Stamp Catalogs: Which Ones to Use for Which Stamps

Ever want to know where to find certain stamps and how much they cost in case you want to buy some new ones to complete your collection of Elvis, airplane, French, Japanese, or early American stamps? Well, there is probably a catalog just for you. Unless you are a major stamp buff, you may not know that not all stamp catalogs are created equal. Depending on the type of stamps you are collecting one particular catalog might be better than any of the others.

Here are some stamp catalogs and what they are best used for.

For French stamps, the best source is “Yvert et Tellier”. This is a century old French concern which lists stamps that French philatelists collect the most. It is an excellent source of stamps for France, Andorra, Monaco, and any of the former French colonies.

The Sakura Catalog is the best source for Japanese stamps.

The Hibernian Catalog specializes in stamps from Ireland.

The OCB Catalog specializes in Belgian stamps.

For German stamps go to the Michel Catalog. It also covers the rest of the world, but is best for Germany.

The Stanley Gibbons Catalog also covers the world, but is particularly good for stamps from Great Britain.

And similarly, the Scott Catalog has stamps from around the world, but specializes in US stamps.

One of the best sources of information, however, can be found on the Glassine Surfer website: http://www.glassinesurfer.com/webdirectory.shtml. This site connects you to a myriad of collecting sites where you can research your collection and connect with people with the same stamp collecting interests as you.