rolling through the Louvre, the Luxembourg park, Versailles, around the Eiffel tower, the left bank and the area around the Cathedral Notre Dame and Rue de Rivoli teeming with huge masses of people strolling, and shopping . In fact , Paris was crammed full of visitors, lively and swinging with all the attractions of a world touristic capital – and by all appearances, nothing untowards happened all week to blight the spring holiday. Even the protesters against the new French labour law – “nuit debout” etc. – did us the favour of not being much in evidence during the week.
Patrice Plain had picked an ideally situated headquarters with the Novotel Les Halles - close to Museums, riverside, shopping areas and restaurant districts– right in front of the hotel lies the “Halles” underground shopping centre, with its metro and train station. On Monday, participants mustered for a welcome cocktail plus registration in the Hotel courtyard, and had an excellent dinner. To our surprise, Patrice had produced an opulent program brochure, with several richly illustrated articles and photo series – a large part dedicated to Patrice’s passion for modern art, and his various remakes and original creations of modern chess sets. A detailed essay by Barbara Holländer portrays Dieppe as a centre for the carving of chess sets, opposed to Geislingen in Germany - Dieppe even sports a little Museum celebrating the town's former glory in ivory carving and scrimshaw.
In France the state of exception is still in power, security measures and checks were in place at the airports , in all Museums and public buildings. Heavily armed groups of special police are walking the streets, and the underground centre of Les Halles in front of the hotel had a somewhat lax security check of people going in, with some cops passing a metal detector over bags and backpacks. All the same, the city was full of tourists, with crowds rolling through the Louvre, the Luxembourg park, Versailles, around the Eiffel tower, the left bank and the area around the Cathedral Notre Dame and Rue de Rivoli teeming with huge masses of people strolling, and shopping . In fact , Paris was crammed full of visitors, lively and swinging with all the attractions of a world touristic capital – and by all appearances, nothing untowards happened all week to blight the spring holiday. Even the protesters against the new French labour law – “nuit debout” etc. – did us the favour of not being much in evidence during the week.
Patrice Plain had picked an ideally situated headquarters with the Novotel Les Halles - close to Museums, riverside, shopping areas and restaurant districts– right in front of the hotel lies the “Halles” underground shopping centre, with its metro and train station. On Monday, participants mustered for a welcome cocktail plus registration in the Hotel courtyard, and had an excellent dinner. To our surprise, Patrice had produced an opulent program brochure, with several richly illustrated articles and photo series – a large part dedicated to Patrice’s passion for modern art, and his various remakes and original creations of modern chess sets. A detailed essay by Barbara Holländer portrays Dieppe as a centre for the carving of chess sets, opposed to Geislingen in Germany - Dieppe even sports a little Museum celebrating the town's former glory in ivory carving and scrimshaw.
Lecture day
Straight in the morning, Franz-Josef Lang traced the origin of the Juggernaut chess piece in “John” sets to antique temple carts used in Hindu processions – bedecked wagons with a towering decoration on top, which can be espied both in historical temple reliefs, as well as in recent festivities up till today. Interesting was F-J.’s assertion that the Juggernaut piece may stand in as bishop – or as rook, depending on the set. Most of them seem to have been made in Berhampore, a relaxation spot for the officers and families in Eastern Bengal or the Kalkutta area, rivalling with Darjeeling as a hill resort. Next J.F. Mükke using a wide array of photos pointed out the changes in the various Regency knight heads – from the ancient round top to the horse heads – it seems that concerning these older sets some doubts still exist in some quarters which pieces are knights and which pieces are bishops!
Thomas Thomsen , showing a profusion of different sets from his own collection, pointed out the many details that distinguish Geislingen sets from Dieppe style sets. The differences are not only the typical clowns or idiots (=fous) in Dieppe against the formally dressed couriers in Geislingen – there are other details as the stem form, the collars on top of the stems, etc. And of course – Geislingen are mostly made in bone, while Dieppe with its easy access to colonial ivory produced mainly ivory sets. An eagerly awaited talk about the Café Regence by Jean-Olivier Leconte unfortunately fell flat, as the lecturer did not appear – the gist of his lecture was printed in the program brochure, though. Leo Hovestadt presented a varied digression across medieval chess in books, monuments and in pictures – one of Leo’s specialties is spotting architectural chess motives wherever he goes. Several times during the week he managed to surprise us with his keen observance! And we note in passing – that all lectures were provided by the germanic contingent!
