How to Collect First Day Covers

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Who produces first day covers?

   All Great British stamps come from Royal Mail.
   
   But not all covers come from them.
   
   Royal Mail does produce its own covers but several private producers do too.
   
   These are the ones to choose if you want to collect covers that could be worth something in the future.
   
   Royal Mail covers are fun but will never be worth much more than what you paid for them because they are mass produced and have your name and address printed on.
2. 2

   Step 2: What cover producer to choose?

   There are several main private producers; Buckingham Covers, Benham, Westminster and Adrian Bradbury.
   
   Buckingham Covers and Adrian Bradbury are the first for quality.
   
   Buckingham Covers are seen as the best investments, because the company actively buys back their own covers, often at higher prices than they sold them.
   
   Benham were traditionally UK’s leading cover producer, but in recent years they seem to have lost their way. , Some people like to have everything and collect lots of covers every year.
   
   This may not be for you and my advice is to buy what you like.
   
   Quality counts, so buy the best you can afford and covers carrying genuine signatures add to their value. , How many of one cover should be produced? Future value does not depend on the number produced, it depends on the number of new collectors and a large appeal.
   
   So don’t fall into the “only 50 produced, they will be worth a fortune trap”.
   
   Very small numbers make the people who have them happy and just annoy the ones who haven't.
   
   At the other end the cover may be a limited edition of 1000, which is fine if they are selling out but not if they still have 600 in stock.
   
   Why not give the producer a call and ask them how many they still have available.
   
   But which ever way you decide to go buy the cover you like first. , All newly produced covers should have no address on them and if you are interested in older covers, try to purchase ones with pencil, printed labels or typed addresses. , This will keep them safe and protect them.
   
   Keeping your covers in good condition helps them hold their value.
   
   If you want to show of your covers, why not frame them for the wall? Be sure to use acid-free mounts and boards and do not hang in direct sunlight.
3. 3

   Step 3: What covers to collect?

4. 4

   Step 4: Limited Editions.

5. 5

   Step 5: Cover addresses.

6. 6

   Step 6: Looking after your covers: Purchase an album with leaves to hold your covers.

Detailed Guide

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