Did Anyone Else Notice That The Scott Catalog App Is No Longer In The Ios App Store?

I just went to install it and the only two apps available are Coin World and Linn's Stamp News.

apastuszak,
I just checked the Android store, and it is not there either, and when I just tried to run it on my Android phone, I get a message saying "Java Script Error", and it doesn't work there either... which is weird because I was just using it a few days ago, week or two at most.


EDIT: I restarted it, and it logged in, but it's still failing to run on my phone.

There really is no point to the app. You can't view the eCatalogs offline, so you might as well view them in a web browser.

apastuszak,
If you're at a show, and don't have your PC on hand, being able to reference by mobile phone (app) is really useful.
I get you are saying I could go to the brwoser on my phone and do the same, and that may be true, but it's not as convenient.

Or you can use this
http://stampsmarter.com/1847usa/ALLIdentifier.html
Don

Wow, that is so much better. How do they get along with using Scott numbers?

Don,
Not trying to take anything away from you, but your website really isn't a replacement for Scott Specialized...

Scott,
The Stamp Smarter tool does not have Scott values but rather uses ebay 'sold' values. Nor does it have a condition based pricing table. So on that level it is not a replacement. But everyone knows that catalog values do not reflect market values.

But it has the basic stamp information with color images, description, denomination, perforation, printing type, gum type, paper info, number issued, printer info, date issued, watermark and tagging info. The tagging info, although not of interest to you, is far superior to any existing catalog. Additionally, the Stamp Smarter tool has 57,000 plate numbers.
Don

There's a lot of confusion and misinformation in this thread.

I'm going to reference the iOS app version rather than the Android app version, as I never used the latter, but presumably the same issue(s) affect both as they were both the same iteration of the digital catalogue.

The iOS app catalogue and the current online ebook version are two completely different platforms and products; there's no overlap whatsoever.

The iOS Scott Catalogue app preceded the current ebook version, and you COULD use it offline, as all of the content was downloaded to the device.

The problem is that Amos Media abandoned it, and the app is no longer compatible with current versions of iOS. I have it installed on my iPad pro, as I had purchased a complete set of 2015 catalogs in it. The app will not run.

Presumably that is why it has been removed from the iStore.

So anyone who purchased volumes in the iOS app is left high and dry without access to the content they purchased, and no recourse.

The new eBook version is a major step backwards in functionality, as it can only be used online and the pages are rasterized rather than being vector data, so you can only zoom in 1-2 magnification levels before the text becomes unreadable... a bit of an issue with a print publication that uses 6-8 point type size.

There was a new iOS app that was basically just a wrapper for the website. I have it on my iPad right now, because I installed it in the beginning of January. I used to have the old and new app side by side, but the old app is still 32 bit, so Apple pulled it.

Right now, if I used the new app to login to Scott Online, I get a 503, Service Unavaialble error.

You are correct that the old app was indeed offline, because it was nothing more than the front end to a bunch of encrypted PDF files. In that respect, it was superior.

I think in 2019, stamp collectors don't need a catalog any more. They need a database, and they need real world values for stamps, so they came informed purchasing decisions.




Amos created a whole separate company around their online offering call Amos Digital. I think their plan to was create an online catalog and then have other collectible catalog companies come to them, so they could make them an iOS app for a fee, and then have Amos Digital becomes a money maker for them. Well, no one came knocking, and they shut down that part of the business, taking the Scott Specialized Catalog I bought with it.




This is a huge sore point with me. I think the new Linn's Stamp News really got their online offering right. The catalogs are abysmal.

I read somewhere once that for the longest time the Scott Catalog was laid out by hand, even into the 2000s. Then they switched to, I believe Adobe FrameMaker, which is a DTP program specifically designed for huge books and technical documents. That's when the CD-ROMs came out. Because they could finally print to PDF.

I think what Amos really needs to do is offer watermarked PDFs, or if they really want some kind of DRM around their product, they could use Adobe Digital Editions.

There are existing solutions to their problems that does not involve raster scans of printed pages. In the mean time, I'll just keep buying from scottcataloguepages.com and scanning in the pages into PDF on my tablet.

Not trying to be flippant here. Why would I have a need for some sort of phone app at a show? When I go to shows, I already know what I'm looking for, the dealers I intend to visit, and prices I'm willing to pay.

ClimberSteve, it may not fit your use case particularly, but it's to have the catalogues at your fingertips without having to lug around physical catalogs. In my case, I not only collect U.S., but worldwide classics. Paper copy isn't viable.

Also, I don't go to shows looking for specific stamps. The majority of what I collect is esoteric enough (cancels, plate varieties, revenue documents) that it's impossible to identify which dealer(s) are going to be the ones to have material I want. In fact, it's frequently smaller dealers or ones that I wouldn't otherwise go to, where I'm able to find material.

An always-accessible digital catalogue, while not suitable for everyone's needs, is indespensible for others.

revenue collector: I don't deal in classic US, but I think a part of the discussion has to be the ability of the prospective buyers to already know the market.

Almost three years ago, I bought a 1907 cover mailed from Inhambane, to the US, for $75. Seemed like a good price, especially as I had not seen one in 40+ years of collecting the Portuguese colonies (disclosure: I don't track every US auction house and have no interest in ebay). I visited a well known stamp shop in Lisbon in late summer, 2017, and asked about the cover, after I paid for my purchases. Answer was that covers from Inhambane are very uncommon, and most are missionary covers, like mine. They said $75 was a good price. So..........

ClimberSteve, I'm missing your point. This thread is about the iOS/Android app and you asked why anyone would need a digital catalogue. Let's not divert the thread off onto a tangent on collecting styles or knowing the marketplace for your area(s).

It's a good topic for discussion, just not for this thread.

Actually the part of knowing the market is relevant. If one knows their desired market, then what is the need for an electronic aid? That's my point.

I have no issues with those who want electronic assistance.

It's not about being at a show. It's about general use. I would love it if I had a stamp, and I could take a picture of it in the Scott Catalogue app and have it tell me the stamp name, number, and the page in the Scott National Album where it should be mounted. That way I'm not flipping pages in a book trying to find what a stamp is.

And, TBH, I don't want Scott Catalog values. I want real world values, so when I am bidding stamps of ebay, I know what's a good deal and what is not.