Admin
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Post by Admin on Aug 29, 2015 19:15:58 GMT
Email from Scott's www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2291032/Scott-Catalogue-Collector-SurveyScotts have come to the conclusion that their catalogues they are getting to big, they are looking at a couple of options Quote from the survey I would like to see Scott go digital but that's just me, I work on my stamps at my desk and have 2 monitors I just have one monitor with the catalogue open, makes life so much easy not having to thumb through a book. I scan my Scott pages and save them in a pdf for my own use. I know there are copy's of 2009 Scott's cd available I did buy one that was a bootleg, I found out after buying it but don't feel guilty using it as I have 2008/2009 mixed set of paper catalogues. If they would allow a monthly/yearly subscription I believe they would see more users, having to fork over 600+ on a new set each year is out of the budget of most collectors. Many collectors just collect certain country's and this would allow them to just subscribe to the country they want. They could do a tear system say $XXX for the complete subscription year and a option to just subscribe to certain country's or regions. Scott will save on printing, customer will save on price. If a person still wanted a paper version that should still be a option. They could introduce the online subscription with a free version that would lack information, say current stamp values and BOB. I do know a big part of Scott's is advertisement they would still be able to sell ad space but with direct links to the vendors. I think the vendors would rather this then hope that a reader will type in a url from the paper catalogue. So what do the members of TSF think? |
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Jerry B
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Marietta, Georgia USA
Posts: 1,485 
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Post by Jerry B on Aug 29, 2015 21:14:47 GMT
Hi Admin
I wrote to Scott about 8 years ago proposing a breakdown of the catalog into "regional" books. At that time they told me that it was not a viable option as too many collectors wanted all volumes. I am glad that Scott now realizes that the catalog is getting way too big.
Personally I would like to see the catalogs broken down "Regionally" similar to Michel or Stanley Gibbons. What I am afraid of is that the price of a "Regional" catalog would be exorbitant. Scott pricing leaves something to be desired.
As a note:
A number of years ago Michel announced one could get only the countries one wanted and Michel would bind the pages into a single volume. I contacted them regarding the 3 countries I collect. The "On Demand catalog" price was almost twice that of the whole regional catalog. Based on that I hope Scott does not entertain that idea.
Jerry B
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AirmailEd
Member 
Posts: 174
What I collect: Worldwide airmail stamps through 1940, unused
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Post by AirmailEd on Aug 30, 2015 18:14:58 GMT
I would like to see Scott go digital but that's just me, I work on my stamps at my desk and have 2 monitors I just have one monitor with the catalogue open, makes life so much easy not having to thumb through a book. I scan my Scott pages and save them in a pdf for my own use. I know there are copy's of 2009 Scott's cd available I did buy one that was a bootleg, I found out after buying it but don't feel guilty using it as I have 2008/2009 mixed set of paper catalogues. If they would allow a monthly/yearly subscription I believe they would see more users, having to fork over 600+ on a new set each year is out of the budget of most collectors. Many collectors just collect certain country's and this would allow them to just subscribe to the country they want. They could do a tear system say $XXX for the complete subscription year and a option to just subscribe to certain country's or regions. Scott will save on printing, customer will save on price. If a person still wanted a paper version that should still be a option. They could introduce the online subscription with a free version that would lack information, say current stamp values and BOB. I do know a big part of Scott's is advertisement they would still be able to sell ad space but with direct links to the vendors. I think the vendors would rather this then hope that a reader will type in a url from the paper catalogue. So what do the members of TSF think? I took that survey, even though I don't use the six-volume set. Just buying the Classic Specialized every couple years is pretty expensive. Perhaps Scott should publish a worldwide 1941-1970 catalog. That would be a big help to many WW collectors. Collecting worldwide today must be very expensive. Adding the cost of a six-volume WW catalog is really pouring it on. I used the 2009 CD, also. I liked it very much. Much faster than paging through a paper catalog. And it freed up desk space. I would be very concerned about a yearly digital subscription, unless the paper version continued. What if Scott eventually went out of business? Digital access could disappear. I still use Sanabria, which was last published complete in 1966. Besides, people who don't buy yearly probably would be out of luck when their subscription expired. At any rate, I don't see Scott building a searchable database, or other more advanced digital system. Why should they? Scott has a monopoly in the United States. There are other systems around on the Internet. Do you see those in dealer adds, auction listings, postings on message boards? Of course not. Everybody uses Scott, unless it doesn't list the item, and will continue to do so. |
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spreid
**Member** 
Inactive
Posts: 6
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Post by spreid on Jul 8, 2018 18:55:03 GMT
Well, as a worldwide collector I am happy with the 12 volumes. Since I don't have the money to buy all or the volumes I just go to the library and check them out. IT's a little bit of a hassle and I have to use books that are a year out of date, but it's a lot better than spending $600.00.
