Author Archives: VSC

Coronation Street (UK 2020)

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[press release]
60th Anniversary of Coronation Street Marked with New Special Stamps

  • Eight stamps showcase some of Coronation Street’s most loved duos over the years: Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner; Stan and Hilda Ogden; Vera and Jack Duckworth; Deirdre and Ken Barlow; Rita Tanner and Norris Cole; Hayley and Roy Cropper; Sunita and Dev Alahan; and Tracy and Steve McDonald
  • Each image is complemented with a quote that conveys the essence of each relationship
  • Completing the set are four further stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, that celebrate characters who have worked behind the bar at the iconic Rovers Return: Bet Lynch; Raquel Watts; Liz McDonald; and Gemma Winter
  • First broadcast in 1960, Coronation Street is the world’s longest-running television continuing drama – with over 10,000 episodes featuring more than 5000 characters
  • A full set of all 12 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £14.20
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available now at www.royalmail.com/coronationstreet and by phone on 03457 641 641
  • The stamps will be available on general sale from Thursday 28 May

Royal Mail today reveals images of 12 stamps being issued to mark the 60th anniversary of the world’s longest running TV continuing drama, Coronation Street.
Eight stamps in the set are inspired by some of Coronation Street’s most loved duos over the years: Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner; Stan and Hilda Ogden; Vera and Jack Duckworth; Deirdre and Ken Barlow; Rita Tanner and Norris Cole; Hayley and Roy Cropper; Sunita and Dev Alahan; and Tracy and Steve McDonald. Each of the images is complemented with a quote that conveys the essence of the couple’s relationship.

A further four stamps are presented in a miniature sheet and celebrate characters who have worked behind the bar at the iconic Rovers Return: Bet Lynch; Raquel Watts; Liz McDonald; and Gemma Winter.

The show was created by the late Tony Warren, a young man from Salford who penned the first scripts about the inhabitants of a fictional northern backstreet with its end-of-the-row pub.

Within months of its first broadcast, which went out live on Friday 9 December 1960, Coronation Street became the country’s most-watched programme and has remained in the top 10 most watched TV shows every week since. The authenticity of its characters and storytelling made ground-breaking British television as the drama portrayed working class lives for the first time on the small screen. Six decades later, the unforgettable storylines and original trademark northern wit are the epicentre of a programme which is now an international hit, selling to over 100 countries.

Coronation Street’s iconic characters are now part of British culture – Hilda Ogden despairing of her work-shy hubby Stan, Elsie Tanner and Ena Sharples’ bust-ups, Bet Lynch’s love life, the bond between Roy and Hayley Cropper, Rita and Mavis, the McDonalds, the Barlows and the Alahans… their stories have enthralled fans week after week.

There has now been more than 10,000 episodes of Coronation Street. Of the 5 0000 characters that have walked the cobbles only one original member – Ken Barlow, played by William Roache, shown on the right – is still in the cast today, an international achievement noted by Guinness World Records.

Iain MacLeod, Series Producer, Coronation Street, said: “In our historic 60th year, it is an honour to have the show immortalised in this fashion. Coronation Street has had many iconic double acts down the years. Indeed, it’s a defining feature of the show. I hope fans will agree that the ones we’ve chosen, after much heated debate, are among the best of the bunch. This fun idea is a great way to pay homage to the nation’s best loved soap and give lovers of Coronation Street a little smile when an envelope pops through their letterbox and they see their favourite characters looking up at them.”

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “For six decades Coronation Street’s fans have witnessed the unfolding lives of its residents, and shared their sorrows and laughter. We celebrate the nation’s best-known street with stamps showing some of its unforgettable characters.”

The full range of stamps, and other collectible products are available now at www.royalmail.com/coronationstreet and by phone on 03457 641 641.
The full set of 12 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £14.20.

The stamps will go on general sale from Thursday 28 May.

