Letter Writers Alliance

Anti-Valentine's Postmarks

We've told you before about the fun practice of sending your valentines to a Postmaster in order to get a neat cancellation mark from a place like Loveland, CO or Valentine, NE. But what if you can't stand that lovey-dovey, hearts and flowers stuff? Never fear, there are postmarks for you too! Postal News Blog listed some great anti-Valentine's cities. To obtain the town's postmark, address your valentine, affix a First-Class Mail postage stamp and put it into a larger envelope, also with postage (probably $0.66), and address it to VALENTINE’S DAY POSTMARK, POSTMASTER, and then add any of the addresses below.

1701 S MAIN ST	BROKEN ARROW OK	74012-9998
4722 WAISANEN RD	EMBARRASS MN	55732-9998
101 S EDWARDS ST	INDEPENDENCE CA	93526-9998
1701 EL NIDO	DIABLO CA	94528-9998
665 6TH ST	SOUR LAKE TX	77659-9998
3701 US 52 HWY	COWARD SC	29530-9998

(Shredded heart valentine from CarbonNYC on Flickr under a Creative Commons Usage)

Holiday Remailing Postmark Cities

For those of you on top of things with your cards all ready to mail, you could consider sending your cards to a Postmaster of one of the following cities for a fun name on your cancellations.  Enclose stamped cards or letters addressed to yourself or others and put them into another envelope or box labeled to "Christmas Re-Mailing" and pick from the list below:

Angels Camp, CA 95222	Berry, AL 35546	Bethlehem, CT 06751
Bethlehem, KY 4000	Bethlehem, MD 21609	Bethlehem, NH 03574
Bethlehem, PA 18016	Deer Park, AL 36529	Evergreen, AL 36401
Faith, SD 57626	Garland, NE 68360	Garland, NC 28441
Garland, PA 16416	Garland, TX 75040	Garland, UT 84312
Holly, CO 81047	Holly, MI 48442	Hope, AK 99605
Hope, AR 71801	Hope, ID 83836	Hope, KS 67451
Hope, MN 56046	Hope, NM 88250	Hope, ND 58046
Joseph, OR 97846	Joseph City, AZ 86032	Joy, IL 61260
Nazareth, KY 40048	Nazareth, PA 18064	Nazareth, TX 79063
Nazareth MI 49074	Noel, MO 64854	Partridge, KS 67566
Partridge, KY 40862	Pine Hill, AL 36769	Saint Joseph, IL 61873
Saint Joseph, MI 49085	Saint Joseph, TN 38481	Saint Mary, KY 40063
Saint Mary’s, KS 66536	Santa, ID 83866	Santa Claus, IN 47579
Shepherd, MT 59079	Spruce Pine, AL 35546	Snowflake, AZ 85937
Snowville, UT 84336	Spruce, MI 48762	Star, TX 76880

I think "Deer Park"  and "Pine Hill" is a bit of a stretch, but whatever. Happy Mailings,

Olathe Poste's Special Cancellations for the Holidays

Every so often, I get a lovely letter, note or newsletter from Bill & Kathy at the Olathe Poste. Their correspondence is instantly recognizable because the Olathe Poste uses a Mailer's Permit Postmark to be allowed to cancel their own mail. They design special cancellations for holidays, birthdays, and other commemorative occasions. Bill encourages all mail-fun loving people to send covers (that's "envelopes" for those of you who don't speak Stamp Collector) to him to collect these unique and fun marks.

He asks that you include a note with which postmarks you want, and he'll even try to accomodate specific date requests. If you design or add mail art to your covers, make sure to leave an empty space of at least three and a half inches to the left of the postage stamp. You should also affix your stamps about a quarter inch from the top and right edge of your envelope. This will allow for the best cancellation for your collection. That's it. Just pack up your covers inside another envelope (or box) with your note (and nice thank you to Bill & Kathy) and ship it to them with ample time for them to remail your items. Fun, right? Plus, they have a brand new design ready for Halloween that will only be cancelled on the 31st of October.

Other special cancellation dates for the holiday season are:

November 12 - November 21 Thanksgiving, Pilgrim couple and Turkey CDS

November 26 - December 31 Happy Holiday's Dove of Peace

December 01 - December 31 Christmas season postmarks

December 17 - December 24 Santa & Reindeer

You can see examples of the Olathe Poste's cancellations on their website, which is also my source for blank stamp paper and rubber stamps and other mail goodies. There's even a coupon code good through the end of the month. For 10% off of any rubber stamp, pre-inked stamp, self-inking stamp or greeting cards, enter the code: MAIL4PHUN7DC at checkout. I'm off to shop and send a thank you and Halloween postmark request.

Send more mail,

P.S. The mailing address for the Olathe Poste is P.O. Box 707, Olathe, CO, 81425, USA

P.P.S. International mailers can play too; you'll just have to enclose the appropriate amount of International Response Coupons with your cover requests.

Philosateleia

Back in June, I received a random postcard from my friend Marguerite. It was just your run-of-the-mill postcard, albeit vintage, but it had a curious extra stamp and postmark on the front. The stamp claimed to be from Philosateleia. "What can this be?," I wondered, and went of to the web to investigate.

Turns out that Philosateleia is a treasure trove of stamp collecting fun for (mostly) free! There are customizable, printable stamp collection pages, exhibits on stamps and the Philosateleian Post, a local post with its own stamps. This wonderment is the work of one Mr. Kevin Blackston, a philatelist in Florida. He offers a variety of different stamps and services. There is a Standard Service on Monday-Friday which carries letters to USPS collection points, but he also has a Bicycle Service which runs on Sundays. Of course, what I'm really interested in are his stamps.

From the website: Since its inception in 2004, Philosateleian Post has maintained a commemorative stamp program, issuing one to three new stamps each year. These stamps are made available to the public, and new issues are announced in advance so that collectors may obtain first day cover service.

For a complimentary mint single of the current issue, or to receive first day cover service for an upcoming issue or other standard mail or bicycle mail service, send a S.A.S.E. and your request to:

Kevin Blackston
Philosateleian Post
P.O. Box 57622
Jacksonville F.L. 32241-7622
United States of America

I've sent Mr. Blackston an honorary membership. Please, if you do engage his services, let him know you are a member and always say thank you! I have, thus far, received nothing but glowing reports of L.W.A. member conduct and do not want to marr our immaculate record.

Long Live Local Post,

Oregon Zoo Mail Train

There is awesome mail stuff hiding everywhere. I wouldn't know even a quarter of the cool postal facts and things that I post about here without the help of our members. For example, did you know that the Oregon Zoo has the last functional mail train in the U.S.? I didn't, but our member and friend Sugene of the Valentine's giveaway did and she sent me this great picture of it.

From the Oregon Zoo website:

Until the late 1970s, most mail in the United States was carried on trains. While in transit, mail was canceled on these trains using rubber stamps denoting the railroad.

In 1961, the Washington Park and Zoo Railway became one of the first recreation railroads to have its own cancellation stamp. With the demise of the Railway Post Office, the zoo railway is the last operating United States railroad with its own authorized railway postal cancellation to continuously offer mail service.

Mail deposited in mail boxes on the zoo grounds or on the locomotives is hand-canceled with the Washington Park and Zoo Railway stamp. It has become quite a collector's item. Mail comes in from and goes out to all parts of the globe.

So great. Go to the zoo and mail more letters!