How Are Stamp "Catalog" Values Established?

Buyers have the last word. Ultimately, then, buyers "set" the "catalog price." If it were not for the buyers, we'd be lost in an infinite loop. Scott says they look at dealer prices, but we all know dealers who list at Scott's prices. Auction prices, where buyers have the final word (to buy or not to buy) are the exogenous factor that allows the system to break free of the endogenous relationship between dealers and publishers of catalogs.

you forget the one who don't understand (respect) peoples other choices

For my parts I like to fill spaces look at nice engravings, purchase albums and resell the one I don't need at some lost

Lost because as exemple you may pay $300 for a Sweden album with 3000 stamps, but if you remove half ( that's very optimist) then 1500 stamps is not half but probably $ 60

I never forgot peoples choices.
You are misunderstanding my post.

kevin504
At the end of the day all collecting is driven by LUST (desire). It is a base human emotion most people can not control. I find nothing wrong with satisfying my desires (and openly admitting what they are) in collecting and no one else should either, unless they have an inability to control their spending habits. If you collect for investment (GREED), great. Same thing applies. My point to everyone was … stop complaining about prices in SCOTTS and understand what happening in todays collectors market .

Hal

LOL, no I approve your post at 11) , was an add-on , I was not referring to you but other persons on this forum who want to impose their way of thinking. I should also add the sellers who always complain about their customers ( buyers ).

HA it's at least 40 years I hear about Scott complains, new comers have to bring it all the time...

And something for the ebay newbies, it's easy to sell on ebay, that's don't means it's easy to make money.

For the quote above that
"here is a MAJOR difference in stamp collectors.
On one end of the board..... Some just fill spaces in a album....
On the other end.....Some look for the BEST example out there...."

I am BOTH of those collectors.
I space-fill in the ares I merely dabble in.
I seek out the best examples in my specialty areas.

It's true that you want to fill the empty spaces in your collection but you're always looking to improve the quality of your collection.

For me it's improve the quality of my US, Canada and Philippines albums and improve the quantity of my world albums...lol

tonymacg
"And I'd take issue with the general tenor of your remarks, too./" My remarks are made for people to think about what they are saying and understand what is driving the entire issue I your have an issue with anything, no problem :) If they are on my remarks the basic human psychology behind what motivates all of to buy, these motivations go back to when man first realized he wanted another man's mate or meal. I have accepted what drives me long ago -- but that because I am (retired) a retail direct mail marketing and direct response marketing specialist -- 30 years+. Don't like my tone and tenor about stamp dealing? Not a problem either. Facts are facts. No one likes looking at themselves in a mirror -- especially me :) :)

"If any catalogue publisher is foolish enough to release a list of prices.../" You may want to re-think this entire statement. :) Again, you are failing to understand the purpose of catalogues and the process (long term/short term): what they were originally (house organs), what they are now/could be; business models (possible models); and what actually drives collectors to buy (...greed,lust,sloth). II didn't make my statements to annoy (well maybe a little)… I made them for people to think about "how" business really works… how vertical operations work (if you don't understand what a "vertical operation" is ask what how one drives the other -- you're putting "the cart before the horse."

"Catalogue prices are all very fine and large. They give a general indication of scarcity./" Catalogue prices really do not give an indication of scarcity. Look at U.S. "ZEPPS' and "Columbians" as an example. There are far scarcer issues that command far less $$. Walk into any U.S. stamp dealer (e.g.: Mystic, Apfelbaum) and you'll find they have a stock of them, or they can have them for you in a few days.

Tony, try to re-read what I wrote without getting annoyed. Look at it from how business might, would or has worked. You may view it differently. If not, it's food for thought. :)

Actually catalogs do give a GENERAL INDICATION of scarcity. It has never been an exact indicator. There have always been specific items that do not correspond exactly to this, that is where popularity (or sometimes a lack of popularity) plays an added role to supply and demand when it comes to pricing. Zepps and Columbians are perhaps the most obvious examples of popularity elevating prices above scarcity in US stamps; the Penny Black is an obvious non US example.
There is no question that there are a few stamps which catalog only $10-$15 that are significantly scarcer (especially in completely sound condition) than some cataloging $1000 or more, but they are few and far between. Frankly most stamps that catalog even in the hundreds of dollars are not really very scarce, but usually the higher the catalog the less common they are to a reasonable extent while allowing that exceptions certainly exist.

REVCOLLECTOR is spot one!

Hal

AREA66 -- What are you waiting for? Create your own pages. I haven't bought a published page in 25 years; I make my own. Even for the least creative amongst us (hand raised) there are plenty of computer stamp layout pages available. Remember "FEAR and SLOTH" - that's what stopped me at the beginning. Go for it -you'll have fun.

Hal

Hal, I don't doubt for a moment that the motivations you assign to collectors and investors are true. We all know that. They simply apply more or less strongly to each of us.

However, are you seriously suggesting that catalogue values have the status of gospel truth? That there are more than a handfull of collectors who assume that the catalogue price is what they have to pay for any given item? Collectors and investors, and collector-investors, reference the catalogues, and then decide what to pay for the given item.

If you're attempting to sell a unique item, you can place whatever price you want on it. However, stamps may exist in their thousands or millions. The catalogue editors may assign what they believe to be the correct prices for stamps: the market decides whether those prices are indeed correct.

I wrote of catalogues giving a general indication of scarcity. I really have no idea of the US items you quote; as I wrote, I don't know anything of Scott. I do know of highly priced-easily acquired items in Australia, even though I don't collect them, either.

But that's not the point. The point is that the market sorts out what these stamps will sell for, not the catalogue editors. The catalogue values are merely one element that goes into the decision to buy or not.

So please, Hal, do come down from your hobby horse long enough to thoughtfully read what others have to say.

This topic seems to have become quite derailed at some point. I didn't read thru all 5 pages to see if dcaraz1949's original question has been answered. However, here is how Scott claims that they determine the prices they list...

"The Scott catalog value is a retail value; that is, an amount that you would expect to pay for a stamp in the grade of Very Fine with no faults. Any exceptions to the grade valued will be noted in the text...The value listed for any given stamp is a reference that reflects actual dealer selling prices for that Item.

Dealer retail price lists, public auction results, published prices in advertizing and individual solicitation of retail prices from dealers, collections and specialty organizations have been used in establishing the values found in this catalog...

Use this catalog as a guide for buying and selling." (Emphasis mine)

This information can be found inside the pages of the Introduction of any Scott Specialized Catalog, or in the table of contents, specifically, under "Information on Catalog Values, Grade and Condition".


-IBFS