I'll be very brief today as all I'm sharing are 3 places where you can…
Three On Thursday
I’m truly enjoying Postcrossing and today I’m going to give you 3 reasons why I think you should give it a try.
But first, a photo of the 3 postcards I received on Tuesday because it’s the perfect segue into reason number 1:
- You will receive gorgeous postcards. Just look at those! The tulips made me swoon and the note on the back is about Women’s Day in Russia and how tulips are everywhere. The one from Italy is full of fun facts about the country and the one with the embroidery is also from Russia and the sender loves to embroider. I have also received handmade postcards (not my favorite, I will admit), oversized postcards, pictures of scenery from all over the world, and lovely notes.
- It gives you a good excuse to buy and collect postcards. When I signed up for Postcrossing I bought a pack of Greetings from Massachusetts postcards on Amazon but since then I have visited New York City as well as a few special areas of Massachusetts and I have had so much fun selecting and purchasing postcards with the thought of sending them to another country. Many postcrossers ask for specific types of photos and now that I am amassing a small collection it’s getting easier to match the postcards I have to the interests of the person I am sending them to. I’m also now getting my own collection of cards from other countries. My initial thought was to put them in a journal but then I realized I wouldn’t be able to enjoy both the picture on the front and the words on the back so I gave up on that idea. Right now I just have them in a stack on the bookcase in our den but I need another plan and I’m open to suggestions.
- Your world view will grow in a quick and easy way. I’m not interested in having a pen pal or sending long letters to anyone but a postcard is so easy! The space is limited and there’s no commitment to extended communication with the person you send it to – it’s a one and done exchange. The return on sending a postcard, though, is that you will then get a postcard back and it will be from somewhere other than your own country. I have only received 8 postcards so far but I have learned about Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Italy, Canada and the Netherlands. And when I say I have learned about those countries what I really mean is that I have learned a small thing about a person who lives there. I think that’s an incredible way to connect with another culture and to also see how much we truly all have in common. I have heard from crafters and readers, mothers and grandmothers, and I think it’s amazing that we have common interests.
I tried Postcrossing because of Kym and Margene and I’m hoping maybe my experience will inspire you to start, too.
If you wrote a post for today please include your link below and thanks, as always, for joining us.
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What beautiful cards! It does sound fun.
As much fun as receiving international mail is, along with the lovely postcards themselves, the one-to-one connections really are the best and give me hope.
Inspired by your last post about postcrossing I registered myself and already sent five postcarts around the globe and waiting for the first one arriving in my postbox.
I’m not very good at geography so I started watching documentations about the areas I sent. And I already learnt a lot about these countries.
Thanks for this inspiration and have fun with all the postcards to come.
Regards Katja
I’m totally with you on all Postcrossing points, Carole! One of the many ways PC has inspired me is in adding to my ‘places to visit’ wish list. I just received the most beautiful images of Warsaw–I couldn’t stop sharing it with people!
You asked about storage–I recently put all of my ‘correspondence supplies’ on my IKEA RASKOG cart. I LOVE this cart and have used it for a variety of things over the years. It’s easy to organize, easy to access–and most importantly, easy to tuck away. Don’t be fooled by the impostors, though! I saw a replica in Michael’s the other day–more expensive and inferior quality.
Happy Postcrossing!
I really enjoy Postcrossing, and I’m so glad to hear you’re liking it, too! I’m at the point now where I receive at least one postcard pretty much every day. I have a long basket near my desk, and once I register a card, I just pop it into the basket. It looks nice, just sitting there on my shelf, and it’s fun to just look through it once in a while. (I’m gonna need another basket soon, though. This one is nearly full.)
What fun! I have thought about registering, but have not gone any further than that. You might just inspire me to give it a try!
Hi Carole! I’ve sent 4 so far and I’ve received 0! My workmate joined when I did and she’s received 4. I don’t know but hopefully one will arrive soon as I’m enjoying the send part too!
I love those cards! Very cool. Hm.
I think this is a really cool thing and definitely a fun way to make the world seem a little smaller.
As for storing the cards you receive, I wonder if you could find a photo album with clear sleeves?
This is one of the most educational, entertaining, and easily done hobbies I’ve had. I love to see the cards, the handwriting, the stickers, and also to learn more about the person, the place, and the customs of the country. I buy pretty covered boxes when I can find them and store the postcards there. I will take a box and thumb through it once in awhile. I’ve learned about geography, habits and customs, food, individual lives and so much more. I’m over 4 years in and still loving it. I have a postcard penpal in Romania, a Hungarian penpal, a penpal in Holland, and a GB penpal. I’m really enjoying this hobby. Thank you for spreading the word!
I am enjoying PostCrossing too. Like you, I joined at the suggestion of Kym. So far I’ve received 3 cards and they have been so fun to get! Like you, I don’t really want a penpal, but this is so easy. I need to get some more postcards to send out!!
PostCrossing sounds intriguing. I do like postcards.
I dipped my toe into Postcrossing a year or two ago, but (apparently) got too busy and forgot about it. You may have inspired me to give it another go. Actual mail from a person would be a nice change from the begging-for-money or -vote things that seem to be all we get.
I think document protectors would work. Not sure how you would keep them from sliding around inside (I think you could get 3 or maybe 4 postcards per ‘sleeve’). That would be my suggestion, then you could view both sides.