Cover Collecting Can Still Be Fun (With Pictorials)

Thought I'd share a pictorial cancellation I just received today. A little heavy on the ink perhaps, but still a nice (and unusual) design for a modern pictorial cancellation.

Nice one. Thanks for sharing, WT

A couple of more pictorial cancels that came in this week. I try and look out for either the elaborate designs (such as Anna Maria, FL) or thematic ones (such as Chester, MA which covers the theme of railroading):

wow, those came back quickly. You must have had them there the day of the events. I do like each.

I sent for both of them on 05/21/2011 and they came back to me today (05/27/2011). Not a bad turn-around time. If I figure two days to get the request in and another two days to return the covers back to me, the cancels got processed within 48 hours. Maybe it's because they are for some obscure observances that aren't as popular as some others out there.

Here's an interesting piece...a pictorial cancellation I sent away for that was just returned to me today. Since I live in MA, I was interested in this cancellation, so that's why I sent for it:



BUT...I was intending that the post office would simply cancel the cover and return it in the general mailstream. (I have since taken off the removable address label that was there at the time of mailing.) However, to my surprise, the covers were returned to me in a plain handwritten envelope (which was nice on the part of the post office, but I had not requested that they send them back that way.) Nevertheless, I found it interesting that the return envelope contained no return address, but used a first class "Forever" stamp and that the envelope was spray-on postmarked Kansas City, MO:



I realize that most of the First Day Cancellations get processed through KC, but I was surprised that a local pictorial cancellation would get processed through that means, and even so, was further surprised that they would use a stamp on a plain envelope with no return address and not use an official USPS wrapper or envelope that would not have required a stamp.

Not that I'm complaining mind you, but the effort that would have had to have been made to process this request to Kansas City, and then handwrite a return address, and supply a #10 envelope, and add a first class return stamp from a postal service that is claiming it is nearly broke, must have some money if they can afford to do this type of return service at no cost to the collector.

Thought I'd share this pictorial cancellation from Monroeville, Alabama, which is said to be the birthplace of the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" which, of course, is the film from which Gregory Peck's image is depicted on the recent commemorative stamp:

Anna Maria Island..i know it well.Breakfast on the beach !! Also North Adams on the Mohawk trail..gee an I thought I did not get around much !!

I like those covers. I'm confused on how to actually obtain the covers? Do you make them or is their a place(s) one can purchase those fancy sachet/pictorial envelopes for F.D.C.'s? Please excuse my ignorance but I would really like to do this sometime.

Here's a link to how to send for pictorial cancels and the current offerings. No cost except for the envelopes and first class postage required to send for and obtain the cancels:

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bullet...nfo_008.html