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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : How Curious Are You?

 

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Stampme

14 Aug 2014
09:13:52am
Often, I find covers where the flap is sealed down on the outside either unopened or sealed closed again by the passage of time and environmental factors involving moisture. Normally, such an event would go unremarked except in some instances, there is something still inside the cover. A certain percentage of sealed covers with contents can be easily divulged using a strong light which exposed the interior contents as a blank slip of paper, blank card stock or perhaps a piece of magazine randomly cut and inserted to provide some contents to the mailing. I leave these covers sealed although if the insert is a random clipping from a newspaper, or evident as some other poor quality paper, the insert could begin to react with the cover paper, toning it from within. What to do?

Next, what do you do when you see that the contents can't bee seen under a strong light? When they are seen and are perhaps a letter, or souvenir card related to the event cover itself, do you begin some process to eventually reveal the contents? If you attempt to open the sealed cover, then how? Do you use a letter opener as it was intended to be used? Trim a tiny bit from the cover edge? Slide something very thin under the flap and attempt to open it that way, trusting that the aged glue will slowly, with patient application, give way?

Eternally curious,
Bruce


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amsd
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Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads

14 Aug 2014
09:45:36am

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re: How Curious Are You?

I ALWAYS open unless I am sure that the cover is intended to remain closed

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Stampme

14 Aug 2014
12:33:03pm
re: How Curious Are You?

David,
Is there an particular method you use to open the envelope or is it an envelope by envelope determination?
Bruce

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amsd
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Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads

14 Aug 2014
01:13:51pm

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re: How Curious Are You?

i have a letter opener, like a razor encased in a slide thing. i get them as give aways at trade shows. cleaner than a regular knife-like letter opener

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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

14 Aug 2014
01:34:59pm
re: How Curious Are You?

I open everything.
I fail to see how being sealed can add anything to an envelope that was supposed to ave passed through the mail.

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Bobstamp
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14 Aug 2014
02:25:59pm
re: How Curious Are You?

I open such covers, unless they are clearly an FDC with just a stiffener. On occasion, I have opened covers on three sides. They have normally been "paper-saver" covers, used more than once by covering the old addresses and stamps with a blank label or slip of paper, then readdressing them and adding a new stamp. Such covers were commonly used in the U.K. during the Second World War and for many years after because of continuing paper shortages. Opening them up sometimes makes it possible to read the old covered-up addresses, and postmarks, and to identify the stamps. The cover I'm showing here is a winner, an example of RAF Ferry Command mail from New Zealand forwarded from Harrow, Middlesex to Dorval, Montreal to Gander, Newfoundland.

Image Not Found

I also opened up a machine made postwar cover made from a military map of northern Europe. I displayed the inside of the cover in an exhibit on British War Economy, and included a scanned image of the front of the cover.

Image Not Found

Since the whole point of postal history collecting is to learn information from postal artifacts, don't see much point in not opening them if necessary. It is certainly a judgment call, and I'm sure some collectors consider it to be vandalism.

Bob




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michael78651
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14 Aug 2014
03:23:45pm
re: How Curious Are You?

I agree. Cover collecting and postal history are the same. If there is something inside, open it and see what you can discover. Some wonderful things await to be re-discovered.

My son got a bunch of covers in a bulk box lot. He told me about the letters in them. It was from a guy to his wife. He was far away on a job in the early 20th century. Basically love letters. He did a little research and found that the wife was related to President Polk.

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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

14 Aug 2014
04:14:32pm
re: How Curious Are You?

I have a similar series of covers between a husband and wife written and mailed in the late 1800s. He travelled to New York city for a job and I believe she remained at their home in Connecticut. This was in the days when hand writing was not just legible, but borderline artistic. Several of the covers have the original contents and they wrote of the often banal everyday issues facing one another, some quite personal that they dealt with while apart.
It almost seemed inappropriate reading what was, of course, a private and personal correspondence, but it showed how they lived, now over a hundred years ago. I suppose some day someone will destroy the covers and soak the stamps off.
I also acquired a series of post cards between several cousins, one living in Connecticut and the others on the east end of Long Island. The were written and mailed between the 1880s and about 1920 and tell of births, deaths, sickness, schooling and visits, both planned and executed. It is amazing at the things they committed to open cards that could have been read by anyone along the route, which was usually by way of New York City, and I suppose may have been examined by postal workers during their slack time.
Reading the cards, and the letters I mentioned could be considered voyeurism, but they are history. That's my excuse.

