Cheap and Free Print and Digital Alternatives to the Scott Postage Stamp Catalogue [Ep. 66]
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2022
- Amos Media seems intent on driving all stamp collectors away from using the Scott Catalogue. Here are some less expensive alternatives, including a couple of free sites, and some low cost country catalogues.
Free:
www.stampworld.com
www.colnect.com
More affordable than Scott (No affiliations. I don't make anything from your clicking on these links.):
Michel Online (worldwide): www.briefmarken.de/michelshop...
Stanley Gibbons (worldwide): www.stanleygibbons.com/publis...
Mystic Stamp Co. (USA): www.mysticstamp.com
H. E. Harris (USA, UN, Canada): amzn.to/3PE4cTZ
Brookman (USA, UN, Canada): bit.ly/3LTSt0R
Unitrade Specialized Canada: bit.ly/39KoJG8
Hellas (Greece): bit.ly/3MGuqmZ
ISFILA (Turkey): www.isfila.com/en/online_sales/ (but out of stock)
SG Great Britain Concise digital: bit.ly/38h9Jzi
SG Canada digital: bit.ly/38IK3M5
LePetit Yvert (France): www.yvert.com/A-229741-le-petit-yvert-2019.aspx
ANK (Austria) digital: onlinekatalog.ank.at/de/profi...
SG Other Digital Catalogues: bit.ly/3lCwSPO
Will work for coffee: ko-fi.com/tedtalksstamps
My HipStamp Store: www.hipstamp.com/store/tatysz...
#philately #postagestamps #stampcollecting
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It took me 30 years to realize that a Scott number is NOT a stamp but rather …just a number. I let it go ten years ago and made it simply another resource to study stamps. Sadly, Scott is less and less a resource of choice. I no longer use that catalog much… but I still have my stamps and that’s fine by me! Great video !
Thanks, Sean. Well said.
My Library loans me the whole year of Scott Catalogs usually for 3 months at a time for free. It does the job. I am in Canada and the Unitrade catalog is a gem.
Many libraries in the US carry the Scott Catalogue, but only for use at the library; you cannot check them out. I agree about the Unitrade Catalog. I like that they utilize the Scott numbers. It would be nice if there was a unified numbering system for all catalogues.
Colnect user here 🙋🏼♂️
It’s all I need for my style of collecting. I’ve never used or owned a big brand catalog, and I’m quite happy.
Another important video, Ted. Great job 👏
Thanks for chiming in, Graham. It’s taken me a few decades to come to the realization that the Scott Catalogue is not the be-all and end-all for collectors, which is why I pinned Sean Dolan’s comment.
The more I think about, the more absurd Scott’s pricing appears. It’s not simply the $549 for worldwide access. But in month 13, you have now spent $1100 (disregarding the inevitable price increase). For what? One year’s worth of new issues, which ever fewer collectors care about; a very few stamp value adjustments, which are totally meaningless, as they still don’t reflect actual market values; and no new meaningful information on any of the existing listings. But they will have added, deleted, and changed catalogue numbers (there is a special section each year, noting all of those), all in the service NOT of improving the worth of the catalogue, but to further convince you of the need to pay them to find out what arbitrary and capricious changes the editors made to the new edition.
What’s worse is that Scott doesn’t even maintain consistency in their editorial policies. They could bring in a new editor next year who might do things complete differently according to his own whims.
The Scott Catalogue is currently a hot mess of inconsistencies because of this kind of lack of a permanent standard to follow.
I could do another complete episode on the problems with the current catalogue, but 1) I don’t want to beat a dead horse, and 2) I’d have to bill Amos Media for all the time they’ve been living in my head without paying rent. 😄
Thank you for the valuable information. When I go to any stamp show I check out older specialized books and catalogues. The price is right and the only missing information is the most recent which can be patched together.
It's nice to find dealers who won't gouge you on the price of books just because they're out of print.
Very good research to find alternatives for my research. Your presentations are always greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your efforts to keep us well guided to make enlightened purchases
Thanks again, Yves.
I’m a 80 year old stamp collector, and I just found your posts after collecting since age 10. Thank you for the informative job you do. I gave up on Scott catalogs after last punching a 2000 set that was four years old when purchased.
