U602s

Olympic Games

Gymnast

Fred Collins Signature

Collins Cover Announcement 

28 SUMMER OLYMPICS

This block of four airmail stamps once again enabled me to do a set of five Olympic First Day covers. The stamps and hand-painted cachets are very bright and very attractive, the sports represented are soccer, women's basketball, track and field (hurdling) and women's gymnastics. I suspect that these covers will go quickly so do let me know if you want them.

This was one of my more interesting trips. Beforehand when I was planning for my unofficial, I located on the map a small town considerably south of San Antonio. What could be more perfect than Los Angeles? As is my usual policy, I got a listing for the post Office and called to check closing time and was told 4:00 p.m. The wheels were in motion. I flew into San Antonio the night before. On the First Day, I drove out past the Alamo to the Post Office. It was a new, large facility on the outskirts of the city. There, with some local helpers, I worked on affixing the stamps and acquiring the First Day hand cancels. By late morning I was on the belt-way and heading south. After picking up interstate 35 it was due south to Cotulla where I turned east toward Los Angeles. When I arrived there, the biggest shock of my FDC career awaited me. The "town" consisted of a cross-roads, tiny weather-beaten bar and a few like-wise appearing residences. It was a forlorn place: After locating (no easy task) a very elderly couple, I learned that the post office had closed about a year earlier and that what little mail there was now was being handled by the next town, Fowlerton. With the clock still ticking, off I went. When I got to Fowlerton, I got another jolt, but this time a positive one. There was exactly one building making up the town - as frontier a looking outpost as you ever hope to see - but fortunately it was the post office. I learned that it mainly serves a few ranches that are not visable from the road. I also learned that the local water is good only for livestock and that water for human consumption is trucked in - I guess that explains (along with the harsh terrain) why the population is so sparse. I later learned that a little farther east was a little trailer type convenience store, so in fact the P.O. was not the only building in town - there are two.

And, so, there you have the Texan tale as to why these covers have the Fowlerton unofficial - because that small Americana post office serves the small semi-ghost town of Los Angeles. Oh, yes - what about my original phone call? As near as I can determine, my call was directed to Cotulla and they gave me the closing time for their facility.

The hand-painted cachets are by themselves reason enough to collect this set, but the now spun yarn about how my trail ride to Los Angeles ended up in Fowlerton is a background story that adds that ever present personal touch to COLLINS FDCs. A tale of back country ranches, sagebrush, and Olympic covers in the Lone Star State. Item #U601 - Price $6.25. Item #U602 (4 FDCs) - Price $23.00 These are five different cachets. On the U602 set each cover has two of the stamps pertaining to the sport in the cachet. The U601 has all four different stamps, a pair canceled at San Antonio and the opposite pair canceled at Fowlerton.

Autumn 2026 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 5 U602 to U605 — Summer Olympics set of 4 FDCs and FREE cover — 6/17/83

This is a very special early Collins set of Summer Olympics covers. They are extremely attractive and are being offered in a mail sale for the first time. Fred had a very interesting trip to obtain the stamps and cancels. He flew into San Antonio the day before the stamps were released and the next morning, with some local helpers, the stamps were acquired and affixed to the envelopes, and the cancels were added. By late morning he was on the beltway heading south to the destination for his unofficial cancel — Los Angeles, Texas (very appropriate for Olympics stamps). It had been arranged ahead of time, but someone had given him incorrect information, and the expected town consisted of a bar, a few houses, and nothing else. There were very few options, and Fred decided to head into the next town — Fowlerton. It had only one building in the frontier-looking outpost, but fortunately it was the post office that mainly serves a few ranches. He realized he would be unable to travel any farther that day to get his cancels, so the Fowlerton cancel was happily applied, and his adventure in the Lone Star State of back country ranches, sagebrush, and Olympic covers came to a happy conclusion. The four sold-out Olympics covers are making their appearance in a mail sale for the first time, and the FREE cover (U601) is a complimentary addition that enhances the others.