Canceled To Order ? ?

I used to collect first day covers (a long time ago) but as stamp collecting got more expensive I then decided to give them up along with overpriced gutter pairs, special issue cylinder blocks, special issue traffic light blocks etc. I felt that I was being ripped off by Royal Mail to a degree, as more and more issues were appearing month after month..


Do not get me wrong, I am not one to dictate to others on what to collect, (each to his own) if you can afford it and you enjoy what you have go for it.

Just one example of a modern issue.

I was intrigued to see (above) this for sale at £20 on the Internet, described as a first day cover. On inspection the cancels look to be OK , it is the self adhesive issue cancelled with a Birmingham post mark on 08/03/11.


To my mind a Windsor cover cover with a Birmingham cancel does not look right. This is also 3p short of the current 1st class rate. I doubt very much that it travelled through the postage system.


So is it a first day cover, or just another overpriced envelope cancelled to order? I guess it could have been sent 2nd class at a cost of 37p but (again) I doubt it.


What do you think of modern day collecting and philately today in general?