When Fly Specking Do You Look For All Specs..?

Hi,

I was curious about Fly specking. When you have collection
of Stamps. Do you look all Specifications of Issued Issue.
e.g Paper ..type, thickness etc,size,design,Centering,Frames,
perfs, etc etc. ?

thanks in advance.

tikithindi

TiKi-------The subject of FLY-SPECKING means different things to different collectors.Im not sure you can get a clear explaination that everyone agrees too.I can be accused of fly-specking and adding many thousands of stamps to my worldwide collection.But over time with getting different foreign catalogs and the Scott catalog ever expanding Classic catalog ,much of what I thought was fly-specking is now showing up in catalogs,such as color shades,paper varieties,and plate flaws.
So it safe for all of us to agree its up to each collector to determine what is included in fly-specking

Traditionally, as I understand it, flyspecking is going beyond the basic catalogue details of paper and perforations etc to the real minutiae of small flaws on the plate.

As an example, take a look at the circled flaws on this copy of Barwani SG 1:



They help to determine which of the four clichés used to print the ¼ Anna value this stamp was printed from, and to pin down the state of the printing plate when this stamp was printed.

The term 'flyspecking' was coined to make fun of those fanatical collectors who went looking for tiny fly-speck sized imperfections, only visible under the magnifying glass.

Sometimes, the catalogues can be a bit broad-brush in their descriptions. Staying with Barwani, Gibbons for example simply states that this stamp exists perf 11, 12 or compound:



This stamp is perf 12 at top and on the sides, and 11 at bottom. From a more popular country, Gibbons would have given a more detailed listing of the possible perforations. This isn't really 'flyspecking' though - it's just filling in the gaps in the catalogue.

TONY----agree with your idea of fly-specking

Hi,

Thank you very much Floortrader and tonymacg, I appreciate your
reply.
I use the blanket word Fly-Specking ...
About 4-5 months ago I started making Access database for
my Stamps basically my Collection its very limited few countries.
I used Old way of Ledger ... to keep inventory of these items since
1955. then started putting in spread sheet using programs well before
Excel matured and came in market. though now I use Excel.

Also moderate excel automation entry so minimize typing, using
cut,paste and copy.
anyway about Access database is almost complete.. Thinking
on Errors and EFOS thought that if same database is used
making some more screen inputs .. probably could be useful
to very master experts Collectors of very specialize collection.

And that only the reason blanket term use Fly-specking...
But at the same time Specialized collection is always minute
details of STAMP.
e.g. Material from made,Type,Thickness,color etc.
Design(...),Color (...), Printing Process(.), Printing Type(..),
Separations(..),Perforations(...size),Watermark,Secretmark,
Tagging(..) ,florescence,Year etc.
All of specs would be from Authority Issued Issue. But than
after Issued Items other Specification comes up. Of cancellations,
Errors, (EFO) etc.

This technological time many other avenues are open for Inventory
Storage Documentation.
For simple documentation I just keep scan Image,QTY, Invoice Scan
of seller.
For the fun I am trying this DB proto, in access before up-sizing.
By the way tony I love your Barwanis and Uglies.

Also I like SCF.. much better than other sites. Get lot of info
from Masters.
In closing I thank you both.
with regards

tikithindi.