US Stamp Catalog Question

So, I am looking at moving away from Scott Catalogs on the iPad and go back to dead tree editions.

At first, I was thinking of buying the Scott Specialized. But then I got to thinking....

Every stamp dealer within driving distance of my house (by some miracle, I have 3), uses the Brookman Stamp Price Guide, which includes illustrations, Scott numbers and the actual price I would pay if I went to buy the stamp retail.

So, I'm wondering if I wouldn't get more value out of a substantially cheaper Brookman catalog than I would the Scott Specialized.

For people unfamiliar with the Brookman catalog/guide, this is their web page:

www.coverspecialist.com/priceguide.html

And the 2004 edition: www.coverspecialist.com/brow...tem_id=442068

What would I lose, if I went with this (spiral bound) rather than the Scott Catalog?

You already know the basics -- the Brookman licenses Scott numbers from Amos so the numbering is essentially the same, ...

The spiral bound Brookman is nice, because it can lay perfectly flat -- useful if you have little free desktop space left. However, with heavy use, the pages will begin to tear out from the spirals unless you have a light touch when turning pages or opening/closing the catalog.

I've purchased 3-4 Brookman catalogs in the past 20 years. Brookman prices, in general, are higher than Scott catalog prices. This is the MAIN reason some dealers use Brookman -- it makes the discount seem larger than it really is. I quit buying from dealers who discount off Brookman long ago. If you want to know if you really are getting a good deal, in general you are better off comparing to Scott catalog prices (my opinion).

At one time, there were some benefits to also having the Brookman catalog because it listed some items only addressed in the US Specialized, and listed some items not mentioned at all by Scott (e.g., full panes...). However, most of those items are for highly specialized areas in modern US material, that may be useful for dealers but are of little use to most general US collectors.

Brookman would also break down lower grades for the early stamps, but Scott also does that now with the pricing guides.

The Scott US Specialized has more information than most collectors need, and the catalog is now prohibitively expensive (my opinion). The cost and bulkiness is the main drawback (my opinion).

I almost always buy a 1-2 year old Scott US Specialized. The last Brookman I bought was 2000 edition; I purchased it 3 years late for $1. I think I've opened it up a grand total of less than 5 times in the past 10 years. I find it fairly useless, except when doing studies on pricing trends.

If you are simply looking for the major Scott numbers and fully illustrated, you might want to consider the catalog USPS sells (don't know if they still sell it). It uses Scott catalog prices as well, probably costs less than a new Brookman, and like Brookman it doesn't list all the printing/background information found in the Scott US Specialized. This is not a recommendation, just suggesting another avenue.

P.S. -- I should note, I don't really collect covers, so that part of Brookman doesn't benefit me and I did not take that into consideration above.

All the dealers near me don't discount from Brookman. They sell at the price listed in the Brookman catalog. Brookman seems to be the price to sell stamps at where I live.

I would not abandon Scott for Brookman. While there may be a few local dealers that are using it, no dealers of any major accomplishment do (in my opinion). Maybe 1 out of every 50 show dealers uses Brookman (other than for the occasional cover oddity that isn't listed in Scott), and virtually nobody on ebay uses Brookman.

Seriously, Scott is the standard in this country, Brookman is not. If you need to save money on catalog purchases, I would recommend buying a 2-3 year old Scott catalog over a new Brookman.

Also, the Scott Specialized gived you FAR more reference information than Brookman.

I wholeheartedly agree with the above comments. If you can't afford a Scott Specialized, look for an older edition. In fact, even Amos is currently offering this week as a Black Friday promotion a 2013 Scott Specialized (reg. $99.99) at a discounted price of $39.99. If you want something less expensive and up-to-date for 2014, the Postal Service Guide to US Stamps is available available on the USPS website for $29.99 (it's increased in price over last year).

Given the choice, I'd go for the one year old Scott Specialized.

I agree with everything revenuecollector posted.



I've noticed that dealers who use the Brookman catalog are in either relatively isolated locations or in clumps. Kind of like gas stations -- the expensive ones tend to be isolated (no nearby competition) or occasionally you will see an intersection or block where the gas is noticeably more expensive even though it's not prime property (they have an informal understanding to keep prices as high as possible).

I can understand your local dealers using Brookman, as that may reflect your local market situation. But Scott (in my opinion) better reflects the overall US market of full-time dealers. Unless you are looking for something difficult to obtain or you must have in hand before you make your purchasing decision, there are plenty of quality full/part-time dealers throughout the US (storefronts or internet) that will sell you most material at non-trivial discounts off of Scott catalog prices.

The ONLY US catalog that I even consider buying now (other than for archival reference) is the Scott US Specialized. You can easily get a 1-2 year old US Specialized for less than the price of a current Brookman.

I also agree with wt1. Thanks for the tip on the Amos special!

I'm hopping on that Black Friday deal! That seems to be the way to go. Here's hoping they won't kill you on shipping. That's a heavy book.

I just checked the Amos website. If you are looking for something really simply (current prices, illustrated, major Scott numbers, no additional info/background), then the 2014 Scott US Stamp Pocket Catalogue is available for under $20. Just for your reference; personally, I would still go with the US Specialized.

I just ordered the 2013 US Specialized from Amos for $39.99 with FREE shipping!

If you search for it, you will not be able to find the product. I assume Amos is hiding it for Black Friday. But it seems I had a copy in my shopping cart. It let me complete the order.

Here's a direct link to the 2013 US Specialized!

https://www.amosadvantage.com/scott...rt%5Fno=C13S
You should be able to add it to your cart and purchase it.

Andy, I just checked... you DON'T have to wait until Black Friday.

The $39.99 for 2013 Scott US Specialized is available NOW.

And, you get FREE shipping. The product number is C13S.

I've been waiting for scratch'n'dent deals, but this will do.

Thanks again, wt1, for the tip!

k

OK, Andy posted while I was typing...

I got mine, too!

Woohoo!

Thanks wt1! We owe you one!

Got my confirmation email...

10-14 days to deliver. :-(

I'm willing to wait for a deal that good.

To find it at the Amos website by searching, use the "all products" category and search for "scott catalogue". It currently is the 1st item on the 1st page.

I searched for Scott Specialized. The only thing that came up was the 2014.