Hindenburg Cover. Any Value?

Be careful of dismissing "common" covers just by their look. This cover is probably as common looking as it gets, but it sold this year on ebay for over $4,000 due to solo stamp usage for the rate.



Another one to look for is an 11 cent Prexie solo to an international destination (I couldn't find a single example online to show).

Ofcourse the price is this nice because of the date cancellation.. ;).

But without kidding, I actually ment by common, you find them more then others, no matter what pricetag is attached.

But indeed I would have sold this one, if I had one for a few dollar and would not even know the actual at the moment retail value.

But maybe, after some years or decades I might recognize alot more. I atleast hope so.

I agree with Jenny2U, do not dismiss common looking covers. Nor dismiss covers because everything isn't on the front - or on a small envelope. Serious collectors and exhibitors of postal history have long recognized the importance of the entire postal item - of backstamps as transit and receiving postmarks to document routes and usages, etc. A collection/exhibit of registered covers would lose most of its story without being able to see both sides of the mailpiece. The cover in the original post has *more* story to tell of its journey because it was registered than if it had not been - and the story is mostly on the back side.
Consider this excerpt from page 19 of the APS Manual of Philatelic Judging, 6th ed, as posted on the APS website:

Ok. Do not worry, I will never judge, just comment. Common is out of my vocabulary now.
Makes we wonder why the cover was cancelled in such a way then, when knowing it could have done better then it is now.

Also, how heavy weighs the condition of covers, I thought this one was looking quite nice for an cover that went for quite some trip. After all it is not some fdc. And when you compare it to these ahumm..beauty's.

Well ok. The last one might be ok ishh.

Remco

Btw..@ jenny2U

Could you please post a picture off the 11 cent prexie solo..

;)

Thanks

remco I haven't been able to find an example of the 11 cent solo Prexie cover to show you but look for covers franked only with the stamp shown below. Eleven cents paid surface international rates as well as a combination rate to Europe, so they most likely can be found in your part of the world.

Ok, thanks. I will keep an eyr out for such covers, probably I am not the only one,but who knows.

Remco

Collecting covers whether first flight or first day or pretty much any other category is not that much different from collecting stamps in that condition and attractiveness play a big part in their commercial value in both covers and in just stamps. Catalog value is only meaningful if everything is just right and it is a perfect or near perfect example that a person would be proud to put in an award winning display in a major stamp show . Roughly treated stamps and roughly treated covers tend to do poorly in sales unless there is something so extremely rare and desireable that condition and attractiveness are secondary.

Of course, one can collect anything one wants to collect and in any condition that makes them happy. My point is simply one of commercial values. Roughly treated and poorly marked covers can be had for very small prices and that can be great for a collector who has limited resources to buy covers. However, their resale value on the open market is also going to be minimal so there is not going to be much in the way of eventual profit. Also, the really nice covers are going to have a chance at increasing in value where the same ocvers but in poor condition will not have much chance of increasing in value. The same goes with stamps. Gem quality stamps will have a chance of increasing in value where the same stamps that have torn edges, creases, poor centering, etc. etc. are going to be just space fillers for ever.

But do you think that this cover is roughly treated also? Ofcourse it can always be better, but I show things here that are not tempered with as we all now that happens alot. Although trying to carefully de-wrinkle this one is even needed...

Going to look for simulair flight covers and look if I can find some simulair material.

Everybody thanks for the input and effort sofar!

Remco

The Hindenburg cover that is shown in the first post in this thread is in good to very good condition. I would not say it is in excellent condition because of the wrinkling. Keep in mind that wrinkling is not something that can be corrected. The cover itself is not a number 6 envelope which is the most desireable and nothing can be done about that, but on the other hand it is not a business size envelope either. Its being an odd size is a small detraction especially since it appears to be made of white paper and not a colored paper or a tissue paper. I think that the biggest issue with the cover is there being no date and city cancelations on the front. They are all on the back which is the side that is not presented when the cover is put into a display.

Hmm. I like it to much myself to let it go for next to nothing when I see the price example you showed;).

Have to say that cover collecting is a huge minefield when not specialized.

Have some us fdc's here also. Think I am slowly going to post some pictures of them and learn a bit more besides the info I can find on the net.

Thanks again! :)

Remco

Collecting anything, whether covers or stamps or coins or antiques or whatever is a minefield for someone who has not taken the time and effort to learn the subject matter in which they are collecting. The best way to start is to talk to experts, then invest in buying the relevant reference books which are not cheap, then join the relevant collector's societies to gain access to more experts and more reference books, and then spend many months studying auction results - especially ebay auctions. As part of this you learn how condition and other collectabilty factors will dramatically change the cash value of an item. And when studying ebay you really have to ignore things like starting bids and instead focus only on covers or stamps or whatever that actually sold. You do this by checking the search box for "Completed Auctions" and then only looking at the auctions that have prices realized in green text. And even with those you need to understand that in some cases the seller or a shill bidder has "won the auction" with an unrealistically high price because this then sets a pattern for those who are not experienced in values to believe that they should make bids like that when the seller quietly puts the same thing back up for auction in a few weeks. Even with all of this you will still have a learning curve and will overpay for some things but after a while you will come to understand what is what and the times you get fooled or you overpay will become fewer and farther between. And you must also understand that this process of becoming sufficiently expert yourself is going to take many months of reading and studying and researching, not days or weeks. And the reference books will cost the equivalent of many oovers, but they will pay off in the long run by saving you far more in not buying junk or overpaying for things.

Everything that Kimo posted is true; education is a part of every hobby. But we should discuss the 800 pound gorilla in the room; the minefield is money and greed. It is hard to differentiate between a stranger's advice, are they giving good advice or are they angling to purchase the item for themselves? Knowledge plays a huge role in our hobby, he who knows the most is most likely to get the best deals. How many new hobbyists have been taken over the decades but others who were not forthcoming with the true value of something? (This includes the First Day Cover manufacturers who promoted their FDCs as 'investments'.)

It is little wonder why the new hobbyist who post in this forum might be hesitant to assume that our anonymous opinions are spot on. I used to get the same thing with old cars. I restored and drove Studebakers as my daily drivers throughout the 80s and 90s. This lead to folks coming up to talk old cars and many let me know they had one in a barn or 'out back'. Inevitably they would want me to come tell them what it was worth. Nine times out of ten it was some old rusty 1950s 4 door sedan that was worth far less than the cost to restore it. But they all thought I was trying to steal the car (when I was not even in the market to buy one but rather there at their request). I finally started carrying an old car price guide and would just hand it to them when they asked my opinion of the car's value.

Many non-hobbyists think their families stamps/covers are worth far more than they really are; we are the messengers. Not sure what we can do other than be kind and try to deliver the news as gently as we can.
Don

Hahaha! I have a 92 Eldorado that I refuse to sell as I don't want to be offended by any offer I receive!