Witch flies across postmark from world Halloween capital

By Michael Baadke

The first-day ceremony for the four Jack-O’-Lanterns forever stamps was held Sept. 29 in Anoka, Minn., which has been billed as the Halloween capital of the world.

Collectors celebrating the spooky holiday this year can use their new stamps to obtain a number of Halloween-themed postmarks, including an unofficial first-day cancel from Anoka.

The Anoka pictorial postmark features the silhouette of a witch flying on her broom, and is dated Sept. 29, the issue date for the new stamps.

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To obtain this postmark, address your requests to:

HALLOWEEN CAPITAL OF THE WORLD Station, Postmaster, 2168 Seventh Ave., Anoka, MN 55303-9998, Sept. 29.

Additional postmarks from Comstock, Mich. (Kazoopex Station), and Damariscotta, Maine (Damariscotta Pumpkinfest Station), offer pictorial designs that feature a jack-o’-lantern.

The following cancels are also available:

54th ANNUAL KENTUCKY APPLE FESTIVAL OF JOHNSON COUNTY Station, Postmaster, 100 Federal Drive, Paintsville, KY 41240-9998, Sept. 30-Oct. 1. (Apple, “Kentucky Apple Festival,” “Apple Time in the Mountains.”)

STAMP SHOW Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Quechee, VT 05059-9998, Oct. 1. (Capitol dome, triangular stamp outline with four directional arrows, “225th Anniversary Vermont Statehood.”)

KAZOOPEX Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Comstock, MI 9041-9998, Oct. 1-2. (Black cat on carved jack-o’-lantern, three bats, “Stamp Boo Station.”)

ASDA Station, Stamp Fulfillment Services, Cancellation Services, 8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210, Kansas City, MO 64144-9998, Oct. 6-9. (Apple outline surrounding text.)

CELEBRATING 240 YEARS OF HISTORY Station, c/o San Juan Stamps Office, 585 Ave. FD Roosevelt, Suite 103, San Juan, PR 00936-9998, Oct. 7. (Oval shield showing five buildings and “240,” “Vega Baja is Celebrating 240 Years of History Station,” “1776-2016” “Government of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.”)

WONDER WOMAN LINWOOD, NC Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Linwood, NC 27299-9998, Oct. 7. (Round Wonder Woman symbol, “Wonder Woman.”)

INDYPEX Station, Postmaster, 125 W. South St., Room 307, Indianapolis, IN 46206-9998, Oct. 7-9. (Indiana state outline, 19 stars, “Indiana 200 Years,” “Noblesville IN 46060.”)

SMITHVILLE VALLEY GRANGE DAY Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Smithville Flats, NY 13841-9998, Oct. 8. (Pair of sneakers, pumpkin, shield representing grange with wheat bundle and “P of H,” “Harvest Celebration,” “Smithville Valley Jr. Grange 620, 100 Years, 1916-2016.”)

DAMARISCOTTA PUMPKINFEST Station, Postmaster, 173 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543-9998, Oct. 8. (Jack-o’-lantern with outboard motor in choppy water, “Pumpkinfest & Regatta.”)

WESTMORELAND TOWN HALL Station, Postmaster, 776 Route 63, Westmoreland, NH 03467-9998, Oct. 8. (“Happy Birthday Town Hall” on banner, town hall building, balloons, “1916-2016,” “100 Years.”)

USS JOHN P. MURTHA COMMISSIONING Station, United States Postal Service, Retail Services, 3190 S. 70th St., Room 509, Philadelphia, PA 19153-9611, Oct. 8. (Text only.)

LEIF ERIKSON Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Norway, MI 49870-9998, Oct. 8. (Text in oval, “Celebrating Norway, Michigan, 1891-2016, 125 Years.”)

POUGHKEEPSIE Station, Postmaster, 55 Mansion St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-9998, Oct. 10. (“300th Anniversary Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie,” crest of the Reformed Church of America including lions rampant and lions passant, plus helmet, banners with Latin motto ”Nisi Dominus Frustra” and Dutch motto “Eendracht maakt macht.”)

CONWAY COUNTY LIBRARY 100th ANNIVERSARY Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Morrilton, AR 72110-9998, Oct. 12. (Open book, “1916-2016.”)

The following cancels have been granted a 60-day extension:

IMPROVED BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS OF THE WORLD Station, Postmaster, Box 58980, New Orleans, LA 70158-8980, Aug. 13-19. (Circular symbol includes two elk, countries of the world, “I.B.P.O.E.W. Station,” “Still Standing — Tried, Tested & True.”)

STATE FAIR POSTAL Station, Postmaster, 405 E. Fifth St., Sedalia, MO 65301-9998, Aug. 18. (Ferris wheel, building with rooster weather vane, “Missouri State Fair,” growing crops, “See What Crops Up.”)

The following cancel has been granted a 30-day extension.

HELVETIA FAIR Station, Postmaster, Box 9998, Helvetia, WV 26224-9998, Sept. 10. (Building with exterior stairs, Swiss flag flying.)

Share information by writing to Postmark Pursuit, Box 4129, Sidney, OH 45365.

Instructions for requesting postmarks

Linn’s subscribers can see complete instructions for requesting postmarks here.