Pod Rules Regarding FDC's

I've been researching the background of US airmail stamps, including the issuance of FDC's. Here is a curious quote from a Postal Bulletin (regarding the issue of Scott C44):




Given these "rules," how did large quantities of unaddressed FDC's ever come into existence? I could speculate (e.g. that established cachet makers had special arrangements with the POD), but wonder if anyone has more specific knowledge of the matter.

Your speculation is likely accurate.

Obviously things have changed many times over the years as to how to process first day covers. One also has to remember that back in the day, first day covers had to be sent in advance of their issue date with a remittance for the value of the postage (back in the day, you didn't have any "grace period" to purchase stamps at your post office and send them in for first day cancels).

Many rules we have today concerning first day cover processing have resulted from modernized machinery that now handles the mail, which would result in unwanted postal markings on covers if they were not shrink wrapped in plastic before their return.

Even today, the USPS has special relationships with cachetmakers and dealers as it relates to servicing large volumes of first day covers and how to streamline their processing and return ... and they do get preferential treatment by the USPS, so I understand.

Let's face it: Today's small time collector that wants an example or two of a first day cover is probably better off ordering them from SFS and paying a small premium for that service. When you consider today's postage costs to mail requests to the USPS and then risk getting damaged covers in return, the premium is well worth it.

Cacheted first day covers are another story. I personally feel the unserviced cacheted envelopes are way overpriced today to the point that it would not be financially practical for a small collector to bother to service their own covers, especially when they can find most offered at a significant discount on the secondary market.

Obviously, things have changed over the years and like everything else, the FDC processing "rules" had to change with the times.