With so many dealers on the web, who should I buy from and why?

If you are dealing with a cover producer, choose one you can trust. They should be prepared to refund your money if you are not happy with a cover and sort out anything that goes wrong. Look for excellent customer service (we hope we always provide this. If you have experienced anything less from us, please let us know).

What should I Collect?

This is one of our favorite questions and we are happy to give you our advice, but then you will have to decide.

You could decide to collect all the first day covers from a certain year or decade, or you might like all the covers from the reign of just one monarch or all those issued prior to decimalisation.

You could go down the route of theme, for example collecting covers only if the stamp has a train or bird on it, or maybe you could collect all the special postmarks from the county you live in.

We have collectors who do any one, or all of the above. So you may decide to choose one of our suggestions, have a look at the covers featured here and see if something grabs you or just go for broke and collect one of everything! Either way, were happy to offer whatever help we can.

What is included in this website?

This site lists all British First Day covers issued from the few Victorian covers we have, right through to the end of 2000. We don't claim to list every postmark, but for most issues we hope you should be able to find at least a couple of different covers to choose from.

Should I try and backfill my collection or just start from the latest issue?

This is really a question of what you'd most enjoy. By using this website we would hope to be able to help you complete your collection of older British First Day Covers. You of course may enjoy tracking down older issues yourself which can be extremely good fun, delving through boxes at exhibitions, auctions and on eBay. We, of course, would be more than happy to introduce you to the delights of collecting from home- let us do the hard work and supply you with top grade covers quickly and efficiently.

Or should you collect new issues? Well, if yes is the answer then your next move should be to look at our Buckingham Cover website. We believe we offer the best covers, the best signatures and the best service, but only you can find this out. If you have not seen our cover series, this should be your next click.

In terms of future value, it doesn't matter which way you decide to collect. A good cover is a good cover, whether you have a complete chronological collection or not.

Why are there so many versions of the same issue and do I need to buy them all?

There are often a bewildering number of covers for each issue. For starters, there are different brands because, for each new set of stamps issued by Royal Mail, there are covers made by lots of different cover producers. Then on top of that, many cover producers offer a choice of more than one cover for the same stamp issue, perhaps with a different envelope illustration, postmark or signature. The important word here is choice. Extra versions are all about choice. You don't need to collect everything (although some people like to). Just decide which one you like best!

Should you buy every version? No! Not unless you want to. A few collectors do pick one issue and try and collect everything, but overall most people just choose one cover per issue.

What condition covers should I expect?

The first thing we should say is that our standards are high and we always try and supply you with the best covers we can.

Working from the most recent issues: if you are buying a cover issued after 1971 you should expect a clean illustrated cover with either no address at all or just a small label address (only typed if it is a very rare postmark).

For issues between 1952 and 1970, once again you should be able to find a reasonably clean illustrated cover. If you are lucky, you may find an unadvised or label addressed cover, but more than likely it will have been typed.

Prior to 1952, it varies from cover to cover. Yes, you may find a fantastic cover in perfect condition (but expect to pay above the catalogue price), or you might find a clean illustrated cover and with perhaps a neat hand-written address, but it should be priced accordingly.

So, the final line is once again down to you, when you sit down to admire your collection, you must be happy with the cover in front of you and the price you have paid for it.

What do all the different types of postmark mean?

We are very guilty at times of just reeling off these terms and forgetting that not everyone knows what they all mean. The main terms you will need to know are:

• FDI (First Day of Issue). This will just be a plain postmark with the date in the middle and the town and the words First Day of Issue written around the outside.
• CDS (Circular Date Stamp). This is just the small round postmark with the date in the middle and with the place around the outside (these are still used locally for registered mail). They don't say first day of issue.
• Special Postmarks These are special illustrated postmarks. They will also include the date and place but only say First Day of Issue if the Royal Mail produced them. Most of the covers we offer since around 1970 will have a special postmark.

Why might I get a different cover to the one illustrated?

For every set of stamps there are many different first day covers (as an extreme example, the 1937 Coronation stamps spawned hundreds of different covers) and so we tend to list our covers by postmark. If stated in the description that the cover may vary, you will receive the same set of stamps but the postmark and type of cover may be different, though of the same high standard.

If you only want the cover if it is exactly the same as the one we've illustrated, please send us an email and we will do our best to supply it.

What are commemorative covers and do I need to buy them?

Commemorative covers are produced to mark a special date that does not have its own stamps. Though sometimes it may feel like it, the Royal Mail cannot issue a pictorial stamp for a big occasion, so it is left to cover producers, organisations or individual collectors to make covers that celebrate any dates not already featured in Royal Mails stamp calendar. Most cover producers will have many different commemorative covers on offer each year and, if they have spotted an event that no-one else had thought of, it is possible that some commemorative covers will be unique to them.

