Correctly Reading The Scotts Catalog?

I am new at this, and this may sound like an ignorant question, but many times while searching for values the catalog prices are confusing. The canceled price for stamps should be the price on the right, according to the explanation page. Yet many times the price on the right is higher than what should be the uncanceled price. Help!
What color chart is the best to identify stamps from around the world??
And thanks!

Welcome.

There are many, many circumstances where genuinely used stamps are more valuable than mint. Germany's inflation period after World War I is just one example.

For British Commonwealth stamps, especially, you have to be sure that the cancel is not a revenue cancel, as many stamps were valid for both postal and revenue uses, and revenue cancels are typically not desired. Sometimes you'll even see a revenue cancel value in Scott under the 'regular' used value.

For all stamps where the used value is higher than mint, watch out for stamps canceled later on, or outright fakes. A stamp from the 1920s canceled today is not properly used in period, and is probably worthless.

There are some stamps in my collection also that are worth more used than new. Just remember that the price is just a guide. Many dealers base their price as a percentage of the scott value number.
Tom

Wyostamps, welcome to this forum! As for the second part of your question, I have always found the Stanley Gibbons color guide superior.

Peter

While I do reference my SG color guide, keep in mind that the SG color guide definitions are NOT the same as ones used by the Scott catalog. For the most part, it is useful, but you will run into problems with some of the colors/shades in the violet/purple/red range.

If you are a stickler for using catalog color IDs, in general you should use the color guide produced by the catalog manufacturer when available. But even then, there will be inconsistencies (especially with the Scott catalog).