Straight in the morning, Franz-Josef Lang traced the origin of the Juggernaut chess piece in “John” sets to antique temple carts used in Hindu processions – bedecked wagons with a towering decoration on top, which can be espied both in historical temple reliefs, as well as in recent festivities up till today. Interesting was F-J.’s assertion that the Juggernaut piece may stand in as bishop – or as rook, depending on the set. Most of them seem to have been made in Berhampore, a relaxation spot for the officers and families in Eastern Bengal or the Kalkutta area, rivalling with Darjeeling as a hill resort. Next J.F. Mükke using a wide array of photos pointed out the changes in the various Regency knight heads – from the ancient round top to the horse heads – it seems that concerning these older sets some doubts still exist in some quarters which pieces are knights and which pieces are bishops!
Thomas Thomsen , showing a profusion of different sets from his own collection, pointed out the many details that distinguish Geislingen sets from Dieppe style sets. The differences are not only the typical clowns or idiots (=fous) in Dieppe against the formally dressed couriers in Geislingen – there are other details as the stem form, the collars on top of the stems, etc. And of course – Geislingen are mostly made in bone, while Dieppe with its easy access to colonial ivory produced mainly ivory sets. An eagerly awaited talk about the Café Regence by Jean-Olivier Leconte unfortunately fell flat, as the lecturer did not appear – the gist of his lecture was printed in the program brochure, though. Leo Hovestadt presented a varied digression across medieval chess in books, monuments and in pictures – one of Leo’s specialties is spotting architectural chess motives wherever he goes. Several times during the week he managed to surprise us with his keen observance! And we note in passing – that all lectures were provided by the germanic contingent!
Vive le roi
After lunch in the hotel, the group made its way to a nearby street corner, in order to mount a private coach to visit the former Royal residence Versailles. Versailles turned out to be teeming with visitors from all over the world – we had to pass through a detailed security control with opening of bags and an x-ray-scan – and made our way to a side entrance, where Patrice had arranged for a fairly private visit to the Royal Apartments, which connect to the famous gallery of mirrors. This left us far away way from the massive crowds squeezing their way through the major circuit in the palace. After the visit there was time for a stroll through the gardens – Yours truly went antiquity hunting and found that in Versailles there is a tiny quarter entirely occupied by antiquaries and old books sellers. Dinner was a very satisfying affair in a local restaurant named the "Grey Hat" – afterwards our return to the hotel left us time to spare for an evening stroll in the city.
The day after, we met at breakfast and ambled off some 300 yards to reach the Centre Pompidou, both a very lively repository of modern art as a place of cultural activites of many sorts, where we clambered up to the top floors to see the permanent show – among the exhibits the notorious urinal of Marcel Duchamp, and also his pocket chess set! Not surprisingly, some moving stairs were out of order, the elevators out of function, and several other details show that this building presents continuous problems of maintenance – some 40 years after being inaugurated the Pompidou is in need of a complete technical overhaul. Such is the crux of modern architecture.... from the Museum , we made our way per bus to a restaurant in the Bercy zone, close to our next point of visit, which turned out to be the highlight of the entire Paris operation.
After lunch in the hotel, the group made its way to a nearby street corner, in order to mount a private coach to visit the former Royal residence Versailles. Versailles turned out to be teeming with visitors from all over the world – we had to pass through a detailed security control with opening of bags and an x-ray-scan – and made our way to a side entrance, where Patrice had arranged for a fairly private visit to the Royal Apartments, which connect to the famous gallery of mirrors. This left us far away way from the massive crowds squeezing their way through the major circuit in the palace. After the visit there was time for a stroll through the gardens – Yours truly went antiquity hunting and found that in Versailles there is a tiny quarter entirely occupied by antiquaries and old books sellers. Dinner was a very satisfying affair in a local restaurant named the "Grey Hat" – afterwards our return to the hotel left us time to spare for an evening stroll in the city.
