Dear Christmas Seal Cover Collectors:

Last year, 1998, registered my 19^th consecutive year of making test seal covers and ALA's 20^th year of test seals.   We still have no record of 1979 test seal covers and my 1980 covers sold out in 1981.   Again, welcome to you who enjoy collecting this aspect of philately. Last year, I had an easy time preparing these covers.   This year, things were back to normal-very difficult to get seals and get covers cancelled.   The early first day date for the Wreath stamps did not help.   It came out on October 15^th giving me to mid-November to prepare and send.   The good news is that because of these delays, I was insured of careful professional help in the hand canceling.   A very busy family, hobby, and business time prevented me from publishing this letter earlier in the year.   In fact, I started last April, stopped, and begun again in January.   Helping this initiative was that I have retired from the Corps of Engineers at the start of this millennium.

1998 COVERS: This year I have five cover types totaling 172 covers.   In addition to Santa Claus, Indiana, cancels include Christmas, MI (first day city), and Christiansted, Virgin Islands.   I used both the red pictorial cancel (see above) as well as the 4-bar circle date stamp cancel from Santa Claus, IN.   For the fourth year in a row, the ALA did not produce PCP sheets of the regular seal.   No imperforate seals were available as well for either the regular or test issues.   The Virgin Island Fund seal resumed after a 1-year hiatus-with the hint it will be the last.   This letter includes an easy ordering price list with a complete price list and personal want list available upon request.   The table summarizes both this year's ALA seals and my covers.

COMMENTARY: There are 7 ALA basic seal designs this year.   There are 2 regular seals and 5 test seal designs.   Counting gum, size, separations, paper, errors, and language there are at least 2-dozen varieties.   Self-stick seals predominate this year but with plenty of lick-ems as well.   The seals I used that had gum were 3 versions of the regular seals - 1 English text, 1 Spanish text and the Chanukah issue.   Plus 2 tests seals were with gum - Christian and Winter Scene Watercolors.   Both the regular Animal seals and Watercolor test come in two distinct sizes that I used on covers.   There are reports of one additional test design called the Slim Jim.   However, the seal collecting press has not seen it (naturally neither have I) and no covers are now known (if they exist).   The regular Animal seal is also called the Decorating A Christmas Tree design.   All 36 seals are different.   The gift tags have no date and only the margins or the lighter shade of green on the 1997 test identify them apart.   The border on the Animal seal plus the Christian and Chanukah seals are dark making any part of a cancel difficult to read.   Why the ALA uses such dark colors is a mystery to me.   The Animal seals are both regular (normal) and small (both height and width).   The Watercolor test come is two very different sizes.   My covers only use the smaller.   The remaining test designs are the Farm Scenes, Village Scenes, and Wood Toys.   I got the majority of my seals between Christmas and New Year's this year.   You are allowed a 30-day grace with pictorial designs, so I had to skip Jerusalem, OH this year.   The ALA sent me the normal mailing of two sheets in time for me to make the First Day Cover deadline for my predecessor covers.   The test designs are the best in many a year and I am unable to pick a favorite or predict the winning design for 1999.

COVER TYPES: The following lists the five covers that I made this year.   This listing uses my formal numbering system that is shown only as numbers 'A' to 'E' on the attached Easy Ordering Price List.   NOTE: orders of $22.75 or more receive a 20% discount.   Postage free within the United States.   However, you may order using any listing you choose.