Thank you, John. Glad you're here.
Wow. I never knew there were so many quality alternatives. Thanks, Ted.
Yeah, and Amos, I think, is going to come to the realization that they are not the only starfish in the sea.
Free Stamp Catalogue by the Dutch online stamp dealer Postbeeld is pretty useful too. Three numbering systems - Scott, Yvert & Michel, are provided in this catalogue alongside every listed stamp.
Thank you, ash.
New subscriber here, I'm UK based and I collect GB and Commonwealth stamps. Love your content, I'm working my way through your episodes. Very informative, entertaining and you have a great sense of humour. Best wishes!
Thank you John. Welcome to the show, and thanks for watching.
The video and comments provide great information regarding Scott Catalog alternatives. I really like and appreciate your videos. Keep up the good work!!
Thank you, Greg. I’m glad you find them helpful.
Thank you, this was helpful!
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for all the info, I found it very useful. Sharing is caring.
Thank you, Peter.
Thanks for sharing these tips and alternatives. The best thing, beside it is free, of the stampworld-catalogue is, that you can 'build' your own catalogues online, which fits your personal needs. This is very helpful. When it comes to cheap alternative catalogues, i would like to mention the pocket-sized Philex-Catalogues for Germany, Swiss+Liechtenstein, Austria, UN and even Israel. These are less than 20,- € (sometimes less than 10 as bargain!). But i think, they've got they're own numbering-system. For Belgium i can recommend the COB-Catalogue, which is a specialised one for ~35 €.
Thank you for that information. I have not looked in to the Philex catalogues before. On looking at their web site just now, I see that they use Michel Katalog numbering. I wonder if any stateside dealers carry them, to reduce shipping fees.
@@tedtalksstamps Let's see, if i can send you an copy with the lowest possible fee. Maybe as Maximum-Letter or something like this... 🤔😁
This was an extremely informative episode about catalogues. I don't have the Scott problem here in the UK. I have always borrowed the Stanley Gibbons standard world and QV, commonwealth and 4 Kings catalogues from local libraries. However they started removing them from libraries because they possibly felt they were just taking up too much space.. Saying that I just browsed Better World Books and Abe books for second-hand . If you're willing to wait it out and don't mind it being a few years old, you can pick up a Stanley Gibbons catalogue ex-library for £5 or less..
Like you said they're just sales catalogues and I just as a rule of thumb will pay no more than 10-20% of a stamp catalogue value..which tallies with what you say for retail..
Cool you mentioned isfila. (Can't remember the spelling}.. I came across it on the PTT site as I buy their current issues from them.
I collect Turkiye especially Ottoman and am definitely going to chase it up..
I am the exception to that rule - born mint, never hinged ..😜😜😜😜
Very good info
Thanks, John.
Very useful information…thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Knut.
Ι purchased the Greek stamp cat of HERMES 2023, it was 15 euros and 675 pg's incl varieties.
Good deal. Collectors have a lot of great, affordable resources available, without being beholden to Scott.
Excellent episode
Thank you very much.
Thanks. Great info. Sad to see Scott so disconnected from their users.
Yes, indeed. They have proven that they have not the slightest interest in providing “value” to collectors.
These are great alternatives - didn't know about all of the other US catalogs that use Scott numbers. My first non-Scott catalog was the DNK German catalog which I got in Germany in the 1990s - it has check boxes for each variant so you can inventory your collection lol
One thing I’m thankful to Amos for, regarding this mess, is that it’s been an epiphany moment for me. At first I wondered if it wasn’t simply a case of sour grapes on my part, but no, I’ve truly come to the realization that the Scott Catalogue is in no way essential in order to be a complete, contented, and fulfilled philatelist.
@@tedtalksstamps Appreciate you taking leadership on this Ted!
Another alternative is your local library, most in the US have access to every Scott catalog. Additionally, older versions of the catalog can be purchased for as little as $10 with free shipping, check your preferred auction site. My stamp club always purchases a set and makes them available to borrow as well.
You are correct, sir.
My local library sells their older cats in the semi annual used book sales, 50 cents apeice !!
Have a look at Post Beeld Netherland's online all-world catalogue.
