Stamp Classifications

I hope I have the right section of the forum for my question, which I am sure has been covered a thousand times, but I just had to put it here again. As we know, in 1894 there were 5 red Washington stamps. You had Types I, II and III. But you can then jump to 1898 and again find that same style Washington stamp. There is very little information as to distinguishing which Scott number goes with what stamp. I've got the "types" down, getting better at watermarking and perforations, but the book I'm using is too vague in how to determine which stamp goes where (don't get me started on the Washington's that start in 1908 - I could have a nervous breakdown over those, rotary this, flat plate that. I know about those processes - it's what I do for a trade).

Sometimes I feel it's better to just order the Scott number from a reputable source and not have to determine where it goes, but that takes away half the fun.

So I guess my question is how to do you log your stamp when the descriptions are so vague?

You can find a more experienced collector to assist you, you can find literature to help you, or you can guess but if you guess, always guess that you have the cheapest variety

Go to this web site and study the information given to help determine the types. www.1847USA.com

Another site with excellent info and pics: http://www.theswedishtiger.com

Thanks guys, I've been on both of those sights, some very informative guys talking stamps there. the 1847 page is extremely helpful, as I have a pile of Washington/Franklins that need a home.

Under normal circumstances, I open my Mystic magazine, locate the stamp, find the Scott number, hinge it and in the Heritage binder it goes. But as you know, it's not always that easy.

For example, 2010, Holiday Evergreens, 4478-4485. Two difference sets of stamps but no information as to which Scott number belongs to which stamp. I've gotten some great info on specific sets from TBRStamps on ebay, but he doesn't categorize every stamp. That dreaded Liberty Bell threw me for a loop until I found information he had posted as to what differentiated each stamp from another.

I would figure there would be a specific guideline online somewhere that would tell you where to post your stamps, i.e., different perts, coils, booklets, micro printing, etc. and I have spent hours upon hours online looking for this stuff.

Thanks for the replies. If anyone comes up with a site or further information please don't hesitate to respond.

This one is easy as shown in the illustration below, as the stamps are distinctively different in size:

Might be good to purchase or lend a scott catalogue as it will usually describe the varieties and variances.

To much information at the very beginning, after that is much easier but never easy at all.

Biggest mistake I made was only using Mystic's Stamp Catalog. Very hard to see pictures, and you don't always get the defining descriptions you might look for in order to file your stamp properly.

But, if you can believe, I just learned about the Scott Specialized Catalog today. Now that seems like the guide to own if you're going to collect stamps. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any idea how to approach.

Much to my disappointment, the dozen or so emails I sent to stamp professionals were never returned or even acknowledged, except by Mystic, who told me about the Scott Catalog, which I will purchase once money is abundant again. It's tough justifying $79-120 on a yearly catalog when you'd rather be buying stamps instead.

I was lucky enough to find a complete (all countries) 2009 version of the Scott in PDF form. I've since downloaded it and should help serve the majority of my purposes until I update to 2014.

So we're back in business. Now that I've got this pretty much in check, next we tackle finding those watermarks!

But thanks for checking in guys.

dpoul34,

I would venture to say that perhaps less than 10% of the U.S. collectors purchase a new Scott's specialized catalog every year. The information in the beginning usually stays the same, except values and they can go up or down.

Suggestion, visit the Amos Press web site and check out the online version of the specialized http://www.amosadvantage.com/scottonline/

Its a lot cheaper than the paper version and you will have it on your tablet wherever you go. The stamp information is the same as the paper version. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but its still pretty good.


Art

Edited: I forgot to mention that the Amos Advantage membership has significant discounts on supplies and catalogs etc.

The post office has a $25 book that has a lot of info on the varieties and nice, color pics of all stamps

Most post offices have it and it's a great book.

There's also a pocket sized book Scott puts out that's available at most book stores

Perhaps the most important part of the Scott catalog is the first 100 pages or so. There is a LOT of valuable info about stamps there before the actual listings.

Agree with Mike, there is the Postal Service Guide to US Stamps which uses Scott Numbers and is more affordable. If you want to do Scott, search Amazon for used copies as there are a ton of old library copies from 2-3 years ago floating around for around $40.

Here's a link to the Postal Service Guide to US Stamps, just note the price has escalated to $29.95 (plus $1.30 shipping, if you order it direct):

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...desYearbooks

Well, glad I found some people willing to share information. I wouldn't have known there were cheaper alternatives to Scott's big Specialized catalog. I was wondering, I couldn't find anything online at the Amos site - do I have to be a member before I can view?

Here's a question: anyone here use or find a need to use a signoscope?

Here's the link to the latest (2014) Scott Specialized Catalog of US Stamps:

https://www.amosadvantage.com/scott...category=CLG

Right now, they're expensive (full price) but you can occasionally catch old issues on sale. Failing that, ebay and other auction sites typically have gently used older editions available for a fraction of the cost.

The "cheaper" catalogs (i.e. Postal Service Guide or Scott Pocket Catalog) are good but are not as detailed and thus it explains why a Postal Service Guide is 400+ pages, but the Scott Specialized is 1100+ pages (and counting).




? Please explain. What is it?