Stamp Catalogues, Resources & Tools I Use

Published: 17 July 2026 by Dan Williams

This page lists the main catalogues, websites, reference material and practical tools I use when identifying, describing, pricing, listing and packing stamps through Apollo’s Lots Stamps.

Current stock is listed through the Apollo’s Lots Stamps eBay store, with a focus on collectable Great Britain stamps, varieties, classic issues and other material.

This isn’t an affiliate page, and is not intended to be a definitive philatelic bibliography. This is simply a list of resources I find useful as a small stamp dealer, especially when working with GB material.

I created this reference because I have looked for this sort of page myself. There are plenty of catalogues, websites and specialist references available, but it’s not always obvious which ones are genuinely useful in day-to-day stamp identification, listing and selling.

Some resources are used almost every day. And others are only used for particular issues, varieties, cancellations, plating questions or awkward attributions. Where a single source isn’t perfect, or comprehensive, I’ll reference multiple together where an item needs more checks.

Where I buy catalogues and reference books

I buy most current catalogues and stamp books from Dauwalders or Stanley Gibbons.

Older, out-of-print or non-Stanley Gibbons references are sometimes found through eBay, specialist publishers or online bookshops. Some Stanley Gibbons publications are also available as digital downloads.

General catalogues

General catalogues are usually the starting point for much of my everyday listing work. They’re useful for basic issue identification, catalogue numbers, issue dates, issue names and broad pricing context.

  • Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Concise Catalogue: my main day-to-day Great Britain reference for catalogue numbers, dates, basic issue identification and commemorative issue titles.
  • Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps: useful for Commonwealth material and Great Britain stamps used abroad.

For many straightforward listings, a general catalogue is enough. For varieties, specialist flaws, watermark differences, booklet panes, shades or official overprints, I usually need a more specialised reference as well.

Stanley Gibbons specialised catalogues

The Stanley Gibbons specialised catalogues are where I go when I need more detail than a general catalogue.

They are especially useful for listed varieties, watermark differences, plate numbers, shades, flaws, official overprints, booklet panes, phosphor anomalies and other material that basic catalogues don’t cover.

  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Britain Volume 1 Part 1 Queen Victoria: used for line-engraved stamps, including imperforate issues and underprints.
  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Briain Volume 1 Great Britain Queen Victoria: an older edition I still use for Queen Victoria surface-printed material not fully covered by the Concise catalogue. It also covers some line-engraved material, although newer specialised volumes have since split the subject.
  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Britain Volume 2 King Edward VII to King George VI: useful for shades, dandy-roll varieties, essays, proofs and varieties not listed in the Concise catalogue.
  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Britain Volume 3 Queen Elizabeth II Pre-decimal Issues: used for Wildings, pre-decimal regionals, booklet panes and pre-decimal varieties not fully covered in the Concise catalogue.
  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Britain Volume 4 Part 1 Queen Elizabeth II Decimal Definitive Issues: my main specialised reference for Machins.
  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Britain Volume 4 Part 2 Queen Elizabeth II Decimal Definitive Issues: mainly used for decimal regional issues.
  • Stanley Gibbons Specialised Great Britain Volume 5 Queen Elizabeth II Decimal Special Issues: used for decimal commemorative issues. My copy is the 1988 first edition, which still has value as a reference. I believe this volume has not been updated for many years.
  • Stanley Gibbons Collect British Postmarks: used for postmark and cancellation identification.

A catalogue reference may help identify the issue or variety, but condition, cancellation, gum, centring, perforations and overall appearance still need to be assessed separately.

Other printed references

Some areas are better served by more specialised books.

  • Collect GB First Day Covers: The Booth Catalogue: useful for first day cover identification, especially where cancellations need more detail than a general catalogue provides.
  • Imperforate Penny Reds by Daniel Matthews: useful for line-engraved Penny Red reference, plating notes, condition comparison and market context.
  • The Complete Machin by G. J. Burgess: a very useful and thorough Machin reference, especially for errors, varieties and material not covered in the Stanley Gibbons catalogues.

Online stamp references

Some questions can be answered online, especially where images, plating tools, articles, registration sheets or updated specialist research are available.

For line-engraved material, plating questions and unusual examples, online references can be particularly useful alongside printed catalogues.

I don’t use these online resources for every listing, but they can be helpful when a stamp needs more than a quick catalogue check.

For an example of this kind of cross-checking, see my investigation into a Malta A25 imperforate Penny Red.

Condition assessment and grading

Identifying a stamp is only part of the work. Condition has just as much influence on value and buyer confidence.

