Canadian FDC, Are They Worthless?

Nice to see an old thread revived. I, like others do buy these on occasion but try to get them very cheap. I find some of them to be interesting and attractive. I try to pay no more than ten cents a piece.

Now for probably the dumbest question ever. Are they still able to be mailed even though they have been cancelled before they leave the post office? I have never tried to mail one, but if I remember correctly I have received a couple in my mail.

Not an area I pay much attention to. Thanks.

Thanks everyone. :)

xyyz, I wouldn't think you could send them through the post if they already have a cancellation (albeit CTO) on the cover.

I posted a topic on this a while ago: 12/23/2014 "First Day of Issue - 3 decades late."

https://goscf.com/t/41109#41109

Canadian FDCs are one of my specialties, so I appreciate this thread. I would confirm what others have said that modern FDCs (especially since Canada Post started producing them and drove everyone else out of the market in the 1960s - 70s) have little value, except that they are nice to look at.

However, if you go back just a little to the 1960s and 1950s. there are some really nice original cachets. Many of these were produced in small numbers and are very collectible (and have value to those, like myself that try to collect as many per stamp issue as were made).

Here are a couple of examples. One is a Ken Boll cachet and the other is by Jackson (same stamp)

Yes, Virginia, you can still have your self-addressed FDCs serviced by the USPS, and travel back to you thru the mail.

That having been said, I had the clever idea of sending non-time-sensitive mail (eg my mail addressed to other people) thru the FDC system as a way of re-awakening interest in The Hobby. For whatever reason, the covers never arrived. Oh, well.

FDC servicing seems like a nice way to add a special touch to a birthday card, thank you card, etc.

Today I saw an FDC with a corner message along the lines of "Save This Envelope And Stamp // May Become Valuable". Below that was the cachet, and below that was a return address of Box 722, Akron, Ohio. The promised fact-filled insert had been removed ... does anyone recognize the post office box?

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

xyyz, Yes, covers cancelled on the First Day of Issue of a stamp issue may be mailed back through the mails to you, but need, in the Canadian system, to be covered with a special coloured paper, available through the Post Office, that states :

'Philatelic Mail,
Do Not Machine Cancel'

You need to request that this be used.

It is a good idea to keep some yourself and bring one or some with you to the Post Office, or send it / them along to the Day of Issue cancelling Post Office.


The covers may also be enclosed in a clear plastic bag ( when cancelled ) or another envelope sent by you along with the original request, that will hold the returning FDC covers. This so proper postage will be paid extra for the enclosed paper matter, whether enclosed in paper or plasric. Good we have self adhesive stamps.

A note:

I did have a cover hand-cancelled at a Post Office and then, not thinking of the impending consequences, allowed it to be processed through the sorting plant and delivered to me.

What resulted was a nice POCON hand cancel on the first day of issue but also a machine cancel on the day after.

Thanks for the info and answers folks.

Sak. I looked at your link and I am still puzzled. You did receive a cover in the mail without additional postage to the USA (I think).
Was it determined by you and the forum to be normal or a mistake by the post office? I have also received a couple of these from Canada to the US without additional postage. Maybe it works cross border but not on domestic mail.

Here is a nice new modern FDC with 2015 Pansy flowers souvenir sheet and a hand-cancelled First Day Of Issue cancel from Kelowna, BC (pictorial type) made by the Kelowna Stamp Club.

Notice the Personalized stamp lower center (nice) and lower left cinderella stamp (too good to be true !), nice signature of stamp designer, numbered (heh, heh, 13) and coloured cancel (possible printer job). Purchased and avidly awaiting arrival.

Thanks for rekindling my interest in modern first day covers.

Photo courtesy ebay seller fiestapedro. http://www.ebay.ca/usr/fiestapedro


Here is another one being sold on ebay by Robertstamp. Nice personal cachet.

Photo courtesy ebay seller Robertstamps. http://www.ebay.ca/usr/robertstamps

Puzzler, That is a beautiful and interesting FDC, nice purchase. Enjoy.

I have been looking for a FDC of the 10 dollar whale from 2010. Never see one for sale, even on ebay.

After looking on the Canada Post website they said the individuals were sold out. I then noticed that the complete 2010 year set was still available and at a discount price, at that time of my purchase the Canadian dollar was 20 cents less than the US buck and the shipping was free.

I ended up getting the whole year in a nice wooden box for around $52.00. Including the whale and about 25-30 covers.

I am not sure how many whale covers were produced but Iam quite sure they are out of production. I think the individual stamp is still being produced. ???

Yes, it is.

You can look on Delcampe.net or bidstart.com or continue to look on ebay. I think some of the earlier animal definitives, the larger $1+ ones, are now produced as Plate 2 versions. Waiting for the Whale now maybe also. I do need glasses though.


Here is the thread that shows the Canada Post yellow wrap-around paper to cover up cancelled stamps, from 2010 it is too. By KirkS and me.
https://goscf.com/t/6966&SearchTerms=protects
Here is the wrapper from that thread:
If using yellow paper in your printer, then print in greyscale only please. Use half for the front of a business envelope.

I remember getting an ebay purchase in a FDC. I guess the PO though it looked nice so they let it through. The seller put an extra stamp to make up the 85c. Is this a legit usage?

I have a small collection of FDC from the 1950's usage to Hong Kong and Malaya. As I'm not sure of Canada and it's not in my collecting interest they are taking up storage.

I'm leaning toward low value items of less than $10. Would this be a correct assumption ?



Regards
JC

For some commemorative issues, there are more FDCs around than regular covers even though there must have been more regular non-FDC covers as is evident by the many used copies that have been soaked off of envelopes. Too bad that it can be hard to find some regular usages on cover for some commemorative stamps. In trying to get covers from commemorative issues such as registered and special delivery rates so far I could only find them with cancels from the first day of issue but at least not from the official first day city with official first day cancel. Also, the definitive stamps did most of the work so that there are many more on cover found. Looking through the Canada OFDC catalogue, it looks like errors of cancels and cache wordings command high prices.

6 feet deep