I saw this call for postcards on the Letter Writters Alliance blog and couldn't resist re-posting it here.

Smarter Every Day is a Youtube channel that explains interesting science bits. It's run by Destin, a father who is really excited about science... and high-speed cameras! The videos are contagiously enthusiastic - the one about the mystery of Prince Rupert's drop is a favourite around here!

So in this video about teaching his kids how to skip stones, Destin asks for help getting postcards to cover the walls of a room in his house. I think we can give him a hand... if there's one thing postcrossers are good at, it's sending postcards! :)

So if you have an extra postcard, please send it to:

Destin's Wall Project (or something funny)
Smarter Every Day
PO Box 63
Hartselle AL 35640
USA

He doesn't ask for a specific message, but you could always mention your favourite science bit, ask a question, or say that you come from Postcrossing! :)

We're looking forward to see how that room turns out!

Postcards are inherently fun. Buying them, sending them, receiving them, and collecting them are all happy events in their lifecycle. But what if you could add another step to the whole process? Like interacting with them! Here are several types of puzzle and game postcards that make receiving one in the mail twice the fun!

Build your own...

How would you like to have your own little desktop version of a car, a famous building or animal? The possibilities are endless! Check out this amazing Flickr gallery for some examples.

Crosswords

An internationally beloved hobby, solving crossword puzzles is a stimulating way to pass the time. Postcard puzzles have been around for awhile, although modern day versions can be tricky to find...

If you have some time though, you can always try to make your own, and test the recipient's knowledge of your country or city with a fun challenge! :)

Find the...

There is a special category of cards, in which you have to find a specific object or character... Some examples are the "Where's Waldo (or Wally)?" set, or Lali cards! They're fun and challenging... and definitely not just for kids!

Cutout models

A great way to send a greeting to someone who loves flags is by sending them a flag-shaped postcard!

Likewise, there are cutout model postcards for almost all modes of transportation, food, sculptures, animals, everyday objects, toys, not to mention famous global landmarks or gotochi cards!

Jigsaws

The first jigsaw puzzle postcards were seen in the early 1900’s. The recipient tore along a perforated edge of the card to remove a jigsaw made from light cardboard. Printed score sheets were included in a pack of six, intended to be used at “Progressive Puzzle Parties” by players who were to record the time it took to complete one puzzle.

Nowadays you can find jigsaw puzzles of all types, even postcards that reveal a message under the pieces of the puzzle!

Do you know of any other types of interactive postcards? Do share in the comments!

In theory, we all know what happens when something goes through the mail: it is picked up, put in crates and boxes, gets sorted more or less automatically, and is finally delivered by the hands of the local postman. If you've ever seen a mail sorting center before, you know that there are hundreds of meters of conveyor belts involved, and all sorts of complicated sorting machines... but what does it look like from a "parcel's perspective"? How many people touch it? How long does it sit around just... waiting?

Designer Ruben van der Vleuten wondered about these things, and instead of sitting still, he came up with a simple solution to solve this mistery: a camera, hidden inside a parcel!

Inside the parcel there's also a small Arduino circuit, with a timer which tells the camera to film more when the package is moving, and less when it is stopped. The result is the amazing video below:

Pretty neat, huh? Check out Ruben's page, to see what the parcel looked like from the inside! :)

Writing is great - but why not take advantage of postcards to express yourself in more creative ways? Sometimes a bit of colour or a funny sticker can really make a postcard stand out and bring a smile to the recipient's face!

Here are some decorating tips that will take your postcard-making experience to the next level:

• The way you write out the words can create a striking effect. Try writing in a spiral, starting from the inner point and circling your sentences around each other... or just arrange the words in a recognisable form, shaped poetry style!

• Draw something on the postcard! Maybe try your hand at a portrait of yourself, the postbox where you'll post your card or perhaps match it to the image on the front - even if you’re not a great artist, it will at least make for a good laugh!
• Pens, tapes or glue glitter also help make a colorful statement!
• Customize a rubber stamp that is unique to you, and use the cool design to sign off with instead of your name. Or choose from a variety of pre-made rubber stamps to add a bit of quirkiness to your message.

• Stickers! Stickers are fun, especially shiny, fuzzy, and smelly ones! Add a couple to your postcard for a pop of color, or turn your message into a deciphering exercise by using picture stickers to symbolize words instead of writing them out!
• And last but not least, choose the stamps carefully, since they're an important element of your card! You can try to match them to the card, or just give them a bit of context, like the funny example below:


Got any more fun decorating tips? Do share them in the comments below!

Postcard photos by PostMuse, stamp photo by Donovan Beeson.

Have a look at the following postcards from the sixties:

Notice something... unusual? In some postcards it is quite obvious, in others not so much... but the red car is always there!

Andreas Möller loves the Ford Taunus. Throughout the years, he has collected lots of memorabilia related to the car of his dreams, enough to fill a room with brochures, operating manuals and even postcards! One day, he noticed something strange... in many of the postcards he had, the car was the same, a red Ford Taunus 12m with Hamburg license plate HH-KX 942!

The more he looked, the more glaring it became... there it was, in front of the church in the Dutch town of Zutphen, or stopped at the French-Belgian border crossing in Menen as well as in several other towns of the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Sometimes it was featured prominently, others it was discretely parked in the background... How was that possible?!

Mr. Möller doesn't know for sure, but he speculates that the car most likely belongs to the photographer. In one of the postcards, the trunk of the car is slightly open - indicating that perhaps the just got his equipment out of it before taking the photo.

Contacted by Mr. Möller, Hamburg town hall revealed that unfortunately the records about this car had already been destroyed, so there might be no way to find out more about the mysterious fan of the Taunus ... but what a great story it is!

You can see the rest of the postcards on this gallery on the Spiegel website, where the story was first published (in German). And a big thank-you to Mr. Möller, who let us borrow his card photos and tell his story. If you have any information that might help him solve this automobile mystery, leave a comment below! :)