Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
06:00:27am
(in English do you write "catalog" or "cataloGUE"?)
Daniel.
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Daniel,
Whatever catalogs or reference materials you purchase will depend on what you collect and how you choose to collect it. Do you have a specific focus or just a widespread collection so far? If you coolect a certain country, that can also determine which catalog is best. Sally
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08:30:05am
Thanks for your answer, Sally! I collect stamps from the following countries (well, so far):
-Germany (1933-1945 even late 1940's)
-USA + central and Latin America.
-Iran
-Israel (pre-state of Israel and Israel)
-Vatican
-Russia and ex-USSR.
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Daniel, unless you're specializing further in the US, Scott's US specialized is fine for that. For Germany, Michel is best, but you need to read German. I'm clueless about the others.
US specialized and Michel German areas are often available used, the older the cheaper.
If you follow my suggestion, please note you'll be encountering two completely different numbering, valuing, and organizational approaches. That may be OK, or may present an unwanted problem.
David
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For classical era stamp collecting, the Scott Classic Specialized catalogue which covers the world 1840-1940 (British Commmonwealth -1952) is a great one volume solution.
Having said that, Stanley Gibbons for British Commonwealth, Michel for Germany, and the many one country catalogues are more definitive for their particular area.
(Some collectors, of whom I have high opinions, maintain that Michel is overall the most comprehensive catalogue, except for the one country catalogues. For me, though, language trumps presentation, and consequently I prefer Scott for the world. )
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"Best" is too subjective a term; no one catalogue is best for everything.
One thing to consider is how specialized your collections are. If you are collecting only the main types of a country's postage stamp designs, then IMHO any of these catalogues will be fine for identification purposes.
However, if you want to get into color varieties, unusual printings, errors on common stamps, variations in printing methods or printers, etc. then you want one more specialized. Michel for Germany, Scott Specialized for USA, Stanley Gibbons or Stoneham for UK and British Commonwealth (and there are many variations of that catalogue depending on how detailed you want it; for example, there are specialized studies of QV, QE2, etc.), Gibbons specialized or Scott Classic for British Empire and early Commonwealth, Unitrade for Canada, Yang for China and Hong Kong, ...
Then there are revenue catalogues! Oy vey!
If you're after the latest values, then whatever catalogue you use you'll need the latest one, meaning "the most expensive one" more than likely.
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10:19:41am
I concur with Jim (jkjblue). However, as I am in the US, and most of my correspondents are US residents, I find Scott is more widely owned and the numbering system more readily recognized for selling and trading purposes. I cannot address the relative quality of Scott vs anything else since it is the only catalog I use.
As to spelling, depends on where you live. In the USA the correct spelling is catalog, in the UK it is catalogue, elsewhere, maybe other members can chip in.
Bobby
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"In the USA the correct spelling is catalog."
Generally true, except Scott uses Catalogue.
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"Generally true, except Scott uses Catalogue"
So true!
Because of that, and the fact I use the Scott "catalogues", that is the way I now spell it.
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11:36:23am
Generally all the advice given has merit, there is no "best" for everyone any more than we would all marry the same spouse or all drive a lime green Trabant.
What is best for you is structured on what and how you collect.
That should always be followed by a reminder that it s your hobby and it should be enjoyable for you.
For me were I to choose one world wide catalog it would be Gibbons simply because the twenty some odd sections are produced in separate volumes, reprinted individually at different schedules and are a lot easier to handle physically.
But that is a totally subjective choice.
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12:25:28pm
.
Thanks guys for all the interesting professional comments!I think it is best I try concentrating on my US collection first and follow your advise! As you said, it depends on what you collect concerning a country. For the USA, I mostly collect (since the 1980's) the 1930's and 20's. I find those US stamps absolutely "divine"!!A few are from earlier dates also.Here are a few samples of stamp blocks I've got from the USA, however if you don't have a stamp catalogue it is really difficult to know their EXACT value.Adding that I'm not into stamp collection for what it is worth moneywise, but because I enjoy this hobby very much. Those stamp blocks are thus very well known so I suppose I don't need a very specialized catalogue.But my aim is to focus on those 2 decades.Keep up the good work in the US, your stamps are just marvellous!
Daniel.
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You will need the Scott Specialized US catalogue as you've got some plate blocks here, and they are not listed in the "regular" Scott.
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01:23:38pm
OK scott specialized US catalogue it will be then, merci beaucoup Cocollectible! Just wonder if they will also have information on those stamps that don't have "US postage" but "U.S Parcel Post". What's the difference with the others? 
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Charlie, the Gibbons "Stamps of the World" catalogue set is a "simplified" catalogue, meaning that if a stamp is printed in the same color, but has different perfs or watermarks, etc., it is only listed in this catalogue as the lowest valued stamp of all types. With that in miond, most of this occurs in the classic period, so the Scott Classic catalog is good to have with this set.
