Scott Catalog Values 1989 vs 2012

Ted Tyszka

I made up a chart of 100 selected US stamps to compare the Scott Catalogue values from the 1989 USA Specialized Catalogue compared to the 2012 Standard Scott Catalogue. In that 23 year period, the Consumer Price Index rose 83%. Of the 100 stamps, only 15 issues, all pre-Columbian, out-paced inflation. Of the remaining 85, only 14 increased in catalogue value at all, while a whopping 71 issues showed decreases, some of them quite dramatic.

The worst performer during this period was the high value from the 4th Bureau definitives series, #573. It fell 69%, with even the 2012 never hinged value showing a 32% loss against 1989's lightly hinged value.

In the 2 most iconic regular issues, the Columbians and the Tans-Mississippis, mint values all showed significant declines, though used values all showed modest increases. (Note: 293 U has a typo. The 2012 value should read $1100, for a 26% increase.)

All of the Zeppelins show declines of more than 50%, while other airmails didn't fare much better. and, just as with #573, the China Clipper set, C20-22 in never hinged condition is lower than the lightly hinged value of 1989.

These price drops are even more glaring when you consider the fact that, in 1989, buying from printed price lists and Linn's ads, you might pay 30-40% off catalogue prices, while today, much deeper discounts from catalogue values are the norm.

The bright side of this, of course, is that, for the collector who is not looking to finance his kids' education with their collection, it's a great time to fill those spaces in your albums.

Cheers,

Ted
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/tatyszka-stamps

Paul Molloy

Thank-you Ted, for sharing the results of your work.

Michael Duehr

Ted,

If I remember correctly that it was about the late 1980's or early 1990's that Scott changed how they figured the cat prices? Didn't they go from a so called cat value to what they called retail pricing?

Ted Tyszka

1989 was the first year Scott adjusted values downward to reflect more realistic retail values. Many dealers continued, for several years, to quote 1988 Scott values in their ads, as a reference for their discounts.

Thomas Keesling

Good work, Ted. Depressing, but good work! :-)

andrew Hellenschmidt

Interesting Ted, Scott's catalogue made a huge improvement when they started printing in color and added more pictures. We are all in need of a Hip value catalogue

Ted Tyszka

Donna Houseman, a long-time editor at Amos Media, recently wrote an article in which she mentions the downward revisions that occurred in the 1989 "and 1990" catalogues. I didn't realize the process occurred over a 2 year period, and I have sent her an email asking whether the 1989 US Specialized showed the revised values, or if the new US values didn't show until the 1990 edition. If it was 1990, that would more or less invalidate my chart, and I would have to find a 1990 catalogue and do this exercise all over again. I'll let you know what I find out.

Ted
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/tatyszka-stamps

Ted Tyszka

In the meantime, here is a link to a 1988 Washington Post article about the change in Scott's pricing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/08/26/great-scott-the-catalogue-controversy/75211e9e-c921-4f2e-ae7f-a84a0c7a9e11/?utm_term=.89bccb08746b

John P Fields

Well, I made the point back in September right here! I said....

"We see the value of our stamps purchased over the year flat or often less the prices paid 30 years ago."

If Americans were collecting stamps as they did in the past, of course, prices would be higher.This again makes my observations about stamp collecting quite correct. There are few young stamp collectors in the U.S and this does not bode well for our hobby. Yet, given our ages, does it matter?

Ted Tyszka

I got a hold of a 1990 US Specialized, and redid the chart. The 1990 catalog is when the new lower values went into effect for US stamps. I have refigured the percentage changes and the inflation index to reflect the 1990 values.