A Couple Of Scott Catalog Hypotheticals

So, some questions for the community

1. Do you think Scott will ever list realistic values based on sales in online auctions and private sales?

I tend to think that they won't. Some of the more expensive stuff is priced properly because they get those values right from auction houses. But for the common stuff sold on eBay/bidStart, I don't see them changing. They would have to seriously devalue a good majority of stamps in their catalog.

2. If they stopped printing the Scott catalog tomorrow, what would you use as an alternative?

I collect US and Ukraine. I'm not sure how much value Scott gives me for US beyond catalog numbers. And I have plenty of other places I can get Scott Catalog numbers. For Ukraine. ukrposhta has their own numbering system. People either use that, or Michel for Ukrainian stamp sales.

My answer to number 1 is no.
As for question number 2 I would use an old Scott's catalog. I collect very little after 1900 and almost nothing after 1940. I use the catalog primarily for identification.

1 - No.
2 - A combination of Michel and SG catalogs.

Andy, I collect the Transportation Coils ( 1981-1995 ), and Scott is woefully incomplete on these. The Plate Number coil Collectors Club (PNC3) issues a price list of all issued coils and varieties since 1981 every two or three years. This list is compiled by the PNC3 Catalog Committee. They use Auctions and dealer price lists to arrive at their prices and are thus fairly up to date.
Of course, this is only a very miniscule part of the US issues!

Peter

I can't see Scott publishing realistic values for most stamps anytime soon. The editors don't even look at most of the common stamps (CV up to $10-$20 or so) closely on an annual basis. To really quote accurate values, they'd have to look at every single number in the catalog, and since there are only 4 Scott editors, there's just no way they could do it without hiring a whole bunch of people. On top of that, it wouldn't serve much of a purpose. Most people that use Scott know that the prices are more or less "MSRP" and adjust accordingly. If they redid pricing, it probably wouldn't affect the market much and they wouldn't sell any more catalogs.

For #2, since my main collecting area is Germany, I'd go with Michel. I'll likely be buying a Michel catalog sometime this next year already.

Edited to add: In a perfect world, I would wish for a complete, comprehensive worldwide catalog of realistic retail prices for every stamp in every grade and condition. For the areas I collect, I have a fairly rudimentary knowledge of which stamps are overpriced in Scott and those that aren't. I do stress "rudimentary" as there is still plenty I'm ignorant about. If such a comprehensive and accurate catalog existed, it would probably save me a lot of time and money. But such a catalog is never, ever going to happen, at least not at the hands of a for-profit enterprise. An online "wiki-catalog" is probably the only way that would happen, and even then it's never going to be truly complete or accurate. For those of us in the US, we're pretty much stuck with Scott, like it or not.

1. I think dealers would be in an uproar if Scott (or any other catalog) ever listed realistic prices. Remember not everyone buys stamps on the internet and many collectors rely on dealers quoting prices based on x% of what is listed in a catalog.

2. I already use eBay/Delcampe as an alternative catalog - not only for the basics, but also for many varieties which are not listed in traditional catalogs.

For retail stamp shops and show dealers, Scott values *ARE* realistic. You can't have one catalog for retail and another for the Interwebz. Just discount accordingly depending on venue.

For those complaining about Scott, it is infinitely more accurate for collectors here in the U.S. than Michel or Gibbons as far as percentages go. In other markets, perhaps not.

In short: The problem isn't with the Scott catalog, it's with how people interpret and use it.

All things considered, the Scott Classic Specialized is probably THE best single-volume catalog on the planet.

1)No. Like others have stated, it would be too big of a job. The only accurate listings are based on actual sales for high-profile rarities that are easy to research.

2) In terms of catalogue values, I would continue to use the "sold" listings in ebay for my reference. As far as ID, I would use an old Scott catalogue for the US and Michel for the rest of the world. FWIW, the Scott Specialized Catalogue for US stamps and covers is still the most comprehensive resource in the world so the prices listed, even if they are not accurate, can easily be ignored.

Brian

Regarding (1), I don't think Scott is very far off the mark in general. It provides prices mostly for VF and sound stamps, which are pretty close to retail in my experience (+/- 25% or so) from dealers (show and brick/mortar shops). For the internet venues, the prices tend to be much lower in general for VF represented stamps, but I think this has to do more with the inability to hold/touch/checkout prior to buying and the unseen dealer trust risk.

I also see some very high prices for much better than VF material on the internet vs. Scott pricing, and also strong prices if the stamps have certificates. So, I am not sure significant Scott changes are needed, but they SHOULD be continually checking/updating as applicable from dealer and brick/mortar auction pricing.

I believe it is true that many dealers buy/sell as % of Scott generally, so not having Scott values as a reference would make their job much harder. I DON'T think Scott should include ebay, BidStart and other internet venues for pricing reference. In my opinion, the dealers and brick/mortar auction houses are a more consistent and studied resource, and are a better weathervane for individual stamp market strength/trends.

(2) I would use Scott still(!) for a comparative reference, SG, Brookman, and others out there. In addition, Cole, Towle, etc. for the other usages/markings.

They tried that in 1989:

http://johnapfelbaum.blogspot.dk/20...ference.html

Also keep in mind that "catalog values" aren't much different for stamps as they are for any other item of value. There are catalogs for all kinds of collectibles from coins to toys to antiques to artwork and beyond and all of them give a "value" that is rarely "hard and fast" in terms of what to expect on the secondary market.

There will also be the condition factor that enters into the equation. Sure the Scott catalog refers to stamp values as being in VF condition, but the grading can vary from collector to collector and even the expertizers have been known to disagree on the condition of a stamp sent in for evaluation.

The bottom line for any collectible is that the buyer and seller must come to a mutually agreed upon price. Except for extreme rarities or one-of-a-kind specimens, if the catalog says $1000 but you can only get someone to pay $100 ... or even $10 ... for the item, that's its true value.

You also have to keep in mind that times do change and so do values. I was watching an Antiques Roadshow episode where they evaluated expensive antiques from a decade or two ago and then gave an up-to-date evaluation on whether their values still hold in the 21st century. The result was that certain items increased in value, while others stayed the same and still others declined in value ... sometimes significantly.

It is hard to imagine a better catalog for the U.S. area than the Scott Specialized. But if Scott disappeared tomorrow I agree that Michel and Stanley Gibbon would suffice for my other interest areas. And I concur with the thoughts of others that no matter what the catalog lists as a price or value the true value of an item is what a buyer is willing to pay for it. The values are a gauge or place to start if you will.