However, where I really like this catalogue set is for new issues. Scott, in its "wisdom" decided to lump sets together with one catalogue value. Stating that "the stamps are normally available only as a set". When you get one or two of those stamps on an envelope, well, it's not available as a set. More Scott BS and laziness. They charge enough for their catalogues, they can list out the stamps. The Gibbons catalogue set, on the other hand, still lists and values all the stamps individually. That is a big help working with newer material. Also, I think the Gibbons catalogue set is cheaper than the Scott set.
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Daniel: Parcel post stamps are "back of the book" in the catalogue; I don't have the specialized handy but I would expect it would list plate blocks (blocks with the number on the selvage) as well.
Cheers,
Peter
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how did those Louisiana Christmas seals get in there? They are not listed in Scott, for sure. They are in Greens.
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Daniel,
Mostly you will find that single country, national catalogs are preferred by collectors specializing in certain countries. Accordingly, you will want to look at Sakura for Japan, Zumstein for Switzerland, Sassone for Italy, Ceres / Maury / Dallay for France etc. etc.
There are only a few publishers of worldwide catalogs, Scott in the U.S., Yvert and Tellier in France, SG in the U.K., and Michel in Germany. Usually a given country section in one of the Worldwide catalogs gives a lot less detail than a single volume national catalog devoted to the particular country.
Yes, you definitely need a catalog. One cannot really collect without catalogs. However, do not overwhelm yourself; it is perfectly normal to move from a general catalog to more specialized catalogs. Actually, there is an evolution from not using catalogs, to using general catalogs, to using specialized country catalogs, to using handbooks and advanced literature, to not using catalogs. Few collectors go full circle.
"Adding that I'm not into stamp collection for what it is worth moneywise, but because I enjoy this hobby very much. "
I also have to comment on this sentiment. You will hear this very often, especially on this forum: I do not collect for the monetary value, I collect for enjoyment, catalog values do not interest me etc. etc.
Let me offer a different perspective: the two things do not contradict each other. You can collect for the enjoyment (have not met a stamp collector who did not), but you can -- and should! -- also be very interested in the value of your stamps. The advise to collect what you enjoy, is not wrong, as long as you are 100% clear about the value of your acquisitions. Very often beginning collectors make mistakes when starting a collection and buying stamps. Moreover, I am sorry to say, that advanced collectors and dealers frequently take advantage of beginners.
The most important thing for you, as a beginner, is to learn about the enormous effect of condition on the value of stamps. If you get into U.S. stamps, centering, for instance, is one enormously important aspect. Several of the blocks you show are severely off-center, with the perforation cutting in the design (you also show many nice blocks, to be fair). The other often overlooked condition issue is the various grades of "mint".
There will be many voices encouraging you to "simply enjoy," buy what you like, don't consider the "value," collect for enjoyment! -- Yeah, right. I am sure those folks selling me worthless Dunes stamps, "great looking" old stamps with serious faults etc., just loved putting that into my head when I started out. So, I suggest that you avoid my mistakes and put a good portion of your stamp fund into the right tools and literature before starting to seriously build your collection. Yes, we all learned our lessons and paid to get an education. So, yes, you will buy stamps that in a year from now you wished you never had. This is unavoidable, but you can minimize the damage by trying to learn quickly which stamps have monetary value, and which not, and the conditions that affect the monetary value of stamps.
Arno
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02:38:26pm
I agree with you Arno on that matter. Even though I collect stamps for pleasure, it doesn't mean I don't want to know what they are worth. This is why I would like to get catalogues to help me do so.Then, of course, it depend on the stamp's quality and it's colour; wether it is centered or not: many details I will have to learn about; things that are not really easy to understand sometimes, I must admit, when you're not a professional.But this is also part of the learning.
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02:41:53pm
asmd, don't know where I got those christmas seals from? I left them there for the time being. I think I got them in the late 1980's.
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Kiwi, the introduction and other sections to the catalogs contain very valuable information and examples that will answer most of your questions. The catalogs contain more than just pictures and valuations of stamps.
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04:33:50pm
For sure! I want to learn as much as possible on everything concerning stamp collection. All advise are thus important for me.I found a good "lesson" on internet concerning centering. At least I know what it means now. That's a first interesting step......
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Keep hunting and asking. There's plenty of information out there waiting to be found.
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
06:00:27am
Hello! I have come back to my stamp collection not long ago. However, I havn't yet all the most important things I need to work and learn more on stamps. I need to buy a very usefull stamp catalog (or more) to work on stamp CV and so on. I don't mind buying catalogues from the USA or elswhere via internet.If you also have any interesting sites concerning this matter I would appreciate! Thanks very much for your usefull advice!