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Stampme

14 Aug 2014
04:25:26pm
re: How Curious Are You?

Excellent responses. Does anyone have any tricks to share or do we all employ the mundane but effective sharp letter opener?

Are there any postal history "official rules or pronouncements" regarding opening a cover: Along the top; down the left side, down the right? Is it understood that if a cover is opened so that back stamps, auxiliary markings or something of interest is now shown, the monetary value of the cover is not affected by such opening?

Speaking of covers made from maps, Bob, I recently received two Third Reich covers from occupied Poland with maps (unbeknownst to me nor mentioned by the seller) skillfully made into envelopes with the blank side on the outside and the Soviet Maps turned inside. I held them up to a bright light to discover the Communist hammer and sickle and Russian text. I have yet to open them, both philatelic with Hitler birthday stamps and special cancels, but I will be doing just that--likely with the aforementioned letter opener. I will post these in the Germany folder soon.

Bruce

PS: David, is that the small odd shaped letter opener (about 3.5 inches from top to bottom that has a rounded curved handle with a blade that one slides into the opening at the top of the cover?

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amsd
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Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads

15 Aug 2014
08:02:38am

Auctions
re: How Curious Are You?

Bruce,

they come in all shapes and sizes. But envision a piece of plastic in rectangle or oval with one side open. Looks like a eel's head with mouth opening to a razor. Slip lower portion of the eel's jaw in the letter's flap, and it slides easily across.

If you need me to scan, I will.

same function as letter opener, but because it's thinner, it usually leaves smoother cut

David

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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

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Stampme

15 Aug 2014
05:31:09pm
re: How Curious Are You?

Thanks, David. I think I know exactly what you mean. One often finds them as giveaways at trade shows, etc.
Bruce

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sheepshanks
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16 Aug 2014
09:12:34pm
re: How Curious Are You?

Just a couple of thoughts on removing contents of sealed envelopes, some glues will be separable after freezing, not sure how long in the freezer.
Also using two fine stiff wires (or similar) inserted in the top of the flap and gripping between them the content sheet can possibly be wound into a tight tube and then extracted without cutting the cover.

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Author/Postings
Stampme

14 Aug 2014
09:13:52am

Often, I find covers where the flap is sealed down on the outside either unopened or sealed closed again by the passage of time and environmental factors involving moisture. Normally, such an event would go unremarked except in some instances, there is something still inside the cover. A certain percentage of sealed covers with contents can be easily divulged using a strong light which exposed the interior contents as a blank slip of paper, blank card stock or perhaps a piece of magazine randomly cut and inserted to provide some contents to the mailing. I leave these covers sealed although if the insert is a random clipping from a newspaper, or evident as some other poor quality paper, the insert could begin to react with the cover paper, toning it from within. What to do?

Next, what do you do when you see that the contents can't bee seen under a strong light? When they are seen and are perhaps a letter, or souvenir card related to the event cover itself, do you begin some process to eventually reveal the contents? If you attempt to open the sealed cover, then how? Do you use a letter opener as it was intended to be used? Trim a tiny bit from the cover edge? Slide something very thin under the flap and attempt to open it that way, trusting that the aged glue will slowly, with patient application, give way?

Eternally curious,
Bruce


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amsd

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
14 Aug 2014
09:45:36am

Auctions

re: How Curious Are You?

I ALWAYS open unless I am sure that the cover is intended to remain closed

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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link. ...
Stampme

14 Aug 2014
12:33:03pm

re: How Curious Are You?

David,
Is there an particular method you use to open the envelope or is it an envelope by envelope determination?
Bruce

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this post
Members Picture
amsd

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
14 Aug 2014
01:13:51pm

Auctions

re: How Curious Are You?

i have a letter opener, like a razor encased in a slide thing. i get them as give aways at trade shows. cleaner than a regular knife-like letter opener

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link. ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
14 Aug 2014
01:34:59pm

re: How Curious Are You?

I open everything.
I fail to see how being sealed can add anything to an envelope that was supposed to ave passed through the mail.

Like
Login to Like
this post

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Members Picture
Bobstamp

14 Aug 2014
02:25:59pm

re: How Curious Are You?

