Hi there,
You may already be well aware of this, but the Swedish Tiger website (https://www.theswedishtiger.com/) is a free resource and does have images of some color variants.
At this time Scott does not provide a color chart.
The best printed resource I am aware of (though I welcome correction) for US stamp colors is Encyclopedia of the colors of United States postage stamps by Roy White, though they are notoriously hard to find. Many philatelic libraries carry them, including the American Philatelic Research Library aka the APRL (https://stamps.org/services/library).
I really wish Scott/Amos Advantage would take some good lessons from the publishers of the Michel catalogs.
I don't have it, but Scott did actually produce a color chart for US stamps a while back. At first I was going to say it was about 5 years ago, but a quick online search suggests it was more like 15 years ago! (Of course, I keep thinking 1970 was about 30 years ago, rather than about 50 -- I am getting way too old!)
Anyway, perhaps keep an eye out for it on eBay, etc.
Here's a listing for it from Abebooks (although they don't have one in stock at the moment, it appears):
https://www.abebooks.com/9780894873737/Scott-Specialized-Color-Guides-U.S-0894873733/plp
Thank you for your replies. I will keep my eye open for one of the charts. The SwedishTiger
web page is a good source if all types of good info that is well presented. Thank you for letting me know about it. Mike
Do be careful about relying on digital resources for subtle color differences. There are threads on here and other sites about the problems with calibration of scanners, monitors, etc.
In fact, with colors, a lot of people (and I'm among them) think that you should use the print color guide that's produced by the same catalog publisher, because there is no consistency in naming conventions across publishers. Stanley Gibbons publishes one, as does Michel. The Scott one is harder to find and, for some reason, not maintained and updated, and, it really only applies to classic-era US stamps. (In fact, some sources I trust say that Scott is not even consistent in their naming over time.)
Scott produces some specialty guides on condition and pricing on early US. (In fact, I think there's a new one they're introducing this year.) Perhaps they include some discussion with that? I don't collect US, so I haven't explored these specialized resources very much.
So proceed cautiously.
Others here I'm sure can weigh in with their perspectives.
Colour shade has got to be the biggest problem in stamp collecting - especially early U.S. Also don't go by on line guides, they are usually different from the real colour and even differ according to your monitor. Stamps also fade or oxidize. GOOD LUCK! And yes, different colour guides are different as well. You must use a colour guide that goes with your catalog. There are some great guides out there, but even the guide fades or changes over time!
Doesn't Scott produce little Booklets for various stamps to show the different shades like they do in Germany and I assume others:
There's a missing colon at the beginning...
It should be https://www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
Does it work now?
Edit: it does now, but I thought it would lead to a colour chart!
Ok the websearch from your members link is
http://https//www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
from your post it is
https://www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
Whether this is Stamporama inserting the extra http or not I'm not sure, Maybe Tim can tell us, perhaps try deleting the https from your members link. Leaving just the www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
Not sure if I recall correctly but seem to remember that even SG did not always use the Post office descriptions of colour.
Now it works, thank you!
" ... Not sure if I recall correctly but seem to remember
that even SG did not always use the Post office
descriptions of colour. ..."
Oh yes, definarilly.
Stanley Gibbons have a useful colour chart with a perforated hole in each colour, which when placed over the stamp the best colour match can be obtained.
I use this one for US issues in general;
For more intense I.D. work, I use this - which is very specialized for US Scott #'s 10, 11, 64, 65, 219D, 220, 267 and 279B;
Upon reading the back cover-above- you will find that actual color chips are to be found inside to help with positive I.D.'s.
Musicman, have you ever tried comparing a known colour between your two charts to see how they match up? I suspect the printing of the colours on various charts can sometimes vary owing to paper type, ink etc.
But most of all I do feel that eyes have a great deal to do with it. We took one stamp of known shades, an SG. colour chart and 8 people of various ages and gender at a meeting one time to check the colour-- 4 people said one colour,3 people said another colour, and the remaining person was different altogether. Try it at a meeting - see how you go, it's great fun.
bump
I thought I would post this for anyone interested in seeing what used to be a stamp colour chart back when. This is a part of an old Stanley Gibbons colour chart that makes identifying older British and Commonwealth stamps relatively easy. I like the idea of stamp simulations which makes colour identifying a little bit easier. Obviously no longer in print however I got this from my father who collected stamps way back in the 1940s.
Print quality and age make a difference as well. These are both Wonder gauges, the top one is probably 30 years old or so. It has always been keep in a drawer and you will note that some of the colors are faded while others appear more vibrant. Same things happens to used stamps if hinged to acid paper or plasticizers or exposed to bright light (especially sunlight). Tread carefully in identifying that color that turns a common stamp into a rare one.
Background also makes a difference - #65's on yellow covers look pink until masked.
I also have a copy of the Gibbons colour guide as illustrated by raymor.
However it appears that Gibbons changed some of their colour descriptions after that Guide was issued.
Can you direct me to a comprehensive color chart of colors and shadings as used in Scott catalog descriptions? I find colors to be very confusing for s novice ae: pink, rose pink, pigeon blood pink, etc. Thanks for your help. Mike
re: Color Chart
Hi there,
You may already be well aware of this, but the Swedish Tiger website (https://www.theswedishtiger.com/) is a free resource and does have images of some color variants.
