Best Catalogue For Australia Only

What are the recommendations for the best Australia catalogue? I have the SG 2009 which includes Australia and the States but is there a better more in depth one out there?
Thank you.

You can't fail with the Australian Commonwealth Specialist Catalogues. (ACSC). Go here for a look

http://www.brusden-white.com.au/

A bit expensive, but latest copies in color with great examples of all of the interesting varieties.

I use Scott for organisation and mounting (Steiner Pages)
then Stanley Gibbons for medium in depth varieties
then ACSC (Australian Commonwealth Stamps Specialists Catalogue) for deeper information
Then Brusden White for even deeper information.
Then dedicated Monographs, for every dint, scratch, flaw, speck. (Kangaroos and KGV sidefaces)

Then Monographs for State Postmarks.

(Latest success, we believe we have Identified a Postmark 1 of only 2 recorded, CV : approx $300 )

Prices increase the further you go down the list.

Thanks Partime and Rod :-)

Hi Eiger,

For Australian States, Gibbons is the most comprehensive but Scott does have some information that SG doesn't eg: for NSW, Scott mentions certain stamps in fine condition having perforations touching the frameline or design.

Thanks Bobby :)

I agree that the (SG) Stanley Gibbons Australia catalogue is the best for identifying the earlier Australian stamps and the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. It also includes listings for postage dues and official stamps as well as other territories.

For a good modern Australia catalogue, the Seven Seas Australasian catalogue is very well set out and illustrated and also includes information not in the SG catalogue, such as prices for First Day Covers, PNC covers, Yearbooks, Souvenir Sheets and Australian Postal Stationery such as Letter Cards, Postal Cards, Envelopes, Aerogrammes Wrappers etc.

For Flaws, plate varieties and other valuable discoveries on your Australian stamps, the Brusden White (ACSC) Australian Commonwealth Specialists' Catalogues are excellent resources.

Brusden White also publish some excellent books by Hugh Freeman on the Numeral postmarks of Victoria and New South Wales for those collectors. They include rarity ratings for all known cancellations but not pricing, which is determined by supply and demand.

The ACSC is the best book to buy for Australian stamps from 1913-2001. There is talk about publishing catalogues of the QV era, but it's just talk at the moment. The new coloured version of the KGVI catalogue should be out sometime this month.

The SG so far is a very good catalogue on Australian state stamps but the values given is rubbish.

Rob

My view is that we are blessed in Australia for the quality and variety of reference material available.

Stanley Gibbons is an excellent reference that can support your collecting desires to a comprehensive level.

The Brusden White catalogues are fantastic but expensive if you aren't collecting in a specialised way.

What is your collecting ambition?


John

For Australia decimal I ware out my "Stamps of Australia" by Renniks. It is my 1st point of call with colour printed stamp images. The extra that I add to this great publication is experience.

After Rennick it is off to my ACSC. There is no other choice!

Pre-Decimal and it is straight to ACSC.

Have a Stanley Gibbon and never use it.

So much not into Scott's. Scott just uses Commonwealth based information about Australia stamps. Commonwealth knowledge bank has done all the hard work not Scott's.

Most of our original pre-Decimal study information comes from UK stamp specialists. This is a big stand out.

Over the last couple of decades Australian stamp specialists have really started to pick up their act and are producing some great information based catalogues like the improved ACSC. The new colour edition coming out of ACSC is going to open up a lot of new very well informed collectors who are going to find heaps of new information.

I forgot about the Renniks.

Rob

KGV Collector:




I don't know how far back your statement was intended to represent, but I remember my father relying almost exclusively on ACSC in the late 1940. Somewhere, I still have his 1950-something edition.

Hi itma.

Am no catalogue expert that is for sure.

My per-dec areas of interests are basically restricted to the Australia KGV issues from 1914 to 1938. But think I can remember there was a lot of UK study groups for the States as well. Not sure about after 1938 to 1966.

Most of the info in the KGV fly speck books are from the work of collecting groups in the UK. Some books started in the UK & others start in Aus. But not all original groups finished their catalogues and then there is the updating of catalogues.

Some catalogue books information have been start by one person in one country and add to by another person in a completely different country. Whoever has purchased the copyright to the book concerned has changed the content because so much new info becomes available. That is why they purchased the copyright because of the importance of their research info or groups. Its great that there are no country boundaries when it comes to stamp collecting.

Not wanting to insult you or your Dad!

But ACSC back in the 40's was a pale shade compared to the extra work that has gone into the content of these books over the years. Especially over the last 20 years.

As we read SCF threads about new finds in Australia issues it is common that people are encouraged to reported the new info to the owner of this or that catalogue. Which I think is very special!

A few of mine will be listed in the new KGVI 2019 edition.

Rob

KGV Collector:



Yes, and that's an understatement. My 1988 ACSC is less than 1½" and my 1996 version was almost 2½" without ant coverage of the decimal period. By comparison, in the 1950s covering KGV and KGVI plus a few QE2, it was a mere 1/4" - less than half the thickness of the current KGVI section.

Now some or much of the content may have come from the UK, but it was Australia that took the bull by the horns and put all this information in one place.

Good one itma

Yes Australian stamps knowledge is very well add to and covered by Australians these days. Very refreshing.

I can remember as a child that if it was Australian it was not as good enough it had to come from the UK.

That attitude has totally gone now thank goodness!