Collating Party
A collation or collating party is a fan gathering at which fans collate a fanzine, apa or other publication such as a convention program book.
Sometimes light refreshments are served, in which case it is a collation collation.
To collate is to partake in the ancient fannish dance form in which piles of pages for a fanzine, apa or other publication are stacked on a table and fans shuffle slowly in circles around the table taking one from each pile to form a complete issue, which is then bound together.
Some enlightened faneds or apae, especially those with very large page counts, may use a collating rack to save steps, but these are rare.
| From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959 |
| Collating parties and collating sessions are held when fans and other friends get together to help put together fanzines, APA mailings/distributions, or convention publications. These parties are occasions of good cheer and sometimes good jokes (to say nothing of choice gossip about non-attending members and other fans). It has even been reported that, on a few of these occasions, something or other actually got collated.
Charles Burbee's OEship of FAPA in 1961-62 was marked by collating parties where the OE played cards in the kitchen while the other FAPA members published the official Fantasy Amateur, and the waiting-listers put together the mailing. When it was ready to be sent out the OE would reappear and place his imprimatur on the job. The monstrous 100th mailing of FAPA, when bagged and ready to mail, was assembled into a throne for Burb to sit on and officially peruse a copy. |
| Publishing |