At this time Scott does not provide a color chart.
The best printed resource I am aware of (though I welcome correction) for US stamp colors is Encyclopedia of the colors of United States postage stamps by Roy White, though they are notoriously hard to find. Many philatelic libraries carry them, including the American Philatelic Research Library aka the APRL (https://stamps.org/services/library).
I really wish Scott/Amos Advantage would take some good lessons from the publishers of the Michel catalogs.
re: Color Chart
I don't have it, but Scott did actually produce a color chart for US stamps a while back. At first I was going to say it was about 5 years ago, but a quick online search suggests it was more like 15 years ago! (Of course, I keep thinking 1970 was about 30 years ago, rather than about 50 -- I am getting way too old!)
Anyway, perhaps keep an eye out for it on eBay, etc.
Here's a listing for it from Abebooks (although they don't have one in stock at the moment, it appears):
https://www.abebooks.com/9780894873737/Scott-Specialized-Color-Guides-U.S-0894873733/plp
re: Color Chart
Thank you for your replies. I will keep my eye open for one of the charts. The SwedishTiger
web page is a good source if all types of good info that is well presented. Thank you for letting me know about it. Mike
re: Color Chart
Do be careful about relying on digital resources for subtle color differences. There are threads on here and other sites about the problems with calibration of scanners, monitors, etc.
In fact, with colors, a lot of people (and I'm among them) think that you should use the print color guide that's produced by the same catalog publisher, because there is no consistency in naming conventions across publishers. Stanley Gibbons publishes one, as does Michel. The Scott one is harder to find and, for some reason, not maintained and updated, and, it really only applies to classic-era US stamps. (In fact, some sources I trust say that Scott is not even consistent in their naming over time.)
Scott produces some specialty guides on condition and pricing on early US. (In fact, I think there's a new one they're introducing this year.) Perhaps they include some discussion with that? I don't collect US, so I haven't explored these specialized resources very much.
So proceed cautiously.
Others here I'm sure can weigh in with their perspectives.
re: Color Chart
Colour shade has got to be the biggest problem in stamp collecting - especially early U.S. Also don't go by on line guides, they are usually different from the real colour and even differ according to your monitor. Stamps also fade or oxidize. GOOD LUCK! And yes, different colour guides are different as well. You must use a colour guide that goes with your catalog. There are some great guides out there, but even the guide fades or changes over time!
re: Color Chart
Doesn't Scott produce little Booklets for various stamps to show the different shades like they do in Germany and I assume others:
re: Color Chart
There's a missing colon at the beginning...
It should be https://www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
Does it work now?
Edit: it does now, but I thought it would lead to a colour chart!
re: Color Chart
Ok the websearch from your members link is
http://https//www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
from your post it is
https://www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
Whether this is Stamporama inserting the extra http or not I'm not sure, Maybe Tim can tell us, perhaps try deleting the https from your members link. Leaving just the www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/shop/1Stampman
re: Color Chart
Not sure if I recall correctly but seem to remember that even SG did not always use the Post office descriptions of colour.
re: Color Chart
" ... Not sure if I recall correctly but seem to remember
that even SG did not always use the Post office
descriptions of colour. ..."
Oh yes, definarilly.
re: Color Chart
Stanley Gibbons have a useful colour chart with a perforated hole in each colour, which when placed over the stamp the best colour match can be obtained.
re: Color Chart
I use this one for US issues in general;
For more intense I.D. work, I use this - which is very specialized for US Scott #'s 10, 11, 64, 65, 219D, 220, 267 and 279B;
Upon reading the back cover-above- you will find that actual color chips are to be found inside to help with positive I.D.'s.
re: Color Chart
Musicman, have you ever tried comparing a known colour between your two charts to see how they match up? I suspect the printing of the colours on various charts can sometimes vary owing to paper type, ink etc.
But most of all I do feel that eyes have a great deal to do with it. We took one stamp of known shades, an SG. colour chart and 8 people of various ages and gender at a meeting one time to check the colour-- 4 people said one colour,3 people said another colour, and the remaining person was different altogether. Try it at a meeting - see how you go, it's great fun.
re: Color Chart
I thought I would post this for anyone interested in seeing what used to be a stamp colour chart back when. This is a part of an old Stanley Gibbons colour chart that makes identifying older British and Commonwealth stamps relatively easy. I like the idea of stamp simulations which makes colour identifying a little bit easier. Obviously no longer in print however I got this from my father who collected stamps way back in the 1940s.
re: Color Chart
Print quality and age make a difference as well. These are both Wonder gauges, the top one is probably 30 years old or so. It has always been keep in a drawer and you will note that some of the colors are faded while others appear more vibrant. Same things happens to used stamps if hinged to acid paper or plasticizers or exposed to bright light (especially sunlight). Tread carefully in identifying that color that turns a common stamp into a rare one.
Background also makes a difference - #65's on yellow covers look pink until masked.
re: Color Chart
I also have a copy of the Gibbons colour guide as illustrated by raymor.
However it appears that Gibbons changed some of their colour descriptions after that Guide was issued.