Closure of Tai-O delivery office

Due to lack of usage and reduce the cost, Hongkong Post decided to close their Tai-O delivery office on October 22, 2011. Which was a farthest-west delivery office in Hong-Kong. Before the closure, the delivery office only serves Tai-O and nearby uninhabited villages, also Ngong Ping. As a result, it is too expensive to set up a delivery office for such few inhabitant.

After the closure of Tai-O delivery office, the service was combined with Mui Wo delivery office on October 24, 2011. However the postmark, TAO-DR1 still in use in Tai-O post office until now. Below two covers shown examples of the procedure by two delivery offices, which are sent to same addressee in different days. The first one, by registered mail sent on October 22 and returned by Mui Wo delivery office (MWO) on October 27 ; while second one by ordinary mail sent on October 20, and returned by Tai-O delivery office also due charged by Maonshan delivery office (MOS) on November 8.

Review of Hong-kong first day covers 2011

Here are the collection of all new regular issues of Hong-kong, 2011. Ten issues are came out and shown as below.

Year of the rabbit : 22 January, 2011.

Centenary of powered flight in Hong Kong : 18 March, 2011.

Volunteerism : 29 March, 2011.

Green living : 14 April, 2011.

150th anniversary of Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce :
26 May, 2011.

Children stamps - Chinese idioms and their stories :
28 June, 2011.

Centenary of The University of Hong Kong :
15 September, 2011.

Centenary of Xinhai Revolution : 10 October, 2011.

Hong Kong, China - Romania joint issue on handicraft :
24 November, 2011.

Hong Kong museums collection -
Hong Kong cultural and historical Series :
6 December, 2011.

Unfriendly service

If pay attention to variety philatelic forum or discussion board, we can find many collectors complain their local philatelic service, from the quotation of stamp sale, to postmarking or mail processing. However, generally speaking, those are individual cases and those postal admissions wish to improve their service to meet philatelist demands. But in few months ago, I truly understand that what is the worst philatelic service.


Above letter received on late-October following the registered mail from Jersey Post. Just clearing to tell collector that they are beginning to charge operational fee for customer, it is very surprise to me although it is not new to me - for some countries, like China, each postmark for philatelic costs 0,50RMB.

I posted this letter to facebook and receive a lot of feedback in the meanwhile, they disagree the charge by Jersey Post. It is unacceptable customer should have account first, deposit £25 and then 35p of each postmark, it seems total cost £42,50 if you wish to have postmarking service in future.

Honestly speaking, I don't mind to pay small amount if you need the operational fee. But if as well as Jersey who needs a big deposit first, I am sorry I will terminated the account and will not be the customer anymore.

Self-served kiosks (3)

After a year, Hongkong Post decided to terminate the trial of eCemtre. Although it didn't explain the reason of terminate, people normally to think that the posting centre lack of customer to use the self-severed kiosk. On April 29, it was the last day of the eCentre open, above domestic registered mail is shown a set of default set labels with specially printed $5,80 label, cancelled with the countered postmark. And below EMS mail to Germany affixed total $170 definitive stamps plus a specially printed $4,00 label.

The kiosk afterward moved to Kowloon Bay post office to continuous the trial, above domestic mail as well as first one, affixed a set of default labels plus one specially printed $5,80 label.

On the other side, in Switzerland. PTT discontinuous the FRAMA stamp vending machine in whole country. May 11 was the last day of the machine functioned. Below cover to commemorate this event sent from Basel, by registered mail to Hong-Kong.

Self-served kiosks (2)

Tuen Mun Central Road Post Office

In the same time to post an ATM cover from Singapore, I would update the usage of self-served kiosks in Hong-Kong. If you remember, I had posted an essay introduce the kiosks in Cheungshawan, as known as eCentre ; and one for public in Hennessy Road Post Office. After the 22nd of January, probably a busy Saturday, the trial in Hennessy Road Post Office was terminated. And the machine be moved to Tuen Mun Central Post Office, which located in remotest new town of New Territories. The kiosk reopen on 8th February, and number of collectors queued up for sending mails and obtaining labels. Here are some mails of first day of using and other normal day.

A domestic registered mail with advise of receipt service total costs $25,40.
It is not possible to pay the fee of advance service so extra $11 stamps be affixed.
Cover cancelled with roller postmark (TCL-6).

An EMS mail to Singapore, the label is for make-up rate postage.
It also sent on the day of service.

A set of default set and extra $5,80 label sent by domestic registered mail,
it also cancelled by roller postmark on 8/3/2011.

