Cherrystone Auctions to Bring Collection to Market
Today, the American Philatelic Society announced the selection of Cherrystone Auctions of Teaneck, New Jersey, to sell the Alfred “Al” F. Kugel Estate on behalf of the APS. Cherrystone was selected from a field of seven firms from the United States and Europe, vying for the honor of bringing the Kugel Estate to market. The collection, appraised at $1.9 million in 2023, will be sold to an international market over the next two years.
“Now the real work begins for the APS and Cherrystone,” said Scott English, Executive Director of the APS. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our Society, the APRL, and the hobby.”
When the APS announced the request for proposal in August 2023, it outlined three objectives:
- The highest possible realization of sales of the Alfred F. Kugel Collection to support the mission and objectives of the APS and APRL.
- Promote the APS and APRL and their combined service to the international philatelic community.
- Honor the legacy of Alfred F. Kugel and his contributions to philately as a collector, exhibitor, researcher, writer, and friend.
A fourth goal emerged during the RFP process as the APRL recognized the remarkable history of Al Kugel's award-winning military postal history exhibits. The APRL staff scanned the pages of 100 military mail exhibits assembled by Al over his lifetime to be included in the Robert A. Mason Digital Library, freely accessible to future researchers.
Paul Buchsbayew, President and CEO of Cherrystone, noted, “Al Kugel was a client of ours for over 50 years, where he was a frequent visitor at both our store and auctions. Al acquired many rarer items via Cherrystone, and we are honored to offer them again on behalf of the APS.”
The APS Board of Directors and the Joint Finance and Audit Committee completed three rounds of evaluation and rigorous questioning to narrow the field before finally selecting Cherrystone.
“The Board set out an inclusive process, including members of the APRL Board of Trustees and the Joint Finance and Audit Committee, to make this decision,” added English. “This was a remarkable team effort.”
The APS expects the Kugel Estate to sell in a series of sales over the next two years. The APS will update members on sale dates and results in the weekly newsletter and The American Philatelist.
About Cherrystone
Founded as a retail store in 1967, Cherrystone has become one of the leading philatelic auction firms in the world. The firm consistently conducts 6-10 auctions per year, with rare stamps and covers from the United States (including the New Amsterdam Collection, which brought $7.5 million in 2019), British Commonwealth, Eastern and Southern Europe, Germany and Colonies, Far East, Middle East, and North and South America. In 2022, Cherrystone opened a London office steps away from the Royal Philatelic Society London to serve international clients better.
About Alfred F. Kugel
Alfred F. “Al” Kugel (1930-2022) of Hinsdale, Illinois, died May 11, 2022, at 91.
Kugel was associated with many philatelic organizations, especially Chicagopex, the Military Postal History Society (MPHS), and the American Philatelic Society. He served as a director of the Chicago Philatelic Society (CPS) and as exhibit chairman and general chairman of Chicagopex. The CPS honored Kugel with its Saul Newbury and Aubrey Berman awards.
Al Kugel and wife Dottie.
A Life Member of the MPHS, Kugel served as its director, vice president, and president. Kugel had the lowest membership number (434) of any active member at his death.
With his experience in the investment field, Kugel brought financial stability to Chicagopex, considered one of the best World Series of Philately venues. As an American Philatelic Society finance committee member, he advised the APS on its investment portfolio.
Kugel was an expert on military postal history and had more than 100 single and multiframe exhibits in this field. He contributed scores of articles in this area, many of them in the Military Postal History Society Bulletin. He also contributed to The American Philatelist; the Collectors Club Philatelist; the Postal History Journal; Rossica; and German Postal Specialist, among others. Kugel and co-author Ed Dubin received the United States Stamp Society’s Barbara Mueller Award for the best article in the 2017 issues of The American Philatelist.
Al was an APS-accredited philatelic judge and served on CANEJ. In 2005, he was awarded the John N. Luff Award for distinguished philatelic research, and in 2011, he was elected to the APS Writers Hall of Fame. He was a council member of the American Philatelic Congress, an officer in the Collectors Club of Chicago, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, and he served on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. The APS Board of Directors selected Kugel for the APS Hall of Fame in 2023.
###