Help With New Project? Stamp database.

[jlnstamps]

Hi Dave

I have sent a link to my Access database to your email.

If you want to see what you can take advantage of about 680 thousand records, feel free.
Any doubts I am available.

Regards
Jose

[collectordave]

Hi Jose

I have the link and am looking at the moment.

Great work.

Unfortunately I am on a MAC but I can see some real potential there.

Intrigued by the set view.

I will contact you later in the year, maybe we can share some ideas.

Dave

[jlnstamps]

Hi Dave,

Anything I can help with.

Records already include Mini-Sheets, Souvenir Sheets, Se-tenant, Gutter Pairs (some), Tete-beche (some), Sheets (some) and FDC (some).

Not all of them will be there, but of the first there are many (MS, SS, SE).

If you need catalogues (in PDF) I also have many - I can put them on the Google drive and provide a link.

Regards
José

[collectordave]

Hi José

Happy new year.

I have opened your database and can see it is full of a lot of information, a lot of which I do not use in world collector but is still relevant to stamp collectors.

Having had time to sleep on it I think it may be an idea to have a single database in a format that we can both access for adding and amending records.

This way we can share data and still produce separate applications for stamp collectors.

This will open up many areas for discussion to reach a listing that can satisfy all collectors but I believe it is achievable.

By the way your link on the page appears to not be working.

Anything I can do to help?

Regards

Dave

[jlnstamps]

Hi Dave,

About my website it's no longer available.

I no longer intend to make an application available. Your application is more than enough and free (which was why I tried to do the same).

I have also about 20 thousand items, from my collection, to register in my application and the time for that is short.

However, I will continue to update the database in Access and will make it available to you (with an indication of what has been updated).

Your idea would be excellent but, for personal reasons, you would not have time for that (see your email)

Regards
José Nascimento

[wartax1418]

Hi Dave
sorry for contacting you this way but i am having a bit of trouble with some parts of your database, as being in England i mainly use Stanley Gibbons catalogues i am slowly getting use to the database and slowly adding my collection but i am having trouble with one part i am currently adding Bulgaria i only collect stamps issued from 1912 up to about 1922 and mainly war and occupation stamps with Bulgaria i cant find in the database is the stamps issued 7th November 1915 type of 1911 re engraved plates and colour change the stamps are catalouged in Stanley Gibbons under the numbers SG.181.181A.182.182A.183.184.184A and a YT number of YT.BG.101.102.103.104.105.106. is there any way i can add these or am i looking at the wronge part i have done a search from 1911 up to 1920 but unable to find them inthe database or is it possable to add them if you require more details regarding the stamps i could send information
best regards Andy

[collectordave]

Hi Andy,

No problem with the contact any and all are good.

Thank you for bearing with me, I am currently working on some rather large enhancements to the application.

Just checked and the stamps you mention are not in the database.

Unfortunately I do not have a catalogue of Bulgarian stamps.

To keep the consistency of the database for all users I have not included any code to allow users to add stamps.

The easiest way to get them added is to select Bulgaria not limited by dates in the database currently about 5500 stamps. Then use the Tools|Export Selection menu item.

This will export all the selected stamps as a CSV file into the Exports folder.

You can then open this with your spreadsheet programme, I recommend Openoffice or LibreOffice once opened add the stamps right at the end of the sheet ignore the catalogue number column for the moment, just leave it blank.

If you prefer I can produce an ODF spreadsheet and post a link to it here for you.

Have you added the SG numbers to the stamps in your copy of the database?

Once added to the spreadsheet contact me again and I will send you a link to upload the completed spreadsheet. Then I will import the data for all collectors. I am sure any who collect Bulgaria will be grateful. After the import I can post an updated database for you.

Always hungry for images as well if you have any they could also be uploaded.

Kind Regards

Dave

[collectordave]

Hi Andy

Well that was quick thanks to one user.

I have been informed that the stamps you are looking for are in the database with one exception.

If you goto the search form and select Bulgaria as the country and then in the series box enter "1911 Definitives" then search you will find the colour changes. They have the wrong dates 14 February 1911 and not 7 November 1915 I have changed these dates and added the perforations for each.

