I have only two resolutions for 2012. The first is to try to reach the 20,000 mark in my Blue Volume 1. This resolution is only of interest to others if I use it as an excuse to take another overview of what a Volume 1 at this state of completion "looks" like: e.g., which countries do I still not have a single stamp, which are complete or largely complete, what has been the cost so far, what do I wish I had done differently, etc.
The second resolution is to finish penciling in Scott numbers directly in the album for all of the stamps I still need. Largely thanks to Jim's checklists, I am complete through French Guinea plus another dozen or so countries later in the alphabet. It may seem like this is a no brainer, but in my early days of filling the Blue knowing the numbers was more of a convenience than a necessity. After all, I was largely buying other International albums so a catalog was only necessary on occasion to puzzle out a difference of opinion as to which stamp belonged in a space. But at this point I am largely buying individual stamps and sets so knowing what I need when going through pricelists, etc., would be a real time saver. If I would devote just 30 minutes a day to this task it would be done in a month or so. But if it were easy, everybody--even Scott Publishing--would have already done it!
3 comments:
Bob--
My biggest stamp bargain ever was getting a 1964 edition of International volume I in 1980 for $10. After, 30 years of use and 19,800 stamps mounted, I have become unhappy with the shabby state of these used pages.
At a recent stamp show, a dealer was selling stamps from a 1969 edition at 10 cents apiece. I noted there were no stamps except in the A countries and the album was in great shape (apparently someone started transferring a collection to the album and stopped at A). So I asked for a price for the entire album and was stunned to be quoted $35. I leaped at that and am now transferring my collection.
My resolution is to finish this job before July 1. At two stamps per minute, this will take about 1 hour per day for six months.
As I indicated in an early post, I have made my own pages using AlbumGen for several countries, to solve the problem of Scott's incompleteness. These stamps will not have to be transferred.
Needless to say, I am retired.
Ken
Ken, if I had any sense, I would bite the bullet and buy the 3 remaining parts of the current Volume 1 that I don't already own. Then I would start transferring stamps from my 1969 edition. I would use this as an opportunity to cleanup my collection--the previous owner mounted several thousand stamps that don't "belong." Ideally, I would add a blank page or stocksheet at the end of most countries to hold temporarily stamps that Scott didn't include (as well as the countries that are completely missing). I'd probably aim at 100 stamps a day which works out to 6-7 months. Now if I could just figure out where the flying pigs come in....
That's essentially what I did. Bit the bullet a year ago and I've been transferring four albums into the "new" 1997. My old 1947 International Junior, another '47 I inherited, another I got on eEbay for 35 bucks or so, and a 1935 Modern I inherited. I'm up to Mexico, and I insert blank pages when necessary.
I'm in the camp that thinks Scott should just issue a Volume 1 supplement that covers missing counties and deleted back-of-book sections. If there's enough of a market to support issuing a new Classic catalogue every year there has to be enough of a market for this.
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