I open such covers, unless they are clearly an FDC with just a stiffener. On occasion, I have opened covers on three sides. They have normally been "paper-saver" covers, used more than once by covering the old addresses and stamps with a blank label or slip of paper, then readdressing them and adding a new stamp. Such covers were commonly used in the U.K. during the Second World War and for many years after because of continuing paper shortages. Opening them up sometimes makes it possible to read the old covered-up addresses, and postmarks, and to identify the stamps. The cover I'm showing here is a winner, an example of RAF Ferry Command mail from New Zealand forwarded from Harrow, Middlesex to Dorval, Montreal to Gander, Newfoundland.

Image Not Found

I also opened up a machine made postwar cover made from a military map of northern Europe. I displayed the inside of the cover in an exhibit on British War Economy, and included a scanned image of the front of the cover.

Image Not Found

Since the whole point of postal history collecting is to learn information from postal artifacts, don't see much point in not opening them if necessary. It is certainly a judgment call, and I'm sure some collectors consider it to be vandalism.

Bob




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michael78651

14 Aug 2014
03:23:45pm

re: How Curious Are You?

I agree. Cover collecting and postal history are the same. If there is something inside, open it and see what you can discover. Some wonderful things await to be re-discovered.

My son got a bunch of covers in a bulk box lot. He told me about the letters in them. It was from a guy to his wife. He was far away on a job in the early 20th century. Basically love letters. He did a little research and found that the wife was related to President Polk.

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.hipstamp.com/sto ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
14 Aug 2014
04:14:32pm

re: How Curious Are You?

I have a similar series of covers between a husband and wife written and mailed in the late 1800s. He travelled to New York city for a job and I believe she remained at their home in Connecticut. This was in the days when hand writing was not just legible, but borderline artistic. Several of the covers have the original contents and they wrote of the often banal everyday issues facing one another, some quite personal that they dealt with while apart.
It almost seemed inappropriate reading what was, of course, a private and personal correspondence, but it showed how they lived, now over a hundred years ago. I suppose some day someone will destroy the covers and soak the stamps off.
I also acquired a series of post cards between several cousins, one living in Connecticut and the others on the east end of Long Island. The were written and mailed between the 1880s and about 1920 and tell of births, deaths, sickness, schooling and visits, both planned and executed. It is amazing at the things they committed to open cards that could have been read by anyone along the route, which was usually by way of New York City, and I suppose may have been examined by postal workers during their slack time.
Reading the cards, and the letters I mentioned could be considered voyeurism, but they are history. That's my excuse.

Like
Login to Like
this post

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Stampme

14 Aug 2014
04:25:26pm

re: How Curious Are You?

Excellent responses. Does anyone have any tricks to share or do we all employ the mundane but effective sharp letter opener?

Are there any postal history "official rules or pronouncements" regarding opening a cover: Along the top; down the left side, down the right? Is it understood that if a cover is opened so that back stamps, auxiliary markings or something of interest is now shown, the monetary value of the cover is not affected by such opening?

Speaking of covers made from maps, Bob, I recently received two Third Reich covers from occupied Poland with maps (unbeknownst to me nor mentioned by the seller) skillfully made into envelopes with the blank side on the outside and the Soviet Maps turned inside. I held them up to a bright light to discover the Communist hammer and sickle and Russian text. I have yet to open them, both philatelic with Hitler birthday stamps and special cancels, but I will be doing just that--likely with the aforementioned letter opener. I will post these in the Germany folder soon.

Bruce

PS: David, is that the small odd shaped letter opener (about 3.5 inches from top to bottom that has a rounded curved handle with a blade that one slides into the opening at the top of the cover?

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
amsd

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
15 Aug 2014
08:02:38am

Auctions

re: How Curious Are You?

Bruce,

they come in all shapes and sizes. But envision a piece of plastic in rectangle or oval with one side open. Looks like a eel's head with mouth opening to a razor. Slip lower portion of the eel's jaw in the letter's flap, and it slides easily across.

If you need me to scan, I will.

same function as letter opener, but because it's thinner, it usually leaves smoother cut

David

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link. ...
Stampme

15 Aug 2014
05:31:09pm

re: How Curious Are You?

Thanks, David. I think I know exactly what you mean. One often finds them as giveaways at trade shows, etc.
Bruce

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
sheepshanks

16 Aug 2014
09:12:34pm

re: How Curious Are You?

Just a couple of thoughts on removing contents of sealed envelopes, some glues will be separable after freezing, not sure how long in the freezer.
Also using two fine stiff wires (or similar) inserted in the top of the flap and gripping between them the content sheet can possibly be wound into a tight tube and then extracted without cutting the cover.

Like
Login to Like
this post
        

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