A Long (Sad) Story About Cachet Craft

Too many years ago, I collect Cachet Craft First Days. I had answered an ad and started receiving covers from CC (they were then in Millburn, NJ - owned by Athol and Virginia Cliff). Reel ahead to the year 2000, that was when I lost all my CC covers - actually I found them at the bottom of a soggy, charred mess.
Reel on to today, I am back collecting CC covers (not to be confused with CCCachets!). My question is one of history. Cachet Craft was sold to Fleetwood in the early 70's (the last Cachet Craft is accepted to be #1455 Family Planning). I seem to remember that near the end, the covers supplied were a mix of Jackson, Messineo, Anderson and probably Fleetwood. Does anyone know what the actual last cover produced by (not serviced by) Cachet Craft was????

Thanks!!!

wayne

Maybe this will help?

I don't have any clue Wayne, but I do feel your pain. Hopefully someone does know and will reply.

Good luck with your new collection!
Don

My knowledge of Cachet Craft is specifically with respect to airmail FDC's, but it may shed some light on your question. Early Cachet Craft airmail FDC's are associated with two different cachet designers: L. W. Staehle, and Ken Boll. I think the last Cachet Craft airmail FDC by Boll was the Amelia Earhart cover for C68 in 1963. After that, I begin to see Cachet Craft covers with cachets attributed to other designers. The last Cachetcraft/Boll regular issue currently listed at Mccusker's website is for #1295, issued in late 1966. I don't have the requisite volume of Mellone to determine for certain the last Cachetcraft/Boll regular issue cover; that would be Volume II of "Specialized Cachet Catalog of first day covers of the 1960's." Someone with it could nail down for certain the last Boll regular issue cachet.

Hope this helps, a little anyway.

This may help to clarify some of the Cachet Craft/Ken Boll questions:

http://www.fdcusa.com/catalog/manua...,_Part_3.pdf

The last Boll cachet for Cachet Craft that I know of is the 5c Indiana issue (1308) in 1966. After that covers are either unsigned or signed
by Rice, Chickering, Jackson or Messineo (sp?). I assume the Jackson covers are from Jackson Cover Service (Gladys Jackson). Some of the covers serviced by Cachet Craft are inscribed "Jackson/Chickering" being the same covers used by Jackson Cover Service.
(Gladys Jackson did not, as the First Days article says, purchase Cachet Craft from the Cliffs. She purchased the rights to service Anderson covers from Cachet Craft in 1965.)
By far the most prolific designer of Cachet Craft Covers was Ken Boll with 500 or so covers signed by him, next was Ludwig Staehel with about 140. Interestingly between 1937 and 1948, then again 1966 on, over 300 Cachet Craft covers are "unsigned" attributed only to Cachet Craft. Sadly, my information stops at 1969, with no Catalog of covers that I know of to research. I do recall that many covers sent to subcribers by Cachet Craft were similar in style to the 1967-69 covers. Many of the postal stationery items were Anderson Covers without any mention of Cachet Craft inscribed on them. Ah, I shall continue to muddle on looking for those 1970's treasures.