(in English do you write "catalog" or "cataloGUE"?)
Daniel.
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re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Daniel,
Whatever catalogs or reference materials you purchase will depend on what you collect and how you choose to collect it. Do you have a specific focus or just a widespread collection so far? If you coolect a certain country, that can also determine which catalog is best. Sally
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this post
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
08:30:05am
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Thanks for your answer, Sally! I collect stamps from the following countries (well, so far):
-Germany (1933-1945 even late 1940's)
-USA + central and Latin America.
-Iran
-Israel (pre-state of Israel and Israel)
-Vatican
-Russia and ex-USSR.
Login to Like
this post
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Daniel, unless you're specializing further in the US, Scott's US specialized is fine for that. For Germany, Michel is best, but you need to read German. I'm clueless about the others.
US specialized and Michel German areas are often available used, the older the cheaper.
If you follow my suggestion, please note you'll be encountering two completely different numbering, valuing, and organizational approaches. That may be OK, or may present an unwanted problem.
David
Login to Like
this post
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
For classical era stamp collecting, the Scott Classic Specialized catalogue which covers the world 1840-1940 (British Commmonwealth -1952) is a great one volume solution.
Having said that, Stanley Gibbons for British Commonwealth, Michel for Germany, and the many one country catalogues are more definitive for their particular area.
(Some collectors, of whom I have high opinions, maintain that Michel is overall the most comprehensive catalogue, except for the one country catalogues. For me, though, language trumps presentation, and consequently I prefer Scott for the world. )
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10:18:00am
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
"Best" is too subjective a term; no one catalogue is best for everything.
One thing to consider is how specialized your collections are. If you are collecting only the main types of a country's postage stamp designs, then IMHO any of these catalogues will be fine for identification purposes.
However, if you want to get into color varieties, unusual printings, errors on common stamps, variations in printing methods or printers, etc. then you want one more specialized. Michel for Germany, Scott Specialized for USA, Stanley Gibbons or Stoneham for UK and British Commonwealth (and there are many variations of that catalogue depending on how detailed you want it; for example, there are specialized studies of QV, QE2, etc.), Gibbons specialized or Scott Classic for British Empire and early Commonwealth, Unitrade for Canada, Yang for China and Hong Kong, ...
Then there are revenue catalogues! Oy vey!
If you're after the latest values, then whatever catalogue you use you'll need the latest one, meaning "the most expensive one" more than likely.
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
23 Jul 2013
10:19:41am
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
I concur with Jim (jkjblue). However, as I am in the US, and most of my correspondents are US residents, I find Scott is more widely owned and the numbering system more readily recognized for selling and trading purposes. I cannot address the relative quality of Scott vs anything else since it is the only catalog I use.
As to spelling, depends on where you live. In the USA the correct spelling is catalog, in the UK it is catalogue, elsewhere, maybe other members can chip in.
Bobby
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10:23:41am
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
"In the USA the correct spelling is catalog."
Generally true, except Scott uses Catalogue.
Login to Like
this post
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
"Generally true, except Scott uses Catalogue"
So true!
Because of that, and the fact I use the Scott "catalogues", that is the way I now spell it.
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this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
23 Jul 2013
11:36:23am
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Generally all the advice given has merit, there is no "best" for everyone any more than we would all marry the same spouse or all drive a lime green Trabant.
What is best for you is structured on what and how you collect.
That should always be followed by a reminder that it s your hobby and it should be enjoyable for you.
For me were I to choose one world wide catalog it would be Gibbons simply because the twenty some odd sections are produced in separate volumes, reprinted individually at different schedules and are a lot easier to handle physically.
But that is a totally subjective choice.
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
12:25:28pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
.
Thanks guys for all the interesting professional comments!I think it is best I try concentrating on my US collection first and follow your advise! As you said, it depends on what you collect concerning a country. For the USA, I mostly collect (since the 1980's) the 1930's and 20's. I find those US stamps absolutely "divine"!!A few are from earlier dates also.Here are a few samples of stamp blocks I've got from the USA, however if you don't have a stamp catalogue it is really difficult to know their EXACT value.Adding that I'm not into stamp collection for what it is worth moneywise, but because I enjoy this hobby very much. Those stamp blocks are thus very well known so I suppose I don't need a very specialized catalogue.But my aim is to focus on those 2 decades.Keep up the good work in the US, your stamps are just marvellous!
Daniel.
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12:56:15pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
You will need the Scott Specialized US catalogue as you've got some plate blocks here, and they are not listed in the "regular" Scott.
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
01:23:38pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
OK scott specialized US catalogue it will be then, merci beaucoup Cocollectible! Just wonder if they will also have information on those stamps that don't have "US postage" but "U.S Parcel Post". What's the difference with the others?
