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 Replies: 17 / Views: 9,612 |
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12813 Posts |
Greetings, Numismatists!
I've been collecting First Day Covers from the U.S. Mint for the past 10+ years now, including the State and Territories Quarters, Presidential $1 Coin FDCs, etc. My question is, does it matter value-wise if I open (and/or discard) the plain ol' white cardboard nondescript packaging? I've only opened a couple but I don't want to seriously affect any value by doing so. Once opened, the FDCs are still shrink-wrapped, so it's not like they'd get dirty or smudged with fingerprints. I'd like to enjoy/display my collection and it's rather hard to do so in sealed white opaque cardboard sleeves.
Thanks for your input!
~ Kyle
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
I have a few of these too. Some of the key 50 State Qtr. ones....and I have all of the Territories as well. I know what you mean about that "non-descript" wrapping. And I do not think it will hurt the value at all.They are still sealed, as you've found, once you take off the cardboard. The main thing to remember is to enjoy your collection, and if opening more of these for display pleases you.. GO FOR IT ! Why have something like this, if you can never see what's inside of the cardboard mailer ? .....  ...  But if you're concerned about a "re-sale" at some future point on ebay.....that could possibly go either way (though I really doubt it with these).....some may like a "complete" O.G.P. that includes the shipping package,..... while others.....just the sealed contents is all they need/want. I'm only speaking specifically to these F.D.C.C.'s though.......many many other Mint items DEFINATELY get more value if they're unopened completely I think.....though I'm no "Ebay-expert".....  Edited by eaglefoot
03/30/2011 5:07 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1358 Posts |
If these are anything like the first-day-cover stamps, the go ahead and open the packaging.. I don't think it'll hurt the value too much, if at all.. You bought them, so why not enjoy them!  Oh, and  to the forums! :) |
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12813 Posts |
Gents,
Thanks for your replies. I definitely agree with your feelings about "you bought 'em, so why not enjoy 'em!". It's funny that I've had many of these for 10+ years and haven't opened the packaging to get a glimpse of exactly what it is I bought. I guess I'm a hopeless collector (no, not one of those you see on "Hoarders - Buried Alive") and sometimes things just show up in the mail and get immediately tossed in with the collection without a 2nd glance.
Now, the follow-up question is, how about the shrink-wrap packaging under the white cardboard mailer? OK to remove that too? The First Day Covers are mounted on a stiff piece of protective cardboard that hides the artwork and stamp (yet has a coin-sized hole that shows the opposite face of the coin). I'm guessing if you feel that it isn't a big deal to ditch the mailer, then it probably won't be much of an issue to un-shrink-warp the FDCs either.
I suppose it comes down to the fact that these, while very nice, interesting, informative, etc., aren't exactly high-end investment pieces. At $15-$20 per, they add up but no one's going to buy them for thousands at auction. Then again, this is ultimately part of my portfolio so I want to make sure to protect my investment for both myself and anyone who it gets passed down to somewhere down the road. Thus my due diligence here.
Thanks again for your insights.
Regards,
Kyle
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Quote:
I'm guessing if you feel that it isn't a big deal to ditch the mailer, then it probably won't be much of an issue to un-shrink-warp the FDCs either.
 As you mentioned, it is still sealed once you remove that too. I think you'd be just fine "down the road". If you have many "duplicates", you can always just open one of each too ! .....  I did that..... because I wanted to see what I was getting ! I just haven't thought much, yet, about how to display them or keep them, once all of this O.G.P. has been removed ..... Have you any ideas on what or how you'll "display" them ? I'm thinking maybe a 3 ring binder notebook somehow.........but I dunno. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12813 Posts |
Eaglefoot, I saw this on ebay when I was poking around for values last night: http://cgi.ebay.com/50-State-First-...em4cf38059eeSo that looks like a good binder example. It also seems that generally these FDCs aren't fetching close to what the mint charged for them originally, either opened or unopened. Ah, the perils of being a collector... I don't have dupes of the State Quarters FDCs, but I do have dupes of the Presidential dollar coin FDCs, so maybe I'll see if I can pick up a complete set of quarters for cheap on ebay and open one set. Kyle |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Yeah ! That looks perfect ! Just kind of what I was imagining to do or try. As far as them ever fetching a premium over their original cost.....doesn't seem likely, but you never know, once a few decades have rolled by ! ... What will collectors of "the future" be into ? ...... nobody knows ! I only bought some of the "key states"......or at least what was thought to be a key state at the time...still are I suppose. But, I think I bought like 6 or 8 Tennessee's.....and quite a few of the 1999's.....and a few other States.... (the Deleware ones were sold out by the time I was buying them from the Mint....so I didn't get that one though) ...  Then I purchased all the Territories too, like I said. I believe I may have even bought the first year of the Prez. dollars from 2007....don't remember for sure. But, I have enough of these to make a nice Binder Notebook of them just like the one you provided the link to ! So.... COOL BEANS ! ... But if you got ALL of the States ! ..... WOW ! Congrats on that ! ....  The Presidential FDCC's though.....IMO, I really don't think there will be much interest in those for a lifetime or two ! Maybe some individual ones like Washington, Adams, Lincoln, Kennedy, Grant, Truman, Reagan, etc........but not too many people will want a Chester Arthur, Millard Fillmore, William Taft.......the list is long for the "mundane" Presidents ! There will always be a select few who may want that entire collection though, I would think. But that doesn't matter......it's your collection to enjoy for now, and for what it is right now ! .... |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12813 Posts |
eaglefoot,
Why did you buy so many TN FDCs?
