I have run across three covers that were created by a prison inmate. Here is a snippet of each one:
They are all done on business-sized envelopes. I only showed the central portion of each, and cropped out the sender and recipient names and addresses.
So, of course my question runs towards the sale-ability of these pieces and their worth. Any ideas?
I think the "worth" of the cover would really depend on the prisoner. If he's a serial killer or a very bad person they may be worth more than a prisoner who's in for just wife beating. And that's not to say the wife beater or child molester shouldn't be locked up for a long time, but what is their notoriety? So who is the sender?
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"Appreciate the beauty of nature. You never know when life will deal you an unplanned twist of fate. Enjoy things while you can, because you just never know."
i may be the only accumulator of prisoner mail on SOR. It came about when I was editing a men's journal, and, as demonstrated by your covers, Michael, many men in prison have inner selves that are only finding their way out AFTER incarceration.
No idea of value. I see the many wonderful ACE creations often go begging.
I do find them extraordinarily interesting.
David
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
Hi! David What is ACE?
I am a RN in the Texas prison system. The inmates receive letters and the stamps always receive a hole punch so that the prisoners can not re-use the stamps. Some live for their letters and they are always writing as I pass their rooms. On occasion, I sometimes find myself envying the inmates for having time to read a book, write a letter, doodle artwork or just socialize. They are usually murders or child molesters, I have not the heart to look up their crime. I am told that you can tell an inmate is lying when they open their mouths! Some collect stamps! Anyway, my point is...finding yourself after incarceration is pretty sad. Valarie
ACE is Artistic Cover Exchange. Members create artistic covers they send each other. The Cleveland contingent, in the mid-90s, focused on the Indians, who were a dominant baseball club at the moment (in between immense and profound droughts); many will do themes that interest them.
there typically isn't a lot of secondary market interest in them. Roy often has a nice selection in his buck o cover grouping, and I've purchased a few that fit my funny bone.
David
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"