Reason and Inspiration:
60 years since the first episode of Coronation Street was broadcast

STAMPS IN DETAIL
Price = £8.92 / Code = AS5800
Eight stamps inspired by some of Coronation Street’s most loved characters; starting from the early years with Ena & Elsie, through to current day show characters, Tracy and Steve. Each image is complimented by a corresponding quote that captures the essence of each relationship – some more loving than others! Stamp Sheet
Price: £4.36 / Code: MZ154
The Coronation Street Stamp Sheet celebrates key characters who have worked behind the bar over the years; from iconic Bet Lynch to most recently, Gemma Winter. All Coronation Street stamp products:

First Day Covers:
Price: £11.35 / Code: AF454
First Day Cover with alternative postmarkA personalised (will include customer name & address) memento of the day of issue. Includes a filler card (described below) the full set of eight Special Stamps cancelled the with alternative postmark, location being Salford, home to the Coronation Street studios in Manchester. The picture uses the official Coronation Street logo, with the issue date being 28.5.20. The envelope design features the flying ducks, a familiar part of the set design from the early years and now considered a show icon.*Please see note about postmarking & product availability

First Day Cover with the Tallents House (Standard) postmarkThe same as above but with the Tallents House postmark. Again, it includes the filler card and full set of eight Special Stamps cancelled by a handstamp which takes inspiration from the show’s famous title sequence. Location is Tallents House with issue date 28.5.20 *Please see not about postmarking and availability.

Minisheet FDCs:
Price: £5.90 / Code: MF150
First Day Cover with alternative postmarkA personalised (will include customer name & address) memento of the day of issue.. Includes a filler card (described above) the stamp sheet, cancelled the with alternative postmark, location being Salford, home to the Coronation Street studios in Manchester. (Envelope & handstamp info same as stamps FDC)

First Day Cover with the Tallents House (Standard) postmarkThe same as above but with the Tallents House postmark. Again, it includes the filler card and miniature sheet cancelled by a handstamp which takes inspiration from the show’s famous title sequence. Location is Tallents House with issue date 28.5.20 *Please see note about postmarking and availability.

75 Years of Peace And Freedom (Netherlands 2020)

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[press release]
Golden stamp for 75 years of peace and freedom

The Hague, May 12, 2020 – Last May 5, the Netherlands celebrated the liberation of our country 75 years ago. Due to the coronavirus, all public events surrounding the May 5 celebration were canceled. Other initiatives can continue, such as the issue by PostNL of a special gold stamp.

Capitulation of Germany
In the series “End of World War II,” the stamp 75 years of Peace & Freedom appears today. This gold stamp is dedicated to the liberation of the Netherlands on May 5, 1945. The day the Germans officially surrendered.

Transferring aircraft
Today’s gold stamp features a photo of waving Dutchmen saluting passing Allied planes. The photo is written in italic letter 75 years. The photo, made by J. van Rhijn, comes from the National Archives / Spaarnestad Photo in The Hague.

5 years of occupation
With the German capitulation on May 5, 1945, the occupation of the Netherlands ended after the invasion of the German army on May 10, 1940. The Dutch East Indies had to wait until August 18, 1945 for the Japanese army to lay down its weapons. Over time, the focus of the May 5 celebration has shifted from actual historical liberation to the general interest of freedom. In many places around the world, people still fight for their daily existence. Therefore, May 5 has become a day for reflection on freedom around the world.

Gold series
The stamp about the liberation of the Netherlands is part of the series End of World War II. On January 20, the first stamp from this series appeared, about the operation Market Garden, followed on March 20 by the stamp about Anne Frank. The last stamp issue in the series is on August 17, the day that 75 years ago the Japanese army laid down its weapons in what was then the Dutch East Indies. Each stamp from the End of World War II series is made of 24 carat gold.

Availability
The End of World War II series is, as long as stocks last, only available through the webshop and at Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The stamp contains value indication 1, intended for mail up to 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The validity period is indefinite.

