Joseph Molleur's Hobbies
My favorite recreational activities are:
·Going for long walks with my wife Linda
·Reading
·Listening to classical music, including opera
·First Day Cover collecting
What is a First Day Cover (FDC)? As the Scott 2001 U.S. First Day Cover Catalogue explains, "when a new stamp is issued by the U.S. Postal Service, it is offered for sale in (usually) only a single city on one day and then throughout the country on the second day and thereafter. That date of sale in a single city is designated as the 'official' First Day of Issue.... Most often an FDC is an envelope. Some are just plain envelopes. Some bear elaborate and attractive cachets. A cachet (pronounced ka-SHAY) is a design of words and/or pictures which refers especially to the new stamp on the FDC. Designs are usually found on the front, left side of the envelope. They can be printed, rubber stamped, individually hand created, or pasted-on. The purpose of a cachet is to enhance the meaning and appearance of the cover" (pp. 20A-22A).
I have well over 200 FDCs in my collection, with special emphasis on stamps that commemorate education. For more information on FDC collecting, click on one of the following links: