When Ed Arias took over the Ann Arbor Stamp Club's website, he inherited a hand-coded HTML site that was nearly impossible to update. With no coding background and a club of roughly 40 dedicated philatelists counting on him, he needed a better way. Solo gave him one — and the results speak for themselves.
Meet the Ann Arbor Stamp Club
The Ann Arbor Stamp Club (AASC) is a tight-knit group of philatelists — stamp collectors — based in Michigan. Philately has been called the "King of Hobbies," and for good reason: it spans history, geography, art, and culture. Many members started collecting as kids, stepped away for careers and family life, and returned to the hobby in retirement.
AASC gives those returning collectors a home. The club offers monthly meetings, educational presentations, and their flagship annual event — AAPEX (Ann Arbor Philatelic Expo) — which draws collectors from across the region.
The Problem: An Outdated HTML Site Nobody Could Update
For years, the club's web presence ran on a hand-coded HTML website. Every change — updating a meeting date, adding event details, posting a new article — required someone with coding knowledge to manually edit the files. Ed, who volunteered to manage the site, found himself at a crossroads.
"I was ready to sign up for college-level courses or online sites that would cost hundreds of dollars, if not more," he recalls. The old site had become a maintenance burden that pulled time away from what mattered most: building content that would attract new collectors and keep existing members informed.
Discovering Solo — And Getting Past the Skepticism
Ed discovered Solo while searching for a simpler way to build a website. His first reaction? Skepticism. "Easy, free, fun" — it sounded too good to be true. But he was motivated enough to give it a shot.
That decision changed everything for the club.
Live in Hours, Not Months
The transition was remarkably fast. In just a few hours, Ed transferred all the content from the old HTML site to his new Solo-powered site. No coding required. No expensive courses. No technical consultants.
With the technical barriers removed, Ed could finally focus on what he actually wanted to do: creating informative content that attracts those "childhood collectors" back to philately and showcases the club's events and activities.
Real Results: More Readers, More Members
The impact has been tangible. Club members actually read the website now — a stark contrast to the days of the old HTML site. Even more importantly, Ed receives one to two inquiries per month from new collectors interested in joining the club.
The site has also become a key communications channel for AAPEX, the club's annual expo. Event details, schedules, and information for the general public are now easy to find and always up to date.
AI Keeping a Classic Hobby Alive
There's a saying among stamp collectors that "philately is dying." Ed sees it differently. With roughly 40 to 50 active members, the Ann Arbor Stamp Club is proof that the hobby is very much alive — and AI tools like Solo are helping keep it that way.
By making it simple to maintain a professional, informative website, Solo helps the club reach people who might not even know philately exists anymore, let alone how much fun it can be.
"For someone who thought they'd never need or use AI, it's now difficult to not take it for granted."
— Ed Arias, Ann Arbor Stamp Club
Why Solo Works for Hobby Clubs and Small Organizations
Ed's experience highlights why Solo is a natural fit for small clubs, community organizations, and hobby groups:
- No coding required — Ed went from dreading HTML updates to managing the site with confidence.
- Fast setup — The entire site was live in hours, not weeks.
- Content-first workflow — Instead of wrestling with code, Ed spends his time writing content that matters to collectors.
- Real engagement — Members actually read the site, and new inquiries come in regularly.
- AI-powered simplicity — Even a self-described AI skeptic found Solo intuitive and indispensable.
Ready to Build Your Club or Organization's Website?
Whether you run a stamp club, a local nonprofit, a hobby group, or any small organization, Solo makes it easy to create and maintain a professional website — no coding or design skills needed.
