Scott Amos Lacking Countries

Why won't Scott/Amos print specialty albums for the entire world, if they are print to demand.

Too few prospective buyers that cannot make it an economically viable?

NSK - it's file print right? Just save the file and then print it out. Why discontinue the specialty series for many countries. I would understand if it was not print to demand. I think Amos losses customers by not covering the world. I can also see not adding supplements but why discontinue old album pages?

And how do you think the pages become printable? There is a large fixed cost to designing pages and making them available. Unless it is a dead country, you have to maintain the range (you may even for a dead country). Also, a lot of countries are meeting the decline in collectors by vomitting out more irrelevant stamps.

Even if the pages have a cut-off date, they may require updating for new finds (in either direction). Existing files need to be maintained as software is updated or even discontinued.
And when all that has been done, there is the cost of storing files somewhere and maintaining and securing the interface.

Even beyond that, these pages aren't Steiner pages that you just print on random Letter or A4 paper. Standard Scott album page sizes are larger than that. In addition, they are punched differently, again not standard office 3-ring punching but rather 2-post.

So yes, Amos can print/punch/shrinkwrap them in smaller quantities than their bigger albums or supplements, but there still has to be a minimum quantity to make it worthwhile, otherwise the labor and setup costs are too high on a per-unit basis.

In other words "print on demand" may be a minimum number of 50 instead of 1000, but for lesser demand countries, it may take a while just to get to that 50.

If waiting isn't an option and you don't want to print your own, there's always Palo Albums: https://paloalbums.com/

Everything is in Scott numbering order, you have your choice of color or b&w pages, and hingeless or regular, and any country you request will be on its way to you within 2-3 weeks. Of course you pay accordingly.

Which countries in particular do you want that Scott is no longer offering?

I like the scott international series specialty series. However, I might swallow the pill and go with Steiner. I am looking at countries outside of Europe in Asia, Middle East and Africa. Palo can do it why can't Scott?

nsk - Why then can Palo do it.

Amos Media operates in a VERY traditional/old-school manner; very little "thinking outside the box" with respect to new technologies and workflows. Also, Palo is a smaller company and I believe has some overseas partnerships for inexpensive labor, so it's easier for them to do things on a smaller scale more cost effectively. They're also more responsive and nimble... whereas Amos Media plods at a snails pace.

Amos Media is poised to make a great leap into the year 2005!

Have you compared pricing? Anything can be done.

2005 may be a little generous...

Last year, they were on the edge of a great precipice.

This year, they are proud to tell you, they shall take a great leap forward.

(stolen from an old Punch quip about a speech from some African dictator).

okay these comments are hilarious

There isn't a good reason why Scott/Amos cannot create/print/sell album pages for every country (dead or alive) in the world. With modern computer technology and a print-on-demand model, they should be able to quickly fulfill any and all orders for pages. Other companies are able to do it. Have you called Scott/Amos and asked the question? If not, you should and report back your findings.

What can be done and what makes economic sense are two completely different things.

In many industries, there are price-fighters. Usually, the discount cpmes at a cost.

I have the world organized like Scott Specialty (i.e. Spain and Colonies, French Africa, etc).

I have some books with Specialty pages and other with Steiner printed on the same die-cut 2-post paper size and weight.

I like the Steiner set titles and layout for mounted stamps. Specialty has more density (could be good or bad) and pictures. Steiner adds spots for some of the more popular sub-numbers. Steiner pages can be replaced if damaged.

Scott pages have an authentic classic appeal vs DIY but Steiner on cream paper of same weight in the same Scott binders is pretty appealing I would say your can replicate Palo pretty close (w/o pictures although that can be done w/a lot of effort and original PageMarker files converted).

The Steiner paper can be the same weight and die cut for two-post. Steiner even has an agent that will print on Specialty/International/Mink/Harris page sizes for you.

Probably not idea mixing the styles but the pages are at least the same size.