Do you ever go through phases in your life where you devote a HUGE amount of time to a hobby, and then as you grow older, it just kinda fades out? For me, that was stamp collecting and Postcrossing. Postcrossing is an international project that allows you to send and receive postcards from people all around the globe. I know, #nerdalert. I’ve always wanted to travel the world, but it costs quite a bit, so instead, I would travel through my hobby. That is until I started high school, and then University, which led me to forget this passion of mine and focus solely on my studies.
Now, enter COVID; we are all stuck at home, and I remembered doing Postcrossing, so I decided to pick it back up a few weeks ago. It’s just as much fun as I remember and really brightens one’s day when there’s not much we can do. I love learning about what other people are doing during these times, what their weather is like (since many are in a different hemisphere than us), or reading a funny joke. There are no limits to what is written; some people write short and sweet letters while others write a beautiful story about their country or their family.
Now, you may be asking, what on earth is “Postcrossing”? Well, let me break it down for you and how easily you can get started.
In Postcrossing, there are over eight hundred thousand members across 207 countries that have shipped over 60 million postcards worldwide. Postcards can range from your average tourist cards to vintage or glitter cards. There are communities and forums for every topic possible and it’s a very positive community always looking to help others.
Interested in joining for yourself? Well, it’s super easy!
All you have to do is go to their website (link here) and create your own account. Once finished, you have the opportunity to send out 5 postcards by requesting an address. When doing this, you have to make sure you remember the Postcrossing Code (which is how you register your cards). Once you’ve shipped your cards, you wait for them to reach their destination; you’ll get an email saying when they’ve arrived and a nice letter from the recipient. Then, you’ll receive a postcard back from someone else. The more postcards you ship out, the more you’ll get in return. Some may arrive from more popular countries, such as the United States, Germany, or Belgium, or you can get one from a rare country, such as Madagascar, Peru, or Iceland. Postcards can also come in any shape or size; some may arrive in an envelope with other goodies, or they may be handmade, which is super cool because there are some amazing artists around the world.
For the cost, it is relatively cheap, being that you only have to purchase the postcard and the stamps that are needed to send them. Postcards range anywhere from $0.25 to $1.00, and stamps, depending on where they are being sent (Canada, America, or International) stamps cost anywhere from $1.20 to $2.75.
Now, if you are looking into getting postcards to get started, I find mine at my local Walmart in the Paper & Crafts section. There are often 10 different designs, and I choose which ones to send depending on what people wish to receive. Some people may state that they want you to write about your country, what is on the postcard, or the weather on the day that you wrote it. While most write in English, many write in their first language with their greetings, or their messages are shorter.
I’d love to know if any of you amazing people join this mailing journey. Even if you only do it a couple of times, getting mail is always a fun time.