Meet Alex (aka Zeby), a very enthusiastic young postcrosser from New Zealand. His mom Marian describes him as a little evangelist who will happily tell everyone he meets about Postcrossing… and he’s doing such a great job that he earned the very special Ambassador badge last year! So of course, we had to have him on the blog for an interview. 😊
- Hi Alex! How did you come across Postcrossing? What got you hooked?
-
My Mum found Postcrossing on the internet one day and thought it looked interesting. She had collected postcards when she was young and she thought I might like to have a new hobby. My brother had started stamp collecting and I wanted to do my own thing, I really like postcards and getting mail, so it was the perfect hobby for me.
Postcrossing has been a great experience so far, it gets even more interesting each day. It gives me the chance to talk to people on the other side of the world. I get to learn about what creatures live in their countries, what their capital city is like and what their lives are like.
I’ve joined in a lot of Round Robins on the Postcrossing Forum, it’s a lot of fun. From the Forum my brother and I have also got penpals our own age — it’s really nice to write cards and letters to other kids.
- Do you have any other interesting hobbies?
-
I’m a Cub Scout. I love earning new badges, last year I earned 12 individual award badges. My twin brother and I got more badges than other Cub in the pack but it was a lot of work to get that many done in the year. Dad joined Cubs as a Leader late last year too and we all went to the Cubs 100 Years Camp in November.
My biggest hobby is reading. I love it. I read a lot, over 200 pages every night but Dad turns the light off if it gets too late. My favourite kinds of books are fantasy books. I got a lot of books for Christmas and I go to the library nearly every week.
- Show us your mailbox, your mailman/mailwoman, your postoffice or the place where you post or keep your postcards!
-
My letterbox is a long way away from my house, it’s a big rural letterbox and we don’t get mail every day in our valley. My postie comes in a van and sometimes I am at the letterbox waiting for him. He was very curious about all the mail I was getting so I told him about Postcrossing, he says I’m keeping him in a job with all my Postcrossing mail.
Here’s me at one of our local postboxes, I normally post my cards here as it’s outside the supermarket.
I have a whole wall of cards on display. There’s one from each country in my collection pinned on the wall and I’ve got string leading to where it’s from in the world.
My world map got too crowded so my uncle gave me a map of Europe.
I swap cards around with my collection boxes and the wall. I have collections of native animals, native costumes, Cold War, volcanoes and space. My brother and I also have a box of Greetings From cards we are collecting. In my room I have my special owl collection on the wall. The house is covered in postcards!
- Have you inspired anyone else to join Postcrossing or start collections of their own?
-
I’ve talked to my gifted education class about Postcrossing. They liked the idea and a lot wanted to join themselves. The teacher liked the idea too because it opens the world to classrooms.
My Scout Pack Master loved my Postcrossing so much she joined. Dad says I talk to everyone I meet about Postcrossing. Everyone who comes in our house gets a tour of my Postcrossing maps!
- What is it your favorite part of the Postcrossing process?
-
I like picking a new person to send a card to and then reading their profiles. I want to know about the people and match a card to them. It’s like a lucky dip, getting a new person. I enjoy sending cards out.
- Show and tell us about your favorite received postcard to date, and what makes it special.
-
I have so many postcards that I love. I don’t have an absolute favourite but so many people have sent me amazing cards. My rarest official card was from Montenegro:
Someone else sent me an official with my name on the front!
My favourite rare country was a card from Antarctica, though it didn’t come from Postcrossing. It was sent from a New Zealand scientist I met, she went down to Antarctica to do some field work this summer.
- Is there anything that you are passionate about?
-
Space is a big passion for me. My hero is Neil deGrasse Tyson, he’s an astrophysicist. I love astronomy and one day I’d like my own telescope to look at the stars. All science is amazing.
I love learning, I want to know as much as possible. I like trying to learn languages. I like learning about history and how the world works. I’m lucky that I’m a worldschooler!
76 comments so far
Thank you for introducing us to Alex. The photos are wonderful and so is the story!
what a great interview and what a super ambassador for postcrossing, and I am so happy because I can see my belgian postcard on the wall next to your europe map :-D
Wonderful you enjoy the Round Robins on the forum and congratulations on a great interview. Like you I love Antarctica cards and envelopes as they are so difficult to come by. I hope you will continue for many years with your Postcrossing hobby.
