Graf Zeppelin Flight Covers

I have saved up enough to purchase the set of C13-15, and I am looking for opinions. I can either buy tthe zeppelins on flight covers with all appropriate markings/cancellations or MLH for roughly the same price. Thoughts?

Depends on the stamps: If the cover stamps look better than the singles I'd go for the covers (if clean and show little age)and start saving again for some nicer singles (nicer than the covers). If you get the covers leave them on cover, post pictures and someone will opinion if you should soak off for album. The cover markings may not hold any added value, ( I said may not!)unless they note a specific airship or historic date, or special cache'.

Are you a first flight collector or a stamp collector? Buy the stamps on cover if the former and the MLH stamps if you are the latter. I do not think either has an advantage over the other in terms of long-term value. The used stamps on covers show they were used for the purpose for which they were made, but the mint ones show the quality of the stamps better. Of course there are many more unused stamps around than ones used on first flight covers, but there are an enormous number of stamp collectors and only a relatively small number of first flight collectors to the rarer first flight covers will not have anywhere near the number of potential buyers that the mint stamps would have. In the end it is a wash on future value so you should simply choose whichever one fits your personal collection and will give you the most joy.

Condition of the covers and their stamps compared to the grading and condition of the MLH would play a part in the decision.

Thanks all for the info! I do not collect covers, but I just thought they looked really nice.

After mulling it over for almost 2 weeks, I purchased first flight clovers for each of the C13-15 Zeps. I contacted Palo, and they are sending me a custom page with the flight cover heading for these envelopes/postcards. As for having blank spots now in the album for the Graf Zeppelins, I will scan the covers into the computer, print them out in color, cut out the stamp image, and insert them into the spaces provided. Problem solved! Thanks all for all the input, and I will post pics of the covers when they arrived. I spent quite a bit of time learning about the actual flight and the special cachets they used for each leg, and it has been a really interesting read. The history of the different Zeppelins has been quite fascinating. As much as I really prefer mint stamps when possible, for these 3 stamps I actually prefer them cancelled for some strange reason.

Congratulations!!