I have two suggestions for increasing the targeted visibility of the Timber Framers Guild which could lead to new members.

The first places I would suggest are the Woodcraft stores located across the country. I've seen signs hanging in their stores marking a timber framing area. We could have some nice posters printed with the Guild contact information and web address, with maybe a pouch/rack at the bottom for flyers or brochures for customers to take with them. Maybe the store managers would let us post one in their timberframing display space if they were convinced that educating customers about timber framing might lead to some sales. They might also be willing to sell Guild books.

What's the biggest pool of timber frame structures in America? Barns. So the second set of locations I would suggest are the stores that cater to farmers: Tractor Supply Company and Quality Farm and Fleet. There might be some farmers who would like to learn some timber framing skills so they could save their barns. Might be a harder sell to get a high-visibilty spot in these stores than in Woodcraft, however.

I have three Woodcraft stores easily accessible to me (Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus) that I would be willing to approach. By the way, the Cincinnati store has had Woodmizer demos, and might be open to Saturday morning hewing or timber frame joinery demos.

Just throwing these ideas out for consideration.

I have two stores near me, that I could take some brochures to as well.

The guy who worked at one store that I knew retired and doesn't work there any more. But I could go there again and see someone else in charge.

Next time I see Joel I'll ask about getting some brochures from him, and have them on hand.

Good ideas, guys, but in my years of trying to promote the Guild and Heartwood in similar fashion many of these stores (chains, in particular) have strict policies about displaying materials that do not have a DIRECT connection to their products and profitability. If they let anyone put out brochures or posters soon the walls, windows and tables would become a mess. It's worth a try, though, so I suggest getting a few of the brochures from Joel (which fold out into a poster) and then approach the store and ask if they'd display it. If they agree, let the rest of us know and we can spread the word.

Off topic for membership, but...

Do you or does anyone have Sears catalogs showing timber frames for sale? I have found homes and light framed farm structures - no timber frames.
I ask because I am surveying barns in central Virginia and am finding a lot of frames dating to 1906 through 1928, about the time when mail order house frames began appearing. I am trying to gather more information about these frames.

Thanks.

Bob -

I looked into their offerings a bit when helping Al on the Scott-Phiefer Antebellum House, when the hysterians there mistakenly assumed the roman numeral carpenters marks on it had to mean it was a "kit" and so obviously a Sears product.

It was built fifty years before anything they offered, but the buildings you've been looking at fall right in the appropriate time frame - http://www.amazon.com/Sears-Roebuck-Book-Barns-Reprint/dp/0976209616

Oh yes !!
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What about license plates? In my state there are numerous organizations that have their unique stamp on state tags. Granted, there is probable a minimum demand for it to be possible, but the prices differ.

I'd proudly bear a TFG tag!

Is this idea ludicrous? If exposure is the goal, you simply can't beat a license plate.