Scott Vs. Gibbons

Which catalog lists the highest stamp prices: Scott or Gibbons?..From what I've seen here in SCF, most ppl use Scott. Why is it that some ppl prefer Scott over Gibbons, and vice versa. all comments welcome...Thnx

Opening a large can of worms...

In Britain where I live collectors generally use Stanley Gibbons catalogues.

In the USA collectors generally use Scott catalogs.

I use both.

I much prefer the SG standard catalogues (Commeonwealth Part 1 and Foreign Parts 2 to 22) to the Scott standard catalogues. I prefer the greater level of detail and the layout of these SG catalogues.

I much prefer the Scott standard catalogue to SG's "Stamps of the World". In this case I prefer Scott's greater level of detail.

However, I have all these (and also Scott Classic, Michel, Maury, Facit etc.) on my bookshelves and find a lot of benefit in seeing how different publishers describe the same stamps.

SG prices are too high for the British market and need to be taken with a pinch of salt. However, I'm used to that and am happy to use them as relative prices.

Maybe others can comment on how Scott's prices reflect the market in the USA (or in Canada or other countries).

I should add that one benefit of using a catalogue that's popular in your country is of course that it makes it much easier to dicuss stamps and prices with other collectors, dealers, etc.

I bought my Scott set just so I could communicate with other collectors who relied on Scott.

You should look at both, compare the details and information to find the one you prefer.

In every circumstance, IGNORE the monetary values placed on the stamps - they're meaningless.

In fact, the Stanley Gibbons (SG) is a true catalog in the sense the prices are what SG charges for the stamps at their store. The Scott values are supposed to be "market values" based on recent sales and auctions at the big auction houses. You can be certain those don't include ebay.

So, bottom line. If you collect U.S., look closely at the Scott Specialized. If you collect Great Britain and/or commonwealth, you'll often find more detailed information in SG. If you collect Canada, forget both and get the Unitrade Catalog.

It's not about the values, it's all about the detailed information...
KirkS

Thanks for the Tips.
I agree to look at individual country albums when specializing