I’ll do that. Thanks.
Hi Ted! I'm going back and watching an older episode because I find myself with recent stamps and older catalogs. Just wanted to say "hey" and I haven't seen a video from you in a while. I hope all is ok.
Thanks, Greg. I am on a 3-month vacation right now, and it’s still a few more weeks before I get home and start making videos again. I can’t wait.
Yvert & Tellier is 11.90 € for a specific country, for a year. I use it for my France collection
Sounds reasonable.
Ted: you have common sense advice for collectors. The Scott catalogue is not a pricelist. It is a guide. It can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Non collectors will have a common stamp, but all they will see, is one similar that is very valuable. Scott 594 is good example.
Yes, and it can be very difficult to convince some of these collectors that they did not hit the jackpot.
Wow, what perfect timing! I just finished my rant on your previous video and this one popped right up! Thanks for all of the great information. You mentioned several I hadn't even heard of 👍
I would like to add that Nordfrim (in Denmark) seems to have a good stock of European catalogs and their shipping rates aren't as high as the ones you showed. They also have free shipping but I believe you have to hit $235 to get it. On the other hand, if you need several catalogs this could work out well. And their selection of stamps is AMAZING!!! So, either way, you could get a nice stash.
Does anyone know of a good specialized Japan catalog that is *not* in Japanese? I know a little bit but not enough to brave a catalog! Thanks!
Yes, Nordfrim is a great shop.
I don’t know of any English language Japan catalogues.
Try Stanley Gibbons Asian Catalog.@@tedtalksstamps
@@heinrichstampauctions6537 Thank you.
I use the Unitrade Canadian Catalogue. I agree that it contains a lot. Very extensive.
I am cataloguing and creating my own stamp albums for Greek stamps, and I found that Stampworld, Colnect miss a few issues and has errors. I prefer to use the catalogs from each country, so for Greece, I am using Hellas (by Karamitsos). I am photocopying pages from my local library. I guess it all depends on how deep a collector wants to go.
I like the classic Greek stamps and I had the Karamitsos catalogue. Unfortunately I had to let it go. I’m still on his email list though.
Very helpful. I did not realize how many different stamp catalogs their were. I have to look for some others. I wonder if their is one for Iceland.
The Facit Norden catalogue covers the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Äland. Here is their home page
www.facit.se/index_eng.html
I also use Unitrade. Love it. My main collections are Scandinavian and I use the FACIT catalogue which is also great. It is a Swedish product but is dual language, Swedish and English. So disgusted with Scott. I'm done with their catalogues. Thanks for your time and effort making these very informative videos.
I’ve never had a Facit catalogue. I didn’t realize they are bilingual. Thanks for the info.
Awesome :-)
Thanks, Nisarg.
Sorry forgot to put the Mystic catalog is not free. They sent me a bill for $26. I did not order any stamps.
They must have sent you a selection of stamps on approval, which is what they charged you for. Since they are sent “on approval,” you can return them at no charge. Still, like you, I don’t trust them.
Yes, Mystic prices are high, but they always have what you may be missing. If you are using their catalog, buy something from them. Don't be like that guy who doesn't tip at a restaurant!
@@caseycrookham3647 Well, I come from a different planet, where merely getting a company's sales catalogue does not obligate one to purchase anything from them. You are, of course, free to tip any company you wish.
Does Stampworld use Scott numbers? Thx for the vids :)
No, Stampworld uses their own numbering. You can find scott numbers from Colnect.
Are the values that different from say 10 or 20 years ago? In baseball cards, values can fluctuate wildly based on the performance of the player and if he gets into the HoF. But stamps? If I had a Scott catalog from 2000, would it be much different from a 2022 version in values? Maybe that's why Scott is trying to change their business model because people don't need to get the newest edition every year.
You are right. I know many veteran collectors who work with 10 and 12 year old (or older) Scott catalogues, because the basic information they need does not change much. That’s what makes Scott’s pricing even more ridiculous. I don’t care about the 20,000 new issues for the past year that have been added to the next year’s edition, and I highly resent having to pay full price for another year of the same old information.
