zipper
Member 
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 10, 2015 5:06:49 GMT
Has anyone tried this? What say you? |
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Post by stampgeezer on Mar 10, 2015 18:32:56 GMT
hmmm, I wonder how it would do forged/fake issues? Or some of the Washington/Franklin issues?
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Post by PostmasterGS on Mar 10, 2015 21:03:43 GMT
Haven't tried it, but that's some impressive coding. Those algorithms are not easy.
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Post by stampgeezer on Mar 10, 2015 22:19:52 GMT
Ok, I downloaded the free version and tried it with Scott 312, perf12, $2 Madison. It found both 312 and it's less expensive Sc 479, perf 10. It may be the cat's pajamas for image recognition, but I personally would not pay for it. I also tried it on a US scott 11a, which I had downloaded from the Swedishtiger.com site. It did find that same image. I then tried it on what I thought was a scott 501, ยข.03 Washington which it had a lot of trouble with. I am going to delete this software.
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Admin
Administrator 
Posts: 2,636
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Post by Admin on Mar 10, 2015 23:21:11 GMT
I watched the video and they said "Stop wasting your time looking up stamps"That's the fun of collecting. It also seems they have no catalogue numbering support i.e. Scott's/SG and rely on links to eBay and Bidstart auctions, what if these vendors are wrong in their listings, the software reliance on vendors images and numbering threw me off, $19.99 for the full package and not much information on the site. lignup.com/stamps-collecting-software.html |
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Post by stampgeezer on Mar 10, 2015 23:48:56 GMT
One site it brought up was in all arabic (I think)
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 11, 2015 0:31:12 GMT
Okay, thanks guys. I won't buy it.
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cjd
Member
Posts: 1,107 
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Post by cjd on Mar 11, 2015 0:59:11 GMT
My unsolicited two cents...
If all this does is help send you to a catalogue, then it is not very useful. For the rank beginner, it might help i.d. a few difficult stamps, but after awhile it will be less and less useful.
For the advanced collector, it cannot replace the catalogue. Is it going to tell me to watch for an inverted watermark? Is it going to distinguish postmarks from plate flaws or overprint varieties? Chalk-surfaced paper? Lemon paper? Olive back?
For now, a glorified bar trick. Maybe some day.
Plus, no snarky comments with the i.d.? Our favorite forums are much more interesting for identifications, no?
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 11, 2015 1:10:36 GMT
I'm a rank beginner, that's why I asked whether or not this is any good. I have a really hard time trying to decipher stamps, especially the Asian stamps. I can determine Japan pretty well, and Korea if it has the CH on it, but the rest baffle me. When I can't figure it out, I dump it in China.
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cjd
Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by cjd on Mar 11, 2015 1:53:28 GMT
In many areas, I'm still a rank beginner, too. It is just a continuous accretion of knowledge. You may know these, but I'll include them for anyone who can be helped by them... If you see the circular stylized chrysanthemum, you are looking at Imperial Japan:  The Japanese Chrysanthemum has 16 petals. Forgeries may have 16 petals, but may have more or less. You'd think it would be a gimme for the forgers, but it is not...go figure. Two characters over to the right, the block-figure "8" is a feature of Japanese stamps to this day. If you see this orchid,  then you are looking at Manchukuo. If you see the square/rectangle stabbed with a vertical chopstick:  you are looking at China (the top symbol on the monkey stamp). If there is this star/sun:  you are looking at Republic of China. The sun should have 12 rays. |
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rod222
Member
Posts: 9,843
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Mar 11, 2015 2:08:04 GMT
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cjd
Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by cjd on Mar 11, 2015 2:08:49 GMT
By the way, if the block-figure 8 has a middle line that doesn't touch the sides, you have a Japanese prefecture stamp (which can drive you crazy in searching the catalogue):  |
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rod222
Member
Posts: 9,843
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Mar 11, 2015 2:12:11 GMT
Even the best of us get stuck sometimes.
Be aware Google will do what your application does, for FREE
Go to Google
top right click on "Images"
when the bar pops up, click the Camera Icon
follow the prompts.
You place / upload your image of the stamp you cannot identify, and Google will search the world.
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Admin
Administrator
Posts: 2,636
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Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2015 2:37:27 GMT
Good post rod222I just did a few Google image searches and took screen grabs as I went. I will post a tutorial tomorrow with step by step instructions. Yes that software is pretty much the same as a Google image search. |
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 11, 2015 3:12:10 GMT
Thank you so very much, guys!
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 11, 2015 7:29:40 GMT
Does it matter how old the finder is?
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rod222
Member
Posts: 9,843
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Mar 11, 2015 8:17:26 GMT
Does it matter how old the finder is? Not at all. Often I use Stanley Gibbons Catalogue 1949 to access specialist information, Some older catalogues offer more than the modern. Most of the stamps that can be confusing, and hard to identify, are from the early days. |
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 11, 2015 16:13:50 GMT
Okay, I think I have it covered. Ordered 2 different old finders on eBay, and ordered a new one from Linn's. That plus Google images should do it, I hope.
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cjd
Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by cjd on Mar 11, 2015 17:07:27 GMT
If you are not already checking the ISWSC indentifier, you'll want to add it to your bookmarks: www.iswsc.org/iswsc_identifier.htmlIt doesn't hit everything but it is pretty darn good. |
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 11, 2015 17:12:21 GMT
Wow! Thanks, cjd!
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cjd
Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by cjd on Mar 11, 2015 17:24:11 GMT
I especially like their attempt at Cyrillic and Greek characters.
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Mar 13, 2015 11:53:00 GMT
Thanks again, Rod, for the Google Images alert. Just identified a Switzerland #99. Couldn't have done it without your advice!
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