The missing stamp is the 25st Black and Blue perf 14 x 14.

The series title 1911 Definitives is wrong and should read 1911-15 Definitives I am changing that as well as adding the missing stamp.

The updated database will be available shortly as time permits but due to Brexit I am having to re-organise my web site and then update the update application.

It is the way the base World Collector list is organised all stamps of the same design are listed together.

However if you collect using the Stanley Gibbons catalogue you can add those numbers.

Start as above with the search ensuring that World Collector is selected as the list to search.

When you have the stamps data displayed in the List Detail box in the middle at the top select the Stanley Gibbons list. Note that the number box is empty. Add the SG number here. I do not know the series title used by SG if different then change the series title to what SG use. Then click the UpDate button.

Do this for each of the stamps, my display shows a total of 17 stamps.

Separate to this you can add the date of issue in the detail box and click the save button in the detail box.

After adding/changing the data as above you can search for these using the SG number and country.

They will still be shown in the order specified by the world collector list but if you prefer to have them in the same order as SG this can also be done. I find it useful to have mine listed as per my catalogue so that when I produce the album pages for the stamps they are in the same order as my catalogue.

If you would like me to guide you through the sort routine let me know here.

Kind Regards

Dave

[jlnstamps]

Hi Dave,

My DB has now about 720 000 records (it's in the link) - the last one, you have, had 670 000.
I'm inserting more.

Please see your email.

Regards
Jose

[collectordave]

Hi Jose

Checked link I sent you it is working ok I have sent you an email with some detail.

My programme converts your DB directly and I am now working on extracting the data.

I am also looking at the way you handle a collectors personal collection with the intention of adding something similar to World Collector.

The set view is also interesting and I have some ideas.

To be very useful I think I need a lot more images, I have 100,000 approx at the moment. If anyone has any scanned images maybe they could upload them to the board where I can easily grab them, if that could be allowed?

Just to update everyone I am also working on an idea from another member on the format and usage of the collectable items, at the moment there is just the one field displayed this may grow to two.

Regards


Dave

None of these updates will impact anyone allready using the application.

[wartax1418]

Hi Dave,
First of all thanks for your help i have done what you advised but still haveing trouble done what you said put in Bulgaria then 1911 Definitives and i get 17 stamps come up as you said but they are still dated for 1911 cant see the series 1911-15 definitives not sure what i am doing wronge i am quite new to databases so not 100% up to speed yet
best regards
Andy

[collectordave]

Hi Andy,

First you are doing nothing wrong! Remember it is me that did not enter the correct dates in the first place.

Let's deal with the dates first.

Search for the stamps as before.

When stamp 1 of 17 is displayed you can see that it is King Asen Tower with a colour of Green and the date is 14 February 1911. This is correct.

Move to Stamp 2 Of 17 and the Colour changes to Slate-green but the date does not change. The date is wrong the colour change was introduced on 7 November 1915.

Use the mouse to highlight the 14 in the issue date and type 7 then highlight the whole of February and type in 11 then the same with the year 1911 and type in 1915. Then just to the right and down is a button labelled 'Save' click this, after a moment the 11 you typed in the month will change to November showing you that your corrections have been saved.

As you proceed through the selected stamps keep an eye on the Colour, I think the next colour change was the 5s value which was originally Black & Green and the new issue was Purple & Green. Change the date of the Purple & Green stamp as above.

You will not find the 25s stamp as that only had a perforation change not colour.

After this the dates should be correct.

Now the Series Titles.

This is a little more complicated to grasp.

A list on World Collector can be viewed as a catalogue. Just look at your catalogue and you can see it is a list of stamps. Now each catalogue gives each stamp a different number and value but also may list the stamps grouped into series in a different way with a different title. The final thing with a catalogue is that each one may list the stamps in a totally different order.

Have you added the SG numbers and series titles?

If so we only need to tell the database how to sort and display them for the SG list.

Let me know where you are after changing the dates and we can move on to adding the SG numbers and series and then on to sorting etc.

Kind Regards

Dave