The day after, we met at breakfast and ambled off some 300 yards to reach the Centre Pompidou, both a very lively repository of modern art as a place of cultural activites of many sorts, where we clambered up to the top floors to see the permanent show – among the exhibits the notorious urinal of Marcel Duchamp, and also his pocket chess set! Not surprisingly, some moving stairs were out of order, the elevators out of function, and several other details show that this building presents continuous problems of maintenance – some 40 years after being inaugurated the Pompidou is in need of a complete technical overhaul. Such is the crux of modern architecture.... from the Museum , we made our way per bus to a restaurant in the Bercy zone, close to our next point of visit, which turned out to be the highlight of the entire Paris operation.
Fair-ground show
Our next stop on the trip was the Museum des Arts Forains – which more or less means fair-ground Museum. A private show put together by a dedicated collector, this collection of impeccably restored carrousels, automats, mechanical organs and sundry other marvelous stuff from yesteryear is housed in some slightly restored old wine warehouses, where in former days bistro holders and bar owners came to obtain their “rouge” for the clients. The Museum is only open to reserved groups – since the city of Paris refused to grant a public statute and help shoulder the costs, the Museum has to earn its money, with shows for private guests, companies, via banquets and other private parties. You should have seen us playing an ancient horse race exhibit that involves sinking some balls in appropriate holes – or pedaling gleefully in a bicycle merry-go-round, which dates from around 1900! The whole ambiance was completely captivating and we all exited from this place with smiles larger like the Cheshire cat on our faces. Back to the hotel, there was plenty of time to dress up for the evening dinner at the famous Café Procope, Philidor’s , Voltaire’s and Benjamin Franklin’s haunt, dating from 1685 and thereby the oldest restaurant in France! It was a sumptuous affair indeed, and with mirrors reflecting the lights of the wine glasses and the lavish treats served we had a very good time of it.
Our next stop on the trip was the Museum des Arts Forains – which more or less means fair-ground Museum. A private show put together by a dedicated collector, this collection of impeccably restored carrousels, automats, mechanical organs and sundry other marvelous stuff from yesteryear is housed in some slightly restored old wine warehouses, where in former days bistro holders and bar owners came to obtain their “rouge” for the clients. The Museum is only open to reserved groups – since the city of Paris refused to grant a public statute and help shoulder the costs, the Museum has to earn its money, with shows for private guests, companies, via banquets and other private parties. You should have seen us playing an ancient horse race exhibit that involves sinking some balls in appropriate holes – or pedaling gleefully in a bicycle merry-go-round, which dates from around 1900! The whole ambiance was completely captivating and we all exited from this place with smiles larger like the Cheshire cat on our faces. Back to the hotel, there was plenty of time to dress up for the evening dinner at the famous Café Procope, Philidor’s , Voltaire’s and Benjamin Franklin’s haunt, dating from 1685 and thereby the oldest restaurant in France! It was a sumptuous affair indeed, and with mirrors reflecting the lights of the wine glasses and the lavish treats served we had a very good time of it.
Cluny
The very next morning saw us on our way to the Museum of Medieval Art, housed in the former townhouse of the abbey of Cluny, therefore known as Hotel de Cluny. For chess collectors, a visit to Paris normally involves a visit to the Charlemagne set and the so-called cristal set of St.Louis in the Louvre – but the Cabinet de Medailles of the National Library (Bibliotheque Nationale) is closed for a four-year period, and the Louvre is a major bit of hassle to visit! In Cluny we not only found some well known chess sets of medieval origin, but also the fabulous glass window showing a lady playing chess with a gentleman of the times. And to top it off, the Museum book shop had a pile of books on medieval games, which we cleaned out in an instant. After lunch in the hotel, we were treated to a selection of chess sets from Patrice Plain’s collection, concentrating especially on his wide holdings of top notch Regence sets, and his personal faible for modern chess sets, including the Vasarely chess set, and a very good modern copy of the Max Ernst set. The evening saw us whisked away by bus to board a boat on the Seine, and have a fabulous dinner on it gliding down the river with its plentiful display of revelers, private parties, restaurant and discos. The clochards under the bridges , mesdames & messieurs, that is history and long past.....the banks of the Seine have become one more entertainment area. Not that clochards, the beggarly poor, the rejects, the homeless are absent from Paris streets....