Stamps for Every Moment (Netherlands 2020)

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[press release]
Stamps for every moment The Hague, May 11, 2020 – As of today, the stamp sheet “For every moment” is available at the well-known points of sale. The 6 stamps indicate value 1 for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. With this issue, PostNL is introducing the successor to the occasional postage stamps from 2017.

From congratulations to apologies
The 6 new stamps are suitable for cards or letters to send congratulations, show a heart, show appreciation, apologize, show affection and share humor.

Greatly simplified faces
On the stamps For every moment there are full-screen illustrations of faces that express different emotions. The strongly simplified faces in the pastel shades of lilac, blue, brown, green, red and yellow have large eyes and a red mouth. The look in the eyes matches the accompanying emotion, just like the position of the mouth.

Emoticons and smileys
Design agency Beukers Scholma from Haarlem was responsible for the design of the new occasional postage stamps. Haico Beukers: “We started from the emotions that people want to show when they seek contact by sending a card. Emoticons and smileys are the ultimate way to convey emotions today. In our view, this requires an illustrative approach. Not too literal, but abstract. ”

Suitable for any purpose
The illustrations are as large as possible on the stamp, against a white background. With the clear approach, the designers wanted to ensure that the emotion of the stamp bursts. Marga Scholma: “They speak for themselves. That is why we have not put the description of the emotion on the stamp itself, but on the tab. The sender can also use the stamp if it does not literally match the message he or she wants to convey. It is even possible to use 2 stamps at the same time if the emotions have to match. For example, “congratulations” and “sorry” if you send someone a congratulation too late. “

Availability
The stamp sheet For each moment there are 6 different stamps with the value indication Nederland 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from May 11, 2020 at Bruna stores and through the website. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite.

Old Postal Routes (Netherlands 2020)

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[press release] [large illustration of the sheet at the bottom]
Old postal routes come alive
The Hague, May 11, 2020 – For centuries, postal mail was distributed across Europe by postillions on horseback and by stagecoach. PostNL today releases 6 new stamps on which the old postal routes from the Habsburg Empire come to life again.

Relay system
From the 16th to the 19th century, mail delivery in Europe was actually in the hands of 1 family: Von Thurn und Taxis. The family business, which flourished under Habsburg monarchs such as Philips de Schone and Karel 5, used a relay system to deliver the mail as quickly and efficiently as possible. Along the routes there were enough substations for the postillions to rest. They were also able to change horses and drop off and take mail with them.

Blue and gold
Studio026 from Arnhem has depicted this relay system by Von Thurn und Taxis on the stamp sheet Old Post Routes. The blue images on the stamps show both horses in motion and at rest. The large gold symbols, which follow from left to right with the horses and the stagecoach, also refer to the system of action and rest. There is a thin line with golden stripes between the images that depict the stops along the routes.

Super fast
The mail was first transported by horse and rider, later by the stagecoach. Carriages, although slower than horses, took much more mail. Paying passengers also generated extra earnings. The motto for the postal couriers of Von Thurn und Taxis was cito, cito, cito, citissim! In other words: fast, fast, fast, super fast! “The concept was developed based on that credo,” says Anne Schaufeli of studio26. “That’s why the spell is so prominent on the sheet.”

Design competition
With the new stamp sheetlet, PostNL is competing for the main prize in the EUROPA Stamp Best Design Competition. This design competition is organized annually by PostEurop, the organization in which all European national postal companies work together.

Availability
The Old Post Routes stamp sheet has 6 stamps in 2 designs with the International 1 designation, intended for mail up to 20 grams with an international destination. The stamps will be available from May 11, 2020 at Bruna stores and through the website. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite.

History of Radio (Canada 2020)

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[press release]
Canada Post celebrates a century of radio broadcasting in Canada
Technology brought live news and entertainment into people’s homes

OTTAWA, May 20, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Post has issued a pair of stamps to mark the 100th anniversary of the first scheduled radio broadcast in Canada, an event that quickly changed the way Canadians experienced news and entertainment – at home and away.