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01:29:06pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Charlie, the Gibbons "Stamps of the World" catalogue set is a "simplified" catalogue, meaning that if a stamp is printed in the same color, but has different perfs or watermarks, etc., it is only listed in this catalogue as the lowest valued stamp of all types. With that in miond, most of this occurs in the classic period, so the Scott Classic catalog is good to have with this set.
However, where I really like this catalogue set is for new issues. Scott, in its "wisdom" decided to lump sets together with one catalogue value. Stating that "the stamps are normally available only as a set". When you get one or two of those stamps on an envelope, well, it's not available as a set. More Scott BS and laziness. They charge enough for their catalogues, they can list out the stamps. The Gibbons catalogue set, on the other hand, still lists and values all the stamps individually. That is a big help working with newer material. Also, I think the Gibbons catalogue set is cheaper than the Scott set.
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01:36:08pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Daniel: Parcel post stamps are "back of the book" in the catalogue; I don't have the specialized handy but I would expect it would list plate blocks (blocks with the number on the selvage) as well.
Cheers,
Peter
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re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
how did those Louisiana Christmas seals get in there? They are not listed in Scott, for sure. They are in Greens.
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this post
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Daniel,
Mostly you will find that single country, national catalogs are preferred by collectors specializing in certain countries. Accordingly, you will want to look at Sakura for Japan, Zumstein for Switzerland, Sassone for Italy, Ceres / Maury / Dallay for France etc. etc.
There are only a few publishers of worldwide catalogs, Scott in the U.S., Yvert and Tellier in France, SG in the U.K., and Michel in Germany. Usually a given country section in one of the Worldwide catalogs gives a lot less detail than a single volume national catalog devoted to the particular country.
Yes, you definitely need a catalog. One cannot really collect without catalogs. However, do not overwhelm yourself; it is perfectly normal to move from a general catalog to more specialized catalogs. Actually, there is an evolution from not using catalogs, to using general catalogs, to using specialized country catalogs, to using handbooks and advanced literature, to not using catalogs. Few collectors go full circle.
"Adding that I'm not into stamp collection for what it is worth moneywise, but because I enjoy this hobby very much. "
I also have to comment on this sentiment. You will hear this very often, especially on this forum: I do not collect for the monetary value, I collect for enjoyment, catalog values do not interest me etc. etc.
Let me offer a different perspective: the two things do not contradict each other. You can collect for the enjoyment (have not met a stamp collector who did not), but you can -- and should! -- also be very interested in the value of your stamps. The advise to collect what you enjoy, is not wrong, as long as you are 100% clear about the value of your acquisitions. Very often beginning collectors make mistakes when starting a collection and buying stamps. Moreover, I am sorry to say, that advanced collectors and dealers frequently take advantage of beginners.
The most important thing for you, as a beginner, is to learn about the enormous effect of condition on the value of stamps. If you get into U.S. stamps, centering, for instance, is one enormously important aspect. Several of the blocks you show are severely off-center, with the perforation cutting in the design (you also show many nice blocks, to be fair). The other often overlooked condition issue is the various grades of "mint".
There will be many voices encouraging you to "simply enjoy," buy what you like, don't consider the "value," collect for enjoyment! -- Yeah, right. I am sure those folks selling me worthless Dunes stamps, "great looking" old stamps with serious faults etc., just loved putting that into my head when I started out. So, I suggest that you avoid my mistakes and put a good portion of your stamp fund into the right tools and literature before starting to seriously build your collection. Yes, we all learned our lessons and paid to get an education. So, yes, you will buy stamps that in a year from now you wished you never had. This is unavoidable, but you can minimize the damage by trying to learn quickly which stamps have monetary value, and which not, and the conditions that affect the monetary value of stamps.
Arno
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
02:38:26pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
I agree with you Arno on that matter. Even though I collect stamps for pleasure, it doesn't mean I don't want to know what they are worth. This is why I would like to get catalogues to help me do so.Then, of course, it depend on the stamp's quality and it's colour; wether it is centered or not: many details I will have to learn about; things that are not really easy to understand sometimes, I must admit, when you're not a professional.But this is also part of the learning.
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
02:41:53pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
asmd, don't know where I got those christmas seals from? I left them there for the time being. I think I got them in the late 1980's.
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04:16:12pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Kiwi, the introduction and other sections to the catalogs contain very valuable information and examples that will answer most of your questions. The catalogs contain more than just pictures and valuations of stamps.
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The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Mahatma Gandhi.
23 Jul 2013
04:33:50pm
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
For sure! I want to learn as much as possible on everything concerning stamp collection. All advise are thus important for me.I found a good "lesson" on internet concerning centering. At least I know what it means now. That's a first interesting step......
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01:56:17am
re: What is (or are) the best world stamp catalogues?
Keep hunting and asking. There's plenty of information out there waiting to be found.
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