3 comments about The Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Postage Stamps 2010, 32nd Edition.

1. This should be a standard for all who are interested in stamps,
   stamp collectors and those who are courious about stamp values.
   Its handy size is perfect, handbook size to take in the car, glove box
   or in your briefcase. If your thinking of becoming a collector, having this
   book will give you a great cross section from common to rare stamps and all
   that's in between. A must have handbook that is chock full of U.S. Postage
   Stamps and current values.



2. This is supposed to be a 2010 catalogue, yet the latest airmail stamps listed are from 2001. None of the seven airmails issued since then--or any variety thereof--is included. Moreover, all the airmail stamps that the USPS issued from 1993 to 2001 are listed under the year 1993. The semi-postal page lists Scott B1 and B2, but B3 is not listed. None of the newspaper stamps issued from 1865 to 1895 is listed. Even at the low price, this catalogue is not a good buy. From now on, I'm going to buy the Scott Pocket Stamp Catalogue instead.



3. Don't waste your money on this guide.
   
   After reading the beginning chapter written by someone from the well respected Linn's Stamp News and titled "Linn's Look at the New Stamp Issues," I had to check the cover to make sure I had the 2010 Blackbook. That opening chapter is about stamps issued in 2007 and compares them to 2006 issues. Did someone forget to change that chapter from a previous guide? Ouch! Not a good way to instill confidence in your guide by not updating the first chapter.
   
   So then I figured I better check to see that the stamp listings were at least a little more recent than 2007. To my initial relief, I saw the listings included stamps for 2009. But there was only one problem . . .
   
   The stamps listed as 2009 were actually the stamps issued in 2008! The 2008 listings were for 2007 stamps and the 2007 listings were for 2006 stamps!
   
   But then it didn't end there, it actually gets worse.
   
   The stamps issued in 2003, 2004, and 2005 are listed under 2002. And the headings for the stamps issued in 2001 and 2002 start a couple of pages too late, meaning that some 2002 stamps are listed in 2001 and some 2001 stamps are listed in 2000.
   
   Ugh! What a mess. Need I say more.
   
   The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is that there were some nice articles in the guide. But the mistakes in the stamp listings make me doubt the accuracy of all the data in those listings. So what's the point in owning a guide you don't trust?

1 comments about Scott 2010 United States Pocket Stamp Catalogue (Scott U S Pocket Stamp Catalogue).

1. This is a very helpful book in identifying Scott numbers for US stamps and providing catalog value.

5 comments about Beginner's Stamp Collecting Fun Kit: Everything You Need to Start a Fun and Fascinating Hobby.

1. I was disappointed in the miniscule number of stamp hinges in the kit. Picky, I know, but necessary. A few glassine envelopes would have been helpful too. These items are not readily available in small communities, and must be searched out in speciality stores.



2. Not good for small children. On the plus side kit came with lots of information about history of stamps. Did not come with to a lot of stamps. Also flimsy way to afix stamps to book. Overall not a bad start up kit but not the best out there..



3. I have started a stamp collection with my grandson. This was a very helpful tool in getting started. We enjoy looking through the book and all the stamps that came with it.
   Thanks,
   J Nelms
   California



4. My son wanted to look into stamp collecting. I don't know much about it. This is a good review/starting place to see what is involved in the hobby. It made a nice Christmas present, didn't cost much and showed him I had listened to his interests. Nice format and helpful included items.



5. This album is strictly for U.S. stamps and covers the early 1900's through 2005. There are some black and white illustrations for each year, as well as blank spaces for other stamps. The book would have been a little nicer with a spiral binding and illustrations in color. Pages that wouldn't lie flat were a definite frustration for our grandson. A few starter stamps were included, as well as hinges, but there were only about a dozen hinges, so the first thing we had to do was find a source for them. Still, it's a good functional album for providing a beginning without a large outlay of money.

2 comments about Guide to Stamp Collecting (Collector's Series).

1. This book is well-written and decently researched. It doesn't "dumb down" the subject for kids, it's written clearly and directly, and is decently illustrated. Recommended.



