|
Post by ChrisLovesStamps on Apr 15, 2024 17:59:59 GMT
Really interesting topic. I have seen Ted’s video about the insane pricing Scott did for the subscription. I read every comment here and I am with ClassicPhilatelist and Ted on this one, although I am not from the US.
I am currently looking for a catalogue or catalogues for my Canada and US collection. I have ordered a Harris US/BNA catalogue but reading the comments here makes me reconsider if I shouldn’t try and get an older used Scott and Unitrade catalogue. I am no expert collector, but I think I even need something more that ‘just’ a price listing with catalogue numbers.
But still I am not 100% sure about this all. Would I eventually be annoyed with the limitation of the Harris catalogue? Would a Scott and Unitrade be way too much for my needs? Decisions, decisions.
Thanks for this topic by the way, really useful to read all the comments!
|
|
|
Post by khj on Apr 15, 2024 19:05:46 GMT
Unitrade is the way to go for Canada, no contest. The newer Unitrades cover most of what used to be in the Darnell catalog. I haven't seen the latter in awhile, so not sure if they are even producing new editions. Go with Scott, either our ClassicPhilatelist or the catalog for US. For the Scott catalog, preferably Scott US Specialized. Again, no contest. Harris US/BNA, like the smaller dealer catalogs such as Brookman, are primarily pricing catalogs, not really detailed info catalogs. If you want to learn more about stamps beyond price, illustration, and date of issue..., Scott & Unitrade are far better and worth the extra expense.
|
|
|
Post by Ted Talks Stamps on Apr 15, 2024 19:32:30 GMT
Plus, Unitrade uses Scott numbering (except for their minor catalog numbers, where, even then, they keep the basic Scott number but add their own letter suffix).
|
|
angore
Junior Member
Posts: 75
|
Post by angore on Apr 16, 2024 10:36:30 GMT
I do something simuilar for my inventory files....for Scott I may add v1, v2 for varieties and for Gibbons I may add -W for Walsall printer or -Y for yellow phosphor.
|
|
|
Post by stampie83 on Apr 18, 2024 17:53:55 GMT
Really interesting topic. I have seen Ted’s video about the insane pricing Scott did for the subscription. I read every comment here and I am with ClassicPhilatelist and Ted on this one, although I am not from the US. I am currently looking for a catalogue or catalogues for my Canada and US collection. I have ordered a Harris US/BNA catalogue but reading the comments here makes me reconsider if I shouldn’t try and get an older used Scott and Unitrade catalogue. I am no expert collector, but I think I even need something more that ‘just’ a price listing with catalogue numbers. But still I am not 100% sure about this all. Would I eventually be annoyed with the limitation of the Harris catalogue? Would a Scott and Unitrade be way too much for my needs? Decisions, decisions. Thanks for this topic by the way, really useful to read all the comments! Scott is OK if you are just collecting basic stamps of Canada but Unitrade goes into much more detail with minor listings for tagging and varieties. Also covers booklets and a wealth of other information depending on your level of collecting. In any case Unitrade is a must for the collector of Canadian stamps. Also covers the provinces as well.
|
|
|
Post by ChrisLovesStamps on Apr 19, 2024 18:16:25 GMT
Thank you everyone for the replies. In every collection I own I think I am a basic collector just aware that there are varieties. Since a friend of mine in Canada uses Unitrade it might be best for me to do that also, easier to communicate.
For the US I was able to buy a relatively cheap USA Spezial 2020/2021 catalogue from Michel. Feels a bit weird to use Michel for an USA collection but I really like Michel generally. I also will collect USA more ‘on my own’ so it is not such a must for me to have Scott numbers. Hope that makes sense. I am very happy with the catalogue, looks really good and a lot of detail that is as yet above my level of expertise.
I think it is better to have a catalogue that is ‘too detailed’ for me than one that is ‘too basic’ and leaves me with questions unanswered.
|
|
|
Post by khj on Apr 19, 2024 23:04:33 GMT
Congratulations on your catalog acquisition!
|
|
|
Post by ChrisLovesStamps on Apr 21, 2024 18:10:02 GMT
Thanks khj.
Has anyone ever tried, or is maybe still using, a digital version of a catalogue? I mean Scott, Michel, SG, Yvert , Unitrade etc? I don’t mean colnect or stampworld.
|
|
|
Post by khj on Apr 21, 2024 20:20:01 GMT
I'll leave it to Ted Talks Stamps and the others to respond to the online digital access. I've never had online catalog subscription, only know what I've heard. I prefer having digital access offline as well, and that's not going to happen with the current online subscription formats. Because my eyesight has degraded significantly, I pretty much rely on digitizing as many of my catalogs as I can. The advantage is I can have them on my laptop wherever I go -- beats hauling around a few hundred pounds of catalogs between office locations! Digitizing my catalogs has the added advantage of being able to digitally mark notes/inventory. But it does take time to scan the catalogs. And some catalogs, I have to tear apart because the print is too close to the binding edge -- even having a book scanner isn't good enough for those books.
|
|
|
Post by Ted Talks Stamps on Apr 21, 2024 22:08:12 GMT
I’m using the digital Scott Classic Worldwide, and I like it (arrgh, it hurts to say that). The high resolution images and text look great even when the page is magnified. As with khj, I hate the annual full-price subscription. I’m going to take screenshots of all the pages I need most so I don’t have to renew.
|
|
|
Post by captphil211 on May 9, 2024 21:33:46 GMT
That is a darned good idea, Ted. That might even convince me to pay up for one year.
|
|