You do not need to buy commemorative covers any more than you need to buy any cover, unless you really like it. You could make a decision early on to only collect first day covers and ignore commemoratives or do just the opposite and specialise just in commemorative covers that fit your own special interest (such as military history, railways, motor racing or sport). Our own themed clubs are offered on our Buckingham Covers website and in addition we hold stocks of flight (including Concorde), RAF, Railway, Football and Cricket covers not at the moment listed on this website., If you would like to receive a list of these, drop us an email.

Will my collection be worth less if I don't buy every issue?

As a collection of first day covers, it will be worth more if it is complete. However, remember that, above all, you should be collecting for fun so if you don't like a cover one issue, or if you cant afford to buy a cover one month, don't worry. A good cover will always hold its value, regardless of whether it is in a complete collection or not. So if you have a great collection of covers that are not necessarily chronological, you still should hopefully have a very good investment.

What is the difference between all the types of covers?

Royal Mail has produced first day covers for nearly every new stamp since 1964, but what many people don't realise is that they did not produce any covers before 1964 and even then not for every issue. So there were individuals and companies producing covers both before and since then. So this is another point where you will have to decide what you want to collect. Our words of advice: as long as the cover is professionally produced, we tend to look more at the postmark and condition than the cover itself. Some collectors do like to specialise in one brand of cover, which is why Buckingham Covers have developed such a strong following.

Around 125,000 Royal Mail covers are produced for each issue. Most of these have the same (unexciting) postmark, which is printed on at the same time as the buyers name and address. Royal Mail sells the idea that their covers are personalised because your name and address will be printed on them. Many people like this and if you are one of them, then thats terrific. We must point out though that addressed covers will not have a value in the future. Royal Mail do not offer signed versions of their covers (funnily enough, no one really wants to sign over 100,000 covers in one-go!). In short, Royal Mail covers may be a fun way of collecting very basic covers but they are not an investment.

Should I buy signed or unsigned covers?

This decision is really down to your personal preference and your budget. Signed covers of course are more expensive but are likely to make greater gains for you long term, if they have the right signature. However, unsigned covers are also likely to go up in value and are less expensive to buy at the time. You don't have to strictly decide on collecting one or the other. On this site we have concentrated just on unsigned covers. We have plans for a specialist signed cover website in the future and at the moment our signed stock is regularly featured in our magazines, Cover Collector and Cover Lover. These are both free of charge and are fantastic resources for cover collectors. Contact us for sample copies. Alternatively, have a look at our Buckingham Cover website to look at some of the fantastic signatures we have got on our covers.

How do I find out about older covers and postmarks?

There are lots of different ways to find out about previous first day covers.

Get your name on mailing lists First of all, make sure you are on the mailing list of any cover producers that you like. For example, Buckingham Covers regularly produces two free brochures called Cover Lover (which shows many previous covers as well as up-and-coming ones) and Cover Collector (which lists an amazing range of items each month).

Magazines Check out magazines such as Stamp Magazine or Gibbons Stamp Monthly as these often have reviews of previous covers. You might like to subscribe to the British Philatelic Bulletin which is produced monthly by Royal Mail and includes a review of recent covers. For more information about these magazines, see our Links and Resources page.

Exhibitions Go to the larger exhibitions such as Stampex, Philatex and the York Stamp Show. Find out which dealers are going to be there in advance and go to meet them. You can ask them to show you what covers they have available for certain issues. It is a great way of meeting people in the world of covers and also for hunting down those elusive items you are after! For more information about these exhibitions, see our Links and Resources page.

Ask for advice! Any cover producer should be delighted to help you and answer your questions. You are always welcome to phone, email or write to us at Buckingham Covers if you need advice or information. Well be happy to help. If we are going through a very busy period, we may take a few days to get back to you (we are only a small company so sometimes it is all hands to the deck!), but we will always give you as much help as we can.

Join a Collectors Club or Society There are many local stamp and cover clubs around and there might be a great one near you. It is worth looking out for. If there isn't one, why not start one up? You might also be interested in joining GBFDC. This association was formed in 1994 to help people who collect British first day covers contact each other and learn more about the hobby. Members get a regular newsletter with lots of great information and it gives you a chance to get to know other cover collectors.

Do you have a question that we haven't answered?

Please don't hesitate to contact us if so. Well do our very best to help and if we find the same extra questions keep being asked, well add the answers to this part of our site!