Information for Contributors
Thank you. You have taken the first step to make the next edition of the American Stampless Cover Catalog (ASCC) the biggest and best yet. It will only be as good as the input from contributors, so please be thorough and accurate. Your suggestions are always welcome.
Please note that additional information will be available on the catalog web site at http:www.stamplesscovercatalog.com. Use your same USPCS username and password to enter any restricted areas.
Table of Contents
A. General information
B. Listing criteria
C. Data submission format
D. Image submission format
E. Planned/suggested/future changes
F. Pricing considerations
G. Abbreviations
A.General Information
The next ASCC will be published as one volume, essentially containing everything last published in three volumes, with the major exception being Confederate States of America stampless covers. That catalog is being produced by the Confederate Stamp Alliance and will not be duplicated in the ASCC. Additional information is available in the currently proposed Table of Contents.
The single volume will almost certainly be available in a hardbound edition only, as binding costs will be small in the anticipated quantity being printed. The format will be two or three columns per page with a page size similar to the 2008 Scott Catalogues. The paper is expected to be similar to the Scott Catalogues as well. The ASCC will be in black and white.
The catalog will be created and maintained using Adobe InDesign software and related software products. This electronic format is readily adaptable for mass printing, but is unfortunately too expensive for most individual users. Consequently, preliminary copy, when distributed electronically, will generally be in pdf format.
Each section will have its own bibliography to facilitate additional reader research. When applicable, please submit a separate bibliography with the data and images for each section. Be sure to include complete title, author, publication, etc.
Please maintain a list of all contributors that helped assemble the data. This list of contributors will be included in the catalog. If someone should be listed as an assistant or co-editor, please indicate this, also. Please do solicit help from collecting friends.
There is a list of abbreviations to be used throughout the catalog. Whenever possible, please use these abbreviations. Please define any deviations and/or additions with your submitted data.
B. Listing Criteria
This is a stampless cover catalog. Only markings used on covers which originated as stampless should be listed. If the best available image is on a stamped cover, please submit another image on a stampless cover to confirm it exists stampless.
Historical letters will not generally be listed if they do not have postal markings.
Items will not be de-listed and/or changed without ample justification. Please indicate which items you think should be de-listed and/or changed and why.
Institutional covers will be listed in the new edition, as before. Please indicate when an item is only known in an institutional holding. These items will be priced, as before, using asterisks.
As many markings as possible will be illustrated, so please submit as many illustrations as possible, particularly of non-standard handstamps. Maintain records of where you obtained information and illustrations, as you may be asked for clarification and/or better images. Please obtain a signed waiver of claims for use of images from everyone submitting images. The waver is available on the web site.
Please do not submit anything new you are not certain exists, have not verified in person or via clear photocopies or scans. If in doubt, do not submit a new marking, as it is better to add a new marking later than to add a false marking now.
C. Data Submission Format
Data may be submitted in any convenient format. Microsoft Word via email or CD is the preferred format. As all data has to be manually input, no submission format is unacceptable. Catalog photocopies with corrections and additions are even fine, hopefully supplemented by new listing data.
If collecting data from scratch, please use the current ASCC listing format for the particular section, using abbreviations from the current list. If you do not have access to a current ASCC, please ask. Please be careful and distinguish between upper and lower case, sans serif, raised letters, and so forth, as well as manuscript data. Punctuation and spelling must be exactly as shown on the marking. Marking data will be incomplete if it does not include size, color(s) and dates of use.
You cannot provide too much information, so there is no need to reformat data prior to submission if it contains more information than what is expected. Ambiguous, incomplete and/or illegible submissions will be questioned.
Use the forward slash ("/") to indicate change of direction in arc type markings and for additional lines in straight line markings. All measurements should be in millimeters and should be rounded up to the nearest whole millimeter if 10 millimeters or greater. All markings are considered round (single line circle) and in black ink unless described otherwise.
Refer to the current editions of the ASCC for examples.
State editors should not forget to include information formerly listed in Volumes II and III.
D. Image Submission Format
Ideally, all non-standard and/or unusual markings will be illustrated, either in the book or on the Internet. Consequently, many, many illustrations are needed, as the current catalogs do not list most markings.
Images should be submitted as separate files, preferably on CDs. Please indicate in the text (on the CD with the images) where images belong and how they are named. Acceptable image formats are tif, jpg and bmp, in that order of preference. Image types may be mixed on the CD. All images should be actual size, or clearly indicated when not. Maximum resolution desired is 600 dpi, with 150 or 300 dpi being acceptable in most cases. Images may be in color.
Auction catalog images will be available from some auction houses. If markings are required from any catalog, please include the auction firm name, sale number and lot number with your submission information and we will attempt to obtain the image. Please do not individually approach the auction houses, as they do not have the manpower to service many individual requests.
Everyone who contributes images should complete and return a WAIVER OF CLAIMS FOR USE OF IMAGES, which is available on the web site at http:www.stamplesscovercatalog.com. The return address is shown on the bottom of the form.
E. Planned/Suggested/Future Changes
The following changes are planned and/or suggested for this and/or future editions of the catalog. Feel free to comment on them, as well as make your own suggestions.
In the state listings, manuscript town postmarks will be merged into the handstamp postmark section in alphabetical order.
It is hoped that county names will be included for each city in the state sections. Consequently, please include county information with your submissions.
Dates of operation information would be useful. Please include this information, also.
It would be helpful to include town/city names from which postal markings are possible, but not yet recorded. If that information is available now, please include it with your submissions.
Several cities have been listed at the end of their state section instead of in alphabetical order. This practice will not be continued.
Many manuscript markings have not been listed in Volume II. It is hoped that this edition will be more complete and will include all manuscript markings, such as way, steam, ship, etc.
The introduction to the catalog, as well as each section, will be rewritten and enhanced.
F. Pricing Considerations
Without a doubt, the most difficult task in publishing this catalog will be pricing. Some guides avoid this problem by publishing a rarity code. These guides, of course, have their place and rarity certainly helps determine price. However, rarity is only one of several factors. A committee will be used to validate all prices, but your input will be very helpful, so please try to price each and every item at retail (fair market value).
G. Abbreviations
Found in postmarks:
Used in catalog listings:
The numerals appearing after the dash indicate dimensions of the marking in millimeters. Round to the whole millimeter for markings 10 millimeters or larger. The horizontal measurement is shown first, followed by the vertical measurement, separated by an "x."
REVISED: April 2008