When Is A Cover Collectable?

You're right, "Kántorjánosi is a village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county". I dismissed it because it's also a surname and first name and I didn't expect a village to be called so, just like I don't expect you to say "Hi, I live in Selma Lagerlöf".

Everything is collectible to somebody. Ordinary damaged covers may be from someone's hometown or be postmarked on their birthday or......

Some are hoarders and keep everything. Some collect used Q-Tips. To each their own.

There is no right answer as to what makes a cover collectible.

Indeed, that would be a weird statement. But, if I lived in Norway it would be perfectly correct to say that I live in "Hell".

If that's the only one you've got - I can understand your argument.

In the 1990s I had very good contacts to a company that received a lot of mail. One postal bag of emptied covers every fortnight was common and I picked them up for two to three years. That was an extreme number of ordinary covers ... and that's how kiloware is made.

Nice cover Batilja, very interesting. Stamps and writings put everywhere on the page! It is special!

For me, a nice cover had pretty writings, clear hand cancel and the message included. And if there is something "special" it is better! Like this one : 3 inches width envelope, and cancel with date and time but without the year. I wont scan the letter because it is fragile, but the people were happy after meeting and hoping to see soon!

nar1123,
Your cover is from 1906. The year date is outside the dial.

Wow thanks you! Scan helps a lot, I never noticed it, so used for date inside the circle!

Topic or theme collectors can find otherwise ordinary covers collectible due to the subject matter of the stamp or other cover attributes. "Transportation" would cover two of the covers, airplanes, one. Philatelic exhibitions several as well. Postally used coils on international express (special delivery) mail is a specialty area that would bring interest to the first cover. Uprated postal stationery interests others. Sometimes it is not the stamps but the added labels, postal etiquettes, attract the attention, here with three copies of one and two copies of another when only one of each would be sufficient.

Also remember that what is common to you, incoming mail to Israel or outgoing mail from Romania are not as common for a collector living in Japan, South Africa or Chile.


Edited for English, added an "e" removed an "r" and I am done.

Perhaps I should try to tell my wife this the next time I receive a huge package of old covers to add to the pile.

Point taken, Parcelpostguy. I should be more careful with the remaining covers that I have.

A loaded envelope UAR (Egypte)
The United Arab Republic was created in 1958 by the union of Egypt and Syria and then, for a short time, Yemen. The union disappeared in 1961 but Egypt continued to be called under this official name until 1971.
I can't read the date of the postmarks but one of the stamps is dated 1964, so after the end of the union.
The envelope, heavily laden with stamps and annotations, is an object of curiosity.
What do you think of it?

The cover has two US meter marks. It looks like the UAR stamps were added after the meter marks had been applied. The cachet "Pray for J.F.K" suggests it was created after 22 November 1963.

The item does not really hide its philatelic nature. However, it does raise the question whether it is a philatelic fabrication.
The strongest indication, I think, is the stamp at the lower right on the front. That is a cancelled stamp that was added. The cancel on the envelope does not match that on the stamp at all. Overall, I would have doubts about the cancels tying stamps to the envelope.

I wonder if the sender simply re-used an envelope previously received from the US, hence the US meters? The large red address label may hide a previous address.

It does look like it, Some stamps look tied as well. It is a strange item.

Whomever created the cover was prolific since there are large numbers of these sold on Ebay. Could find no detailed info on the creator.