VALUE CHANGES AFFECT ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY IN VOLUME 3 OF THE 2008 SCOTT POSTAGE STAMP CATALOGUE

Most of the value changes made in Volume 3 in the 2008 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue are upward. Almost every country in this volume has had values changed. All totaled more than 8,500 value changes were recorded in Volume 3, which covers countries of the world G-I and includes such popular countries as Germany, Great Britain, Greece and Italy.

In Gambia, many modern topical sets are on the upswing. Scott 455-458, the 1982 10b-2d Frogs set, jumps from $21.50 mint never hinged and $11.50 used in '07 Volume to $29 and $17.15 respectively in the 2008 edition.

911 changes were recorded in Gibraltar. Many of the changes are concentrated in the 1970s to present. An example of larger-than-typical value increases include the 1986 4p-44p Postage Stamp Centenary set, Scott 485-488, which moves to $9.15 mint never hinged and $10.35 used, from $6.90 mint never hinged and $7.50 used last year. An even larger percentage increase is the 1991 13p Birds block of four, Scott 594a, which flies to $6 mint never hinged and $6.25 used, from $4 mint never hinged and $4.25 used last year.

In Great Britain, a number of unused classic stamps rise in value. The £5 bright orange Victoria, Scott 93, increases to $10,000 from $9,000 in the 2007 Volume 3. The 1884 £1 brown violet Victoria, Scott 110, moves to $25,000 unused and $2,400 used, from $23,000 unused and $2,300 used last year. Europa issues of the 1980s-90s fall slightly, and some Great Britain issues in the 2000s are up slightly.

Increases are scattered throughout the Greece listings. The popular 1906 1 l-5d Olympics set, Scott 184-197, jumps to $500 unused and $325 used, from $446 unused and $284 used last year. Many sets are up 10-20 percent in the 1950s, and value changes are scattered thereafter

There are several significant increases found in Hungary for unused issues from the 1920s. The 1928-31 30f-50f Palace at Budapest set, Scott 437-441, quadruples in value to $16.25 unused from just $4 unused in the 2007 Volume 3. Another notable increase is in the 5,000k Madonna and Child with inverted center from the 1921-25 50k-10,000k set, Scott 386a, which jumps to $15,000 unused and $8,000 used, from $11,000 unused and $6,000 used last year.

Almost every value has been increased in Italian Colonies, and these increases, in general, are significant. One of the most impressive grains is in the 1933 5c-25 l 10th Anniversary of Fascism set, Scott 32-41 and C20-C27, which soars in unused condition to $144 from just $88.25 in last year's catalogue.

There are several important additions to this year's edition. New listings comprising 410 major and 45 minor catalogue numbers have been added for the Indonesia Revolutionary issues of 1945-49. The stamps of the Indonesian Revolution have either been ignored or listed incompletely and/or inconsistently by general stamp catalogues, partly due to the exploitive nature of some of the issues. The Scott editors have decided that collectors would be best served by the accurate sorting out of the various Java, Sumatra and National issues and the differentiation of these listable stamps from the numerous stamps overprinted by local authorities and from the hundreds of overprints applied by the philatelic agent after the issues ceased to be valid in Indonesia.

Another significant addition involves Hungary. The imperforate renditions of the normally perforated stamps from 1916 through 1991 are now footnoted and valued comprehensively for the first time. Collectors often encounter these imperfs, and now they can be identified and valued using the Scott catalogue pages.

The cover price for the printed version of Volume 3 and each subsequent 2008 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Volume is $65.99. The CD-ROM price for Volume 3 is $59.99. A package that includes print and CD-ROM versions of Volume 3 is also available for $99.99. Volume 4 (Countries of the World J-O) will be released in June, Volume 5 (Countries of the World P-Slovenia) in August, Volume 6 (Countries of the World Solomon Islands-Z) in September, the U.S. Specialized and the Fall U.S. Specialized Valuing Supplement in October, and the Classic Specialized in November.

For more information about the 2008 Scott Catalogues and CDs contact your favorite stamp dealer or write to Scott Publishing Co., Box 828, Sidney OH 45365, or call 1-800-572-6885. Information can also be found online at www.amosadvantage.com