When assessing a stamp, I look at the front and back, including centring, margins, perforations, cancellation, gum condition, thins, creases, tears, repairs, toning, surface marks and general eye appeal.

I use common philatelic abbreviations such as UM/MNH, MM/MH, MNG, VFU, FU, GU and space filler where useful. These terms are a shorthand, not the whole description. The scan, title, condition notes and full listing text should be considered together.

More detail on the terms themselves is covered in my stamp grades and abbreviations guide.

Pricing and market checks

Catalogues are useful, but catalogue value is not the same as selling price.

When pricing stamps, I usually compare a mixture of my own previous sales, current eBay listings, completed eBay sales and Terapeak where useful.

  • Own previous sales: useful where I have sold the same or similar item before in comparable condition.
  • Current eBay listings: useful for seeing the current asking-price range, although asking prices are not always market prices.
  • Completed eBay sales: useful for checking recent actual sales, especially where format, condition, postage and selling method are similar.
  • Terapeak: useful for looking further back, especially for sold items on multi-quantity listings, less common items and also viewing the current competition.
  • Catalogue value: useful as a reference point, but not a selling price on its own. Condition, scarcity, demand and recent availability all change the picture.

I don’t always aim to be the cheapest listing. A listing with poor images, vague descriptions or weak packaging feedback is not necessarily the right comparison.

For lower-value shop window items or basket-builder stock, I usually price close to the lower end of reputable comparable sellers. These items are not always about margin on one isolated sale; they can also help buyers discover the shop, combine purchases, or build confidence before buying more specialist material.

I have written more about that idea on my personal site: Why a £1 Stamp Can Be More Valuable Than a £50 Stamp.

For specialist, scarce or better-quality material, pricing can be more of a judgement.

Listing and image tools

Most of my stamp images are made using a flatbed scanner rather than a camera. This helps show centring, perforations, postmarks, gum and condition clearly.

For most listings, the scan is part of the description rather than decoration.

  • Canon CanoScan LiDE 400 flatbed scanner: used for most singles, sets and smaller groups. I usually scan at 600 dpi, occasionally 1200 dpi where extra detail is needed.
  • Phone camera: used occasionally for larger items, collections or material that does not fit the scanner easily. I use a Google Pixel 9, which is very capable for this.
  • Canva.com: used occasionally to create simple explanatory images where they genuinely help the buyer understand a listing, such as highlighting a variety or clarifying a multi-listing.
  • eBay listing tools: used for listing management. I don’t use eBay AI image tools to alter the appearance of stamps.
  • AI tools: sometimes used to tighten wording, test phrasing, throw ideas around, or help spot patterns in sales data. The identification, judgement and final listing remain mine.
  • Signoscope Watermark Detector T3: used for watermark detection where a watermark cannot be seen clearly with added light against a dark surface.

I have written more about how I create my eBay listings on my personal site: The Anatomy of My eBay Listings.

Packing and postage materials

Most orders are sent in hard-backed envelopes, with protective stock cards and suitable covers.

Some of this, and other packing materials, can depend on the order.

  • Hard-backed envelopes: usually A5 “Do Not Bend” envelopes, bought in bulk. They are cost-effective and suitable for most stamp orders.
  • Two-strip stock cards, 148 x 85 mm: used for most single stamps and small groups. Lower-value items may use a half stock card where appropriate, while higher-value items may receive additional stiffening or protection.
  • Clear-face protective bags: used to help keep the stamp and stock card protected inside the envelope.
  • Thank-you cards: included with orders. They also add a little extra protection when placed with a stock card inside a protective bag.
  • Postage workflow: signed-for and tracked services are normally purchased through the Post Office counter. For standard lower-value orders, I use a more cost-efficient postage workflow to keep small orders viable while still packing properly.

For lower-value stamps, packing and postage costs do matter. Buying materials in sensible quantities and using an efficient postage workflow helps keep small orders viable, without sending items loose or unprotected.

For larger items, covers, miniature sheets, collections or higher-value orders, the packing may be adjusted to suit the item.

My aim is simple: the stamp should arrive in the condition described.

A note on uncertainty

Stamp identification is not always perfectly neat.

Catalogues, specialist references, online tools and past examples all help, but sometimes an item still needs a cautious description.

Where I am not fully certain, or where a variety, cancellation or plating attribution is not conclusive, I will say so.

A careful caveat is better than a confident mistake.

Why I have listed these resources

This page is partly for buyers who want to know how Apollo’s Lots Stamps researches and describes material.

It’s also for collectors or newer sellers trying to understand which catalogues, websites and practical tools may be useful when working with Great Britain stamps.

Simply put – it’s a look at the catalogues, websites and tools I actually use.

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