Does A Stamp Affixed On A FDC Cover Come Off Easily ?

Friends,

does a stamp affixed on a FDC cover come off easily ? I have some FDCs but I dont have an album to keep them in so I am thinking of taking off the stamps and keeping them in my album. Does a stamp lose its value if its taken off a FDC ? Do advise.

well, stamps off cover are worth what the catalog states for them as a normal stamp not as a cover with stamp. (hmmm, seems easy to explain but does not read right)

there is a first day cover catalog price, and a used floated everyday stamp price it will be the used floated every day stamp value. of course those values all vary on stamp and condition.
older stamps all float off, newer peel and stick stamps need special care to get off. not sure what age yours are.

you will get mixed emotions on here about floating stamps off your FDC, however keep in mind you need to collect how and what interests you. just be sure your not floating a $2 stamp off a $500 cover and you wont cry yourself to sleep...

Hi! jagsp

I will only take stamps off FDC or stamps on mail, if the envelopes are damaged.
I find it better to sell the covers and buy what I need.

The self adhesive stamps can be a problem to take off paper.
The gummed stamps still generally float off paper very easily.

Why not keep them, who knows you may turn into a cover collector.

Happy stamping KGV

To answer your question about a stamp coming off a FDC easily, the older gummed stamps can be soaked off paper just as easily as any other stamp. If your talking about the more recent self-stick stamps, there are guidelines available that suggest which stamps come off easily and which do not. You probably would want to check that out before attempting to soak those off cover.

As for keeping FDC's versus the used stamps off-cover, I would be very selective in determining which stamps may be more valuable as an FDC rather than a stand-alone used stamp. First of all, are we talking about US or Worldwide FDC? If US, the FDC's generally claim a higher value than a used stamp simply because of the effort and cost involved in making them. Personally, I would follow these guidelines:

1. Generally, most FDC's after 1950 catalog at minimal value (there are exceptions, though).
2. If the stamp catalogs at minimum value as used, it may be worth a slight bit more to keep as an FDC.
3. If the FDC cacheted or not? If not, the stamp probably has no premium value as an FDC as compared to the stamp alone.
4. Is the FDC addressed? If not, it is generally worth more than the ones that have an address either handwritten or typed.

If any of the above situations exist, it is really up to you as to whether to keep them on cover or not.

As a general rule, if the FDC is cacheted, I'd leave it on cover as the cacheted envelope is a good part of the premium given for a FDC over a plain used stamp and often provides a colorful history on the stamp. There are also some cachets that can command a premium, especially if they were produced in limited numbers.

There is the argument that keeping a stamp on cover (no matter how plain) gives one more of a history of the stamp and how it was used, than the stamp itself. That being said, there are points in time when one must consolidate their holdings and many times the albums or books that house these covers can cost as much, if not more, than the value of the covers one would store in them.

In general, modern day US FDC's command minimum value, just as used stamps of that same period. If you are getting back into stamps issued pre-1940 where some classic stamps have sizeable premium values if left on cover, you'd certainly be better off to leave them on-cover, whether cacheted or not or addressed or not .

Of course, that's purely my own opinion.

Thanks for your quick opinion guys. The FDCs which I have are probably not that precious. They are recent ones. (1990s)see below











Yeah some stamps do look good on envelopes especially if they are very old ones. Just the other day I won some chinese covers on ebay which were dated 1981 and had addresses written in chinese which I dint understand but just for a while I felt nostalgic about the time the letter must have been posted 25 years ago and here I was .. about to thrown it in the bin. I liked the stamps on it so I had to take it off and sigh... "nothing is permanent !"

The way I see it is....Used stamps off paper are very common and can be found anywhere. Once you take a stamp of a cover that's it it can't be fixed. I wouldn't take a stamp off a cover unless it was damaged. Just my opinion.

I am learning it the hard way... I buy things impulsively and then start feeling cranky.

Definitely keep both those covers you displayed on-cover. They are worth a premium that way. The Beatles cover especially covers a whole diffrent ground of not just stamp collectors, but Beatles fans who would probably pay a premium for it.

The Singapore cover with its multi-valued stamp combination on one cover is another speciality that collectors often look for.

Not that either of these items are going to make you rich, but they are certainly more pleasing as a cover than the used stamps would be alone.

Hi! again jagsp!

After 50 posts I reckon you could swap those 2 covers for some very nice stamps. Your covers look very collectable. Even I have heard about the Beatles cover being a good one to get and that is saying something! Just a thought.

The best part is you can do with them as you wish! That is stamping!

Jagsp, KVG Collector brings up a good point,

you might be able to persuade a few of these cover collectors to give you more quality stamps from their hoard of overstock, then you would get off these covers
a win win, not to mention you might even be able to ask for specific country stamps if that person has a sizable stock, which I've noticed if they collect covers they are not concerned about space and usually have a zillion other things...

either way, they are yours and in the end you have to collect how and what you like to make the hobby enjoyable because in the end most of us collect to enjoy, not for the resale.
however try not to destroy any $500 covers, :)

Thanks for your suggestions guys. I think I am gonna keep the covers as they are for now.