Scott & Minkus International Albums - Comparison

As a spanish collector, this topic sounds amazing.
And if you collect ww mainly after 1952, exists as well a Minkus?
Is the paper thick enough? Or you can only use hinges?

I did a review on my blog of the 1840-1952 Minkus Supreme WW album which you might find helpful to answer those questions.

http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.co...bum-for.html

Thank you!

Thanks to Jkjblue for being the first to identify what for me was the big drawback to Minkus albums: the different numbering system. I also like your comparison of the two album systems.

My first albums were given to me by my late father in 1960: the Scott 1940 Modern Postage Stamp album and the 1935 Ivory Stamp Club album. I still have both, but both are retired from "active stamping" in order to preserve them. Like some others, I had a Harris album beginning in 1963 and going into the 1980s; also Harris US and Canada albums, and my only Minkus products, British America and British Europe. In the early 1980s, I migrated everything to the Scott Blue International album, Parts I through V, with many blank pages added. Have trimmed and worked in some Scott specialty pages; a few "souvenir" pages from my 1963 Harris album; and even a few Schaubeck pages.

I got to meet Jacques Minkus, in 1963 I think, when he came to Indianapolis to open a stamp store in L.S. Ayres, then the largest department store in the downtown (it wasn't a Gimbels). I was 13 at the time (if I have the year correct).

lgrodri, Amos Publishing issues annual supplements for the Global albums. The latest is for 2014.

I have to say that I took one look at a Big Blue and shuddered in horror. For a British collector (and, I think, many a collector in mainland Europe), having charity and air stamps artifically separated from their fellows is a huge turn-off. From Jim's blog, I'd much prefer the Minkus had I not the Gibbons Ideal and Imperial twins (which have their own idiosyncracies).

I took one look at Minkus and shuddered in horror. For a US collector, having charity and air stamps artificially lumped together with regular issues is a huge turn-off.

De gustibus non est disputandum. [Of tastes there ought be no disputing.]

Each system has a rationale behind it. One naturally finds the system one is most familiar with to be, well, familiar, unthreatening, easy to understand. One naturally finds the system one is unfamiliar with, well, unfamiliar, alien, threatening, hard to understand.

Not really that difficult to comprehend if one steps out of one's provinciality. After all, one of the main advantages of collecting worldwide, we have been told, is that it helps free us from jingoism and provinciality.

I'm kicking around the idea of a classic worldwide collection at some point in the future and I'm leaning toward the Minkus album for it. This is mostly due to space and being more comprehensive, and to a lesser extent, cost. I like my Steiner pages for my country collections, but If I'm to actually attempt a general worldwide collection, Steiner isn't practical as it would take up too much space and it's *too* complete. My understanding is that Minkus kind of splits the difference between Scott ("Big Blue") and Steiner in terms of comprehensiveness. I also like that Minkus' classic pages go to 1952, which means it would include WWII and postwar issues.

For worldwide issues, I also prefer to keep semis and airs with regular issues as well. Scott's system makes sense for the US, but it's abysmal for some countries, with stamps from the same set appearing in 2 or 3 different parts of the catalog, for example. The amount of paging back and forth necessary in the Scott catalog due to how they split those issues gets pretty annoying at times.

The only real downside I can see to the Minkus pages is the different numbering system. I can sit here right now and say that it's no big deal, but it may turn into a situation where I'm cursing at the album every time I have to find the Scott# for a given space, being that literally no one sells by Minkus numbers anymore. I'll have to give that some thought before I buy a Minkus as it might be worth it to pay a little more up front to avoid headaches later. I'd probably eventually pencil in Scott#s, but then that takes more time and of course there's the possibility of errors. It would be nice if Scott published a concordance or allowed someone else to, since they own the rights to both systems. I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to find a concordance for US issues, but I don't know if a more comprehensive one exists for worldwide issues.

Hi,
Pleasantly surprised that my thread is alive again.... I'm working on the "new" Scotts international pages for parts 1 and 2. I'm not happy that the new editions cut out stuff that was included in my original 1947 and 1954 editions, but do appreciate the countries and various components starting on a new page. And, of course the paper is significantly improved. But I have another gripe, in that IMO there is a lack of consistency in what types of stamps are included. In example, some countries have spaces for the WWI "war stamps" and newspaper stamps, and so on, while other countries do not. I love consistency, and it isn't there in this respect.

The only thing that I dislike of Minkus Supreme is the two sides printing, and the overcrowded pages.
the idea is fantastic. The european albums cost more than the stamps itself.
I will keep an eye on ebay, maybe a second hand album is a good option.
the other possibility, the Steiner Pages, has a strong disadvantage, they are on A4 size, I think that this is the worse point.
Maybe I will purchase Amos version, as 1840to1940 stated! But, does anybody knows if paper is thick enough to allow mounts?

Just to clarify, if you buy the Amos reprint of the 1952 Minkus Supreme Global version, there are no catalog numbers printed in the spaces, Minkus or otherwise (unless for the US?; sorry I can't remember). And if you buy any version of the Scott Internationals, there are no numbers except for the US. And Steiner doesn't have numbers, either. So regardless which album you choose, you will probably find it convenient to pencil in Scott numbers to aid in making purchases, compiling wantlists, etc.

Igrodri- regarding mounts for the Minkus Global Supreme 1840-1952 pages reprint sold by amosadvantage...






The original Minkus Global Supreme pages are thinner, and may not hold up to heavy mounting on both sides of the page.

But, be aware that the Minkus Supreme pages were designed during the period when most collectors were using hinges, and therefore one may need to trim the mount close to the stamp in order to stay within the stamp space. (The Steiner stamp spaces offer more room for the use of mounts.)

Thanks for that, 1940-1940. I was under the understanding that Scott#s were a feature of the Scott International. The fact that there are no numbers there, either, pretty much seals the deal for me in favor of Minkus if I ever decide to collect classic worldwide. I'm used to penciling in numbers on Steiner pages, so it's not too big of a deal, particularly if there are ample illustrations. I have several country collections on Steiner pages already, which I'd leave there and just remove those countries' pages from Minkus or Scott or whatever I ended up using.

lgrodri: it's a shame that A4 doesn't appeal, as there are a lot of free A4 pages around. This thread gives links -

https://goscf.com/t/11268

I've used the France Timbres pages for my French Colonies collection - very useful, although with Yvert numbers/arrangement.

Geoff

Igrodri- The Steiner PDF pages can be printed on any size paper- true, the border and layout was originally intended for the U.S. 8 1/2" X 11" paper size.