This is a new one on me: Body bags. I spotted it in the paragraph on our home page. See below, my upper case. What are body bags? Thanks, Bruce "We also study and collect covers, FDCs, rates, usages, routes, ephemera, Maximum cards, seals, BODY BAGS and crash covers, the machines creating the cancellations and postmarks, spray-ons and other transit markings not technically cancellations, history behind the man sending the stamp, and so much more."
Jan-Simon is correct. There are several different varieties of these things. I'll try to scan several of them. They are a way of forwarding mail, often times little more than a scrap, sometimes a terribly crumpled sheet or balled up newspaper. They are avidly collected by a few people, one being me. Often times the injury that gives rise to the body bag is induced by the automated machinery, but occasionally is a natural or man-made accident.
should you stumble upon a body bag, if you can, leave it completely intact and do not even open it. Of course, if you absolutely must find out if you are the 1 in a million winner.....
David
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
Great colorful language to describe a utilitarian article: body bag! I think I received a body bag a few weeks ago with a cover inside that had been neatly slit at the top so that contents could be removed--the lower left side had been crinkled--intentionally? by a dishonest postal employee who then placed pilfered cover into aforementioned body bag. I don't believe it was officially sealed though, I think--I'll look around for it--it was open at one end, clear plastic with black lettering apologizing for damage and the USPS logo. Nary a peep about the missing contents. Would that be a body bag? Bruce
Bruce, that is, indeed, a body bag. Some are plaintifully apologetic and others are utilitarianly quiet, just delivering the mail, and don't mind that's it open.
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
i included similar body bags from Israel and Canada, each with bilingual text, that match the US version, in English only. These are all on heavy 6x9" books. the others are different versions and sizes of the same paper/glassine envelope. I noted at least 2 different texts on the reverse. I also included a single tape used to seal a box (that's all that's been retained of that box, unfortunately).
David
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"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"
