Adding Pages To Scott Int'l

Is it really worth all the effort to make and add pages to my Scott International album? My book is from 1840 to 1992 in 30 binders and over 12,000 pages. I just spent 5 days making 34 pages for Ecuador, but that country is now complete. I did a couple smaller countries and was able to complete it in a day or two. As it is, it will take over a year to create the pages to make the album complete. Is anyone else out here trying to do this?
I was a former draftsman so the pages I make really look good. If my computer at home was working, I would be making the pages on my computer. I have a great software to make pages.
I am making pages single-sided that way interleaves are not needed. I already put in over 2,000 interleaves when I put the album together.

You can try Steiner's pages. As you have discovered, the current Scott Internationals are far from complete. Some collectors use those to fill in the gaps, although the page styles are not the same.

But even with Steiner's pages, you run into problems of what to do with minor varieties.

A lot of collectors I know just use quadrilled pages. These are available to match almost all the major album pages, and don't look bad (at least not to me).

If I want to add pages I use the Scott's blank pages that have matching borders. Being a draftsperson (very PC there wasn't I)can lay out and lightly mark the pages. They will look really good and you don't have to spend your whole life on them. Of course, if you're having fun then I'd say - go for it!

I am not really worried about matching the borders. Blank pages are too expensive. I buy sketch pads for $3 with 50 sheets. The pages are 9"x12". I have a cutting board and hole punch. They are about 1/4" shorter but it does not matter. I have a ton of money in these books already and I want them more complete.

If you are going to stick to Scott International pages, then you might seriously consider Steiner's pages. The subscription or CD is a paltry $30, and you can print out pages as you need them, or simply use them as a ready-made template.

Laswabbie,

As a fellow drafter, I have to agree. I just like the continuity of having everything at least similar. Or is that my OCD showing again?

I do know that I enjoy the work of making pages as much as I enjoy the finished product. I enjoy knowing the country is complete before I start putting stamps in. It is just when I think about the the total time the project will take and the slow progress that I start having second thoughts about the feasibility of the project.

boy, you want to talk about a mess. Brazil pages are horrible! Scott really must have gotten bored and really just browsed thru the earlies. The first 3 pages cover over 300 stamps. This is going to be a real chore. For some reason, Scott hates to put the highest denomination in any set before 1930 even if there is room. This country is giving me a real headache.

That's definitely my problem.

Do you use any software to design your pages?

I use Albumgen software to design my pages. It is available at http://www.ezstamp.com/ . They also have Ezimage software that I use and love for editing stamp images. If anyone uses this software, I would be willing to exchange pages that I have made. I just finished mt album om "MA...." countries. Scott did no do well there. There were 486 pages and I added 220 more pages. About 70 of those were in Malaya States issues.

Trying to supplement International pages to complete them for all major Scott variations can be frustrating. Here are some of my experiences:

* mixing Steiner pages with International pages creates overlap with International pages having sets missing high denominations that must be replicated on Steiner.

* issues missing in International lead to overlap between pages (although Steiner pages can be edited to remove the overlap.

* Replacing International Volume 1 pages with Steiner (or G&K Brown reproduction) and using International pages for the rest solve a high percent of missing major issues but not all...

* adding missing issues to blank pages works but I like having all denominations of a set together...and not the high values on a different page. Of course with STeiner the problem exists if you want minor variations...and I find some issues don't seem too minor (again Steiner pages can be edited).

* Steiner pages can be printed on blank International pages for consistent borders.

* Adding Steiner to make International pages complete adds a lot of extra pages to the beginning of each country and many high value stamps often creatng a lot of blank pages.

I like sets all together well aranged. I also would prefer matching borders but have supplemented my Scott albums with Seiner. I gave up on simply owning International pages. Instead I use Scott Specialty pages for some countries, Steiner for others and for Indpendent Asia and Middle East I just use International w/o worry of having compete stamps. For my Specialty albums I either edit Steiner or put minor variation on a Scott stock pages that matches their pages and place the pagea the end of the album. That allows me to keep the stamps that don't fit w/o placing them in margins.