A Message From Fred Collins

"I have made Collins First Day Covers my life's work, and I am an involved member of the philatelic community. I am a co-founder and charter member of the National Cachetmakers Association, a life member of the American First Day Cover Society, a member of the American Philatelic Society, a member of the National Stamp Dealers Association, an elected member of Earl Planty's First Day Cover Hall of Fame, and an honorary lifetime member of the Molly Pitcher Stamp Club of New Jersey. I am also proud to announce that I was awarded the Cachetmaker of the Half-Century (1951-2000) as voted by the membership of the American First Day Cover Society."

In 1998 I wrote a book about my first twenty years (1978 to 1997) as a cachetmaker. It is 340 pages with many photos (some in color) and an illustrated catalog portion showing all of my cachets up to 1997. Much of the content is about our family cachetmaking business, my adventurous travels in pursuit of unique First Day postmarks, and my insights into the First Day Cover hobby. There is a fair amount of family background, my childhood years, and my tour in the United States Air Force. It’s available in hard or soft cover, and I’ll be happy to send you information on it.