OK. Most of my needs center around producing a fine finish on cherry furniture. This includes a variety of operations such as sanding on the lathe, removing material as with a random orbit sander (adhesive backed 6" disks). Hand sanding.
And I've got a belt sander that gets some use as well as smaller 1/4 sheet and 1/3 sheet oscillating sanders.
As I've never had a problem with sandpaper going bad, I like to buy in "bulk" of 100 - 250 pieces of a particular grit.
I prefer aluminum oxide but am open to suggestions. I ocasionally use automotive wet/dry silicon carbide for a variety of uses including sharpening, leveling varnish on a large surface (using mineral spirits as a lubricant)
While I'm an amateur, I am an advanced amateur concentrating on heirloom quality furniture. And yes, I do utilize a scraper when it is appropriate but find that "sand"paper is most useful.
As far as my country, I'm in the good old USA in northwestern New Hampshire. I have a fully equipped shop. I have been teaching at a local college since retiring from the venture capital business and will be again fully retired after this school year.
Hope this makes it easier to answer my original question!