Thank goodness I do not get too involved with modern Guatemala stamps..the I.S.G.C. International Society of Guatemala Collectors has two numbering systems to identify stamps..Scotts number and ISGC number...the Scotts of course does not get too technical...the ISGC numbers do...to save money Guatemala will print stamps using the same image say in 1971 and 1975...the only thing that changes is the printer,the perforations and the paper..the ISGC nitpickers live to find a new variety of perfs !
Just about every country has reprint, perf, paper, gum, watermark and color varieties. It can mean the difference between a minimum value and a very high value item in many cases. Many collectors, myself included enjoy hunting for things like this in large lots, mystery boxes and old collections. I have found some very nice items simply because I knew there was more than one issue of a design, and remembered to check the catalog.
I didn't mean to say that I don't appreciate variations. I just meant to say that it's all still confusing to me . I do find some interesting variations sometimes when I'm sorting but I don't always know what to do with them.
As a beginner you're not expected to know everything yet.
How you treat, or what you do with any varieties you find is up to you. Some folks don't care about them, some find them somewhat interesting, some seek them with a passion.
It's easy to add a page or keep a small stockbook with light pencil notes to identify items.
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Posted 03/21/2008 09:27 am
