First day covers
 

In the last few years on the board have never seen 1 post about first day covers. Yet they are all over eBay and card shows. Who collects these? I assume they
Are of low value. Is there anything remotely valuable or rare?

My father was an avid FDOI and event cover collector back in the day and TCMA even produced some. We've got thousands in our collection.

Also, I have a side business selling modern ones through eBay. So, collectors are out there, just not like there once was.




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Here's one.

Nice.


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An odd hybrid between stamp collecting and sports collecting.

First day covers
 

Remember, in the 80's there were also several baseball/sports related stamps issued. So, it made sense for sports collectors to go after FDOI's of those. Pair that with the fact that the hobby was booming and there you go.

Off the top of my head:

Babe Ruth
Roberto Clemente
Jackie Robinson
Jim Thorpe
Lou Gehrig



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I collected them them as a kid in the early 70s. Was kind of fun. I'd mail a SASE to some post office in the middle of nowhere and get one stamped and returned. If I was particularly excited about an issue I'd go to a stamp shop in Roosevelt Field and get a special preprinted envelope celebration the FDC. Was a cool little hobby as a kid. People were very into it and had large collections in books.

From a strictly investment perspective, FDC were a bust. Put them on the same list as Hummels, Yadro, Norman Rockwell plates, and Thomas Kincaid paintings.

Here's one from the 80's

I have have quite of few of the 1939 FDC with the actual photography in them with Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, etc. They go with some of the 1939 HOF postcards I was collecting too at a time. Fairly inexpensive but pretty cool items.

I have a few, some I got as a kid by mailing away for them.

There's a lot of ones now where the cachet (The art on usually the left side for those who don't collect stamps) is added on to an old cover much later. Some are pretty cool, some less cool. I'm not really into the added on ones, but most first day covers have become really cheap. A dealer at a show I go to had several thousand of them picture like 10 monster boxes- 5 for a dollar- It was almost the end of the show and he said I could have all of them for $300. Glad I didn't buy them.

I like the sports related ones, and the event covers that have been done for world series and other sporting events. Most of those are a bit better.

A couple years ago I picked up some signed ones from a collection a dealer had bought from a Padres executive. All star game cancels, and some with nice signatures. Some were on odd things like the ticket envelope from the box office and an all star breakfast brunch menu card. Not all signed, but still really interesting.
This is the guy.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/san...?pid=156487761

A few created by TCMA for the Jim Thorpe postage stamp in 1984:

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UEkAAO...ul/s-l1600.jpg

I like to send them out to get signed.......

Thanks for posting. Cool covers.

A friend gave me these several years ago. Not a lot of value but I like them. I also have covers for the 1983 Ruth and 1989 Gehrig stamps.

Here's some signed 1939 FDC's of mine. I no longer own the Cobb Johnson but they are great collectibles! I was actually in Cooperstown yesterday. Beautiful town and region..

I have quite a few. Some were made by TCMA. Many are show related.
Her's a few, until I can scan more.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7506/...bcb9d054_o.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7505/...c3483a4c_o.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7486/...8d19d225_o.jpg

First Day of Issue Covers
 

Collecting First Day of Issue Baseball Stamp Covers is an acquired taste for baseball memorabilia collectors. If the hobby of collecting stamps is nearing end of life because of lack of young collectors take a look at the number of kids at card shows or the cost of a pack of cards.
So take the time to appreciate the art work of first day covers and the commemoration of an event or player it is a benefit to your collection. Not the cost or eBay value but it may add value to your collection? Visit my web site to see why I feel this way www.1939baseball.com

What a great site Steve! Thanks for sharing!!

I've been collecting autographed first day and commemorative covers (mainly the ones from Gateway Stamp Company) since 1981. I've also branched into the World Series covers from Bull's Eye, as well as a few from Zaso. They also tie in nicely with my other interest, signed postal covers for all the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle missions.

When I was a kid, in addition to collecting baseball cards and autographs, I also collected US postage stamps, as my dad was a big stamp collector. I guess that's where I got my love for the postal covers, as they tied together my main collecting interests (space, sports and stamps).

Steve

sometimes when an event cover isn't commercially produced, you have to make them yourself (I made these as Ripken got closer to Gehrig back in 1989).....

https://i.imgur.com/Oq9eu2E.jpg

This is a pair of items I picked up Waite Hoyt signed First day cover and a letter Hoyt wrote asking for more covers. Cover dated 1982 letter from 1984..