On the evening of May 20, 1920, members of the Royal Society of Canada gathered at Ottawa’s Château Laurier hotel for an event that would launch Canada into the radio age. They listened to a performance by soprano Dorothy Lutton, broadcast live on XWA (Experimental Wireless Apparatus) – the first station in Canada to receive an experimental radio licence. Although the ground-breaking broadcast was transmitted from the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of Canada’s factory studio in Montréal to the Naval Radio Service in Ottawa, a receiving station and large amplifier had been set up for the occasion in the hotel’s ballroom.

Later in 1920, XWA changed its call letters to CFCF – for Canada’s First, Canada’s Finest. In 1922, the station began commercial broadcasting. That year, Montréal’s CKAC also became the first licensed radio station in North America to offer French-language programming. While early enthusiasts were mostly amateurs who built their own equipment, radio caught on quickly with mainstream listeners. Within two years of Canada’s historic first broadcast, 34 radio stations were operating across the country. By the end of the decade, Canadians were tuning in on more than 300,000 radios.

Designed by Soapbox Design, illustrated by Oliver Burston and printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue’s pair of se-tenant stamps – two joined stamp designs – showcases a selection of early 20th century radio broadcasting equipment and receiving devices. Booklets of 10 Permanent domestic-rate stamps (five of each design) are available, along with an Official First Day Cover. From Details magazine:

On the evening of May 20, 1920, Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of Canada station XWA – for Experimental Wireless Apparatus – broadcast the first Canadian radio program to a Royal Society of Canada gathering at Ottawa’s Château Laurier. The closed broadcast included a live performance by soprano Dorothy Lutton, delivered from the Marconi factory studios in Montréal.

Although the groundbreaking broadcast was transmitted from the Montréal studios to the Naval Radio Service in Ottawa, a receiving station and large amplifier had been set up for the occasion at the Château Laurier hotel. As reported in the Ottawa Journal by one of the journalists invited to listen in, when “the latest one-step” was played, the clarity was so impressive that several of the newspaper writers began to dance.

Later that year, XWA (which had received the first Canadian experimental radio licence in 1919) changed its call letters to CFCF – for Canada’s First, Canada’s Finest. In 1922, the station made the leap to commercial broadcasting, and Montréal’s CKAC became the first licensed radio station in North America to offer French-language programming. Thirty-four Canadian radio stations were in operation at the time, and people were quickly becoming fans of the news and entertainment the new medium could bring into their homes. By the end of the decade, the number of radio sets across the country had increased from fewer than 10,000 to nearly 300,000. To create a stamp depicting the earliest days of radio, for which there was little original imagery available, Canada Post assembled a team of experts from academia, communications museums and vintage radio clubs to ensure visual accuracy and an authentic back story.

U.S. Taps DeJoy As Postmaster General

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[press release]
Board of Governors Announces Selection of Louis DeJoy to Serve as Nation’s 75th Postmaster General

WASHINGTON – The Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service today announced its unanimous selection of Louis DeJoy to serve as the 75th Postmaster General of the United States and Chief Executive Officer of the world’s largest postal organization. DeJoy is an accomplished business executive with more than 35 years of experience. As Chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics, DeJoy spent decades in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service, Boeing, Verizon, Disney, United Technologies and other public and private companies to provide supply chain logistics, program management and transportation support. He is expected to begin serving in his new role effective June 15th.

“Louis DeJoy understands the critical public service role of the United States Postal Service, and the urgent need to strengthen it for future generations,” said Robert M. (Mike) Duncan, chair of the Board of Governors. “The Board appreciated Louis’ depth of knowledge on the important issues facing the Postal Service and his desire to work with all of our stakeholders on preserving and protecting this essential institution.”

