Catalogs, Catalogs Everywhere

Ah, the stamp catalog. Not counting tongs and the stamps themselves, perhaps one of the most vital tools for the philatelist. It helps us identify and value our stamps, while educating us to the innumerable varieties, errors and other phenomena that await us out in the soaking trays. As I studied the Harris 2009 US/BNA Catalog to review it, I realized that many of the general catalogs present much of the same information. What separates them is the level of detail, the amount of supplemental information, and a lot of smaller things. Paper quality, color vs. black & white images, whether the book can lay flat, and electronic options are all things to look for in the modern catalog. I have relied on the Scott family for years, but as I expand my collecting interests I find I am always on the look out for new resources. For example the catalogs issued by the USSR contain a great deal of information that I had not seen before, the only drawback being that I am forced to use my very rusty Russian.

Given that there are so many options and things to look for in a catalog, I thought it would be interesting to see what you prefer to use.