Posts: 2
From: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Registered: Feb 2022

posted 06-13-2022 06:23 PM               

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I didn't know where to start, so I googled around the internet and found this great message board to hopefully get some guidance from you collectors

I am a huge sports card collector, so I knew this vast collection would be a gem for the niche group.

This collection is the infamous William Davis from Richmond Virginia. He passed away 15 years ago, but we were cleaning out his house and found a very organized collection of pristine covers. The family gave them to me to find out more about them, their value, and buyers.

The collection is way to big to picture them all, but I went through and feel like I captured the older covers.

Here is a Dropbox link that will take you to the main folder that will allow you to click through the various covers I pictured. Any guidance would be lovely!

Posts: 1351
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 06-15-2022 04:35 PM               

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I scanned the collection quickly; there are some impressive multiple copies of early manned Mercury covers like those for MR-3 and -4 (Shepard and Grissom) and from MA-6 to -8 (Glenn to Schirra). Also for two primates, Enos and Goliath; and unmanned flight covers like for the failed Mariner 1 to Venus (Mariner 2 did make it), and early Saturn rockets. But what makes it special are the near-mint conditions of the covers, plus what look like 'errors' of cachets (the illustrations/printings on the covers to the left of the postal cancels).

If I were to value the collection as a whole I would say (conservatively) $3,000-$5,000. As to how to sell them; ebay is a possibility. You might want to reach out to Ken Havekotte, a longtime noted cover collector/dealer who posts frequently on the Stamps and Covers forum here on collectSPACE (he lives on Merritt Island, FL where KSC is located). You can click on his contact email directly on one of his posts. He will give you more of realistic value, and how to sell them that is perhaps more beneficial. Good luck!

Posts: 3462
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

Posts: 2
From: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Registered: Feb 2022

posted 06-16-2022 10:47 AM               

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Thank you both for providing some more information. I've had a couple gentleman reach out to me individually to help me gather to correct information to put on a spreadsheet, which I am doing. I'm focusing on a couple tins, specifically categorized (probably for a reason).

I will be glad to share the spreadsheet once I complete it.

The covers are in mint condition, like you mentioned.

Outside of the tins that probably contain most of the value, William Davis put together a detailed "Space Voyage Cachets: Cover Catalog" book that has chronological events from May 25 1971 - January 28, 1989. He has probably 10-20 complete sets. I hear that these don't have a ton of value, but perhaps can put sets together.

Reach out with any more questions!