If Trying for the US market why do British sellers list SG numbers. If an item is listed by SG number I simply skip over it. In the US we use Scott numbers.
To offer a consideration, Charles, perhaps Scott catalogues aren't as mainstream or as easily available to British collectors. Similarly we might struggle to obtain SG, MI, Yverts, Prangko, Yangs, etc. Scotts has never been regarded as the end all in world philately. I would agree Hipstamp probably caters to more in the US, and listing using Scott is likely more recognizable (though correlation with other cats usually isn't too difficult). The same concern might be advanced when listings show currency in pounds instead of dollars, but fortunately PayPal converts such. Ultimately, there are probably some lingering bad feelings about some imposed tax a long time ago.
Time to look up both Catalogue numbers is a consideration and cost of an additional catalogue or catalogues another consideration, and if one starts doing Scott & SG, then the German collector might want to insist on Michel numbers, the French on Yvert, etc. Many of us are one man operations and there just isn't enough time in a day for additional catalogue lookups. If one has the date of issues, colour, etc in the description & a good scan then many collectors can figure out what the number is in their catalogue.
One way to attract British buyers, in the absence of Stanley Gibbons catalogue number, is to identify the stamp by year of issue with a short description, which is available in the Scott catalogue. For example, Great Britain 1946 Peace 3d violet. For more specialized issues, adding the perforations and / or type of watermark will be useful. Francois https://www.hipstamp.com/store/stampboutique
This is a very interesting discussion, which I have just seen, so to add my 2 bobs/cents worth. Yes it is very time consuming to add additional catalog numbers, but I have been listing using both Scott and SG nos. where I have them. My stock is mainly Australian and we have our own catalogues which I have virtually stopped using except the Brusden White Specialist catalogue for KGV and Kangaroo issues, I recognised long ago that the item is first a stamp of a particular Year and face value, long before someone decides to put their own number on it, So my listings nearly all are Country, Year, Scott, SG, plus brief description, enables someone to maybe find a particular stamp without a catalog number. I am probably not doing myself or anyone else any real favours but I have adopted this as my standard practice.
Because the vast majority of people will never use those numbers. US buyers will mostly use Scott's because that's the major cat in the US, SG is the major cat for British and the Commonwealth etc. You can't expect the sellers to take the time to look up the stamps and use cat numbers those most would never have any clue as to what they are. How many buyers and sellers actually know that Stampworld even exists? Can you expect the vast majority of buyers to cross reference Stampworld numbers to Scott or cat numbers when they don't even know that that site even exists?
Maybe someone needs to write a cross-referencing program where you enter stamp descriptors (such as color and denomination) and any one of several catalog numbers (Scott, SG, Michel, etc) and it gives you all the catalog numbers for that stamp
I just wish sellers would indicate which Cat they were using. To me, that would solve the problem. Also, another problem is either place a scan or don't allow the listing. If a seller cannot be bothered with making a scan I cannot be bothered with considering the listing.
Harry, I just want to point you to a seller who doesnt post pictures of inexpensive stamps, but sells fresh, quality stuff. Ever Greene Stamps - Check it out. https://www.hipstamp.com/store/evergreene-stamps
When a seller does not show scans of what they are selling that is like going to a stamp show and not having anything on the table except a list of items. Not showing scans is plain stupidity.
Comments
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/fatdanes-stamp-store
Francois
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/stampboutique
I am probably not doing myself or anyone else any real favours but I have adopted this as my standard practice.
"To Dream, the Impossible Dream..........."
But a simple catalog number cross-reference would be useful, if it could be published without violating copyrights.
I'd bet some of the denizens of HS have spreadsheets with this data, but I'd consider those proprietary and a competitive advantage.
And AI identification and grading is coming...
Just wondering as they seem to have all the money to spend in recent years?...............................I need to keep them happy you know!
I just want to point you to a seller who doesnt post pictures of inexpensive stamps, but sells fresh, quality stuff.
Ever Greene Stamps - Check it out.
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/evergreene-stamps