Stamp Catalogue
Stamp catalogues are extremely helpful aids for the collector. A stamp catalogue helps the philatelist learn about the stamps he has already collected and helps him select which issues he would next like to acquire. By finding the listing of a stamp in a catalogue, the collector can learn when a stamp was first issued, what a commemorative honors, what kind of printing was used to manufacture the stamp, what the perforations are, what, if any, watermark is present, whether or not the stamp is part of a set, and if so, how many similar stamps are included in that set, and other relevant features.
Catalogues also list valuations of each stamp. The prices are a guide and do not necessarily indicate the retail or wholesale market value of a stamp. Each stamp has an identification number, and by knowing that number and the catalogue name, it is very easy to find and identify any given stamp.
Stamp catalogues are either general or specialized. The general catalogue lists stamps from all over the world, while the specialized catalogue concentrates on one specific area, country or on a certain topic or type of stamp. Specialized catalogue descriptions are usually much more extensive and contain more detailed information about every stamp listed. They are therefore of great importance to the philatelist who intends to specialize.
Some of the stamp catalogues used throughout the world are SCOTT Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue from United States, Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue from Great Britain and Michel Stamp Catalogue from Germany.
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