H2102

Oregon Trail

The Scout

Collins Cover Announcement 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

OREGON TRAIL

The Scout 

The first of a very limited edition set of six

COLLINS First Day Covers

It has always been my goal to bring a little something extra to our hobby in terms of the quality of my hand-painted cachets and covers. Each time a new stamp is issued I accept it as a personal challenge to create a First Day Cover that collectors of COLLINS will consider among the best for that issue produced by any cachetmaker. Judging from the recent American First Day Cover Society's awards at the last two conventions and the desirability of my FDCs based on their on-going success, I'd say that I'm meeting that commitment. More than awards or reputation, the collector comments that I receive about the quality of my efforts is what I consider the primary indicator as to how I'm doing. And, for that continuing and sincere positive feedback, I'm eternally grateful because every time I

get a one or two sentence compliment from a long-time or new collector, it psyches me up to work even harder.

I have always been interested in pioneers and wagon trains and the great westward movement of the 1800's. About ten years ago my Dad made for me an oxen yoke fashioned like those used on the covered wagons. Just last year for my Birthday my wife gave me an emigrant trunk dating from the mid-1800's that I had admired. I can just picture a departing couple carefully packing it for their long trek west. Due to my fascination with and interest in this era of our American history, I did not want this issue to pass by without something very special.

To be sure, my "01" cover in this series, "The Pioneers", met my goal of creating a cachet that would capture the spirit of will and adventure that motivated those hardy travelers. From this beginning, I decided to expand the theme to encompass some of those persons whose individual daring and continual interaction provided the dramatic and historical legacy that has been passed down to us. I am pleased and proud to present the COLLINS effort for this new stamp issue -- The People of the  Oregon Trail.

In addition to wanting to provide to you and your fellow collectors the finest over-all cachet effort for this issue, I also wanted it to be an extremely limited edition work as well. I only produced enough covers for my subscribers and a precious few extra sets. There is no doubt in my mind that those extra sets will be gone within a week or so after this offering. And, because of their limited nature and beautiful distinctive hand-painted cachets, "The People of the Oregon Trail" will always be a sought-after collectible within the hobby.

This first cover depicts "The Scout" whose job it was to guide the wagon train and to provide a warning should hostile Indians threaten. In my cachet, the bearded scout dressed in fringed buckskin stands on a grassy knoll as the wagons under his care roll by on the trail below. The parchment-like frame and background is the perfect touch for this set and really provides a unique and distinctive look. It's a beauty! Following this cover will be the other five in the limited edition set -'The Women", "The Indians", The Cavalryman", "The Mountain Man", and, "The Pony Express Rider". All are superb individual items and, when viewed as a full set, they are absolutely spectacular.

And, finally, I'd like to make a few important points and observations. First of all, "The Pioneers" (H2101) belongs to and sets the tone for this Oregon Trail series, but I do expect it to be available for awhile. Thus, it will be possible for future COLLINS collectors to "whet their appetite", and I'm sure a good number of them will want to pursue the others of the set on the open market. It also provides to non-subscribers with limited hobby budgets a chance to have an outstanding COLLINS cachet for this issue. Also, importantly for subscribers, please understand the following because this is something a little different from my usual procedure and may be confusing to some. Each subscriber will receive his or her normal allotment of this limited edition series beginning with this invoice. There will be one of the remaining Oregon Trail covers included on each of the next five invoices thus giving you the complete set.

This set was a joy to work on, and I'm thrilled that it will forever be "out there" in the hobby to delight present and future collectors. I must reserve the right to reduce multiple set orders, and, as I have forewarned above, you are looking at a very quick sell out, so if you want it, don't delay. "The Scout" -- Item #H2102 -- starts us off. Westward Ho the wagons!

P.S. An important part of collecting anything is to go back and try to obtain items from years past. Usually at hefty premiums. Please consider that down the road, in years to come, "The People of the Oregon Trail' COLLINS First Day Covers will be such items.