Great Smokey Mountains Sc. #749 Used On Collect On Delivery (C.o.d.) Change Form - Uspod Form 3818

What I picked up today, but first background....

Collect on Delivery (C.O.D.) allowed for items, merchandise, to be mailed from the sender with the knowledge the package would not be delivered until the amount due was collected. There was a small fee for the service, plus an additional money order fee collected from the recipient so payment could be send to the mailer. This service began with the Parcel Post Service in 1913, but was delayed six months to July 1, 1913 before commencing.

After the item is sent, circumstances could change. For example the amount due could be adjusted up or down, the mailing address or the named recipient could be changed. There was a form to make such changes with the form being sent to the office of delivery with the change instructions. As with the initial C.O.D. there was a service fee collected for the change. This fee was paid by affixed stamp(s). If additional postage was due that too was affixed. This arose if the package was to be delivered to a different address.

C.O.D. Change Forms from any era are rare. Examples with the 1938 Presidential Series are sought by exhibitors and they fetch prices of hundreds to many hundreds of dollars at auction. The Prexie usages are the most likely to be seen from my experience. They are not items you can look for, rather they are items which are stumbled upon and need to be snapped up then and there, period.

Illustrated is such an example with the National Park stamp paying the fee. Until this month, I did not know such an example existed. Likewise if you walked into a dealer's store or to their table and asked for this exact item, after the blank stare followed by laughing, you'd likely be shown the door or asked to vacate your chair as the dealer can't make a living selling what 'does not exist' to clowns asking for them.

Who knows, this item my not exist except as a ghostly apparition on Halloween in the ethereal internet.

I would welcome seeing your C.O.D. Change Forms of any era posted below.

Enjoy:








Mentioned just to acknowledge the date of use, October 31st, Halloween. Booooooooooooo

Neat piece PPG. It amazes me what the Post Office was able to accomplish as a service back in the day. Heck, they have a hard time moving mail now from Point A to Point B.