L1301

Cats

Siamese Exotic Shorthair, Abyssinian Himalayan, Maine Coon Burmese, American Shorthair Persian

Collins Cover Announcement 

CATS

The format I chose for this issue was the same that I chose for the Dog stamps (T801 - T802) of a few years ago. That is, one cover with the full set of four stamps and also four individual covers with one stamp per.

The L1301 cover shows a playful kitten in a colorful flower garden swiping at a "just out of reach" vibrant butterfly. As you can imagine, with kitten, flowers and butterfly, this is a very bright and cheerful hand-painted cachet that contrasts nicely with the somber tones of the stamp.

Flanking the center positioned cachet are two stamps on each side. Two of the stamps (Burmese, Maine Coon and Abyssinian, Himalayan) are postmarked with the New York City official cancel. The two remaining stamps (American Shorthair, Persian and Siamese, Exotic Shorthair) are postmarked with a wonderful unofficial First Day cancel - Paw Paw, Michigan. The unofficial is a large black cancel with killer bars and the quality is very good. I might just add a note that obtaining this Paw Paw cancel is a good example of what I go through to secure related and interesting and "real" First Day cancels. First is scheduling flights and planning travel allowing for sufficient time in different cities. After getting stamps in New York, I found myself frustrated by (but understanding of) a mechanical problem in Detroit. When the plane was ready, it was a short flight to Kalamazoo. By now, the snow was swirling down and it was a treacherous drive to Paw Paw. The postal people there were just as warm as the weather was cold. They even stayed a little late to make sure all my covers were canceled neatly. And, they supplied some very welcomed hot coffee. With the covers done, it was a snail's pace drive (the snow was falling harder) back to the small Kalamazoo Airport. The question there was would my flight take off before the storm closed the runways. It did.

As you look at the COLLINS unofficial cancels in your collection, in the back of your mind always remember that, in addition to being proof of "real" FDC status, they don't just happen. At the least they are expensive to obtain and often they are the result of tight schedules, fast traveling and, sometimes like Paw Paw, a downright adventurous journey. 

In addition to the cover (with all four stamps) mentioned above, I am also offering a beautiful set of four individual covers. The first two of this set (L1302) are ready to be ordered now. The first, with the Persian Cat stamp, shows a marvelous close-up of a fluffy show cat. The coat is beautifully hand painted with individual hairs combining to form a striking illustration. The colorful eyes contrast to the fur and bright background. Most eye-catching. The stamp is officially canceled at New York, N.Y. The second cover takes place on a winter windowsill as two cats preen and clean themselves. One is a bluish gray and one is a reddish brown. Outside the frost-tinted panes, evergreen boughs are mantled with snow and on one of them perches a crimson cardinal. As the two cats use their paws to wash their faces, the unofficial cancel of Paw Paw is absolutely perfect for this COLLINS cachet. This cancel is different from the L1301 as it is with magenta ink and it ties the Abyssinian Cat stamp to the cover.

These three covers are ones that you will enjoy adding to your collection -- cats and pets are favorite topical subjects; the hand-painted cachets are sure to please; and, the Paw Paw cancels are delightful postmarks that were secured despite a snowy Michigan winter day. Item #L1301 - Butterfly, 4 stamps $8.00; Items L1302 - close-up, Persian Cat; Windowsil, Abyssinian Cat - $7.00 each.

Spring 2019 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 15 L1301 — Cats 

A kitten is captivated by a low flying butterfly in this centered hand painted cachet. The stamps came out in New York City and after securing the first day of issue cancel on two of them, I flew to Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was February of 1988 and a very snowy and icy drive to Paw Paw, Michigan. There I obtained a beautiful First Day of Issue postmark on the other two stamps. Back at the airport, my flight home was the last one to get out. A magnificent early Collins 

Summ2024 Mail Sale Commentary  

Lot 9 L1301 to L1305 — Cats — (L1301 is included free with L1302 to L1305) — 2-5-88 

This endearing commemorative set of cat stamps includes four different first day covers with one stamp on each as well as a cachet which is surrounded by all four stamps. Each of the stamps features two different breeds. When they were issued, a blurb was released by the Postal Service stating: "Cats have been held in high esteem for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians worshipped cats and frequently had them mummified whey they died. Cats are very independent animals — so much so that it's been said that no one 'owns' a cat — it just lives with its human counterpart through mutual consent. These U.S. postage stamps were issued to pay tribute to cats and feature eight of the over 40 recognized breeds." It was a very busy trip, and my flight home just beat an incoming February snowstorm!

My L1301 cover shows a playful kitten in a colorful flower garden swiping at a just-outof-reach vibrant butterfly Flanking the center-positioned hand-painted cachet are two stamps on each side. And each of the stamps showcases two breeds of cats. Two of the wonderful close-up stamps are postmarked with the New York City official cancel. The L1301 is still available at this time but is being included free with this lot. The two remaining stamps are postmarked with a wonderful unofficial first day cancel with killer bars from Paw Paw, Michigan. The unofficial is a large black cancel with killer bars and the quality is very good. The other four hand-painted covers each have an individual stamp and adorable cachets. L1302 has the Siamese Cat and Exotic Shorthair Cats on the stamp. The-cachet is of two cats playing with colorful balls of yarn. The stamp on the L1303 shows Abyssinian and Himalayan Cats. The cachet shows two cats sitting on a windowsill contentedly licking their paws with a snowy winter landscape outside the window.

The stamp on my L1304 cover highlights a Maine Coon Cat and Burmese Cat. In the cachet, a cat sits on a table attempting to "play" with tropical fish in the family's fishbowl. The final stamp in the mini-set shows American Shorthair and Persian Cats. The cachet is a marvelous close-up of a fluffy Persian show cat. Several of the individual covers have been in previous mail sales from 2017 through 2021