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Changing U-S Stamp Collecting's Bible

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

The Scott Postage Stamp Catalogues are the gold-standard for collectors in the U-S. Every
dealer and nearly every collector uses their numbering system. Yet the Scott catalogues
are only available on paper. A digital version was tried, but wasn't successful. Donna
Houseman, the editorial director for the Scott catalogues, says the company will try
again.

"My hope is that, within the near future we will have an online catalogue, a truly online
catalogue that's searchable, and we're certainly working toward that." RUNS :10

Collectors found the previous digital version clunky, but Scott Publishing found the
PIRACY unacceptable.

"When we did the CDs and the DVDs, there were many people in other countries who were
creating duplicates of them. Quite frankly, that's why we stopped doing it in those
formats." RUNS :12

Now, Houseman says Scott Publishing is ready to try again.

"The next version will be a true database that's protected, or as much as you can protect
something like that." RUNS :06

Even the paper catalogues have been pirated online, with people scanning pages and selling
digital copies.

"There are always going to be people out there who want to steal what you have." RUNS :03

The key will be to offer something unique and updated too frequently to make copies
worthwhile.

I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting,
visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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