World Stamp Collector - First Day covers?

An impossible task I’d say . The list would stretch to infinity.

Just looking at recent GB first day covers, you have the generic Bureau issue also available with one or sometimes several different illustrated cancels, then you have various commercial companies with a variety of cachets appropriate to a design element on the stamps …that can add quite a number of variants . So for one issue of stamps you can have a dozen different FDCs.

There are fewer commercial FDc producers in GB now than in the past , but back in the 1950-1970s era the number of producers was much greater and in countries like US or Australia there are very large numbers of commercial and semi-private producers . Hard enough to list for one country let alone go WW.

Great to hear that you are making progress with more data CD, World Collector promises to be a valuable resource in the future.

Hi collectordave

A single stamp may have multiple FDC's, each created by a different cachet maker. Therefore a single entry may not be sufficient for an FDC collector.  Also collected are First Day of Issue, a cover that may or may not have a cachet, but issued on the day of release of a stamp.

In my area, Colombia, there may be a First Day of Issue in a department (state) and a cachet First Day Cover issued for the same stamp by the postal service.  An example where a single entry may not be sufficient. 

Just some thoughts.  

Jerry B

Hi cd,

Your database have stamps, included in Series, issued by the Country Post Office. I think this is the primary goal.

In my opinion it should, also, have FDCs issued by the Country Post Office.

As mentioned before, there are many private issuers of FDC, companies or others that should not be part of the DB.
In other words, for me, your DB should be able to allow, by Serie, all items issued by the Country Post Office, related to that Serie.
It can be more than one stamp, one FDC, one Maxi card, one Souvenir sheet, one Mini sheet, etc, etc.

As you know my DB has this type of information.

These posts are about FDC but, what about, Booklets, Mini-Sheets, Souvenir Sheets, Maxi Cards, Postal Cards and others items issued by the Country Post Office, associated with one Serie ?

For example, in your DB there are stamps registered, as a normal or singular stamp, when they were only issued in Souvenir Sheet or Mini sheet or Booklet.
I don't have this stamps in my collection, like a stamp. I've the Souvenir Sheet.

Stamp catalogues register some of these items associated with the series, mainly the country-specific catalogues, although the big 4 catalogues also have some information.

Stanley Gibbons catalogue does not register (give a number to) stamps issued in Souvenir Sheet. It only refers and numbers the Souvenir Sheet.
Michel catalogue numbers everything. Yvert and Scott, too, although using different numbers.
Stanley Gibbons don't mentions FDC but Michel does (and only the official, issued by the Country Post Office).

Regards to all

But Michel give a number to the stamps on the souvenir sheet and mini sheet.
Not for FDC or the other items.

"A mini sheet is just a small sheet of stamps, a souvenir sheet has stamps and some form of souvenir printing. Is how I define them in the database (not all done as yet)."
*** In some countries a Mini Sheet is the Série. In other words, the stamps of the Mini Sheet were only issued in the Mini Sheet and the Série is the Mini Sheet. Especially in African countries.
The same applies to Souvenir Sheet. Sometimes the Series consists of a Souvenir Sheet, only. The stamps were issued only in Souvenir Sheet.
In this case, there are countries from all continents and in certain cases, the number of this type of issues is high.

"You can potentially have three different stamps one from a normal issue ,one from a mini sheet and one from a souvenir sheet."
*** and from Booklet, special sheet, etc.

"There are also other catalogue differences such as coil stamps etc. Where a stamp is imperforate on one side, which could be any side some catalogues list the stamp only once the database is attempting to list each individually."
*** for me this types (different perforation. perforation in one side only are varieties. Different colours, inverted surcharges, errors, are errors. The numeration will be equal to the original stamp but with 'a, b, c", etc.

"First day covers seem to be a law unto themselves so in the database will be one entry for each commemorative set.
I am aware that there are more and I am willing, after WSC is settled to write a database programme just for first day covers as I think that is the way to go."
*** some official issues (from post office) has more than one. In my database they have a different number, not related with the serie.

*** One of the problems, I think, in your DB, is that there is no relationship between the Series and the items issued.
In my DB if you select one Serie, all items will be presented (stamps, Fdc, Souvenir sheet, Mini sheet, Booklet, etc.