DeJoy becomes the fifth Postmaster General to join the institution from the private sector since the Postal Service became an independent establishment within the Executive Branch in 1971.

“Having worked closely with the Postal Service for many years, I have a great appreciation for this institution and the dedicated workers who faithfully execute its mission. I look forward to working with the supporters of the Postal Service in Congress and the Administration to ensure the Postal Service remains an integral part of the United States government. Postal workers are the heart and soul of this institution, and I will be honored to work alongside them and their unions. It will be an incredible honor to serve as Postmaster General, and I commit myself to upholding the Postal Service’s cherished role in our nation,” said Mr. DeJoy.

As Chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics, Inc., he transformed a small, family owned transportation company with 10 employees into a nationwide provider of highly engineered, technology-driven, contract logistics solutions employing more than 9,000 people. New Breed Logistics was a contractor to the U.S. Postal Service for more than 25 years, supplying the Postal Service with logistics support for multiple processing facilities. The company received Quality Supplier Awards from the Postal Service in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

In 2014, New Breed merged with XPO Logistics, with DeJoy serving as CEO of XPO Logistics’ supply chain business in the Americas before retiring in December 2015 as CEO and joining the XPO Logistics board of directors, where he served until 2018.

DeJoy is a member of the Board of Trustees at Elon University in North Carolina and the Fund for American Studies in Washington, DC. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Stetson University. He currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina with his wife, Dr. Aldona Wos.

DeJoy’s appointment comes upon the retirement of Megan Brennan, the nation’s 74th Postmaster General, who announced her intent to step down in October 2019. The Board of Governors then began an extensive nationwide search, employing a national executive search firm to conduct the search with additional advisory services from Chelsea Partners. In the ensuing months, the Governors reviewed the records of more than two hundred candidates for the position before narrowing the list to more than fifty candidates to undergo substantial vetting. Subsequently, the Governors interviewed more than a dozen candidates in first round interviews, and invited seven candidates for follow-up interviews. A narrow list of finalists then underwent a final vetting process before the Governors made their decision.

Press Coverage:

Associated Press (via Washington Post website)
Republican donor, fundraiser DeJoy next postmaster general

The Washington Post:
Top Republican fundraiser and Trump ally named postmaster general, giving president new influence over Postal Service
Under fire from Trump, Postal Service braces for arrival of new postmaster general allied with White House

Wall Street Journal:
North Carolina Businessman Tapped to Head the Postal Service

The New York Times:
Postal Service Pick With Ties to Trump Raises Concerns Ahead of 2020 Election

Reuters:
Republican donor named U.S. postmaster general

CNN.com
Trump ally Louis DeJoy named next postmaster general

No stories specifically on DeJoy were found at USA Today, FoxNews.com, Bloomberg News and the Los Angeles Times.

Group of 7 school of art (Canada 2020)

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[press release]
Canada Post celebrates centennial of Group of Seven’s first exhibition
Stamps featuring striking landscapes to be unveiled online in partnership with several prominent Canadian galleries.

Issue Date: May 7, 2020

OTTAWA – One hundred years ago tomorrow, Canadian art enthusiasts got their first look at paintings from what would become Canada’s best-known school of art — the Group of Seven. Canada Post is celebrating this significant anniversary with a stamp issue featuring works by the Group’s seven founding members.

It was on May 7, 1920, that Canadian artists Franklin Carmichael, Lawren S. Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank H. Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and F.H. Varley held their first exhibition as the Group of Seven at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario [AGO]). Inspired by Tom Thomson – who had drowned three years earlier – and encouraged by theirshared creative vision, the Group changed the way Canada was viewed at home and abroad. Their raw and daring depictions of the landscape gave birth to a unique Canadian aesthetic that influenced generations of artists.

More than 2,000 people attended the 1920 show during its 20-day run. While only five paintings were sold, the exhibit received good reviews, captured the attention of major galleries and collectors, and paved the way for future exhibitions.

