Michel catalog

First published in 1910, it has become an important reference work for philately, with information not available in the English-language Scott catalogue.

Unlike Scott, Michel does not issue a complete set of catalogs every year, instead updating only several of the volumes.

Also of significance to some collectors is its coverage of countries and periods omitted by Scott for editorial or political reasons.

For instance, US embargoes against Cuba, Iraq, and North Korea are reflected by Scott's failure to show market values for those countries' stamp issues (as late as 2002, Scott did not supply any information at all about North Korean stamps), and Michel is one of few sources for that information.

Aside from Germany, a number of other countries are covered in specialized catalogues that indicate more details such as variations and first day cancellation.