Covers In A Collection

For the past three or four years, I have been adding covers to my country collections. Postal history is not a major interest for me although I do have a few covers of some historical interest and I usually research anything that looks particularly interesting.

My main interest is in adding variety to my collections by strategically inserting postally used covers and nice mint and used multiples here and there. Not striving for completeness, just variety.

I am wondering what others do in this regard. Are you a postal historian only or do covers represent an interesting variation.

I do not have much interest in FDCs!

I think that covers are a wonderful addition to a stamp collection. I must state that I have a distinct bias because I really enjoy postal history.
One of the things that always bothered me about collecting mint stamps was that anybody with enough money can duplicate any collection. On the other hand, every cover is unique which means that nobody can ever exactly duplicate my collection.
One of the really neat things about covers is that it allows the collection to demonstrate the need for certain face values on stamps. For example, the 13 cent stamp of the 1930's paid the combination for a domestic first class registered letter.
I think that you are demonstrating that there are no rules in philately and you can add anything to your collection that pleases you without feeling the need to apologize or explain.
Go for it! You never know when you are going to find another meaningful or attractive cover that you should be able to add to your collection without fighting with yourself.
GJP

I agree, covers can be so interesting. I collect covers from my home town of Yakima, Wa., Newfoundland covers, and classic Zeppelin covers. I don't generally put them in albums unless they are Zepps. Postcards too can be interesting since you can read what the sender had to say.

Started collecting 50 years ago & then specialising in Poland about 30 years ago whereupon I joined the Polish Stamp Club in Melbourne. The members there had HEAPS of covers & postal cards & I sucked them dry.

It's the history that intrigues me especially the post/postal cards

One postcard from a lady to a gentleman in the 30s has a notation "check under the stamp" the stamp has been steamed off - was there a lock of her hair there?

Another from 1940 is from a father to the Red Cross asking about his soldier sons wherabouts, giving his sons army & battalion details. From a book on the September 1939 campaign I can reference that that battalion was wiped out at a specific battle. Chances are his son was dead.

It makes this hobby of ours very real

I always look out for covers (or postcards) to add to my collections as they show the real purpose of the stamp, that is to pay postage. I have stopped collecting mint stamps in the main, for that reason. Same reason why I very rarely buy an un-used postcard, until it is used (for me anyway) it is not a postcard, it is just a card. The social history side of cover collecting is fascinating. Here is a cover that sits in my 'Airbus' collection (my only thematic collection) - it is a cover sent from Heliopolis, Egypt in 1935 to The Bristol Aeroplane Co at Filton House in Filton, Bristol. That company is now part of Airbus, and Filton is where wing design (and some aspects of build) are carried out today. The addressee was Mr N Rowbotham who at that time was responsible for all engine production at Patchway, Bristol.

Cover collecting adds a great deal to the appearance and variety of a collection. I include several different types of covers, few of which I collected for the stamps on them. My favorite covers include those of a few selected cachet artists, association covers (those that are from or addressed to well-known stamp collectors, long-standing dealers from the 19th and 20th centuries, and philatelic publications that are long gone), topically-related covers, and my favorite cover type, airmails with unusual and different airmail borders. Most of my covers cost under $10.00 and many less than $5.00. Its always fun to find a new one and very difficult to come away from a stamp show without a few additions to my cover collection.

Don Sellos

I think that covers can really dress up any album.

Covers on the same page as the same set or singles are good time period examples.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Covers are historical artifacts, providing a catalyst for research. Here is an example dealing with St. Stephen, New Brunswick:

http://postalhistorycorner.blogspot...2/03/st.html

Lordenning
Great link, especially since I live about 100 km. from St. Stephen.

I wanted to bring this back up to the top by commenting by amplifying all the comments above.

In the past 3 years, I have shifted almost all of my time to covers of Newfoundland (mostly because of the points Gportch makes) but also because I collect only Newfoundland and have basically completed all mint and used versions (except about 8 of the mega expensive ones).

In particular, I have not set a goal to get every single Newfoundland stamp on a cover (proper usage or not)--might take me forever but it strikes me as worthwhile.
Right now, I have filled 3 Lighthouse cover albums with covers in Scott # order, with many blanks of course. Need about 50-60 stamps/covers still. At some stage, I will post on line all my covers in order...would that be of interest?

I also have a separate album of just FFCs too.

Yes, start a new topic under Canada, when you can.

I agree 200% on the need for covers. Among the Indian States I collect, there a not a few States which are far easier to collect mint than used. The nasty suspicion floats up that some of these stamps never, or hardly ever, actually saw postal service. So finding them properly used on cover has a fine demonstration effect.

One example I've just received:





These are the first (½ Anna) stamps of Orchha State. Used they're rarities, and I have no record of another cover showing them in actual use. This at least demonstrates that they were real, and were really used.

Tommy
Would love to see your Nfld covers. I too am buying a few here and there and plan to acquire a lot more.

I have a friend that includes covers, maps, travel brochures and all kinds of ephemra in his country collections. A fellow collector in our club calls it stamp scrapbooking. He has been to many of the places and includes a slide presentation and while he describes the history and his personal journey he passes his stamp scrapbook around. I always love the presentations and have come to respect the stamp scrapbooks. I myself keep covers and stamps in separate albums

Interesting term! This collecting method sounds "bulky," but who knows it may be the salvation of stamp collecting.

Can you post a visual example of the presentation, i.e an album page or two?

Don

Right now the few covers I have are in vairo pages behind the respsective country, but I might make a separate album binder for them since I think I'm looking to expand into this area of collecting.