This Land's End catalogue arrived at our house shortly after the 1999 U.S. stamp program was announced, although it took about a month for the idea to form in my head: One of the Arctic Animals stamps was a polar bear; that's a polar bear in the catalogue clothing merchant's "Polartec" pullover.

I then had to keep the catalogue safe for the next several months until the stamps were issued.

The catalogue cover was removed from the catalogue, and mounted onto a piece of cardboard.

I actually submitted it for servicing twice: The first time, with two standard FDCs and a large self-addressed stamped envelope. The standard FDCs came back canceled, but not the catalogue cover -- it must've seemed just a piece of cardboard to keep the outer envelope from being bent. I sent it in to Kansas City again, but this time with a note.

Lloyd A. de Vries
©1999 de Vries Philatelic Media