2. Janet Klug is the Past President of the American Philatelic Society; its journal (a subscription includes membership) is the American Philatelist. She has written an excellent overview guiding a beginner through the steps of starting a stamp collection.
   
   She writes: "[I]t includes proper care and handling of stamps, locating stamps for a collection, using the tools of a stamp collector, and deriving maximum enjoyment from a stamp collection." As a collector for over 50 years, I give her the highest marks for achieving her objectives.
   
   There are too many excellent suggestions to summarize in this Review, but a couple will give a flavor of her writing.
   
   "Myth: Stamp collectors are nerdy and obsessive about their collections.
   
   "Truth: Most collectors of anything are somewhat obsessive. Collecting is a passion. Stamp collectors are not any different in that regard.... Rock 'n' roll singer/song-writer and former Beatle John Lennon collected stamps in his youth." Klug illustrates the cover page of Lennon's album; he drew beards and mustaches on Queen Victoria and King George VI.
   
   Klug argues that stamp collectors must form a collection of books as their collection grows. She recommends Fundamentals of Philately by L. N. Williams on the technical elements of stamps, for example. As your interests narrow, you will want to purchase additional reosurces; a collector of women on stamps will want a copy of Women on United States Postage Stamps by Anita Price Davis, for example.
   
   Klug worked closely with the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in creating her book; the Lennon album was acquired by the Smithsonian in 2005. It is well worth exploring the website of the Smithsonian or the American Philatelic Society if you have any further interest. Klug's book is beautifully printed on heavy stock with clear illustrations and an attractive format which could serve as a model for arranging your stamps on an album page in an attractive manner.
   
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008

1 comments about Scott 2009 U.S. First Day Cover Catalogue & Checklist (Scott Us First Day Cover Catalogue & Checklist).

1. For anyone collecting first day covers, this pocket version of the full sized Scott Specialized edition is indispensible. A great feature is the checkoff for each item which, when carried with you on buying expeditions, immediatly lets you know what you do have in your collection. Great value and a great tool.
   D. WeedScott 2009 U.S. First Day Cover Catalogue & Checklist (Scott Us First Day Cover Catalogue & Checklist)

1 comments about US/ BNA 2010 Postage Stamp Prices: United States, United Nations, Canada, & Provinces: Plus: Confederate States, U.s. Possessions, U.s. Trust Territories, ... Compre (Us Bna Postage Stamp Catalog).

1. The Harris Reference Catalog is a valuable asset for every Philatelist. The color photos of the stamps make for quick identification, numbering, and establishment of market value.
   
   Ordering from Amazon is a no-brainer. The company is fast and completely dependable.

5 comments about Top Dollar Paid!: The Complete Guide to Selling Your Stamps.

1. I recently inherited my father in law's stamp collection. My wife wants to sell it, to raise some much-needed money. I bought a current Scott catalogue and determined that one of the U.S. plate block albums is "worth" $350. My wife was told by a stamp dealer that he will only pay about 10% of catalogue value. That would make the album worth $35.
   
   I read Top Dollar Paid. It says that only certain stamps are good investments. Those are the stamps that were already rare and highly priced collectibles when they were first purchased.
   
   In other words, if you go into a stamp dealer and buy a 3 cent stamp for $500 because it is rare, that is exactly the kind of stamp that is a great investment. It is the type of stamp you can leave to your children or grandchildren, and its value will rise as the years and decades go by.
   
   But if, when your father or grandfather was a child in the 1930s or 1940s, or (God forbid) in the 1950s or 60s, he went into the post office and bought mint stamps, plate blocks, or sheets, and had a beautiful and complete collection, all of those old and pretty stamps are worthless. If all you want is the cash for them, use them for postage. They aren't worth a damn thing. If you bought a hot dog in 1963 you wouldn't expect to sell it for $50 today would you?
   
   There are interesting anecdotes in this book. There's the Hungarian boy who hoped to sell Hungarian stamps in the U.S. at a profit. (No way!) There's the author's meeting with Gerald Ford and his stamp collection. There are stories of stamp collection owners who try all the tricks that you yourself would have thought to try, and just where those tricks got them.
   
