CATALOGUE PREFERENCE: Does anyone know how many users at Hipstamp prefer something other than Scott?

Harry Patsalos

OK here is a tough question. Has anyone figured the % of people on Hipstamps using some other catalogue than Scott and does it make a difference to the collector searching for material? I know the British like SG, the French Speakers Yvert and the Germans Michel, but does this stop them from looking at Scott Listed material.

John John H. Talman

In Canada the majority of collectors who collect British North American Stamps use "The UNitrade Catalogue of Canadian Stamps" but it does feature a more specialized version of the established Scott numbering system.It also lists much more such as Postal Stationery, cancels, national Christmas Seals, plate proofs, reply coupons, etc., etc. Scott, Stanley Gibbons and to a lesser degree Michel are also widely used. Scott Catalogues of recent years are found in many or possibly most if not all of our libraries. I would think that most collectors of Canada in Canada would have their own newer or older Unitrade Catalogue.

Harry Patsalos

Thank you John , i know about unitrade as well as the many other specialized one country catalogues. The only difference between Scott and Unitrade are the sub-numbers. What I am really getting at is do people collect by numbers or will they search for what they need by description as well?

Harry Patsalos Philatelics

John John H. Talman

For many collectors, I am thinking of the more specialized collector, if they are just starting out with their most recent specialty, I would think that catalogues are essential. Otherwise, until they become the expert how would they know what exists or what they should look for. After they become the expert they ask us for things we weren't even aware of! New information is always being added as we are reminded when we look at the original handbook versus the latest version on the same issues, cancels, etc. Re the description you mentioned - not sure how a collector would know what years a country issued stamps in if they didn't have a catalogue to guide them. Having said that, I think I have bumped into many over the years who have just bought what they liked the look of and went by their own memory of what they already have. Photos are especially important for such collectors. Philately is a world of its own and to each his own.

John West

I certainly prefer to buy by cat numbers and living in the UK my first choice is SG. I'm waiting for some bright spark to produce an app that makes the comparisons between the cat numbers - at least for SG and Scott - that would be so useful. Catalogues tend to be very expensive so I cannot afford to buy more than the one set. Even with SG this means a few (GB, Commonwealth, World) - that's just the three basic's.

andrew Hellenschmidt

What John states is pretty accurate, I should always go by my lists but sometimes rely on memory. I wish there was a way to covert Scott's to SG to Yvert to Michel easily.

Harry Patsalos

Hello John West and thank you for your reply.If I were using SG Nos. as well you would deem my Hipstamps Store worthy of searching or if I had the right material you would look anyway? I have all the catalogues, my concern is the time factor involved in converting from Scott to SG or Michel etc. It has taken me 10 months to get to 6000 Items.
Harry Patsalos Philatelics

Harry Patsalos

There is a way to add both catalogues to the listing just place Scott number without designation and then the SG Number i.e. 345,SG186 and it should come up in the search. BUT the sellers have to add them in. An automatic converter would be nice but there are too many varieties between catalogues to make it accurate (In the description of COLORS / SHADES especially).
Harry Patsalos Philatelics

Harry Patsalos

Let me try to rephrase my initial question maybe I was unclear. Is there a Statistic available showing how many members of Hipstamp there are and where are they based. Maybe Mark has this magic number. You see if the UK base is strong Then it may well be worth adding SG Numbers, Also Michel for Germany etc.
Harry Patsalos Philatelics

John John H. Talman

Harry: It is not that you were unclear but that the questions you have raised are very difficult to answer. If I have only one set to sell I am prepared to offer it to North American buyers and I am not equipped with the time to offer that set to the rest of the world with one or more catalogue listings. Many of the things I offer I have in quantity so I can afford the time to list them by SG as well. Some varieties are only listed in SG so SG it is. On occasion I will use a different catalogue if I feel I have a better chance of selling the item by doing that. Many of the items I have sold on Hip Stamps have been sold overseas and into Central and South America. So far I have not kept track of whether I had used a foreign catalogue on such occasions or whether the photo did the job for me. Perhaps, if you have a lot of Great Britain and British Commonwealth you could experiment with a number of different offerings listed by SG as well. If they do sell to the UK or elsewhere then I would think it would be worthwhile to carry on with your experiment. It seems that in any case many overseas buyers are equipped to buy in North America! Good luck.

Harry Patsalos

John. thank you for the sound advice. I think I will give it a try and see what happens.
All the best,
Harry

John West

All good stuff - but meanwhile I shall still patiently wait for an app to do the job for us.
The Scott-SG listings would be a great starting point. So even if it was an independent app, how great would it be to be able to type in one number and it then tells you the equivalent. Would make the setting up process so much easier and quicker .
Maybe what we need is someone who has worked with both systems (Scott and SG) and has a talent for setting up computer based products.......Any ideas anyone?
I would even be prepared to pay a small fee for using such an app!

Harry Patsalos

John West, have you tried asking Alexa? "Alexa what is the equivalent of Gibraltar Stamp Scott No. 17 to SG" Then Boom!!! There it is!!

Harry Patsalos Philatelics

Dennis Jorgensen

In years past the folks in Ohio have been very aggressive about people using Scott numbers in a way that they do not approve of, as a Canadian publisher learned when he tried using "standard" numbers that were identical to Scott numbers. SG probably also has lawyers lined up to maintain their copyright. While most collectors and dealers would be delighted to have an easy cross reference guide, catalogue publishers want to sell their catalogues. I list with Scott numbers but try to provide enough information that a potential buyer can determine a number in another catalogue. I think that having a scan of the stamp helps as well.

John West

Ah Dennis, I forgot that subtle point of the modern day view being that the customer is 'NOT' always right. Guess I will be waiting a long time.....................

michael j park

I used to use Gibbons but buying specialised is getting rather expensive.I now used STAMPWORLD it is semi specialised
& up to date,its not perfect but its search engine is very good for thematic types & I pay about US$35 a year for the privelidge of using it a lot + its prices are more realistic.