Hpo Cover Collectors - Cancellation Question

True enough, the HPO routes were typically started with fanfare and promotion. But I think that the cancellers were a local thing, left up to the local postal officials to order what they needed. I assume that some did not get them ordered in a timely manor and/or the orders were delayed for various reasons?
Don

So, here's one I couldn't find on the HPO spreadsheet. Would this qualify as an event cover? I does appear that it was a functional HPO, albeit temporary and stationary.

Hi Jim,
HPO exhibits and special events are a specialized subset of HPO collecting. Back in the day, the Post Office sought publicity for the HPO service by sanctioning HPO exhibits at state and county fairs. Many were sponsored by the local Postal Workers Association and the vehicles provided by the contractor for exhibition. They used a number of different cachets and postmarks for the 48 various fairs and events listed below.

This is another area which is fun and challenging to collect, some of these are quite hard to find yet because demand when you find them, they are rarely more than a $1-$3 per cover. And because there were only 48 fairs and event, you will not need a full shelf of albums. I collect these covers for each day of the event/fair so the entire collection fits nicely into two small cover albums.
Don

• Minnesota State Fair Aug 29 - Sept 7, 1953
• Mid-South Fair Sept 24 - Oct 3, 1953
• New Jersey State Fair Sept 27 - Oct 1, 1953
• South Dakota State Fair Sept 9 - Sept 11, 1954
• Mid-South State Fair Sept 25 - Oct 3, 1954
• Indiana State Fair Aug 31 - Sept 9, 1955
• Fort Worth Fair July 18 - July 19, 1956
• Ohio State Fair Aug 24 - Aug 31, 1956
• Oklahoma Semi-Centennial June 14 - July 7, 1957
• Illinois State Fair Aug 9 - Aug 18, 1957
• Ohio State Fair Aug 23 - Aug 30, 1957
• Iowa State Fair Aug 23 - Sept 1, 1957
• Indiana State Fair Aug 28 - Sept 6, 1957
• Allegheny County Fair Aug 29 - Sept 2, 1957
• Kentucky State Fair Sept 6 - Sept 15, 1957
• Ozark Empire Fair Aug 9 - Aug 15, 1958
• West Virginia State Fair Aug 18 - Aug 23, 1958
• Ohio State Fair Aug 22 - Aug 29, 1958
• Minnesota State Fair Aug 23 - Sept 1, 1958
• DuQuoin, Illinois State Fair Aug 24 - Sept 1, 1958
• Winnebago County Fair Aug 27 - Aug 30, 1958
• Southern States Fair Sept 16 - Oct 20, 1958
• Butterfield Overland Mail Sept 16 - Oct 10, 1958
• Cleveland County Fair Sept 30 - Oct 4, 1958
• Dixie Classic Fair Oct 6 - Oct 11, 1958
• ASDA Show Nov 21 - Nov 23, 1958
• Ozark Empire Fair Aug 15 - Aug 21, 1958
• Iowa State Fair Aug 28 - Sept 6, 1959
• Ohio State Fair Aug 28 - Sept 4, 1959
• Indiana State Fair Sept 2 - Sept 10, 1959
• Southern West Virginia Fair Sept 2 - Sept 8, 1959
• Ohio State Fair Aug 26 - Sept 2, 1960
• Auto Industry Stamp, First Day Detroit, MI Oct 15, 1960
• Indiana State Fair Aug 30 - Sept 7, 1961
• Michigan State Fair Sept 1 - Sept 10, 1961
• Michigan State Fair Aug 24 - Sept 3, 1962
• Michigan State Fair Aug 25 - Sept 5, 1962
• Indiana State Fair Aug 24 - Sept 4, 1963
• Indiana State Fair Aug 29 - Sept 9, 1964
• Indiana State Fair Aug 28 - Sept 7, 1965
• Indiana State Fair Aug 25 - Sept 5, 1966
• Last Trip - Cleve & Cin HPO - June 25, 1947
• Interphil 76 May 29 - June 6, 1976
• Dover, Delaware July 1 - July 4, 1976
• Pittsburgh National Postal Forum - Oct 31, 1977
• Merrifield, VA - July 25, 1987
• Sepad 78 Sept 29 - Oct 1, 1978
• Napex '83 dune 10 - June 12, 1983

Some examples from my collection






Don

A document from the National Postal Transport Association - note the RPO 'Hold Ups!' section towards the end! They carried guns on the HPO trips too.



Don

Don, your collection of HPO exhibit covers is very impressive! I had no idea there were so many of these. The Post Office used to do a lot more in the way of public relations!