Collecting Software Score!

So for the last six months or so I'd been using StampManage 2009 to help keep track of my stamps. I did like it quite a bit even with it's few flaws: Wishlists didn't work for me very well, the customization was only useful to a point. And customer service was terrible and consisted of waiting for almost two months for a reply to the forums I was directed to after several phone numbers proved non-working. Then the only response I got was "you have an old version. Please ugrade." I later found out my problem was a three second fix and was only made aware of it after a fellow user messaged me privately. So much for service.

BUT.....my husband had found it very cheap at a yard sale so I didn't complain because I figured I'd just upgrade to the new edition once I felt comfortable paying the price.

Then I stumbled on to Stamp Mate 2015 and I doubt I'll go back to another program. At heart all this software really is is a visual inventory program. No big deal. It's the bells and whistles that set one aside from another as well as the ease of use.

Stamp Mate 2015 is crazy easy to use and customize but the biggest perk is how simple it is to add entries. Full connectivity with Colnect as well as push-button updates and searches on the most popular auction sites really round out things. With StampManage I was spending several hours a day and maybe getting about 200 stamps inventoried because of the system's setup. With Stamp Mate I choose the country, year if it's year specific and click the search button. I then have a visual database staring at me from which to choose the stamp I'm looking for. Very easy! Plus options to mark the entry Have, Wish,Trade,Sell also make it far easier to see what I have for swapping without having to spend five minutes loading multiple databases per country. MUCH MUCH FASTER!

With the currency exchange rate it cost me about $50 US but very much worth every penny.

The Lure of Perfins

A nice, quick blog post on perfins and why they have a pull to some collectors. Please check this one out!

The Stamp Blog

Storytelling Ramayana through Philately

A very nice online exhibit about the Ramayana through stamps. Highly recommended. It's a bit short but very well done and wonderfully eye catching pieces.

http://stamps.org/userfiles/file/MyAPS/Exhibits/StorytellingRamayana-363311.pdf

Latest Obsession - Digital Albums

So my latest project was to get caught up with my stamp count as far as the ones I have in sorted, scanned and put in my album. Not a very complex thing but a bit time consuming as I enter info by hand in to the program.

Oh! The program! I forgot to mention the good fortune!

I've been wanting a copy of StampManage for quite a while, several years actually, but the kind of budget we're on doesn't allow for such big purchases money wise. Then perusing a random yard sale hubby found a legit copy of StampManage 2009....with the registration number....full version. For $1. It works great but there's tons of features I've no idea about just yet. But I'm getting my basic functions down and I'm a good clip in to my Japanese section so far and it's looking wonderful.

So I decide to take a break from inputting info and checking out my favorite stamp forums over at stampcommunity. There was a rather lively talk about digital collections. Apparently there's a whole bunch of people scanning in their stamps and using programs to make album page layouts with said stamps, then displaying them online. So it's like having a physical album but on the screen. A wonderful way to visually keep track of your collection as well as display to others and even introduce possible new collectors to the hobby. So my break from StampManage led me to learn some basic PowerPoint and put together some pages of my own:

Still have plenty of work and practice to do but I think it's working out well so far. Until I figure out the best way to blog them I'm going to keep them on my Flickr account for viewing. I'll keep up my other main blog with the individual stamps but this view seems to be far better for web viewing. And it'll probably be far easier to upload to other sites that highlight people's collections as well.

So PowerPoint, scans and lots of patience can actually turn in to quite a nice digital album. Less than an hour to learn the program and I already had the first two pages done.

Stamp Smarter

I LOOOOVE this site! So much so that I can't put all the exclamation points I'd like to or else I'll break Blogger.

Simply put Stamp Smarter helps to educate collectors on what to watch out for to keep from getting a bad deal buying stamps online. It's far too easy for some unscrupulous dealers and half witted rainy day salesmen to pass of fakes, altered and forged stamps in online sales and someone needed to help educate and hold back the tide of bad deals. Enter Stamp Smarter: Easy site layout and lots of resources to help you make better buying decisions and find reputable dealers and online sales and markets. Also a good place to interact with other collectors tho the main focus is on consumer education.

Stamp Smarter