What Are You Looking For?

Close up image of WWII First Day Covers

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

If you tell me what you are looking for I will look high and low to find it for you.  With approximately 5,000 first day covers and who knows how many loose stamps available, the chances are fair to good that I can find what you are seeking.  I certainly will make every effort.

If we can find the item you want, well and good.  We will agree upon a price (including shipping) and get the cover or individual stamp on its way to you promptly.

And if I don’t have what you are seeking (or we’re sold out) I’ll tell you that fact and try my best to point you in a helpful direction.

Either way, we part friends.

The U.S. Government has printed stamps on almost every conceivable subject.  Until the 1920s the USG’s preferred topic was famous Americans, usually starting with Ben Franklin, virtual founder of our American postal system.  With the notable exceptions of the 1892-93 Columbian Exposition, followed by the Trans-Mississippi (1898) and Louisiana Purchase (1903-04) expositions and Fulton’s steamboat in 1907, George Washington and other presidents hogged the philatelic limelight.

From World War I American stamps became more adventuresome.  The USG issued many more commemorative issues, adding the first three Air Mail stamps to its repertoire in 1918.  The Post Office Department also began marking the first day of issue of a new stamp with a special cancelation.  Some attractive cachets appeared in the late 1920s to celebrate the new issues.

Veteran philatelists will know what they want by “Scott’s number” and can be very precise.  For those new to stamp collecting, or indeed non-collectors looking only for niche items, I request your best possible description – the more detail, the better.  For example, you might have special interest in George Rogers Clark’s capture of the British fort at Vincennes.  Just say so and I will know that, for your special history paper or project you are seeking Scott’s #651 (issued 1929.)  Either the Scott’s number or a written description is fine.  (Btw, a cancelled loose #651 costs only fifty cents.  A FDC w/o cachet lists between $3.00 and $10.00 depending on the city of release.)

Let’s suppose you are not a stamp collector but would like covers showing famous Black entertainers.  That presents no problem.  But if you tell me “all Black entertainers,” you will end up with a handful of stamps since the Postal Service issued a number of stamps honoring many Black entertainers.  We can discuss what exactly you want – all are modestly priced.  These covers rarely exceed two dollars.

Here is a tiny partial list of the subjects of stamps over and above U.S. presidents and famous persons: Christmas, Sports of all kinds (especially Olympics), animals and birds (of all types), flowers and trees, dinosaurs, cars (antique and modern), ships, airplanes (old and new), railroads, space (inc. moon landing), state and American flags, cats, dogs, famous explorers, Native Americans and their artwork, baseball heroes, Revolutionary War, Civil War, World Wars I and II, other campaigns and military, great physicians, deep sea creatures, cartoon characters, scientific discoveries, etc.  (I think you now understand that the list is almost without end.  Just ask, there is probably something that “answers the mail.”  Stamps even offer the possibility in special circumstances of “gag” gifts.)

As a final thought, first day covers and stamps make excellent gifts not merely for the philatelist in your family (especially beginning collectors) but non-collector friends who may be physicians, teachers, business associates, sports enthusiasts, naturalists, or friends with a special interest.  Perhaps you have a friend or family member who may be looking for a new hobby.  I extend a warm welcome to those non-collectors with a “special interest” or striving to become a true blue philatelist.

Warmly,

Larry L.