Click image to enlarge view
Alfred “Tag” Boerger
A Biographical Sketch
Alfred Boerger born November 11, 1911 at 11:00 p.m. in Toledo, Ohio – third generation Ohioan.
As a Western Union messenger and newsboy, Al serviced the offices of Toledo Scale Company, acquiring a daily bonus of worldwide envelopes and stamps from their Export Department.
Click image to enlarge view
Duplicates from this enterprise were offered in small classified ads, and The Boerger Stamp Company commenced. Al “Tag” Boerger had an eagle eye for collectibles; he knew a good thing when he saw it and bought it. He was forever adding to his collection as well as making his own covers.
Al’s interest in American Postal History was aroused when the Battle of Fallen Timbers stamp, Scott #680, was released in nearby Maumee–Waterville. Newspapers reviewed Our Country’s Past, and Al then became interested in cachets as seen on some of the philatelic envelopes and historic covers.
Graduating from high school during the Great Depression, Al moved to Detroit where his part-time stamp business flourished. Area Bourse events added opportunities to buy and sell a little of his stamp stock. Meeting collectors and dealers proved well worth that effort in time.
Click image to enlarge view
Mail-O-Mat units were placed in post office lobbies, and Boerger had occasion to service many of the free cards provided as advertising with instructions. These were sent to customers and friends.
Newspaperman Al moved back to Toledo. Vacation time became another opportunity to make planned bit trips to philatelic activities and first day events.
With his father, Al opened a stamp store as headquarters for their mail order approval business. Comic book advertising provided ample young customers for inexpensive stamp surplus. During World War II, cartons of patriotic stationery were purchased from Jacques Minkus for letterhead reports and on mailings to their approval customers. The market for attractive covers of this type was an important reason for entering the cachet envelope business. ABC Envelope Company soon became an important part of the little stamp shop, both popular and profitable.
Click image to enlarge view
VJ-Day celebrations abounded. Homemade souvenirs were mailed to customers and friends. A mid-west dealer (Bud Huss) offered his overstock of VJ-Day covers, and Al's printer added a few lines of type to meet some requirements. ABC’s VJ-Day covers were added to the ABC price list.
Commemorative issues were announced for The Newsboy, Ohio Statehood, and 50th Anniversary of Powered flight. Added to the SPA (Society of Philatelic Americans) Convention at Tampa, these seemed right for a more professional cachet set, and Al's first commercial ABC’s were supplied by Dargis-Velvatone. ABC’s Crossed Flag cachet was re-designed from an old Spanish-American War souvenir by a local art student. It has been the all purpose standby for a long period of time.
Click image to enlarge view
The Overland Mail Caravan trip was publicized as a philatelic event and seemed right for another ABC Vacation Jaunt. Souvenir cards and envelopes were printed and taken to St. Louis where Al joined the Caravan and HPO#1 (Highway Post Office).
That 33-day journey proved profitable and interesting. Additional stock of envelopes were printed enroute. Al supplied cards and cachets daily for the collectors. The POD (Post Office Department) announced the St. Lawrence Seaway ceremonies would be held on the 2nd day at Toledo, Western terminus of the Seaway, and Al decided to take part in the event from both ends of this big program. A Canadian flag was re-designed into Al's flag cachet for the occasion. Al made the trip to Massena, NY and returned the same day in order to take part in the Toledo event.
Click image to enlarge view
ABC's Unique Cancellation series, first designed for U.S. Military Services and U.S. Outpost PO's had an addition for each of his South Pacific Trust Territories. This multi-colored cachet series was a hot item at auctions. Al said he should have done more.
The War of 1812 Sesquicentennial celebrations from Canada to New Orleans had considerable meaning in the Toledo area and over sixty cachets were printed covering most of the re-enactments.
Space events at Cape Canaveral provided semi-philatelic opportunities for many new ABC cachets. ECHO-I issue was used on our John Glenn Orbital covers in the morning and the Secret Project Mercury issue was added to those covers for the evening First Day Cancellation. Today it is an ABC “Gem” item.
Click image to enlarge view
The ABC Civil War Centennial series covered 120 individual events, each with a special cachet. It was Al's intention to “do this right” from both the Yankee and Rebel point of view. The ABC “CSA” (Confederate States of America) flag cachet in full color proved to be very popular and profitable.
Click image to enlarge view
The POD’s Phosphor tagging experiment at Dayton, Ohio slowed Al’s cachet promotions for a time, as his interests turned to the new U.S. “Glo” issues. This perked his interest so much, that he became a pioneer and expert in this tagging process, earning him his nickname, “TAG”.
