From: kaleb@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov (Kaleb Keithley)
Subject: Re: STAMPS: First Day Covers
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 17:16:28 GMT

Several people before me said:
>>>I assume then that the U.S, (like Canada) allows for the production
>>>of First Day Covers, without actually having them mailed, which (of
>>>course) means that they are not First Day Covers at all.
>
>> And they may also be stamped after the first day of issue. Sounds like
>>a manufactured collector's item to me.
>
> As mentioned earlier, I don't collect FDC; however, I believe that
>FDC's are cancelled differently for covers on the first day and those
>that are cancelled later for collectors and "back-dated"..
>
>If your cover is actually cancelled on the first day of issue for that
>stamp; then they use a different size postmark; while those that are
>cancelled for collectors who can not be present on the first day, use a
>slightly different size postmark.. However, the postmark and cancel itself
>are identical in design.. Can a knowledgeable FDC collector comment???

Generally, I don't collect FDCs either, but I can comment on what I observed 
recently.  As you can see in the "Organization" line above, I work at the 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  Earlier this year, the USPS issued a booklet set 
of ten stamps featuring the planets and some of the JPL spacecraft that have 
visited them.  For the occasion, the local Post Office set up a provisionary 
office in an auditorium here, and invited the public for a gala celebration, 
featuring celebrities and some other fanfare.

Hundreds of people lined up; many with boxes of hundreds or even thousands
of their own specially printed cachets, featuring everything and anything 
remotely space related.  Other people had specially made artwork, ranging 
from engravings, to litho prints, to airbrush, to you name it, they probably 
had it.  They were all waiting to apply the new stamps, and one or more of 
the special postmarks that the Post Office had created for the occasion in 
addition to the "normal" bulls-eye postmark.

Chatting with some of the people in line made it evident that there's quite 
an extensive cottage industry in manufacturing these covers, not to be 
confused with some of the widely advertised "commercial" FDC vendors.  More 
than one person seemed on the verge of fanaticism -- they related tales of 
their travels far and wide to each First Day of Issue location, and their 
travails trying to get to distant locations scheduled close together in time.
They justify their efforts on the basis of the a) the Post Offices slow 
service for mailed in First Day Cancellation, and b) they claim that the 
Post Office cancellation, while still bearing the words "First Day of Issue" 
is dated on the day it is actually cancelled, which may be days or weeks
after the first day of issue.

As for me, I "manufactured" my own FDC by putting a booklet pane of ten stamps
on a stationary envelope with the JPL logo, and applied all three postmarks.
(I don't have any extras, so don't ask!)  Yes, it's manufactured.  No it
hasn't been "used postally."  Yes, it would be hard to put anything in it
to warrant $2.90 worth of postage, so even if "used postally", it would
not have the "correct" postage on it.  Is it a First Day Cover?  Well, the
stamps were purchased, applied, and cancelled on the first day of issue,
so to me, the answer is yes, and any arguments to the contrary are just 
semantics.

I think, going back to the beginning of this thread, if you collect for 
pleasure, then collect what you like, and don't worry about whether it's
philatelically correct to collect "manufactured" First Day Covers.  If
you're concerned about what has the greatest value, then you're no longer
collecting, you're investing or gambling.  And since this is neither 
rec.investing nor rec.gambling...

-- 

Kaleb Keithley                          kaleb@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov

Not authorized, in any way, shape, or form, to speak for anyone.
Newsgroups: rec.collecting