American First Day Cover Society

Self-nominations are now open for the Board of Directors of the American First Day Cover Society, the largest not-for-profit FDC organization in the world. Each year, the membership of the AFDCS elects four people to serve on its board for three-year terms.

Those running for the board must be members in good standing and are expected to submit a statement of no more than 300 words and a photo. There is no other "qualifying process" for nominations: No 10-member petitions, minimum tenure in the AFDCS, nor the ability to recite cachet catalogue numbers from memory. Reasonable proficiency with email is expected.

Once elected, Directors are expected to attend the one in-person meeting a year (held at the convention) and ad hoc online meetings, participate in email discussions and vote electronically on matters that come before the board. The candidates are announced at Americover, the annual convention (held this year in conjunction with Great American Stamp Show) and the ballot and their statements are mailed to members in the fall. The terms begin on January 1.

Mark Gereb of New Jersey is chairing the AFDCS 2025 Nominating Committee, aided by Tris Fall of Pennsylvania and John Peterson of California. Those wish to run, or who would like more information, should contact Mark at rec.sec@afdcs.org.

The AFDCS Board of Directors consists of 12 elected members, plus three ex-officio members: the president, editor, and general counsel. (The Society's complete bylaws are available at www.afdcs.net/bylaws). Directors are not compensated in any way for serving on the board, although they may receive reimbursement for expenses not related to serving on the board or attending meetings.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, established in 1955. It publishes the award-winning bimonthly journal First Days, as well as handbooks and catalogues, maintains a YouTube channel, and promotes the collecting of both modern and "classic" issues and cachets, as well as the exhibiting of FDCs.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057.

The AFDCS is looking for help at the upcoming Great American Stamp Show 2025, which includes Americover.

• Booth Sales Help (Covers): Must be willing to use our iPad electronic sales system (it's simple and training will take a few moments). Two-hour shifts. Requires smiles.
• Booth Recruiting Help (FDC Collecting and AFDCS): Similar requirements to the above but must also "reach out" to those passing the booth. We also will be handing out Americover buttons to everyone (while supplies last) and AFDCS ribbons to members.
• Cover Servicing: Purchase stamps as directed at USPS Sales in the back of the exhibit hall, affix them, take prepared covers to the USPS Cancellations and bring them back to the booth. Requires walking shoes!

Those on the 10 a.m. to 12 noon shifts will not be able to attend the first-day ceremonies and other events during that time period. Those on the 4 to 6 p.m. shifts Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be expected to help close up the booth for the night. (It doesn't take long.)

We need sign-ups for specific time slots, not "as needed." And — sorry to mention this — the booth is not a place to socialize and catch up with your friends. It is a place to sell FDC collecting, the AFDCS and our covers.

All volunteers will receive a free GASS/Americover Volunteer cover, different than the show covers on sale at the booth. If we know you will be volunteering by next week, you will also find a "volunteer" ribbon in your pre-registration packet.

We expect to hold one or more short Zoom "orientation" sessions for volunteers before the show.

If interested in volunteering, please contact Ralph Nafziger, nafziger@peak.org.

In addition to the USPS first-day postmarks, there will be nine show postmarks. (All of these are subject to USPS approval.) Here are the designs and sizes for the NTSS/GASS cancels:These are the designs and sizes for the Americover cancels:There is also a postmark for the latest Boston 2026 label:

Attention AFDCS Charter & Life Members: Please RSVP for the free breakfast during Americover/Great American Stamp Show 2025: Sunday morning, August 17th. Details and the reservation form are here. (Page only accessible to Charter and Life Members.)

Have a question for the U.S. Postal Service's Stamp Services division? The American First Day Cover Society is again sponsoring two seminars with Stamp Services at Great American Stamp Show 2025, August 14-17. One, on Thursday at 1 pm, is an overview of Stamp Services: What goes into deciding which stamps the USPS will issue and how. The other, on Friday at 2 pm, is with Stamp Fulfillment Services — sales, production, and cancellations, among other functions.

To make sure they have the answers ready, the USPS has asked me to ask you in advance: What do you want to know? What isn't working for you? And (of course) what do you like about what Stamp Services does.

Similar to last year's seminars, I will moderate and ask most of the questions during the seminars, hopefully with your input. Send your questions to me at president@afdcs.org 

—Lloyd de Vries

Read about the 185th anniversary of the FDC!  This issue also includes what you will need to take advantage of everything FDC-related at Americover in August.   Enjoy the issue! 

The American First Day Cover Society is seeking FDCs and other related items for inclusion in its Hospitality Suite Silent Auction during Great American Stamp Show. GASS 2025 will be held August 14-17 in Schaumburg, IL.

Each night, Wednesday the 13th through Saturday the 16th, the AFDCS — the only not-for-profit organization dedicated to the collection and enjoyment of FDCs — hosts a free lounge where people can socialize. The lots in the Silent Auction are available for viewing and those attending may enter bids without saying a word or holding up a card or paddle. (Talking is permitted, however, maybe even singing.) At the end of night Saturday, the winners of the lots are determined.

The AFDCS is looking for small lots of single covers or issues, with a retail value of $10 or more. Please send your donations by June 30 to Lorraine Bailey, 2703 Arlington Blvd.  Unit 102, Arlington, Va. 22201-1332. All proceeds from the Silent Auction will be acknowledged as donations. The AFDCS is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

The new issue of First Days is online here.

The feature article is on the ArtCraft cachets for the George Eastman FDCs of 1954 (Sc. 1062). Other articles include error postmarks on FDCs, cachets for Sc. 989 Statue of Freedom, Baffling Cachets and Part 2 of a checklist of cachets and cancellations for World Stamp Expo 2000. News includes the 30,000^th member of the AFDCS!

Some additional news:

The AFDCS "central office" is closed for the entire month of April, although others will try to pick up the slack.

You can pay electronically for items from the AFDCS (such as memberships or covers) without having or getting a PayPal account. You'll find details here.

1. Send email to Sales@afdcs.org or Membership@afdcs.org and request a "Zettle invoice." Upon receipt, you can pay it with any debit or credit card without having or opening a PayPal account. Please specify for what you are paying, your name, your email address and your mailing address.

2. Send a check to the AFDCS Central Office (address below) and send email to AFDCS@afdcs.org specifying for what you are paying, your name, your email address and your mailing address.

The U.S. Postal Service will release three issues during the show. On Thursday, it will have a first-day ceremony for two stamps promoting Boston 2026. On Saturday, immediately following the APS general membership meeting, the latest in the series of lepidoptera stamps for the non-machineable (greeting card) rate, will emerge from its cocoon: the Luna Moth. Friday’s issue has not yet been announced.

The United Nations and Rattlesnake Island Local Post also will have first-days at GASS and Boston 2026 will release a new label promoting the show. It was designed by AFDCS member Chris Calle, who will spend most of the show at the AFDCS booth, signing and selling his FDCs and related work.

The AFDCS plans to have both show cachets and cachets for these issues for sale at its booth, both serviced and unserviced.