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,348
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jul 8, 2018 21:18:20 GMT
spreid,
I see two main reasons for getting new catalogues - new Scott numbers (existing do not change that much) or values. The values do not usually change dramatically.
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Post by feebletodix on Jul 9, 2018 9:31:54 GMT
From my perspective over here, it seems as if Scott are trying to take baby steps based upon old technology and methodology. If they truly want to be ready for the future they have to digitise their data and make it easily searchable & manipulable. This will allow them to provide a mainstay complete edition for the dealers and then provide a customisable edition for well recogised sub-groups. Anyone with enough funds should then able to order specialised limited print runs. Assuming they will use in-house printing facilities for the small runs.
It is also evident with the surge in ownership of portable devices this media should be included. For the forseeable future both formats will be needed. Additional features should be included such as image recognition. No doubt there will be an app at some point, but it needs the data source first.
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brightonpete
Departed
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On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Jul 9, 2018 13:01:03 GMT
From my perspective over here, it seems as if Scott are trying to take baby steps based upon old technology and methodology. If they truly want to be ready for the future they have to digitise their data and make it easily searchable & manipulable. This will allow them to provide a mainstay complete edition for the dealers and then provide a customisable edition for well recogised sub-groups. Anyone with enough funds should then able to order specialised limited print runs. Assuming they will use in-house printing facilities for the small runs. They did that a few years ago. But, like you say... it needs to be well done. Unfortunately it wasn't! They came out with an iPad version of their catalogs. I thought this was fantastic, so I jumped on board. Of course the app itself was free, the catalogs cost. So I bought Canada. What a disappointment! OMG, it was terrible. Small pictures that pixellated on zooming in. No annotations, always opened to page 1, no bookmarks. I sent them an email with all the problems with the app. They replied a while later saying that they would look into it. I gave up hope, as they never did anything to that app. They would have made me a loyal customer, but they failed miserably. Maybe sometime they'll come up with something better. I've noticed they have something online, but have never bothered with it. I want something on my device. Why can't they just put out a pdf? I guess they fear pirates will do what they want with it. |
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Post by feebletodix on Jul 9, 2018 13:33:15 GMT
Their only choice if they are to succeed is to provide a better product than anyone else. This requires them to make their database better so that its interrogation and reporting functions match the anticipated technology level. The Silicon Valley mindset is a good example of how they need to proceed. Or employ me to oversee the project.  |
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Post by dgdecker on Jul 9, 2018 15:55:12 GMT
I would love to see some type of digitized searchable version. Depending on pricing options, an annual fee or monthly fee would be fine with. I could learn to adapt to online access while handling my stamps. I think a printed catalog of « regions » would work for me as well. The current version of the catalog is beyond my means price wise. I prefer other catalogs for Europe’s countries. I can buy what I need on a country by country basis. Price wise I do not think this is less expensive. I just pay for what I need and will use.
A digitized subscription service raises the question of what happens if a person decided to not to renew. What would a subscriber have access to save and keep? At least if you buy a print version, it is your for ever and you can add notes and write in it anyway you see fit.
i still like the feel of flipping through catalog pages, but i like the online options as well. In the day of all the technologies, there must be a happy medium somewhere. Like most consumers, I think price point will be an important factor. I would spend my money acquing more stamps.
David
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bobby1948
Departed
Rest in Peace
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Sir Edmund Burke
Posts: 690
What I collect: WW to 1945; US mnh 1922-1990; US used and unused to 1922
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Post by bobby1948 on Jul 10, 2018 2:36:14 GMT
One of the benefits of limiting my collection to pre-1940 stamps is that I can rely on the single volume Scott Classic Catalog. Still, at discounted pricing, I pay almost $100 for the hardbound edition so I only buy a new one every 5 years or so.
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,348
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jul 10, 2018 12:52:19 GMT
One great feature of the Classic is the hardcover. It stand on its end.
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Post by feebletodix on Jul 10, 2018 14:03:33 GMT
If they copy the mobile phone charging packages you get in the UK who charge by volume of data transmitted, then you pay for example 1GB per month. Any extra is chargeable. Defined data sets cost more or less depending upon complexity of subject. Then of course they can rent out cloud space for people to record their collections. What a mnine of information they could amass and charge access for. Just the insurance companies of course, the reliable people. |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,348
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jul 10, 2018 15:19:57 GMT
You can access Scott catalogues online and the annual fee is almost the same price as the printed book. Unlike the book, I do not think you get perpetual access to the online edition purchased.