The very next morning saw us on our way to the Museum of Medieval Art, housed in the former townhouse of the abbey of Cluny, therefore known as Hotel de Cluny. For chess collectors, a visit to Paris normally involves a visit to the Charlemagne set and the so-called cristal set of St.Louis in the Louvre – but the Cabinet de Medailles of the National Library (Bibliotheque Nationale) is closed for a four-year period, and the Louvre is a major bit of hassle to visit! In Cluny we not only found some well known chess sets of medieval origin, but also the fabulous glass window showing a lady playing chess with a gentleman of the times. And to top it off, the Museum book shop had a pile of books on medieval games, which we cleaned out in an instant. After lunch in the hotel, we were treated to a selection of chess sets from Patrice Plain’s collection, concentrating especially on his wide holdings of top notch Regence sets, and his personal faible for modern chess sets, including the Vasarely chess set, and a very good modern copy of the Max Ernst set. The evening saw us whisked away by bus to board a boat on the Seine, and have a fabulous dinner on it gliding down the river with its plentiful display of revelers, private parties, restaurant and discos. The clochards under the bridges , mesdames & messieurs, that is history and long past.....the banks of the Seine have become one more entertainment area. Not that clochards, the beggarly poor, the rejects, the homeless are absent from Paris streets....
Over and out
The last day brought the much anticipated chess market– Patrice Plain had invited several French artisans and makers of modern chess sets to show their stuff. F-J. Lang offered – and sold! - some very good Indian ivory single pieces from John sets, and some other ivories without chess connection as well. Even the Moscow ivory carver Oleg Raikis appeared and exposed some of his sets, a Staunton set in mammoth ivory, and a fancy set in the style of Vizagapatnam, perfectly made. But the show was stolen by Reinhard and Anita Egert, who arrived with a ton of downmarket chess sets of the most varying appearance, material, age, size etc. at spring sales prices – “Mickey Mouse” sets, as Reinhard is wont to call ‘em. Well, some of us like Mickey Mouse sets, Yours truly got a large version of those painted Russian/Kirghiz tourists sets, others picked up African sets, bone travel sets, stone sets, plastic sets, a huge affair in cast iron and what not. According to the grapevine, years ago, at the tail end of a not very successful chess auction Reinhard bought everything remaining, and had not even unpacked the loot – until his wife Anita insisted it was time for a housecleaning. All the same, I fancy the Egerts still took half a ton of chess sets back home again...In the afternoon, French member Jaques Lamy invited the remaining participants to visit his home on the outskirts – Lamy is an eclectic collector, with a strong penchant for fair-ground and circus stuff, mechanical toys, as well as chess sets. And similar as Patrice, he also makes chess sets, some of them very ornate, and paints them! Unfortunately the bus broke down on the way, which held up the trip for an hour and a half – but the Lamy’s made up for the delay with their hospitality – the photos show the extent of the Lamy collection.
The last day brought the much anticipated chess market– Patrice Plain had invited several French artisans and makers of modern chess sets to show their stuff. F-J. Lang offered – and sold! - some very good Indian ivory single pieces from John sets, and some other ivories without chess connection as well. Even the Moscow ivory carver Oleg Raikis appeared and exposed some of his sets, a Staunton set in mammoth ivory, and a fancy set in the style of Vizagapatnam, perfectly made. But the show was stolen by Reinhard and Anita Egert, who arrived with a ton of downmarket chess sets of the most varying appearance, material, age, size etc. at spring sales prices – “Mickey Mouse” sets, as Reinhard is wont to call ‘em. Well, some of us like Mickey Mouse sets, Yours truly got a large version of those painted Russian/Kirghiz tourists sets, others picked up African sets, bone travel sets, stone sets, plastic sets, a huge affair in cast iron and what not. According to the grapevine, years ago, at the tail end of a not very successful chess auction Reinhard bought everything remaining, and had not even unpacked the loot – until his wife Anita insisted it was time for a housecleaning. All the same, I fancy the Egerts still took half a ton of chess sets back home again...In the afternoon, French member Jaques Lamy invited the remaining participants to visit his home on the outskirts – Lamy is an eclectic collector, with a strong penchant for fair-ground and circus stuff, mechanical toys, as well as chess sets. And similar as Patrice, he also makes chess sets, some of them very ornate, and paints them! Unfortunately the bus broke down on the way, which held up the trip for an hour and a half – but the Lamy’s made up for the delay with their hospitality – the photos show the extent of the Lamy collection.
