Book For Scott Numbers

Hi, I have often read on posts the scott numbered ref to stamps, and I totally have no idea what that is, I need a book.

Would request book title name and author with the objective of tracing a scott number or reference that someone would post.

I looked for the Linn's World Stamp Almanac, unfortunately it is not available here. Does this book also list scott numbers with the stamp picture?

thank you for your comments or advise on what book is best.

Scott catalog numbers are used in the Scott catalog of stamps, currently owned by Amos Publishing.

The main Scott standard catalog of worldwide stamps currently (2010 edition) consists of 6 volumes. Scott also currently publishes a US Specialized volume, a Classic Worldwide volume, and a British Commonwealth volume. In the past, they have had other specialized volumes, but almost all of these are no longer printed/updated.

You can visit the Linn's website (which is also owned by Amos) for more information. In the titlebar, there is a menu-drop for Scott catalogs, and the links will introduce you to the catalogs.

I still remember the first time I saw a Scott catalog, it was 1976. I was pretty isolated during my early collecting years, so I hadn't seen Scott catalogs for many years either. Even though it was a yucky black cover, my jaw dropped and my eyeballs popped out when I saw the volumes and volumes of stamps and listings!

Hi Nic
You can also get the "Scott Catalogues" on CD ROM, but I don't find it as easy to use as just being able to open up a catalogue. It's almost as expensive to buy the CD's as it is the catalogues.

Khj
My first Scott Catalogue was in 1968. At that time the whole world was in two volumes. Volume 1 was U.S.A and British Commonwealth, and Volume 2 was the rest of the world. They have sure added a lot of stamps in the last 41 years.

It was 2 volumes for a long time. It's been expanding at an approximate rate of 1 volume per decade since then.

My very first complete new catalog set of my very own was 1983. It was a gift from my Mom. I still have it to this day!

If I remember correctly, it cost her about $70 for the entire set then.

Now, the list price for a single 2010 volume is $80. Even at the best available discount, expect to pay $300++ for the 6 volume WW.

The lack of a significant discount for the CD/DVD version has been a pet peeve of mine for several years. Amos is just shooting themselves in the foot. They are protecting the buggy whip and missing out on the automobile. The movie industry tried so hard to kill off movie rentals and keep VHS/Beta prices high. Then they learned that by knocking off 50%-75% off their high prices, they turned it into a multi-billion dollar market in a few years. Today, buying DVDs is the norm, whereas in the past, almost everybody rented VHS/Beta tapes.

Obviously, the stamp catalog market is not that big. But make the DVDs cheap enough, a lot more collectors will go buy it. Manufacturing cost of the DVD is minimal compared to the print catalog, and with modern technology, there is very little additional cost to produce a software version. Why force the next generation of collectors to pay print catalog prices when no printing expenses are incurred by Scott?

Print catalog selling is already a fast dwindling market -- the catalog makers are going to have to find a way to increase sales instead of trying to shove ever increasing print catalog prices down the throats of collectors. The collector pool is still there, the catalog makers just need to move in step with technology, because us old-fashioned print-catalog lovers aren't going to be here forever.

OK, I'll get off my podium now...

Stay on your podium. Maybe Scott will eventually listen.

Only thing is, I would think that if they make the discs too inexpensive, then the sales of the catalogues will go down, thus making the price go even higher to make up for it. It will make it almost impossible for the average collector who doesn't have a computer to even own a set of new catalogues. And there are still a lot of people without computers. As hard as that is to imagine. hehe!
Would the sale of the discs make up for the loss in sales of catalogues? What would a fair price be for a set of cd rom catalogues? I wouldn't want to pay more then $100.00. Even then considering the retail price of blank disks, it's hard to think that it would take a company with all their computers that long to burn copies. So adding printing and packaging expense, I still can't justify the cost.

Depending on your need - ie whether you want current catalogue values or just the catalogue numbers - you could consider getting a second hand set or single volume, say 2007 - 2008. You can get these via Amazon or an Auction site like Stampwants. I wouldn't go too old, but not much wrong with being a couple years out. I don't update every year.

P.S. I've been collecting over 30 years and got my first Scott catalogue a week ago! Didn't need one till I started collecting US. Depends what you collect and who you're buying from.

Balf

look its dear friend nic scot numbers is fromt he scott catlog like sg is from stnley gibbons both are expensive imho

brother mbalf

i have been collecting us for 2 decades still dont have a scott I would say I win :)

no no whatever you do dont step off the podium K we really cant be rippe doff in this tight market

I picked up the "2009 United States Pocket Stamp Catalogue" at Barnes and Nobel for around $16.00. It's been working for me so far, but I haven't been needing to do the kind of research that some others on here do. If I do, there are some Great people on here to ask questions to!

I also use the Scott's Pocket Catalogue for my U.S. collection and it serves me well. Plenty of pictures and places that you can note whether you have used or unused in your collection. Current stamp values seem to be on the money.

For US stamps, unless you collect classic era US or very very recent US, I see no reason to buy a new Scott catalog. You'll save a lot of money buying an older version. There are very few price changes in stamps from 1930-current, and often, Scott doesn't even bother to track wholesale price fluctuations in modern US stamps (even if the fluctuations last 2-3 years).

Any US catalog 5 years or under is more than sufficient, and those pocket and USPS guides are often good enough. Avoid the 2005 Scott US Specialized (1st colorized version, a lot of mistakes -- I learned the hard way). In fact, avoid first year colorized versions in general (that means avoid 2006 Scott WW catalogs -- lots of new mistakes in there also!).

If you collect current US stamps, your money is better invested in Scott Stamp Monthly, because the Scott catalogs are almost 1 year behind anyway. If you don't care about Scott numbers and catalog prices, then just subscribe to the USPS Philatelic sales catalog. It's free and you see all the current and upcoming stamp issues.

i agree the usps is book is good enough for most people and even that doesnt need to be updated every year

thanks khj, spock1k and all! copy scott catalog of stamps and usps! the books are good but the prices seem more like an investment. thanks again for the very rewarding info

I picked up last years Scott Catalogs for 1/10th its original cost off ebay a few weeks ago. As matter of the fact, the USPS media postage cost more than the set of volumes.

Now, if I could only do the same for Michel.

BTW, how many catalog systems are there?

stamp catalog list is very long. Here's page on that
http://www.stampshows.com/catalogs.html