I agree with you on the collection philosophy. These aren't stocks to be squirreled away and sold down the road for retirement, these are for enjoyment now.
And yeah on the Prez $1 Coin FDCs... who needs/wants a Warren G. Harding? Well, I do, because I'm (tragically) one of those "completist" collectors. It's some sort of sickness, I think. :) Oh well. And we all know that a set sold individually is worth far more than a set sold as a whole. So I'm kinda screwed there.
One thing I missed was a couple of the Territory FDCs, so I'll be eBaying those. They seem to still be commanding a good price so perhaps fewer of those were made. Dunno, haven't done the research.
Kyle
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New Member
United States
1 Posts |
I have these as well and I took them out of the plain white cardboard packaging. I wanted to be able to see them. First to enjoy their beauty and second to make sure the item was not damaged. I am looking for a holder to put them in. I do like that binder but was wondering if the materials used for the binder and "plastic/vinyl" holders contained any PVC that would damage the FDCs. Does anyone know of a binder that is PVC free? Thanks!
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New Member
United States
10 Posts |
Only recently I started looking at and sometimes purchasing FDCs, ( Presidential dollars only). If I feel the FDC may be desirable in the future, i.e. Washington, Lincoln etc. I buy 3 and always keep 1 in as received from the mint, another to display and a third as a potential future sale item. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12813 Posts |
radar01, I only bought one/each of the quarters, but have for some reason bought 2/each of the prez dollars. I suppose then I can do what you have done and keep one sealed (for safekeeping and/or future sale) and display one. By the way... I had a subscription to the State Quarters, but USMint did not extend that subscription to the territories. And that coupled with a tumultuous time in my life, I missed those. And now they're stupid expensive on ebay. Worth paying or just wait and find a deal? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1626 Posts |
The only thing I can think of for re-sale value is if the coin has a known error for that year, its one of those things where people might bid or buy higher not knowing if there is an error in the package or not ?
I collect the $1 FDCs and have opened a few from the white packaging but most of them are un-opened.
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New Member
Australia
14 Posts |
I remove all my US coin covers from the mailer and the plastic.
That way I can admire every one in an album.
One cover had no cancel stamp! If I'd not unwrapped it I'd never have known - just like the original purchaser.
The two US president series issued this year have one of five weathervane stamps on them. As a beady eyed fanatical collector, I've emailed the US mint twice to enquire as to whether I can order a full set of five of Chester Arthur covers - one with each stamp, but I've received no reply. Has anyone here managed to collect a set of five different stamped Chester Arthur covers? It's probably early days for the other one as it has only just been released.
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Valued Member
United States
470 Posts |
Remove them from the packaging. First day covers will have little if any increase in value over time and might even decrease in value so why not enjoy them.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
At the time, I thought the "key states" MIGHT be some good F.D.C.C.'s to have.....turns out NO !! ...... at least not at this time.....likely never though !
Yeah, if these were purchased as a future "investment".... that was/is a bad move.
If these were purchased as simply "collecting" them because you like them..... that's always a good move.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12813 Posts |
Thanks again for the insights. One other thing on the State Quarters and Presidential dollar FDCs, the packaging takes up quite a bit of room so there's an argument there to open/discard if space is an issue. It's also always fun to see a thread get resurrected from over a year ago. :) I think that may have been my first post to coincommunity. |
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Replies: 17 / Views: 9,612 |
Posted 03/30/2011 4:36 pm
