A Stamp For Every Country Conundrum - And A Solution

The basic problem with collecting "A Stamp For Every Country"
(ASFEC) is that no two people will ever agree on what should, or should
not be included.

You are not limited to the outdated or not easily changeable albums out there...

What I have attempted to do is make an editable framework (Steiner Clone)
so that anyone can design their own ASFEC Album easily. Make it as simple
or complex as you want.

You can download the ASFEC pdf album and AlbumEasy source files at two reputable websites:

AlbumEasy:

(Bottom of the page in the Topical section)

https://www.thestampweb.com/albums/free-downloads


StampSmarter:

https://stampsmarter.org/learning/F...SECHome.html

The source files have map and flag images, along with statistics for the various
countries. All are free.

Here are a couple of pages from my personal ASFEC album:





Perhaps you will get as much enjoyment from an ASFEC album
as I have from mine...

John

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I had downloaded the files from Album Easy a while back (6/14 per date code of text files) and plan to make my own variation using the source files. Thank you for your efforts.

By the way, I noticed the PDF provided includes title pages but the source file Asfect.txt does not include the source for the title pages.

Thanks, angore. Appreciate you pointing this out to me. The main idea, of course, for the source files is for the album pages block.

The PDF file is for users who want to use the album as is, the source file for those who want to edit to taste.

But, it is a good idea to include the title pages in the source files as well, to use as section dividers - these could also be edited to taste...

I'll incorporate them in the next edition (probably in 2022).

Thanks again for the feedback.

John

I think that this is a really fantastic album that would also make a great "gateway drug" for a teenager or young adult into the world of stamp collecting.

What John doesn't mention in his posting, is that for those who are not keen on printing their own albums, pre-printed hardcover or paperback copies of the album are available on Amazon very reasonably priced - search for "Knudsen stamp for every country album" without the quotes.

Clive

I like it!

Thank you Clive and Roger!

There are actually 4 different printed versions available on Amazon:

Simplified Hardcover
Simplified Paperback

The Simplified versions are 218 pages.

Comprehensive Hardcover
Comprehensive Paperback

The Comprehensive versions are 546 pages.

The printed albums are not identical to the freely available ASFEC downloads. The guts are all there (in the case of the Comprehensive), but the presentation is slightly different...

The Simplified is more suited for a beginning collector, as the Comprehensive will be much more difficult to complete!

John

A wild idea from a postal history viewpoint. Has anyone attempted to get a non philatelic postally used cover from each country? Don, sounds like a good challenge for another data base over on stampsmarter. List each country then ask folks to fill in the blank pages?

There are people trying to do that - sure. In the comprehensive sense, it would probably be near impossible to accomplish, unless you have very deep pockets... By comprehensive, I mean all legal countries, forerunners, territories, military occupations, and other misc. entities I haven't mentioned here.

In the simplified sense (all current legal countries only), it would be somewhat challenging, but absolutely possible.

All IMHO, of course.

John

Wonderful, thanks! Hope you saw the article in The American Philatelist (APS) by John Seidl a few months back ...

Indeed I have, and we have exchanged emails since then...

John

Hi John, I too saw the article not too long ago and I'm very interested in starting up this project. I do have one question, do you know how the printed album on Amazon is bound? Is the hardback bound like a novel, or is it in some other manner? Just curious because I think I want to try the "Comprehensive" and I wasn't sure how the album was printed.

Thanks!

You are welcome! My copy of the hardcover book appears similar to Smyth Sewn (or Section Sewn) to use the technical term, just like any hardcover book you might find in a library. If memory serves, the paper is cream, 50 lb. weight.

John

I've just ordered one as well - the 'Comprehensive' hard-back. Didn't know about it until this thread.

I'm viewing it as a bit of a curio - will not be specifically buying stamps for it, but will seek to fill as much as I can with the best of my duplicates and whatever else from stamps I own but which don't currently have a home in a main album. I'll aim for a more special or attractive stamp for each entry, where possible.

I think this would be a great thing to interest younger collectors/beginners by the way.

That is exactly how I use my ASFEC album...
It is funny, though - as I am plowing through my duplicates, there is a little guy in the back of my mind saying "Gee, that one would look really nice in the ASFEC album." After you start seeing many complete pages (what a refreshing change THAT is ), it takes on a life of its own... Some folks concentrate on stamps showing flags, some show rulers, some show whatever topical. It is a uniquely individual endeavor...

p.s. Thank you, Ringo.

John

I purchased the hard bound simplified version from Amazon. I was somewhat skeptical regarding that format but it works well for one or two stamps per page. However, the black and white graphics were a disappointment. The maps were virtually unreadable and showing a black and white flag made no sense. I would have kept it if it were in color. I returned it.