Resumé
Putting oneself into Patrice Plain’s shoes , it is easy to imagine a sense of disappointment with the whole meeting – Patrice and Annie have worked fairly hard to put everything into place for several months, to the detriment of their professional and private lifes. Of course the plans for the meeting had been made when the Paris attacks took place, and although the immediate effect has simmered down, it seems many collectors from overseas just stayed away because Europe seemed such a dangerous place. Several stalwarts of past CCI meetings could or would not come, because their health does not permit them such trips any more, that is understandable. Another question is the almost complete abstention of the French section, leaving the impression that CCI France “n’existe pas”, it is only Patrice Plain and two or three friends.... On the other hand, only one of the numerous british collectors - President Mike Wiltshire – showed up in Paris, a train ride away from London....
All in all, the Paris meeting – perhaps because of the unexpectedly weak attendance - brought to the fore a sense of uneasiness. CCI seems to be drifting, the membership numbers are dwindling, almost all collectors are over 60 or even more, and the group formed over 30 years ago is slowly melting away. How much longer shall we be able to congregate in plush surroundings for agreeable organized holidays with a minor chess theme? Should we resign us to the prospect that the chess collectors movement might just fade away in the future?
Second thoughts
Possibly it is time for thinking about a change in direction – a paradigm change as it is known in science, where You do some fairly brusque rethinking of the ground bases of what You are doing. Do we have to meet in four-star hotels, or is it possibly to adjust the group to leaner economies without losing the somewhat selective composition of CCI ? Founding member Franz-Josef Lang is at present engaged in a working committee to address the question of gaining new blood for CCI, but that does not preclude others chipping in to start a fundamental discussion of what we want, what CCI can do, and where CCI should be going. In fact, the CCI “charter” – to spread the knowledge of chess, to expose our collections for the profit of others, to publicize and further anything to do with chess history and culture, is fairly clear about the CCI mission – the annual meetings should be only the cherry on the cake.
Let me just leave a few pointers : the book collectors from the Ken Whyld Association have been present the last couple of times at German meetings , and a further and closer collaboration might be desirable . A few British collectors have recently discovered the charm of meeting for a little chess tournament somewhere in the province, and the US group did experiment – has this continued? – with local afternoon meetings where chess sets, restoration, ebay-savvy and so on are discussed. The connections with stamp, printed matter and autograph collectors should be strengthened and put into perspective – for example the Max Euwe Motiefgroep - two of their members were present at the last German meeting in Trier.
I am absolutely sure there are oodles of collectors out there who do not want anything to do with CCI, precisely because what is perceived as its aura of exclusivity. The question is if CCI should act as a catalyst for ALL chess collectors, or just for the very few chosen....
(c) Nicholas Lanier 2016
Putting oneself into Patrice Plain’s shoes , it is easy to imagine a sense of disappointment with the whole meeting – Patrice and Annie have worked fairly hard to put everything into place for several months, to the detriment of their professional and private lifes. Of course the plans for the meeting had been made when the Paris attacks took place, and although the immediate effect has simmered down, it seems many collectors from overseas just stayed away because Europe seemed such a dangerous place. Several stalwarts of past CCI meetings could or would not come, because their health does not permit them such trips any more, that is understandable. Another question is the almost complete abstention of the French section, leaving the impression that CCI France “n’existe pas”, it is only Patrice Plain and two or three friends.... On the other hand, only one of the numerous british collectors - President Mike Wiltshire – showed up in Paris, a train ride away from London....
All in all, the Paris meeting – perhaps because of the unexpectedly weak attendance - brought to the fore a sense of uneasiness. CCI seems to be drifting, the membership numbers are dwindling, almost all collectors are over 60 or even more, and the group formed over 30 years ago is slowly melting away. How much longer shall we be able to congregate in plush surroundings for agreeable organized holidays with a minor chess theme? Should we resign us to the prospect that the chess collectors movement might just fade away in the future?