   I'm glad I read the book. Now I think I'll just add some of my father in law's stamps to my own collection. After reading this book, I would guess that the collection I inherited might sell for $100. Big deal.
   
   The moral of the story is .... your stamps aren't worth a thing. This is the worst investment there is. Put your money under your pillow and you'll be better off.
   
   Before reading this book, I figured that stamp dealers will generally low-ball you and buy your valuable collection for peanuts unless you know the value of it yourself. After reading this book I understand that stamp dealers have incentive to tell you what your collection is really worth to them, and make a fair offer, but it's going to be a small fraction of what you expect, because stamps are a God-awful investment.



2. This book does two things well:
   
   1) How Stamp dealers go about determing how much a collection is worth.
   
   2) Keeps you entertained by showing the human qualities of both the dealers and the sellers. The latter are usually the heirs of the collector. They are almost always non-collectors and have some very interesting misconceptions.
   
   It is funny and sad to see the reviews complaining they wanted the book to tell them how much their collection is worth. Mr. Dalz repeatedly tells you exactly how much a collection is worth. It's worth what the dealer can pay for it. You need an appraisal by someone who knows both stamps and the market.



3. I'm not planning to sell my stamps - but this book has saved me money by giving me some insight into what kind of stamps will never be worth the time or money spent on them! I also love Datz's vignettes of life in the stamp trade!



4. Funny anecdotes, but where is the beef? Undoubtedly this writer is an authority on stamps, but very little of that knowledge emerges in the book. The title therefore is misleading.



5. I would like you to put a description of what these books really tell. I am looking for a book that tells the value of the stamps I have.

5 comments about Stamp It!: The Ultimate Stamp Collecting Activity Book.

1. This is a good stamp book for my son (7 y.o)who likes get systematization of everything what he looks; the interesting activity: many stamps inside which can organize and study the history.., etc. My son is really enjoying !!!



2. Stamp collecting is a fun family activity, and this binder is a great way to start! The seller provided lots of unique and foreign stamps to get us started. And the book is full of creative activites for the stamps you collect. It's a great way to make geography meaningful to your children. Try it - you'll like it!



3. This particular book is great for kids just starting out stamp collecting. We used an inexpensive collection of used stamps to work on it that we purchased for under $5.00 off ebay to practice putting them into the different categories. It has places for you to collect stamps to tell about yourself (i.e. what your favorate color, flower, sport, etc.) and a family tree where you attempt to collect stamps from the birth places of your relatives which seems pretty fun, but a little challenging. For the price I thought it was a great way to get my little boy (8) into stamp collecting and gain a little knowledge of it. Would recommend for any child.



4. I purchased this book for my 10 year old grandson. He is absolutely thrilled with it. The book gives him a fun way to organized his stamps into very interesting categories.



5. I have never known anything at all about stamp collecting, and I thought this book was a wonderful introduction--so many cool ideas and activity pages. Well worth the money.

No comments about The Postal Service Guide to US Stamps, 36th Edition.

2 comments about Scott 2010 Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers (Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps).

1. One of the best on the market. Well worth the price even for a stamp 'accumulator' like me. Highly recommend



2. If you collect U.S. stamps, the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers is the single most important book you can add to your philatelic reference library. Covering everything from the earliest postmaster provisionals to beer stamps and postal stationery, the catalogue contains a wealth of information.
   
   The careful eye will catch occasional mistakes. For example, on page 206, the footnote under the Columbian issue souvenir sheets contains inaccurate numbers when referring to known essays. Other issues have incorrect data regarding perforations. These errors do not generally interfere with the catalogue's usability.
   
   If you have purchased a Scott Specialized Catalogue within the past couple of years, you can probably safely skip this one. Values for the vast majority of stamps have not changed significantly. If, however, you have never bought a Scott Specialized Catalogue, or if your copy is showing its age, the 2010 edition is a vital purchase.