P3D Re: NSA Auction ---Stereo Slides?????

[Paul Talbot <ptww@xxxxxxxxx>]

[Warning: I'm going to vent some frustrations here!]

Re: Bill C Walton tells us he was surprised to find no contemporary
stereo slides in the NSA Auction at Richmond, and:

> I encourage all stereographers (cards, slides and lenticulars) to
> contribute their works to the annnual NSA Auction.  It is a good
> moneymaker for the organization and the more we have in it, the more
> interesting it is.

finally:

> As far as I can determine there has never been a single item, that has
> been offered to the Auction, turned down.  So please think about it.

Bill, I appreciate your efforts to drum up interest in donating
stereo images to NSA, but I have two observations:  the timing
of your post is all wrong; and, IMO, NSA really dropped the ball
on this.  It's deja vu "all over again" as I remember reading
something very similar here on the list *after* Seattle last year.
That after-the-fact post was the first I'd ever heard of the
auction or the donation of items to NSA for fund raising.

I've been anticipating seeing this post for a couple months...ever
since contacting NSA about some slides I wanted to submit for the
auction at Richmond.  As my slides were not in the auction, an
argument could be made that they were effectively "turned down."
I'll say right up front that as an incurable procrastinator I
managed to miss the auction deadline.  But I'll point out in my
own defense that I hadn't seen the deadline mentioned anywhere.
In fact, I didn't even see the auction itself discussed even *once*
on P3D since the "why are there no slides" thread appeared on the
list last year.  I miss very little of P3D, though I was out of
touch during a trip to the East Coast in May.  And who would have
ever thought you have to make arrangements with NSA over 2 months
in advance if you want to gift a few slides to them?

> since, following a rather lengthy discussion on
> P3d after the Seattle Convention on this subject, George Themelis
> indicated he would put some of his slides in this year's auction.

And I for one publicly applauded George's decision (readers might
recall it took some persuading to reverse the good doctor's
opinions on this point).  In response to my "cheers," George
encouraged me to submit slides as well, and promised to be the
first to bid on them at the auction.  That exchange led me to
purchase about 10 rolls of K25 and to carry an extra camera* with
me over the next six to nine months, specifically to shoot images
that could be submitted for the auction.

*Which meant in some cases I was lugging 4 '50s stereo cameras
plus a twin-MF rig.

I also purchased EMDE binders and glass, and attempted (quite
unsuccessfully) to learn to efficiently mount with Albion
masks so I could create a desirable packaging for images to
be submitted to the auction.  While I'm sure my efforts pale
in comparison to yours, Bill, it is very frustrating to have
spent 10 months preparing to donate slides for the auction and
have the effort gone to waste.

I'll also point out that when I tried to dig up the information
on how to go about submitting things for the auction, there
seemed to be almost no awareness on the part of the NSA contacts
about "contribution" items.  All the responses I received were
geared to pure auction sellers.  I didn't even realize until
then that the auction included anything other than donated items.

So could the person in charge of the auction for the Green Bay
convention please make note now to start dropping hints about
the auction sometime next Spring?  And be sure to include the
important deadline information!

I commend Bill for being so on the ball and having his donations
arranged 2 months ahead of time.  But most of us mortals need
some prodding and reminders if we're gonna keep up.

Now some of you might defend NSA by saying the auction was mentioned
in the convention info packet in Stereo World.  Well, I did find
that information...a week or two ago when I opened the envelope
it came in.  That information was in the special "double issue."
As was widely discussed here on the list, that was the 90% or
more "history" double issue.  Obviously I was in no hurry to open
it.  Now I wonder: does it make sense to a) send the convention
info in an issue that ignores shooters; and b) discuss the auction
only in the convention materials?  Is one requird to attend the
convention to submit items for auction?  It seems at the minimum
that NSA doesn't consider the auction as a vehicle for selling
contemporary stereo images.  If NSA has that attitude, it will
continue to be difficult to successfully solicit contributions
from contemporary photographers.

Just my observations, submitted in the hopes that next year's
auction event handlers make an *advance* effort to bring in
contributions of contemporary work...and that Bill doesn't
have to scold us again next year after the fact.  (Yeah, yeah,
and to get it off my chest, too!)

Paul Talbot


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