About the Author

Chris Lazaroff is a lifelong stamp collector whose enthusiasm for First Day ceremonies eventually turned into a thirty-year journey across the United States. Beginning with a single trip sparked by a free airline ticket, he set out to attend First Day ceremonies in all fifty states. In 2016 he completed the quest at his 300th ceremony in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Along the way Lazaroff became well known among collectors for his cachetmaking. He has received more than twenty-five Earl Planty Awards from the American First Day Cover Society, primarily in the Single Color Printed category.

Outside of philately, Lazaroff spent forty-five years in the paper industry. A graduate of Western Michigan University with a B.S. in Paper Science, he retired in 2025 after a long career in paper manufacturing and coating technology.

Travel has long been a part of Chris’s life. He is a two-million-mile flyer on Delta Air Lines and spent ten years as a United Airlines 1K member, at times holding top-tier status with multiple airlines simultaneously, including one international carrier. For decades, airports were almost a second home.

Today he shares stories from his travels at stamp shows and collector gatherings. The journey has come full circle, as he now occasionally attends First Day ceremonies with his grandchildren.

Chris and his wife Denise live in South Carolina.

First to Fifty is his first book—but the journey that inspired it continues.

Chris Lazaroff is available for speaking engagements at stamp shows, clubs, and collector events.

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