6.0 Variants, Related Items and Special
Most fields on Colnect are used to provide information about the stamp. The “variant”, “related items” and “special variant” fields are different and these fields are not for information purposes. They are there to support specific software features. To set up these software features properly editors must understand these features; why we have them, and how they are intended to work. Do not become confused by the philatelic definition of the word “variant” as that has nothing to do with the proper setup of these software features.
6.1 Variants
A “variant” on Colnect is a feature of the software that enables a user to conveniently find and display all similar stamps that might be confused with each other. This feature is to be set up to work well for all users, including novice users who are unfamiliar with stamp varieties. The feature works by linking all stamps which are similar looking. This of course includes all stamps that would fit within the usual philatelic meaning of the word “variant” and you are to link stamps that differ from each other by minor things such as perforation, paper, watermark, printing method, printing die types and so on. And if stamps are of a somewhat similar color, linking is also helpful (such as blue, linked with ultramarine, or light ochre with dull orange, and so on). But there are other similar looking stamps that are also to be linked; stamps which would not be called “variants” in the philatelic sense of the word. In general, you would not link stamps of different countries, but in some particular cases such as with joint issues, overprints, and/or surcharges it may be necessary to link these stamps because they are confusingly similar. And generally, you would not link stamps having different denominations, but again if there is a large number of stamps with a design that is very confusingly similar, even different denominations should sometimes be linked as variants. The question is not “are these stamps variants within the philatelic meaning of that word?”, the question is “are the stamps so similar that they could be confused with each other by a novice stamp collector?”.
6.1.1 : Overprints & Surcharges
A stamp with an overprint and/or surcharge is to be linked with the stamp that has been overprinted or surcharged as a “variant” if it is from the same country as the original stamp. If however the effect of the overprint and/or surcharge is to create a stamp of a different country the overprinted or surcharged is to be linked as a “related item” to the original stamp.
6.1.2 : Use of Name Field
Once “variants” are linked, how each stamp differs from the others should be made apparent in the “Name” field if possible, and also in the “Description” field. It is much faster to look at the Name or Description field and see one stamp is “Santa Claus - perf 12” and the other is “Santa Claus - perf 11” than to try to compare every single field until you find the difference.
6.1.3 : Use of Magnified Images
In some cases, adding a second image will also be helpful to show the different variations. A magnified second image is ideal when stamps have different printing die types.
6.1.4 : Make Sure There Is A Difference In One Category!
It should never be the case that stamps that are linked as “variants” are described in an identical way in all fields, leaving only the photo and catalogue codes to tell which is which. Not everyone uses a printed catalogue, and not everyone will rapidly see the difference in the photos. The difference should be pointed out in the “Name” field or the “Description” field, or both.
6.1.5 : Photos of Variants
If you are adding a photo of a “variant”, be sure to add a photo that is of that particular “variant”, and not a photo of the other variety if the difference between the varieties is visible from the front of the stamp, such as shade or perforation differences. Of course, in some cases such as with watermark variations, the same photo of the stamp can be used for both “variants”.
6.1.6 : Variant as a Software Feature on Colnect
Sometimes stamps are listed quite separately in the printed catalogues, and they are not actually variants of each other in any philatelic sense of the word, but they are still appropriately linked as “variants” on Colnect. This occurs because on Colnect the word “variant” refers to a software feature and it is not used as a philatelic term. By setting the “variants” you are setting up that software feature to bring together in one place all stamps that are confusingly similar.
6.2 Related Items
The “Related Items” feature is used to link items that are of a different type, but that are related to each other in some distinct way. For example, a stamp would be linked as “Related Item” to its first day cover. The original design purpose of the “Related Items” feature was to provide a mechanism to link items in the stamps category with items in the philatelic products category. That continues to be its main purpose. However, it can also be used to link stamps to other stamps if they are related but of a different format. For example, a stamp coming only from a souvenir sheet is to be listed as a “related item” to the souvenir sheet from which it has be taken.
6.2.1 : Variants are NOT Related Items
Do not use the “related items” feature to link similar stamps that might be confused with each other. Use the “variants” feature for that.
6.3 Special Variants
Saying that a stamp is a “special variant” on Colnect does not mean that the stamp is “special” or that it has any linked “variants”. And the expression “special variant” is not being used on Colnect as a philatelic term. The concept of a “special variant” is there to support a software feature. The feature that it supports is the ability to have two catalogues in one. For those people who would like colnect to be a highly specialized catalogue showing every esoteric variety of each stamp, it is that. And for those who consider all these varieties are just useless clutter and they want only a generalized catalogue, Colnect is that too. This is made possible using what has been called “special variants”.
6.3.1 : The "Show Special Variants" Setting
When you go to your Colnect page and click Personal Page (Edit) you end up at your user settings page. One of the settings on this page is a tick box that says "Always show special variants". If you have no tick in that box you will not see those stamps that have been tagged as "special variants". So, if you want a specialized catalogue you turn on special variants, and if you want a basic general catalogue you turn them off.
6.3.2 : Defining "Special Variant"
There is no hard and fast rule as to what must be tagged as a “special variant”. If it is something only listed in a specialized catalogue it is most likely a “special variant”. If it is an unusual variety such as an inverted watermark, a minor printing error, or an imperforate pair, it is usually tagged as a “special variant”. In all cases editors should use their judgment and experience to determine whether or not a particular listing belongs in the generalized catalogue or if it should appear only in the specialized catalogue.
6.3.3 : Other Uses of Special Variant
As mentioned above a “special variant” does not have to be a linked “variant” in colnect. Stamps can be designated as “special variants” even if they are not linked to anything else. For example, a pair with one stamp having an inverted overprint could be tagged as a “special variant” on Colnect even if there is no standard pair in the generalized catalogue to link it to. However, in such cases it is appropriate to link the special variant as a “Related Item” to the single stamp it is based on.