For supplement, some mails of eCentre and Hennessy Road Post Office are shown here with simple description. Only eCentre is still serving customer in this moment.

Far left : A set of recent reel definitive stamps with
extra extra $5,80 label sent by domestic registered mail,
it sent from eCentre (EC01-1) on 3/8/2010.
Right : A returned express mail to Macao,
sent on the first day of using of Hennessy Road Post Office kiosk.
It via Airmail Centre (AMC-18) on 14/8/2010 and arrived
Macao on 7/8/2010 ; stored in post office from 9/8/2010 to 13/9/2010.
And returned to Hong-Kong on 11/10/10.

Review of Hong-kong first day covers 2010

Here are the collection of all new regular issues of Hong-kong, 2010. Eight issues are came out and shown as below.

Year of the Tiger ; 6 February 2010.

Hong Kong's participation in Expo 2010, Shanghai China ; 27 April 2010.

Characteristic Streets in Hong Kong ; 24 June 2010.

Biodiversity ; 15 July 2010.

Centenary of Railway Service in Hong Kong ; 28 September 2010.

Children Stamps - Hong Kong in my Eyes ; 21 October 2010.

Redevelopment of Old Areas ; 16 November 2010.

Lighthouses of Hong Kong ; 29 December 2010.

Marcophily - Roller postmark of the world

Actually, Hongkong is not the first postal administration to introduce roller postmark, since the Ernst Riner established in 1913, many countries chose their products, mostly are nearby European countries and also Asians, Africans and Caribbeans. Below is the list and examples of some postmarks.

Postmark © Ernst Reiner GmbH & Co.KG

Country	Post office / Place / Date (Postmark serial number to be omitted)	Example
Åland (XA)	Mariehamn *ALAND* Figure style :	Philatelic bureau reported that it was withdrawn.
Austria (AT)	(Wien 1090) Alsergrund, Wien 18th January, 1994. Figure style : 18.-1.94-21
Belgium (BE)	Gent 4th February, 2009. Figure style : 04.02.09-19
Brunei (BN)	(MPO) Belait 22nd March, 2008. Figure style : 22.-3.2008
Croatia (HR)	Zagrab Figure style :
Cyprus (CY)	LATSIA MAIL CENTER Figure style :
Denmark (DK)	Sydjyllands Postcenter 29th September, 2010. Figure style : 29.09.10-24
Faroes, the (FO)	Saltangará 20th June, 2011. Figure style : 20. -6. 2011
Finland (FI)	Kuopio 6th August, 2010. Figure style : 06.08 -2010
Germany (DE)	(Briefzentren 89) Neu-Ulm 18th August, 2009. Figure style : 18.-8.09-21
Greenland (GL)	3952 ILULISSANT Figure style :
Hongkong (HK)	(KWF) Kwai Fong 12th May, 2010. Figure style : 12.05.10
Iceland (IS)	Reykjavik 30th August, 2010. Figure style : 30 08 2010
Indonesia (ID)	Jakarta Figure style :
Iran (IR)	(Zone-P-11) Lashkar, Tehran 14th June, 2010. Figure style : 14/6/-10
Ireland (IE)	(Cork Mails Centre) Cork 21st May. 2010. Figure style : 21.05.20-10
Luxembourg (LU)	(Luxembourg-CT 3290) Bettembourg 14th June, 2010. Figure style : 1406 10-22
Malaysia (MY)	Butterworth, Penang Figure style :
Malta (MT)	(Priority) Gozo* 15th November, 2008. Figure style : 15.10.20-10
Netherlands, the (NL)	Amsterdam 15th October, 2008. Figure style : 15.10.08-22
Norway (NO)	Oslo 19th August, 2003. Figure style : 19.8 .03
San Marino (SM)	Arrivi - Partenze - 47891 - Dogana - R.S.M. Figure style :	Philatelic bureau reported that it was withdrawn.
Singapore (SG)	(Singapore Mails Centre) Singapore 30th September, 2010. Figure style : 30 SEP 2010
South Africa (ZA)	Bloemfontein 9301 20th December, 2000. Figure style : 2000-12-20
Taiwan (TW)	Taipei 1st June, 2010. Figure style : 01.06.10
Trinidad & Tobago (TT)	(Int. Mail Section) Port Spain 6th August, 2009. Figure style : 08·06·09
United Arab Emirates (AE)	(Emirates Post) Abu Dhabi* 22nd October, 2010. Figure style : 22.10.2010