Cover Question

I've not posted to this area of the forum so this may be a question already discussed, but I have a lot of "first day" covers that were never used (no addresses)like from Mystic or the USPS. Given how these are mass produced - is this becoming more of a novelty? Sometimes the art work is attractive for its own purposes - but does the first day cancel by itself mean that much - particularly when the rest of the envelope is blank? Seems like a waste of a good stamp. Maybe this is sacrilege -

It's a "specialty", just as there are collectors who specialize in other areas of philately, some like them (first day covers) and others loathe them. The reality is that you'll likely never get rich if you look at them in terms of value, as they are so over-produced that the supply far exceeds demand. Then there's the whole issue of a "first day of issue" cancel, that really isn't applied on the first day of issue, but collectors are given up to 60 days after the issue date to secure the cancel.

Is it a "novelty", yes. But by the same token, there are very fancy cachets found on some covers that have beautifully prepared artwork that can command high prices. Also, with the advent of home desktop publishing equipment (PC's and Mac's with color ink jet and laser printers) almost anyone can prepare their own artwork on these covers. Although that approach may not be viewed as having much value to the overall cover collecting population, there is a sense of personal satisfaction that comes with creating your own cachets, regardless of its philatelic value.

In reality, many of the more desirable items are the older covers created by well-known cachetmakers that were producing them back in the early 1940s through printing techniques that were only available back then (i.e. engraved, colorized, themographed, handpainted, etc.).

Modern first day cover collecting pretty much waned during the 1970s and 1980s when covers were so over-produced they were often marketed by subscription through home shopping channels on TV or in magazines as "collectibles" that lured in many unsuspecting collectors into thinking that they were acquiring something of value until efforts to sell the items revealed that they were only worth pennies on the dollar, oftentimes not even covering the value of the postage. Although the Scott catalog may value a modern first day cover at $3, you can often find them for sale at a $0.50 to $1, barely covering the value of the first class postage stamp affixed to it.

There are still many collectors who enjoy first day covers and there is certainly nothing wrong with it, as long as you keep it all in perspective.

A further note to wt1's sound advice -- when you find post-1960 first day covers on odd-sized envelopes; oversized envelopes; envelopes made with colored papers; light-weight or onionskin envelopes; marked with the destination's receiving cancel; with an added unrelated stamp; with a damaged stamp; forwarded; handwritten address, especially in pencil, then erased; old address scratched out; addressed with sticky labels, no matter how "removable" -- THEY ARE POISON. They are philatelic toxic waste.

All these unfortunate categories, they are poison, and if ANYONE will buy them, they normally fall into the 10c to 25c category, and below. No one wants anything out of the ordinary, format-wise. They want pristine unaddressed ArtCraft, ArtMaster, Fleetwood, and a few other major brands, mass-produced and (like Whitman's Chocolates) untouched by human hands.

Speaking of hands, "hand-painted" are a little different animal, but I won't go into that here.

I guess everyone has their own opinion as to what would be a collectable covers but I think it is extreme to arbitrarily group the designated covers as
As for me, I have been collecting covers (all kinds, not just fdc's) since the late 1950's and I would guess I currently have around 3,500 of them. I do not actively seek out the "pristine unaddressed" FDC's, but if the price is right, I'll obtain them. For example, I have several fdc covers of the 1973 postal employee issue as connected strips on oversized envelopes. It would not be possible to have a connected se-tenant strip on a smaller envelope. Many non-pristine unaddressed covers have an interesting story to tell. Many covers, FDC, FFC, RPO, HPO, or any other, are intersting. I have many covers in my collection which have little or no monetary value, but are otherwise very interesting.

My point exactly. I have many covers like that, too. Value doesn't play much of a part in it for me. If there is postal history or interesting postal marking, cachets, addressee's name, etc., and if the price is right, I'll buy them. I don't go out of my way for them, but I don't consider them "poison" either.

I suppose we must just leave it as "to each their own" as to what one desires to collect.

I own some FDCs. I sought out a few US FDCs (especially airmails). I like my little collection of FDCs from the 1930's-50's. I have some more modern ones too, no cachets. Not sure how I got them, not sure what I will do with them.

I guess in my rambling way I am agreewing with WT1 and ncbuckeye.

C30 Transatlantic Airmail


Here is another Airmail FDC I treasure (though a bit of a plane Jane).

The second cover is certainly intersting, smauggie. I would bet my tomorrow's PB&J lunch that the cover was not delivered SD.

That Special Delivery cover will likely have a backstamp that will show immediate delivery to the Detroit address (via RPO, probably). Whether or not it was really "Special Delivery" is another story.

As for the top C30 FDC, addressed to Braley Gray, here's a perfect example as to why these addressee's names can provide insight into a whole history. According to this website, Braley Gray was a descendant of the Gray family that founded Old Town Canoe Company in Old Town, ME, that still makes boats, canoes and watercraft to this day:

http://www.referenceforbusiness.com...mpany.html#b

I just ordered a handful of covers, but I haven't received them yet. Never bought one before, but I thought these were pretty. They were each only a dollar or less, but I liked looking at them. It never occurred to me to look at a postmark or a name. I'm learning so much here! Thanks, guys, for teaching me to see.