American First Day Cover Society

The American First Day Cover Society, the world's largest not-for-profit FDC collecting organization, will hold its Americover 2026 exhibition and annual convention in conjunction with BALPEX 2026, the Maryland World Series of Philately show. The dates are August 7-9, at the BWI Airport Marriott Hotel in Linthicum Heights, Md.

For the past four years, Americover has been part of Great American Stamp Show, of which the AFDCS is a co-sponsor with the American Philatelic Society and American Topical Association. However, "GASS" will not be held in 2026 because of the Boston 2026 international exhibition and the AFDCS decided it wanted to continue its streak of 71 consecutive annual conventions.

That means the hotel will be hosting two WSP exhibitions that weekend, BALPEX's and Americover. A single jury will judge both.

The Baltimore Philatelic Society has sponsored the BALPEX show and exhibition since the 1930s. Its 2017 Grand Award exhibit, "Colonial Central America" by James Mazepa, won the APS Champion of Champions competition for that year. The BWI Airport Marriott has a free shuttle from the airport and there is a free shuttle from the Amtrak BWI station to the airport.

From 1993 to 2019, the AFDCS held Americover as an independent show at locations around the country. It became a World Series of Philately exhibition in 2005. Although it will have a booth, meetings and seminars at Boston 2026, "we felt holding Americover at BALPEX would be a better fit for us than the International," said AFDCS president Lloyd A. de Vries.

"We are happy to have the AFDCS join us for BALPEX 2026, and look forward to a great show," said Richard Taschenberg, BALPEX exhibits chairman and program coordinator.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. It publishes its bimonthly award-winning journal First Days as well as handbooks and catalogues and maintains a YouTube channel. The AFDCS also promotes the collecting of both modern and "classic" issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

Eight members are running for the four open seats on the American First Day Cover Society's 2025 election, only three of whom are incumbents. The ballots are now in the mail to members.

The winners of the election will serve three-year terms, beginning January 1, 2026. In addition, the fifth-place finisher will immediately join the Board to fill a vacancy caused by a resignation. Directors and officers receive no compensation for their service and are not reimbursed for expenses related to serving on the Board.

The election is only being conducted by mail; there is no online voting. Because of Pandemic-related problems, the first separate election mailing was distributed in 2020, and turnout was so much better than in previous elections that the AFDCS decided to continue the practice.

The candidates are Steven Ripley, an event and emergency coordinator from Florida; Shirley Ulling from California, a school transportation worker before retirement; Walter Douglas George, a retired supermarket executive from Massachusetts; Chris Calle, a professional artist who lives in Connecticut; Bobby Liao, retired software executive from California; Lloyd de Vries of New Jersey, a retired broadcast journalist; Jim Tatum, a former television and film professional; and Michael Moticha from California, a career Army officer. Tatum, de Vries and Moticha are incumbents.

After the results of the board election are known, the Directors will choose officers for the next calendar year — president, executive vice president, first vice president, treasurer and recording secretary — as well as a chair of the Board.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to its journal First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and "classic" issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

Families took the spotlight in the American First Day Cover Society's cachetmaking contest for 2024 issues: The winners included three pairs of mothers and daughters (one with a father, too), a pair of siblings, and a grandfather/granddaughter combo.

Doug George and his sister Jennifer MacLellan, both from Massachusetts, won top honors with their booklet-FDC for the Hank Aaron stamp (Sc. 5908). It also won the Esoteric category. (It is shown on the right here.) George also won first place for Hand-Drawn/Hand-Painted Printed from Original Artwork, Duck Covers and Se-Tenant Covers, as well as several seconds and thirds. MacLellan's cachet for Garden Delights also placed third in Esoteric.

Carolyn Marks' "Bella Cachets" FDC for Shaker Design (Sc. 5896) took first in Miscellaneous Media, while her daughters Annajoy and Katelyn earned second and third, respectively, in the Juniors Ages 11 to 17 category. (in the photo, that's Katelyn, Annajoy and Carolyn.) Tricia Richmond's FDC for the 5-cent Tulip coil stamp (Sc. 5905) was first in Noncommercial cachets, while daughter Darcy Richmond's Autumn Leaves/Boston 2026 cover was third in that category.

The Scolieri family took home a bevy awards: Greg won second and third for Hand-Drawn/Hand-Painted/Hand-Colored, wife Amy was deemed Rookie of the Year, and daughter Genivieve placed second in Juniors Ages 10 and Younger. (Greg won the Rookie award last year.) That's Amy and Genivieve on the right.

Kevin Colton, who won last year's Top Cachet award, was consoled for "only" winning first place in Foreign Covers and second place in that category and in Se-Tenant by granddaughter Marrah Reichert's tie for first place in Juniors Ages 10 and Younger. It is her second win in that category.

There was one other family connection: Arianna Calle, who in the past has won in both the Junior categories, earned several adult-category awards. Her father, Chris, is a past Top Cachet winner.

The annual contest is open to all members of the AFDCS and to cachetmakers under the age of 18 who are "sponsored" by an AFDCS member. Many of the entries are later offered for sale in an AFDCS Fund-Raising Auction.

You can see all the winning entries on the AFDCS website here.

First Day Cover Philatelic Exhibiting: A Master Class by Andrew McFarlane is the 2024 winner of the American First Day Cover Society’s annual Philip H. Ward, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in First Day Cover Literature. It also won the Grand Award in the 2025 Great American Stamp Show literature competition as well as a large gold. The more than 500-page book was published by Exhibitors Press and is available on Amazon in both hardcover and paperback editions. Autographed copies may be ordered from his website.

The first four volumes of Kenneth M. Stern's ongoing series of catalogues of Walter G. Crosby First Day Covers, covering 1928 through 1943, was the runner-up. The fifth and final volume, 1944 through 1949, was published earlier this year. All are also available on Amazon and Stern publishes updates on his website.

"It's an honor even to be considered," said McFarlane. "Receiving the award goes beyond anything I'd ever dreamed."

As an exhibitor, he has won more than seven national exhibition Grand Awards, including that of the American First Day Cover's Americover in 2005, 2011 and 2013. McFarlane, an IT consultant, also is the recipient of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors' Diamond Award for multi-frame exhibiting. He lives in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains with his wife Caroline.

Philip Henry Ward, Jr., began servicing first day covers in 1909. An electrical engineer by trade, he wrote on new issues for The American Philatelist, Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News and The Weekly Philatelic Gazette in the early 20th century.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to publishing its journal First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and "classic" issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

Great American Stamp Show 2025 is August 14-17 in Schaumburg, Illinois, and it includes Americover 2025: Our meetings, seminars, exhibits and social events.

The hotel and convention center are the same building. The Renaissance does not have a free shuttle from the airport, but it does have a flat-rate agreement of $32 plus tax with American Taxi. The reservation telephone number is 847-673-1000. A reservation gets you a cab number to connect with upon arrival at the airport.

We actually start Wednesday evening with the Board of Directors meeting, 8 pm Central Time. We will have a Zoom connection for that meeting, as well as the general Membership meeting Friday morning at 9 am (again, CDT). Check back here for the Zoom links.

Members can download issue #483 here.

This issue solves mysteries involving 1953 and 1981 stamps, tells the tale of a well-traveled FDC that came in out of the cold, details an ArtCraft commemorative cover that is anything but a wrong number, tells how to avoid the Copyright Police, and reveals our editor's Schaumburg Witch Trials nightmare.

The issue should be in the mail soon, but AFDCS members don't have to wait: They can download it now.

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.)