The John F. Kennedy Assassination and Memorial issues were covered in a large assortment of ABC cachets. This immediately became an active stock item and actually started our presidential inaugural series. Al was in the Dayton post office when the assassination news came in on the radio. A box of blank envelopes was franked with the 4-cent Lincoln ”Tagged” issue and presented for handback cancellation. This was more of an unexpected event without realizing that this cover would also be the LBJ Oath of Office date.
The Zip Code Reader was initiated Nov. 30, 1965 in Detroit. This perked Al’s interest and began the “Mr. Zip” Cachets collection with many varieties.
Click image to enlarge view
Al married Peg (Carolyn's Mom) in 1967. They moved to South Florida that year and soon adjusted to a semi-retirement lifestyle. One evening in mid-April, they were sorting through a stamp mixture with an ultraviolet light, when they discovered something different. It was a find, and the phones began to ring, even thought it was 2 a.m. It was the initial sighting of the Holy Grail of U.S. Postal History – now with it’s own Scott number, 1057d, known as the “Look Coil.” This deserves a more thorough story for a future time.
The upcoming Americana series and the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations would hold all of Al's interest. The opportunity for many more ABC cachets was a certainty. Al was able to attend a few important first day events.
PPMF (Parcel Post Mailing Facility) – Philatelic “know how” on this ABC set must be explained in more detail. By far the BEST of the ABC Cachets ever prepared. “Unique” will stress their importance. Possibilities came to mind when Al first became aware of an unbelievable U.S. Postal Service idea. The U.S. Postal Service would “try to vend postage stamp tapes on a 24-hour basis in major Post Office lobbies across this nation.” Jacksonville, FL had been selected as the site for the initial testing.
This unit could weigh the Parcel, vend a printed US postage tape, which would show the amount paid together with the class of service plus a receipt copy, and then accept the parcel deposited. ABC presented twenty 6x9 envelopes during the initial test. The unit went out of operation during the initial testing and less than fifty transactions took place or were mailed on that date.
ABC covers vary from First Class, Air Mail, Special Delivery, Airmail Special Delivery and Special Handling. Never will any U.S. collection ever be complete without this series of tape-type postal stamps. Truly an unexpected philatelic event and postal issued production.
The 50-State Flag commemorative issue served as another good excuse for a complete series of cachet envelopes. ABC serviced the set both from Washington and each State Capital.
Click image to enlarge view
Yorktown, VA and the Cornwallis Surrender seemed right for another vacation production. Al was able to contact a British Naval Officer, as he visited HMS Ariadne at anchor a mile offshore. Al's little stock of already canceled first day covers were presented for an additional ship cancel, which seemed appropriate. Great Britain really did surrender as a result of the Naval Action. Al distributed a few of the souvenirs and were welcomed “below” for a beer. Nice chaps.
Florida’s Conch Republic border skirmish ended on April 13, 1982 when Key West “seceded” from “the Union.” ABC Cachets were on hand when the new flag and ceremonies took place. Their new Prime Minister autographed souvenirs for the TV Camera Crew. Sure, there are a few left.
Click image to enlarge view
The visit of Pope Paul II to America brought more adventure, especially since a stop was scheduled in Miami. Al and family were living in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the time, so a jaunt to Miami was but a short drive. A bolt of lightning cracked in the middle of the event, and thus ended the Popes’ outdoor Mass, but it was only a continuation of Al’s intrigue with making significant cachets. See Al’s Specials and Favorites.
Click image to enlarge view
Al was Johnny-on-the-spot when his daughter, Carolyn (a Hospice Nurse) heard that the Hospice stamp was to be issued. He was instrumental in helping her design and implement her first cachet. They traveled to Largo, Fl for the first day ceremony, Sep. 1999. This was the start of Carolyn’s hand painted cachets.
Al loved history in the making and traveled extensively, frequently to exotic places. While in Ephesus, Turkey, he visited the presumed home of Mary, Mother of Jesus. He then went on to design the Millennium cachet for 2000 and one for Mary as well. See Al’s Favorites.
Al returned to Toledo in the Spring of 2001 to visit family. While there, he became ill but continued his stamp business even while at the Hospice Center. He died peacefully, surrounded by his six children and grandchildren. We wish he could see his great-grands that are here now.
Postal History and the details that evolved through each event were Al’s love. He became a pioneer in the tagging process and wrote his Handbooks on U.S. Luminescent Stamps. He was a life member of APS.
Click image to enlarge view
Following Al's wishes, Carolyn is now continuing with his hobby. Come venture with her as she rediscovers his treasures. At this time, thousands of cachets (ABC, Artcraft, Artmaster, Fleetwood and many more) have been cataloged, and only a few have made it to the website. She welcomes folks to send her their wish lists with specific Scott numbers. She may have that missing cachet! Thanks for visiting ABCCachets.com.
