Postcrossing Blog

On this week’s Spotlight interview, we talked to Óskar, aka Fimafengur, from Iceland. He’s passionate about vintage posters – and postcards that depict them!

Here is what he had to say to our Spotlight questions:

How did you come across Postcrossing? What got you hooked?

I think I’ve always been interested in postcards; at least I started early on buying cards when traveling around Iceland with my family on holidays. Started collecting cards from each place, town, museum etc. we stopped at. I continued this habit when I went traveling around the world on my own. I’m not a very organized collector but I buy cards that interest me somehow.

But… if there are any cards that I’m really passionate about then, it’s the vintage posters (travel ads, trains, cruise liners) and movie posters, old and new. One of my favourite cards is from a small collection I have from Swiss-old-timers and shows an ad from the Oriental Express.

A few years ago I read an interview in a local newspaper with an Icelandic Postcrosser. I decided to find this site and simply got hooked. I soon realized how the Postcrossing project is a great way of traveling around the world and “meet” all these nice people. I’m still a bit amazed that some stranger on the other side of the world will make the effort of buying a card, a stamp and mailing it to another person.

Show us your mailbox, your mailman/mailwoman, your postoffice or the place where you post or keep your postcards!

There are two post-offices in my hometown Akureyri. The staff is very friendly and provides an excellent service. This is the office in the city centrum.

Show and tell us about your favorite received postcard to date, and what makes it special.

I find it very difficult sorting out a few favourites! … but I’ll try to show examples of what I like in postcards.

FR-117423: This one combines two things I’m a fan of: Paris and bridges. It’s also a beautiful one.

UZ-1566: Cards from distant, faraway places, which I probably will never be able to visit or experience otherwise, like this one from Samarkand.

US-1641649: A great b/w photo of a great performer… I went to a TT concert in Copenhagen in 2000 (she was about 60 at that time).

DE-1300838: Reprint of a vintage posters ( more bridges and transportations ). Visited Wuppertal over 20 years ago and went on this “Schwebebahn” and it made my day getting this card.

What is it your favorite part of the Postcrossing process?

Sending a card… trying to pick a card according to the receiver’s request or what I think that would make the postcrosser happy to receive. Here in Iceland most of the postcards you can find are “touristic”, i.e. nature, landscape etc. Fortunately many Postcrossers seems to like these cards. I always try to buy cards I like myself and I also visit museums and such places to increase the diversity. Then I wait for the card to arrive and I’m always glad when it’s registered and I really appreciate a comment or just a “thank you” from the receiver.

Is there anything that you are passionate about?

I strongly believe in equal rights for all humans and democracy. One of the most important things is education, which sadly is very poor in too many countries, especially for girls and women. I try to support organisations like UNICEF and SOS Children’s Villages and also some smaller “private-projects” in Yemen, Ethiopia and South Africa. There are so many more things in common to people all over the world than those that divides us. I think the world would be a bit nicer place if we all made an effort to communicate and understand each other.

Heidrun, 49 y.o., coming from icy Iceland. She’s a warm person that enjoys planting trees as a hobby, doing deco books and of course, sending cards! Her 9 y.o. son is already a devoted Postcrosser too.

How did you come across Postcrossing? What got you hooked?

I found a link that was in the homepage of the Icelandic Mail Service. I believe it is not there anymore. I had collected postcards for years (written and stamped) so this was just what I wanted. A wish come true!

Do you have any other interesting hobbies?

My other hobby is planting trees, we have some land where we can plant and grow them. Trees grows slowly here – but we don´t give up. And I also do decos (small books where you put a picture and it travels between people. Everyone does one page and finally it goes back home.That’s in Yahoo Groups (for example: Old_decos_and_homers). It is related to scrapping.

Show us your mailbox, your mailman/mailwoman, your postoffice or the place where you post or keep your postcards!

Hedrunhlin’s shy mailman and one of the mailboxes:

Show & tell us about your favorite received postcard to date, and what makes it special.

My very first Postcrossing postcard was a special one. Sent from France by a Finnish Postcrosser, from a place where I had been years before. But every card I get is a special one and I feel the kindness when people choose something I will like. My son is also a Postcrosser (Hemmi) and people have sent him such nice cards too. Happiness is getting a postcard from a stranger wishing you all the very best.

(On our way to plant trees)