Award Winning Philatelic Treatment and Presentation

The following figure is an exhibit assessment form for use at the frames when judging at a show.  However, it is also very useful for collectors, exhibitors and judges, when reviewing philatelic material.

I created this form and use it whenever I judge; also asking my juries to use it when I am Chief Judge. The form lists, under each criterion, the most important issues to assess. These are gray muted items taken directly from the judges’ checklist which appears on page 28 of the American Philatelic Society (APS) Manual of Philatelic Judging and Exhibiting (7th ed.) The form also shows how removing points affects the weight of a given criterion, and alerts judges of the necessity to prepare useful comments for the APS Uniform Exhibit Evaluation Form (UEEF). The sliding scale of percentages for each criterion was conceived by Richard Drews in several articles published in the Philatelic Exhibitor, the journal of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors. A version of his scale is also included in the APS Manual.

The form has a highlighted question at the bottom, to remind the jury to determine if the exhibit has a philatelic or non-philatelic subject. 

The order of the criteria listed on the form is purposeful. Presentationis last criterion on the UEEF but the first on this form. Why? Because the first thing a jury, or anyone, sees when viewing an exhibit is its overall presentation, its appearance. While Presentation only accounts for 5 points in scoring an exhibit, it can bias the view of a jury. A sloppy, overcrowded, or grossly overwritten exhibit will likely cause the jury to spend much more time on the exhibit, looking for other faults. And other criteria are far more than 5 points!

The Importance criterion is near the top of the UEEF but on this form it is the last assessment. Why? Simply because philatelic importance and exhibit importance cannot be fairly assessed until all other criteria have been considered. 

With yellow highlights, the form also reminds the jury of special assessment considerations for theme driven exhibits such as Display, Thematic and Topical, where points are combined to 35 with 17 ½ each assigned to Philatelic Knoweldge and to Subject Knowledge. In these cases subject knowledge is more than simply the topic of the exhibit. It also relates to an understanding of special treatment knowledge regarding either Display, Thematic or a Topical exhibit.

Display and Thematic treatments rely on a story to drive the development of the exhibit, whereas, a Topical Treatment only uses a categorization no story. In all cases each point in a story or categorization, each page, each section, should all tie back (link) to the main topic of the exhibit.

In all cases the use of headers and sub-headers, often with page legends, aids in the development of the given treatment and linkages.

Philatelic material and non-philatelic material differ as described. The table reflects guidance form the American Philatelic Society Manual of Philatelic Judging and Exhibiting (7thEd.). Those concerned with American Topical Association (ATA) or International competitions (FIP) should consult those sources for additional guidance on element limitations. The asterisk (*) refers to para-philatelic material which is anything officially used or released by a postal authority such as new issue announcements, philatelic packaging material (top cards), Royal Mail PHQ cards, advertising/publicity images of stamps, etc. 

Picture Post Cards (PPCs) are allowed in any exhibit per APS guidelines with the caveat that when used, that a philatelic items is always a better choice. In any case aside from display exhibits PPCs should be used with caution.

In all cases text should be brief, whether relating a story or describing an element.

Knowledge shown refers to special assessment criteria for these exhibit types. Knowledge, Personal Study and Research are combined to 35 points, of which 17 ½ points each are assigned to Philatelic Knowledge (substituted by deltiology when PPCs are shown, etc.) and Subject Knowledge. This knowledge is not simply about the main topic of the exhibit. It also includes an understanding of the treatment type used and the expected conventions of that type, i.e. Display, Thematic or Topical.