Buying New Catalogs-- How Often?

I am taking this exact approach and even further more: I buy 2-3 years old catalogues and rotate the rejuvenation of my catalogue library (replacing each year 1 or 2 volumes). This way I spend few 10's of $ each year and my catalogues are never to much behind.

When you are dealing with your own specialty area things change as you might want to be updated. But at the same time when dealing with areas of collecting which are at the bottom of your interests list you can work with older ones.

I try to buy two new (new to me) catalogs a year, so in my scott WW set I have some 2008's, 2010's, 2011's all purchased used. Hopefully my volumes from 2008 will get upgraded this year to 2011's this year.

Now there's a damn good idea! I can but some catalog pages from ebay until the iPad app comes out! Since the pages will already be cut out, I can scan them in and stick them on the iPad. I'm liking this idea more and more.

One thing to keep in mind is whether you have any interest in the iPad or other electronic version of the Scott catalogs? While I haven't seen any hard information on release dates, prices or features, they are apparently in the beta testing phase and I assume will be out in 2012. I'm very interested in the 1840-1940 volume although I wouldn't be surprised if this catalog isn't one of those under development. I would say 90% of my use of the Scott Classic is the pdf version and not the hard copy.

My Scott sets will last me 4 to 7 years.

My foreign catalogues have to last longer and that is simply because, A - Books generally are not cheap any more, especially reference books & catalogues, and B - The postage and handling to get them here is about the same almost as the books themselves.

The only catalogue I get new every year is the Unitrade Canada Specialized Catalogue. I get mine at the Barrie, Ontario show every year and either trade or sell my last years' edition.

Chimo

Bujutsu

I have been replacing my catalogues every 5-6 years or so, with the exception of the Unitrade Canada catalogue which has grown and evolved considerably over the past eight years.

In both cases, I have purchased 1-year-old, ex-library copies of the Scott catalogues off ebay for not more than $150/set (Specialized US included). Once in 2005 and once in 2011.

I'm not a dealer, so the latest prices mean little to me; A five-year-old catalogue will tell me all I need to know about a stamp even if the prices are off.

Brian

a year without buying stamps ? thats unacceptable to the high command ! I USED to get a set every 3 years....with prices going coo coo I will buy the catalog I need most a year old. I have a 2011 C to F I will look for a 2012 A-B next !! Our club purchased a perfectly good scratch and dent 6 volumes of the 2011s for around $130 dollars...i don't see the need to spend $700 !

I have an old mixed year set. Anything newer than the book, I go to the library. The cost of catalogs is ridiculous.

Hi to all

If I see them going cheap in the reject bins at Philatelists I will buy the ones I need. Generally I try to purchase nothing over two years old.
I need a good Italian one and I saw a 2011 specialised in Italian for 35.00 the other day, if some-one else does not buy it I will. Italian is close to latin so it should not be too hard to figure out.
Regards
Horamakhet

Last email,I got from them said it was in internal beta testing. I also use the Scott PDFs far more than I do my books. If the iOS app let me track inventory also, that would be ideal!

Last year, I put together the 2009 Scott set of 6 volumes which with the exception of Vol 1 I got for less than 10 dollars per volume. They were listed on Amazon. The volume 1, though set me back about 25 dollars. I suspect volume 1 is more expensive because it contains the US listings. Amazon has a quite extensive list of older Scott catalogs.

I like this the best, everything that matters is in here.

I pretty much buy a set of Scott standard WW catalogs every 1-2 years. However, I rarely buy the newest edition immediately -- rather, I usually wait until the end of the annual cycle when the price drops dramatically as they clear them out.

Scott is pretty cunning about adding just barely enough new information each year to tempt worldwide collectors such as myself to dish out money for a new set every 1-2 years. I'm so gullible...

k

I collect WW classic (1840-1940) and obviously, the Scott Classic Specialized is my main reference.



And as I list my inventory and "wants" in the catalogue itself, it makes it difficult (and painful) to replace.

So I plan to supplement each year with a more specialized catalogue (see Michel in pic above), but don't want to contemplate replacing the Scott Classic.

Perhaps in 5-6 years....

One of the great things about the Scott Classic catalog is that it is much easier to mark in! Of course, if you like to buy used catalogs, that may not be such a good thing.

For many years, I could get a new 1999 Scott Classic for $5 and I used one as a checklist when I went to shows/stores. Now the Classic is much improved, with far more information and a nice hardback cover. All of which unfortunately makes it much bulkier and too expensive to take to shows. I wish they would make the software version again, but I'd be surprised if they tried that again any time soon.