Stamp Mate 2015? Opinions?

I've downloaded the trial and it looks very good. I already use stamp manage 2009 and I do love it but I'm looking for something that's a bit easier to navigate.

Anyone else use the full version? Is it worth the money? $45 or so is a bit to pay right now with all the medical bills coming in so I don't know to get it or just wait a while?

Yes, I've used it for over a year for some parts of my collection. Whether or not it's worth the cost depends entirely on what countries you're working/collecting. Some countries have got very good databases; the others not so much (but this in itself is not a limitation of StampMate, but their data provider/partner). Here's my review of it: http://www.stampcollectingblog.com/...ate-2014.php

-k-

Just purchased this after testing the 30-day free trial. It's very flexible and customizable, a very well made program. Not perfect but quite polished and easy to modify to exactly what you want to have in the database you create.

Been working all weekend with the full version now and I absolutely LOVE it. Well worth the approx Euro 40 price, and if you test the trial version you can get a 5 Euro e-cooupon. It allows you to import data from a collector wiki site shown at upper right of image which you can then use as a base data file that you can modify to suit your own needs. So for example I collect French colonies using the Maury specialized catalog, so I can add a record in the generic -Catalog No.- field for that and have an easy-to-use cross reference with Michel and Scott (which others on that stamp wiki have already filled in).

Here is an example from my Martinique file filtering only the items I have out of the whole listing and tweaking some of the entries to fit better how I wanted things displayed and named.

The application has support for, but no data entered for, catalog numbers. For example, there is a field for Scott, SG, and Michel numbers but no numbers are installed. It is another large data entry task for the user. I assume that they did not want to burden the cost of their application with royalties paid to these companies. But the cost is still there, it is now simply hidden in the cost of the data entry. Yes, the download from a "Wiki" might include some catalog numbers, but how long will this "Wiki" be available? Will Amos and others figure this out and see that it is an end-run around their licensing fees?
Don

Catalog numbers are the Achilles Heel of all this software. I don't think we'll ever get good reasonably priced software until we all move to a open numbering standard not owned by anyone.

Interestingly, my Maury Africa catalogue also includes Yvert numbers - presumably they made a deal.

I take it that the primary attraction of these datbases is their portability of laptops and tablets. Personally, I'm still happy with underlining in a book!

studebaker - the application depends on outside source for the data and it really depends on the nation you are needing data for. The Martinique I showed already had the Minkus numbers entered when I downloaded the data set, so for me it was simply a task to enter the Scott and Maury numbers. Perhaps its just me but that kind of data entry doesn't really phase me to do, it's a fun if slightly repetitive task that helps me become more familiar with the listings in both catalogs, but for others that could indeed be a no-starter.

Geoff - what edition Maury Afrique do you have. I have the 2005-6 still, and it has Maury and Dallay numbers but not Yvert.

DCJMHOH

It's the 2014-15 edition of former African colonies, so must be an innovation. Interestingly, for standard issues, Yvert's French Colonies gives less detail (eg precise date of issue, designer etc) than my old SG France catalogue.

Geoff

How are you storing your French Colonies, by the way? I've been using the France Timbres free pages (which are, I think, Gallicised Steiners) plus my SG Ideal album for the core pre-1936 stuff. I recently blew my budget in four Schaubek albums and two stockbooks of pre-independence material, so I have a lot to work through and stick in!

Geoff - all my collections are on Lighthouse Vario Pages. Makes it easier to organize via Maury and I can work in other material (like sock-on-nose cancels of which the French Colonials are a great source for).

Here are a couple pages from my Mauritania collection :

Great! I love that period from the late-1930s onwards when the French began to issue engraved issues in their colonies. Some of the images are quite stunning - which is what got me hooked!

Same here...that and the 1947 definitive issues which for most of the colonies were also gorgeously engraved.

The problem wth underlining these in a book is, when a new version of the catalog comes out, your underlines are in the old version.

After blowing forty quid on Maury, I think it can see me out!

I have been using the trial version of Stamp Mate for a few days now and contacted support about renaming the "Custom" fields. Their response was both very quick and helpful.

So DJCMHOH for your French Colonies a field can be dedicated to Maury catalog numbers rather than using the field "Catalog No.".