Seven works are featured in the stamp issue:

  • In the Nickel Belt (1928), by Franklin Carmichael
  • Miners’ Houses, Glace Bay (circa 1925), by Lawren S. Harris
  • Labrador Coast (1930), by A.Y. Jackson
  • Fire-swept, Algoma (1920), by Frank H. Johnston
  • Quebec Village (1926), by Arthur Lismer
  • Church by the Sea (1924), by J.E.H. MacDonald
  • Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay (1921), by F.H. Varley

The issue includes a self-adhesive booklet and gummed mini-pane of seven Permanent domestic rate stamps and a set of seven Official First Day Covers (OFDCs) cancelled in locations significant to each artist. Using works drawn from six major Canadian galleries and photographs from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Archives, the issue was designed by Lionel Gadoury, Andrew Conlon and Matthew Killin of Context Creative, and printed by Lowe-Martin.

VIRTUAL UNVEILINGS: This morning [Wednesday], starting at 10:30 am (eastern time), the stamp images will be unveiled live on social media as well as Canada Post’s Instagram account (@canadapostagram) and the accounts of several prominent Canadian galleries, including the AGO, the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the Ottawa Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Canada, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University and the Vancouver Art Gallery, with the OFDCs unveiled on Thursday, May 7, by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. All stamps and collectibles will be available on Thursday, May 7, at canadapost.ca/shop. Postmarks for the FDCs: Larger versions of the designs:

Stamp Collecting During The Pandemic

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Most major stamp collecting shows in the U.S. this spring, if not all, have been postponed or canceled.

The international show in Britain this year, London 2020, has been postponed to 2022.

A decision will be made by May 15 on whether to hold the top show in the U.S., the first edition of Great American Stamp Show. It is scheduled for August 20-23 in Hartford, Conn. It is jointly sponsored by the American Philatelic Society, the American Topical Association and the American First Day Cover Society, although APS handles the “logistics.”

The APS is maintaining a comprehensive list of show schedule changes on its website here.

The American Philatelic Society headquarters and the American Philatelic Research Library in Bellefonte, Pa., were ordered closed, as part of Pennsylvania’s shutdown measures. They are now beginning to reopen, slowly, and services which had required on-site handling (such as sales circuits and expertizing) will soon resume.

U.S. first-day (launch) ceremonies for new issues have been postponed or canceled, although the stamps are still being released and put on sale on schedule.

Traffic at stamp collecting websites is soaring: APS reports, by one measure, visits to its stamps.org website gave nearly tripled. The Virtual Stamp Club‘s Facebook group has been getting as many valid new member requests in a day as it got pre-pandemic in a week. Both the APS and VSC are holding periodic “chats” or real-time video conferences.

“Stamp collecting has been here for 180 years,” said APS executive director Scott English is one of those chats, a “Town Hall Meeting,” on May 4th. “It has survived pandemics, such as the influenza epidemic in 1917; economic down times such as the Great Depression of the 1930s; world wars; and more.”

And English and others see this pandemic has an opportunity for stamp collecting to attract new members and bring others back into the hobby.

Hotchner: Getting Started With Catalogues

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The Hardest Part of Collecting is Beginning, Part 3 — Catalogues
By John M. Hotchner

An essential tool as you add to your collection is a stamp catalog. In the United States, that means having, or having access to the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogues.

Scott covers the world in what used to be six ungainly volumes that took up 14+ inches of shelf space. Effective with the 2018 Catalogues, each was divided into two thinner (about one inch) volumes as follows:

  • Vol. 1A: United States and A countries through Australia./ Vol. 1B: Austria through B countries
  • Vol. 2A: C through Cur countries
  • Vol. 2B: Cyp through F countries
  • Vol. 3A: G countries
  • Vol. 3B: H through I countries
  • Vol. 4A: J through L countries
  • Vol. 4B: M countries
  • Vol. 5A: N through Phil countries
  • Vol. 5B: Pit through Sam countries
  • Vol. 6A: San through Tete countries
  • Vol. 6B: Thai through Z countries

Where to get Scott Catalogues? They are published by Amos Press, and available on the Amos Advantage website. They are sold as complete volumes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) for about $105 each. While this is a steep investment in your collection — especially for someone getting started — catalogues are a gold-mine of information and an essential reference for every collector.

