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The Future of Organized Knife Collector Associations

I've been struggling with trying to see what the future of our traditional knife clubs and associations looks like.

For years, our local clubs provided a social gathering for like-minded collectors. Then you also have the regional and national associations providing certain benefits to their members in exchange for dues. These benefits included, among other things, newsletters/magazines, organized knife shows, club knives and identity.

Now it seems these benefits are provided by other means. Moreover, I've observed most folks don't see the need to join these groups. So, have our clubs/associations failed to connect with collectors today? Or what?

I've been interested in promoting knife collecting as a hobby through the Web for many years and have had the opportunity to talk with lots of officers and directors of various clubs/associations, both big and small.

Across the board their challenges are the same:

membership retention
aging membership
failure to bring in younger collectors
recruitment problems
lack of know-how to use the Web to promote and provide services/benefits to their members
lack of manpower
lack of funds
And in many cases- lack of leadership, or vision

Have the days of "organized" knife associations gone/are going the way of the dinosaur? What is the future knife collecting association going to look like?

Tags: NKCA, association, dues, future, knife-club, members

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Comment by Jim Thompson on February 13, 2011 at 18:49: Sometimes these things with which we communicate is our on worst enemy. Namely the Computer & Cell Phone. In todays world, unless you are truly self employed, one can never get away from their job. I have two good examples, my son-in-law is employed with Microsoft. On weekends, holidays and even vacation either via the cell phone or computer he is apt to have to respond to his job duties. His wife, my daughter, is in middle management at T Mobile and the same thing is true in her case, even worse than Microsoft. I agree that technology is a good thing, unfortunately businesses today exploit it more and more with their employees. I was caught up in this the last few years I worked until I hung it up in 2000 and that was not even close to what it is today. This creates issues with any social and family life with whatever time is available outside the job.

Now I will comment on Knife Clubs... I belong to one & we meet the second Monday of each month. The annual dues are $5 for juniors and $10 for us old people. We have somwhere between 30 to 40 people in attendance at each meeting and a total membership of around 200. A lot of us show up for the meetings around 6 pm with knives to sell, trade or show. Our meeting starts at 7:30 and is over around 8:30 or 9. We are blessed that we have several younger members, some that are willing to work. We are also like most organizations though, there are 15 to 20 people that do most of the work. We sustain our club through raffleing several donated items each meeting and our annual Knife Show. It is an event I have listed on IKC. The concern I have is that the Show Dealer Network is aging and not many youger ones are replacing them. This will ultimately hurt our Club as well as several others as to being able to support a good Knife Club. I would like to think that the few USA Manufacturers would see this as an opportunity to somehow support the Clubs within their marketing strategy by offering programs, etc. W

In Memoriam Comment by Scott King on February 13, 2011 at 18:48: Thanks guys. This is the type of conversation I was hoping for.

I'm wondering if the best run clubs aren't tied to some business (AG's, Case, etc) as they have employees helping, money to invest in web sites, email newsletters, etc. I think it will go narrow (type of knives, or brand) and the days of the general knife clubs may be 'ver.

Comment by Trent Rock on February 13, 2011 at 15:53: If I am going to pay money for an association or club

I want something in return

Like a newsletter or a free book

FREE copy of “Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery” book, a $29.95 value, plus we’ll even pay the shipping & handling charges, another $6 value

http://www.nkcaknife.org/page15.html

http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/Newsletter%201101.pdf

The discount on knife shows is not a major selling point for me

Since I only go to maybe 1 knife show a year

The future knife collecting association is iKC and Facebook :)