Second thoughts
Possibly it is time for thinking about a change in direction – a paradigm change as it is known in science, where You do some fairly brusque rethinking of the ground bases of what You are doing. Do we have to meet in four-star hotels, or is it possibly to adjust the group to leaner economies without losing the somewhat selective composition of CCI ? Founding member Franz-Josef Lang is at present engaged in a working committee to address the question of gaining new blood for CCI, but that does not preclude others chipping in to start a fundamental discussion of what we want, what CCI can do, and where CCI should be going. In fact, the CCI “charter” – to spread the knowledge of chess, to expose our collections for the profit of others, to publicize and further anything to do with chess history and culture, is fairly clear about the CCI mission – the annual meetings should be only the cherry on the cake.
Let me just leave a few pointers : the book collectors from the Ken Whyld Association have been present the last couple of times at German meetings , and a further and closer collaboration might be desirable . A few British collectors have recently discovered the charm of meeting for a little chess tournament somewhere in the province, and the US group did experiment – has this continued? – with local afternoon meetings where chess sets, restoration, ebay-savvy and so on are discussed. The connections with stamp, printed matter and autograph collectors should be strengthened and put into perspective – for example the Max Euwe Motiefgroep - two of their members were present at the last German meeting in Trier.
I am absolutely sure there are oodles of collectors out there who do not want anything to do with CCI, precisely because what is perceived as its aura of exclusivity. The question is if CCI should act as a catalyst for ALL chess collectors, or just for the very few chosen....
(c) Nicholas Lanier 2016
* Anybody note that the text actually is "April in Paris..."?
Critiques, replies, postings and opinions most welcome and will be published
Critiques, replies, postings and opinions most welcome and will be published
the delicate glass window from the Cluny Museum - superb scene of an amorously tinged chess game, beautfiul details - window background, headgear, the checkered floor tiles , the back tapestry...
Reactions
Frank Camaratta (USA) comments:
Here is my read on what we are seeing within this collector community. In my case, I was told by my cardiologist not to fly for four months, which ends in two weeks. Floyd also had health issues and one other had a last minute death in the family.
However, this goes far deeper than health issues, although an aging Collector Group will be facing health issues at a greater and greater frequency. First, and not a piddling concern, is the security issue and an EU that is increasingly becoming an easy target for terrorist activities, especially in light of the rapidly changing demographics.
Second, such a trip is quite expensive when you consider airline and hotel costs, along with meals and convention costs.
However, I believe that the single most devastating affect on our collector community is the draconian bans by this administration on all forms of Ivory, whether antique or Mammoth (an animal that has been extinct for over 10,000 years), with the very real possibility of the EU following suite. Without the ability to either acquire or transfer rare, historical and valuable cultural Ivory artifacts, collector interest wanes, with the predictable consequences we are now seeing. My observations for what they are worth.
Leonard Feld (USA) comments:
Please don't take this as criticism, but one must wonder, had you expected rsvp's from invitees and did you plan according to those received?
Keith Middleton (GB) comments:
Your comments on attendance are probably systematic of the chess collecting community as well as the wider environnment caused by the US ivory ban.
It always seemed as if the chess collecting world was filled with older folk - and disproportionately wealthy. They could afford to buy sets at prices that we lesser mortals could not; this, coupled with the greater impact of the internet made pricing more noticeable - and any upward trend (even if a one-off!) in prices was immediately taken up by dealers and reflected in all prices. This priced lesser collectors out of the market for 'good sets', and made it less interesting. We now have a situation where older collectors are downsizing, and the US ivory ban has made it all less feasible.
That said, sets are attracting a market - at least via eBay. I recently bought (via private deal) a Whitty ivory library set at not much more than 50% of the advertised priced on eBay - as it hadn't sold. Bargains are there - but are they really bargains? If I wanted to sell that set now, would I recoup my money or make a profit? If not, then it was not a bargain! The market for ivory sets has diminished dramatically with the virtual elimination of the US market - I know of a number of US collectors who are selling what they have whilst they can!
As to why people no longer attend CCI etc meetings, I think that that again is due to the elimination of the Old Guard collectors - younger collectors do not have the time or the money to go to these events - and, they are probably not catered for as regards the type of sets they can afford to buy. I see the organization withering away as it fails to recognize the change in the collecting world.