Why? First, they tell you what stamps each country has issued since they began issuing stamps, and a vast number of them are pictured to facilitate your finding the ones you have in your collection. Each stamp listed is valued in both Mint and Used condition. And each stamp is assigned a number that becomes its universally understood reference point for all collectors and dealers. The latter is important when you look at printed price lists, offerings on Internet sites, or in auction catalogues.

As a beginner, you may want the current year’s catalogue(s) that include the countries you collect; and that may be important if you are going to buy high-priced stamps. Each year the values shown for each stamp are reviewed in light of actual prices being paid and adjusted up or down.

But for most of us, steeply discounted older catalogues from one or two years earlier are adequate as references. You may even be able to find Scott Catalogues in the reference section of your local library. But that means you can’t check them out of the library. If you want one that you can use at home, stamp clubs often have a set of current or at least recent catalogues that members can borrow.

If you want one or more volumes of your own, you can often find prior years’ volumes available on Internet sales sites, in club auctions, advertised by dealers, or available on their tables at stamp shows. You can also get together with another collector to buy catalogues that you can share.

How to use the catalogue? Each of the 12 catalogues has a section at the front that tells you how to use the catalogue: how to understand the listings, definitions for the terms used, how the values shown are arrived at, and much more. I won’t repeat all of that here. But what is most important for the stamp buyer is to understand how the values shown in the catalogue translate to selling prices that you are asked to pay when you buy.

As noted earlier the Scott editors arrive at prices based on actual prices being paid in the marketplace for stamps in the grade of Very Fine. On the low end, Scott prices every used stamp at a minimum of 25¢ and every mint stamp at a minimum of approximately twice face value. This recognizes that the cost of any given stamp has to include a dealer’s overhead (equipment, space, staff, and time) needed to set up as a dealer. It does not mean you have to pay that price.

In fact, dealers (and collectors who sell their duplicates) often discount from the Scott prices based on the desirability of the stamp. That is defined as a combination of the popularity of the collecting area, the level of rarity of the stamp, its condition, and if used, the intensity of a cancellation. It is unusual that actual price will equal or exceed the Scott Catalogue value. Usually that happens when dealing with a popular collecting area and the condition of a scarce stamp is at the high end of the condition continuum.

The catalogue number identification of a stamp being offered cannot always be taken as gospel; especially when the stamp being offered is an older, expensive one. The catalogue is accurate, but the identification of the stamp may not be. Such complicating factors as watermarks, perforation sizes, paper types, design types, precise color identification, and, on modern stamps, the presence and type of tagging can affect proper identification. It is also possible to “make” a more valuable stamp from a less valuable one; say a coil pair from an imperf pair. One version of a given stamp may be 25¢, while another stamp that on first glance looks just like it, may have a catalogue value of tens of thousands of dollars.

Take a look at the picture on the right, in which are copies of Scott #610 and #613. The former, a perf 11×11, flat plate-printed black stamp, is catalogued 25¢ used. The latter, a perf 11×11 rotary press printing in black, catalogues $37,500. The difference is a quarter millimeter in the height of the stamp design!

For this reason, and because the art and science of repairing damaged stamps has reached a high level in the modern era, a certificate of authenticity is well advised before committing to buy a valuable stamp.

In another column, we will continue this series for the beginner with hints on how to find the stamp you hold in your hand among the catalogue listings.

Should you wish to comment on this editorial, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

Or comment right here.