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Post by jimwentzell on Jul 10, 2018 20:31:19 GMT
I would prefer a catalog (or set of catalogs) that goes up to, say, the year 1980 or even 2000.
IDEALLY I would prefer catalogues that OMIT the massive entries for certain "wallpaper" countries....including the proliferation of issues from Grenadines, St. Vincent, Grenada, etc. Wouldn't it be nice if the catalogue pages were available "a la carte" and they could be hole-punched and inserted into my OWN binders. I could (and likely would) also omit Cuba and many African countries as well as Russia past 1960, etc etc.
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Post by jimwentzell on Jul 10, 2018 20:35:40 GMT
On a side note I picked up a used Scott 2016 C-F Worldwide catalogue for $20 at our club auction Sunday.
I looked up some Columbia, Ceylon, and China. The Colombian souvenir sheets I had more than TRIPLED in cat value (since 2004, my latest for that country) and, not as surprisingly, the P.R. China full sheets of Mao I picked up a decade ago for around $20 (set of six, circa 1980? cat. value in 2004 $1 per stamp they are in sheets of forty) now catalogue $1,020 for the sheets...$4.00 each stamp (one is valued at $6.00)! Ceylon also had some doubling or even tripling of catalogue values for certain issues!
jim Wentzell
stampguyaps177-681
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Post by feebletodix on Jul 11, 2018 9:08:27 GMT
You can access Scott catalogues online and the annual fee is almost the same price as the printed book. Unlike the book, I do not think you get perpetual access to the online edition purchased. After the loss of the website on early USA and then DDR I began saving useful webpages to my HDD, can you do this with the Scott pages? I get the impression that most collectors have a specialised interest and would therefore only need to retain a limited number of pages. |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,348
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jul 11, 2018 16:14:49 GMT
You can access Scott catalogues online and the annual fee is almost the same price as the printed book. Unlike the book, I do not think you get perpetual access to the online edition purchased. After the loss of the website on early USA and then DDR I began saving useful webpages to my HDD, can you do this with the Scott pages? I get the impression that most collectors have a specialised interest and would therefore only need to retain a limited number of pages. For the early usa web site, if you mean 1847usa.com, then the contents are now at Stampsmarter.com. You can always take screen shots. If it is in a browser, you can use apps like OneNote to capture entire page. I use OneNote. |
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Post by feebletodix on Jul 12, 2018 8:15:19 GMT
Thanks, that is useful to know.
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renden
Member
Posts: 8,711
What I collect: World W collector with ++ interests in BNA (Canada etc) and USA
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Post by renden on Jul 12, 2018 13:09:32 GMT
From a perspective of "using" Scott Catalogues, I am still using my 2009 Cat (6 vol seeries) series and since I do not really collect recent stamps, except the "dups" I receive from here and there of a special Canada stamp or booklet, when I feel ready for the multiple volume sets, I will consider my needs. I have other digitized catalogues, ex Michel, Scott Specialized etc. and find it faster to work out of a paper catalogue. I know the future is there.......have a hard time thinking of a digitized Scott !
René
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Post by ronbreznay on Aug 22, 2018 14:26:13 GMT
I would prefer a catalog (or set of catalogs) that goes up to, say, the year 1980 or even 2000. IDEALLY I would prefer catalogues that OMIT the massive entries for certain "wallpaper" countries....including the proliferation of issues from Grenadines, St. Vincent, Grenada, etc. Wouldn't it be nice if the catalogue pages were available "a la carte" and they could be hole-punched and inserted into my OWN binders. I could (and likely would) also omit Cuba and many African countries as well as Russia past 1960, etc etc.
This web site sells individual countries from current Scott catalogs: www.scottcataloguepages.com/ . I bought the catalog pages for Israel for about $12.
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janetc
Member
Posts: 320 
What I collect: US and WW. Lighthouses, Dragons and Christmas
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Post by janetc on Dec 12, 2018 22:32:16 GMT
I would prefer a catalog (or set of catalogs) that goes up to, say, the year 1980 or even 2000. IDEALLY I would prefer catalogues that OMIT the massive entries for certain "wallpaper" countries....including the proliferation of issues from Grenadines, St. Vincent, Grenada, etc. Wouldn't it be nice if the catalogue pages were available "a la carte" and they could be hole-punched and inserted into my OWN binders. I could (and likely would) also omit Cuba and many African countries as well as Russia past 1960, etc etc.
This web site sells individual countries from current Scott catalogs: www.scottcataloguepages.com/ . I bought the catalog pages for Israel for about $12.
There is also a seller (or more) on ebay each year that sell the individual country pages. I looked a while ago at the 2019 ones and the prices seem reasonable depending on the number of pages. |
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