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Here is the press release from Virtual Stamp Club:
Mystic Stamp Company Buys Complete ArtCraft First Day Cover Inventory
Dissolution of ArtCraft makes Fleetwood America's oldest surviving First Day Cover maker
Camden, NY. In May 2019, Mystic Stamp Company purchased ArtCraft's complete inventory – over 5 million covers – after the company announced it was closing its doors. ArtCraft had been sending out Fleetwood First Day Covers since they stopped printing their own in 2015, so it's only fitting Mystic – owner of Fleetwood – pick up ArtCraft's inventory, too. This inventory includes historic covers from ArtCraft's earliest days (1939) to 2015. Known for their exquisite detail, ArtCraft's steel-engraving-style cachets have always been popular with collectors.
In the press release, Mystic president Don Sundman said, "My family has been collecting and selling covers for over 85 years, beginning with my father, Maynard, in the 1930s. [One of his covers, from 1935, is shown on the left.] At Mystic, we know what First Day Cover collectors want, and we design our cachets accordingly. Going forward, ArtCraft customers can expect to see the same high-quality First Day Covers they've been receiving since 2015."
However, in e-mail to The Virtual Stamp Club, Sundman clarified that Mystic will not be continuing the ArtCraft line with new issues.
"I wish we could but we don't have enough customers to justify the costs," he wrote. "It's really expensive to make engraved steel plates. I'm told ArtCraft paid $2,000 just for the steel plate. And there are lots of other costs too."
However, when Washington Stamp Exchange stopped producing new ArtCraft designs, WSE purchased unserviced Fleetwood cachets from Mystic, serviced them, and sold them to its subscription customers.
"Late 2018 or early 2019, ArtCraft and Mystic agreed for Mystic to reach out to ArtCraft customers and offer to continue the collectors the opportunity to buy Fleetwood covers," Sundman told VSC. "These are the same style of covers they bought from ArtCraft during 2015-2018."
Sundman went on to say that Mystic is in the process of organizing ArtCraft's inventory and will be making these classic covers available to collectors very soon.
About Mystic Stamp Company
Mystic Stamp Company was founded in the small town of Camden, NY, in 1923. Mystic has been serving stamp collectors nationwide for over 95 years and has evolved into America's Leading Stamp Dealer. Employee owned since 2016, Mystic is known for personalized customer service and is committed to making collecting fun and easy. Mystic works closely with the National Postal Museum and American Philatelic Society to promote stamp collecting and bring new collectors into the hobby. In addition to its goal of providing products and services that exceed customer expectations, Mystic practices good citizenship by making contributions of time, money, and knowledge to the local community and beyond. For more information visit MysticStamp.com.
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Posted 06/06/2019 1:18 pm