I always like to promote the APS membership program and the APS takes you further into showing you listings of specialized books in each issue of the monthly. Also just a few months back they had a very detailed listing of catalogs that are available. I think APS membership is so important for collectors to move from being novices to specializing . On the catalog business on line I am real happy you mentioned stampworld. It is very convenient but its main drawback is it does not use Scott numbering. I think companies have to pay Scott to use their numbering in catalogs. Also , you may recall,Ted, that I mentioned Stamps2go for its realistic pricing feature. The Scott catalog for example will give a minimum value of say 25 cents but on stamps to go you may get it for as little as 1 cent. For many years as a beginner(in the 70's) I would buy a new Brookman but I have fallen out of that habit because of the power of the internet. Again , you gave a very good presentation. I still have not gotten to looking at Hip stamp. Thanks for mentioning Stamps2go. I am so happy that you mentioned that Mystics pricing is way off frm reality. That one episode in the past where you criticized Mystic was very appropriate. Their products and stamps are way overpriced.
Thanks, John. I agree about APS membership. The monthly magazine alone is worth the membership dues.
I buy bulk lots and kiloware so common stamps are often a tenth/hundredth/thousandth of a cent lol
@@voneschenbachmusic yes, as a beginner I bought HE Harris bags of kiloware, As Ted pointed out in a previous episode he also buys kiloware and he bought a bag from Hobbylobby and gave it a favorable rating. Did you catch that episode?
@@johngreen3543 Yep. I recommend checking out Swan Philatelic which Ted also reviewed. They have tons of inexpensive mixes that have wonderful material.
The problem I have with Stampworld is that there values seem often reversed. Like they will have higher value for a used stamped, then say a unused or mint one. Is that just a accounting/listing type error or am I missing something about grading or values?
There are many stamps, mostly older ones going back 100 years or more, where used values are higher than mint, for any number of reasons. Too much to detail here, it would make a good topic for a video. I’ll get on it. If you can’t wait for the video, join my new discussion board at www.TedTalksStamps.proboards.com and post your question. You will get answers.
Thanks for watching.
What timing! Did you all see the guest on this episode of Conversations with Philatelists? czcams.com/video/BOROdpo39Bo/video.html
No, but I'm on my way, now.
not publically?
Sorry, I don't know what you are referring to.
The catalog is not free. They offered it for free but sent me a bill for $26. Do not trust them.
Scott is just absolutely awful for their numbering idiocies with gaps and no real chronological numbering.
It is time for all collectors to get together and make a crowdsourced open source catalog of all stamps of the world and give Scott the middle finger they deserve
There is StampWorld.com, which for the vast majority of collectors will probably suffice. However, it is not as detailed nor as specialized (e.g. listing variations and providing important notes) as the major catalogues. Plus, with virtually all of the online dealers identifying their inventory by major catalogue numbers, getting the philatelic community to migrate to an alternative platform would be a major uphill battle.
don't become unhinged, we still need sanity. So we won't buy Scott. I am not buying Scott and not selling on eBay anymore
Righto. Not just Scott. I’m not renewing my Linn’s sub, nor will I buy Scott Mounts or any other Scott branded merchandise.
What the heck, Ted, you can't say "Ebay?" If your videos are to inform, be comprehensive. If not, it sounds like you have an axe to grind against those who you choose not to deal with.
I'm sorry, Casey. EBAY! But I don't find ebay a suitable alternative to the Scott Catalogue.
For more information straight from Amos, check out "conversations with Philatelists"
Yes, I’ve already made my feelings known over there. 😄
@@tedtalksstamps Ha! Ha! me too. He made the comparison to Microsoft office subscriptions, well how much is that? $70 and you get the whole shooting match. You would think they would at least offer the basic US catalog at reasonable price, say $50/year. I bet a whole lot of people would subscribe.
Unless you"re RICH.... used decent Scott catalogs instead of brand news>>> can be purchased; i last bot in 2020 a used 2018 set for about 40 % of a new set; i don"t collect beyond 1960 so even the older ones give me all i need! You can figure out (( retail )) prices with out the newest ones; && yes ! UNITRADE for Canada s xcellent! It gives lots of xtra little bits of info>>> grades prices/ prices for covers etc
All true. Thanks, GF.