In a way, chess collecting is less 'fun': more is now known about sets (and research was half the enjoyment, even if I could never hope to own them!) and there really is a limit to what you can spend / own! As older age approaches, you have to limit priorities.
So - I do not see the lack of attendance as anything strange, I'm afraid, and it may get worse.
Smaller, more local, less 'grand' meetings may help - but I'm not sure.
The collecting world goes in phases - chess may have seen its hey-day. What happens when the big collections are unwound is anyones' guess.
Karl Klittich (Germany) comments (translated):
Many thanks for Your e-mail and the contained suggestions - believe me , the Ken Whyld Association has similar problems!. I have been trying to find new interested persons both for the Ken Whyld Association and for CCI, but it seems I am not having a lot of success in my endeavours....
Martin Levitin (USA) sent this comment:
When we were able to attend we attended. Regrettably, old age and infirmity have prevailed.
Many of our colleagues have already gone to their maker. No one is sadder about these circumstances than yours truly.
Here is my read on what we are seeing within this collector community. In my case, I was told by my cardiologist not to fly for four months, which ends in two weeks. Floyd also had health issues and one other had a last minute death in the family.
However, this goes far deeper than health issues, although an aging Collector Group will be facing health issues at a greater and greater frequency. First, and not a piddling concern, is the security issue and an EU that is increasingly becoming an easy target for terrorist activities, especially in light of the rapidly changing demographics.
Second, such a trip is quite expensive when you consider airline and hotel costs, along with meals and convention costs.
However, I believe that the single most devastating affect on our collector community is the draconian bans by this administration on all forms of Ivory, whether antique or Mammoth (an animal that has been extinct for over 10,000 years), with the very real possibility of the EU following suite. Without the ability to either acquire or transfer rare, historical and valuable cultural Ivory artifacts, collector interest wanes, with the predictable consequences we are now seeing. My observations for what they are worth.
Leonard Feld (USA) comments:
Please don't take this as criticism, but one must wonder, had you expected rsvp's from invitees and did you plan according to those received?
Keith Middleton (GB) comments:
Your comments on attendance are probably systematic of the chess collecting community as well as the wider environnment caused by the US ivory ban.
It always seemed as if the chess collecting world was filled with older folk - and disproportionately wealthy. They could afford to buy sets at prices that we lesser mortals could not; this, coupled with the greater impact of the internet made pricing more noticeable - and any upward trend (even if a one-off!) in prices was immediately taken up by dealers and reflected in all prices. This priced lesser collectors out of the market for 'good sets', and made it less interesting. We now have a situation where older collectors are downsizing, and the US ivory ban has made it all less feasible.
That said, sets are attracting a market - at least via eBay. I recently bought (via private deal) a Whitty ivory library set at not much more than 50% of the advertised priced on eBay - as it hadn't sold. Bargains are there - but are they really bargains? If I wanted to sell that set now, would I recoup my money or make a profit? If not, then it was not a bargain! The market for ivory sets has diminished dramatically with the virtual elimination of the US market - I know of a number of US collectors who are selling what they have whilst they can!
As to why people no longer attend CCI etc meetings, I think that that again is due to the elimination of the Old Guard collectors - younger collectors do not have the time or the money to go to these events - and, they are probably not catered for as regards the type of sets they can afford to buy. I see the organization withering away as it fails to recognize the change in the collecting world.
In a way, chess collecting is less 'fun': more is now known about sets (and research was half the enjoyment, even if I could never hope to own them!) and there really is a limit to what you can spend / own! As older age approaches, you have to limit priorities.
So - I do not see the lack of attendance as anything strange, I'm afraid, and it may get worse.
Smaller, more local, less 'grand' meetings may help - but I'm not sure.
The collecting world goes in phases - chess may have seen its hey-day. What happens when the big collections are unwound is anyones' guess.
Karl Klittich (Germany) comments (translated):
Many thanks for Your e-mail and the contained suggestions - believe me , the Ken Whyld Association has similar problems!. I have been trying to find new interested persons both for the Ken Whyld Association and for CCI, but it seems I am not having a lot of success in my endeavours....
Martin Levitin (USA) sent this comment:
When we were able to attend we attended. Regrettably, old age and infirmity have prevailed.
Many of our colleagues have already gone to their maker. No one is sadder about these circumstances than yours truly.
