Scott Album Pages- Not What They Used To Be

Last month I bought a set of Scott pages for one of their specialty albums; the first thing I noticed upon taking out the pages from the wrapper was their striking yellowness. Scott pages use to be a pleasing cream color, the ones they offer these days almost glow with yellow. Today I got a section of the International, planning to collate with what I already have. same issue, they look to be printed on light yellow construction paper. The illustrations are awful; black splotches in many cases. You have to look closely in order to make out the stamp image.

Is this a new thing with Scott? Sort of amazed no one else appears to have remarked on it.

I have to ask the obvious, are they genuine?

Wow, interesting possibility, no?

I ordered them earlier this week from IHobb in California, they sure look genuine, shrink wrapped, the whole thing. It's just when you unwrap them and view them under light that they look funky. If anything these are a darker shade than the Specialty pages I bought last month. I bought these from IHobb as well,come to think of it. I haven't used them yet but tested how a page might look by placing some stamps on the pages, the yellowish tint sort of makes the stamps stand out. They may look fine.

Biggest issue is, is this an anomaly and if I buy more sections of the International, will these pages look bad combined with others.

I think I am emailing the seller ASAP and asking. They have a good reputation so I doubt they are selling pirated goods.

The poor illustration quality sounds strange as well. I guess just poor quality control. I purchase from IHobb as well and they are a good retailer for sure.

If the pages are poorly made, or if the color upsets you, or there are actual "black splotches," the remedy would be to send them back.

I have been buying Scott Specialty and Scott International pages fairly regularly since my retirement two years ago, dozens of groups of pages and supplements. I haven't noticed "awful" illustrations, and no "black splotches". Do you mean ink marks on the pages or are you saying the illustrations are so bad they look like splotches? If that's the case, you should return them. I've done that with Scott a few times when I received pages with ink marks or pages printed too faintly. That can happen in printing, and the seller may not notice it. It's unlikely that they check every single page.

As for the color, Scott did change its page colors some years ago from a whiter page to a more yellow-white page which I think looks much better. It's less stark than before. I don't like white pages much, especially bright white. I don't find them pleasant to look at. Scott's older white color was pleasant enough, but I like the newer shade of white better. It's warmer and looks good with stamps mounted on it. Cheaper album publishers like Harris and Minkus always used bright white pages, so maybe that's part of the reason for my dislike of such pages. Or maybe you're used to the older color so you find the new color too different? An album that combines pages of different colors, even different shades of white, might look odd to some people. I can certainly understand that. Return them, if you need to.

Along with the change in page color, Scott also went to a heavier thickness of paper which I imagine most collectors welcome. Their earlier pages were simply too thin for regular use, especially their International album pages which I found awful. The holes ripped easily. Scott's newer pages are much less likely to rip and they have a much sturdier feel to mount stamps on. Scott made one other change at the same time. They moved the two round holes in a bit farther from the margin. That also keeps the pages from rearing at the posts. The old location of the holes was just too close to the edge of the page. These were really helpful improvements. Comparing the older and newer Scott International pages, there's no doubt the newer pages are a big improvement.

Scott's Specialty and National pages are now printed on heavier weight paper, as well. I don't think the location of their holes got moved, though. Probably not needed. You didn't mention any of this, so maybe you haven't noticed it.

After your initial remarks, you say "they may look fine," so maybe you're getting used to the color? Over the years, Scott pumped a lot of its pages into dealers' hands for a long time, then when they changed the shade of pages slightly a few years ago a lot of that old stock of pages was still out there. That means when you order you might still get older whiter pages at times -- as well as the newer pages. That's happened to me. I send back pages that don't match what I have. I purchase from Scott directly most of the time (through Amos Advantage) or from Subway Stamp Shop, both of whom are very accommodating. I've purchased from iHobb, too, but I've only sent back one item, a Lighthouse binder I didn't like. They took it back without a problem. I've had very good dealings with all three companies.

I suspect if you contacted Scott they could tell you the vintage of the pages. As said, I bet there a lot of unopened old album pages floating around in dealer hands.

I slept on this and today got out the new album and spent time leafing through it. The illustrations aren't that bad, I guess; the worst of them for some reason seem to be in the front of the album, mostly the US section. I wonder if there was some issue with the printer when they ran this bunch that sort of resolved as the printing continued. I can easily live with this, most of those spaces will be covered up anyway.

I've always had a slight issue with color blindness and wonder if these look differently to me due to that. I got out the pages I bought earlier and compared them. The newer ones are noticeably tinted differently. As I mentioned my real worry is compatibility. I already had some blank pages for Internationals I planned to use with these. I think those were done some years ago, the difference is obvious. I think this may not bother me too much once stamps are placed on the pages. I tried using Minkus Global pages earlier, the whiteness of those also bothered me. I think I am looking for a happy medium that doesn't exist.

How often will you actually look at them? I have moments of angst when I make mistakes on handwritten pages. Then I consider when said page and its album will next be down from the shelf. Then I forget about it.

Yeah it's not like they are going to be on display at the British Library alongside the Tapling Collection. I will probably stuff my misgivings and go forward.

The difference is that you supposedly paid a premium for a high quality printed album page with the Scott brand that matches other pages you have purchased.

I'm a stickler for high-quality pages and in your situation would ask for better replacements. I absolutely hate cheap looking or feeling album pages.

Don't settle for something you're unhappy with. If you're not completely happy with the pages now, you never will be. My advice would be to send them back.

OK you guys were right. They are going back, have alerted I-Hobb this morning.

This is terribly frustrating for me. More so as I cannot find any reference to such a problem on any discussion boards. The I Hobb owner says the same, he doesn't seem to understand what I am talking about. Guess I will move in another direction. Thanks.

I would go to Amos directly.

I have, I sent them a long email that probably will not be replied to until later this week. I did hear from I Hobb who told me to go ahead and return for a full refund. From reading between the lines I think he does know what I am referring to and said something like that this may not be an anatomy but a permanent change in the printing of their pages.

I saw some passing reference on the Amos site to them 'getting supplements back from the printers'. I wonder if they are now farming out this to someone else. Bad move if so.

Well Amos just sent me a message: I am not crazy, officially.

We did have to change the paper that they are printed on, because the supplier could no longer get the other paper.



However, the printing quality should not have been effected.



I apologize for all the trouble.'

I learn two things from this: The paper stock for their albums has been changed and they apparently are farming out the printing of their album pages to some local printer who may be trying to save a dime by using inferior product.

The good paper stock is still out there. I order Scott size pages from Subway and as recently as a few months ago they were supplying good cream colored pages that match nicely the pages in my older albums. There is a dealer in VA who prints Steiner pages on Scott paper, his paper does not look like this.

I chose not to continue the debate. This isn't the first compliant they have had. They are not going to change this. At least not until more customers complain and I doubt enough folks care.

Well there you are. International pages are going to be printed from here on using paper that looks vastly different. Guess I will keep trolling ebay for older sets an try to get a decent set that way.