lichess
i agree there are many good things the CCI offer ,and the more serious collectors should take note of this.
however there are a few interesting points worth noting.
1. our group is existing with english as the common language. so considering britain seems to offer so many antique sets on the bay ,and the history of chess there is second to none , the need for the uk as a more important conference centre seems essential.
2.the points refering to chess stamps , ( a british invention ) t shirts , etc , i agree that fun or specalist areas away from sets themselves are things we can collect, as i have such items.however in most cases such items are not going to of serious interest to top notch grand masters ,book writers like gareth ( who i like , a nice gentleman who is happy to talk to others ), but well made chess sets ,boards ,clocks , will be far more likely to offer advice ,opinions , on these items.
3. for me to go to the usa for the next congress ,would involve expense i simply cannot afford ,and being honest ,i like side benefits . could the meeting tie in with a chess auction , and are there a good selection of antique shops ,markets , to visit near by . london can offer all three ,plus its english speaking ,easy to get around ,and at an auction like bloomsburys ,info can be offered to collectors on where to visit to get these items. there are 4 well known sellers on the bay which are uk based , so collectors could meet all of them at such a uk meeting. rookx , jacdu , dermotr , latvian gambit. will any attend the usa meeting ? the proposed german /italian ones ? which other country offers 4 proven chess sellers ?
even frank camerata told me that for antique chess sets the london auctions were a must for his business.a tie in with the CCI here has to be worthwhile.
4 modern and vintage sets will have their collectors ,but i wonder if the experts at CCI meetings will have additional knowledge on these sets , and the current web sites on the net seem to suggest that they wont. i simply cannot see gareth williams being able to advise a new collector ,on collecting modern repro sets ,to any great depth. i doubt it would be of great interest to him. my guess is if i met kasparov , and offered to play a game of chess with him , on a quality jaques board ,with a quality chess antique clock ,and a nice 3.5 inch ivory set , he just might do it !!!! what will he make of a modern brand new upright ,is another matter. i simply would not have the nerve to even ask him . so a selection of modern sets do benefit a congress ,and there is no harm in seeing them , but to suggest that collectors of antique sets are single minded is ...A VERY SINGLE MINDED,view too.i for one collect all kinds of chess trivia .. like ceramic , plastic , chess lighters , as i smoke a pipe .. so my sets are not from a smoke free home either.
5 the issue of cost for attending these meetings needs adressing too. if a casual visitor was to attend such a meeting , but not stay in the hotel ,or take any lunch/dinner , is there an entry fee ? i have no idea what sort of out lay in cash terms what a visit ( even on the cheap ) might involve.
6 as a CCI member i offered my services to write an article on my e bay observations , and i am happy to say it was accepted. however i had to make the offer , joost is correct , we need to encourage members to offer their services to the organisation. i collect ,i do not deal in chess sets ,there is no angle here ... i just love chess playing ,chess history ,chess talk , and chess collecting.
meeting fellow collectors is of prime importance .