WOW.
Congratulations, Alex!! I'm super happy for you. Awesome pictures and interview. Well done! ! Keep on learning, It's great. Feels good to see my postcard on your wall 😊😚💜
Terrific interview and what a great kid Alex is! I love seeing young people getting involved in this wonderful hobby!
A wonderful spotlight. Great to have you here at postcrossing, Alex. I wish you millions of wonderful postcards. <3
that's really good! I liked reading this interview. good job! Keep going Alex! greetings from Turkey :)
A wonderful story. I wish you many nice postcards, Alex......
very nice :)
I wanted to adopt him. Then I read Neil Degrasse Tyson is his hero and now I really want to adopt him haha
Wow I really love the idea of pinning the postcards and connecting them with a string to the map! Keep up the good job Alex! :)
What a wonderful story....thank you very much, Alex!
A great interview! I too wish you many, many great postcards, Alex!
Good Idea with the postcards and the maps. Superjob Alex!
I am fairly new to postcrossing but I love it. Alex, this is so wonderful. I love the way you display your cards. I bet you have a ton of them. Happy postcarding.
Thank you for this interview. The idea of connecting with another person anywhere in the world through mail is what I enjoy most of all about Postcrossing, just like Alex. Keep on postcrossing!
Alex... you are awesome... and it s curious... I can see myself when I was Kid in you. But then there were not internet...
Hi Alex😁"Meeting" you made my day. What an inspirational young man you are, and you expressed all my sentiments about postcrossing better than I ever could. If you ever come to Cape Town please contact me, I would love to show you and your family around. Best wishes to you all, Leigh
This is a wonderful story about postcrossing and you
will be a success in whatever you do.
What an inspiration; if only we had Postcrossing when I was Alex's age. I love the map idea; I was thinking of doing something similar for the states of the USA. good luck with all your collecting Alex.
What a great interview! I love the string idea ;) sending a high five from Christchurch ;)
Great interview Alex. Glad you are connecting with so many people and thanks for the round robin idea. I hand them tried that yet.
A wonderful interview. So nice to meet Alex (and see a photo of him with his Dad and Brother, also) -- Alex, I hope you enjoy collecting postcards as I have for over 50 years. (It appears you may soon need to build a separate house simply to display them...perhaps you can acquire a badge for that, too)
Postcrossing brings out the best of people, and offers hope in a world which seems to hold such chaos, otherwise. Bravo for introducing Alex - my inspiration for today.
wow! great to know about you Alex, Neil de Grasse Tyson is also one of my favorite personality.
This was a great interview! Thanks, Alex.
Wonderful interview, Alex. I'm glad you found Postcrossing! I'll be coming to New Zealand in 2018 and can't wait.
Парень молодец! Good boy
Hi Alex, I saw the card that you received from someone from the Netherlands with your name on it. I'm Dutch and live in Canada and recognize the Card. Alex is sort for Alexander, the King from the Netherlands. Your card is an advertising from a mint, candy company, called; King mints. I love what you doing with your maps. Happy Post-crossing.
Hi Alex,
I hope I get a lucky dip and get your name! I would love to pick out a card for you. And I would send extra stamps for your brother! After reading your interview, now I know that I am NOT the only one who talks to people about Postcrossing and this wonderful hobby!
If you private message me, I would send you a card and stamps just because. Make sure you include your address.
I wish you many more great cards!
Cathy in Star,Idaho, USA
Awesome!
Great interview and wonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing your story, Alex!
love your postcards walls! You're a fantastic kid! Hope you will be like that your whole life!
Wonderful interview. I was lucky enough to receive NZ-157445 from Alex in December 2016. Best wishes in all you and your twin do in life.
What a wonderful interview and such great pictures too. I think you have a very exciting life ahead of you, Alex. Good luck in all your future adventures. I love astronomy too.
Inspiring! :) Hope you get to fulfill your dreams Alex!
What a bright young mind you have. I see you doing great things in your life. Keep learning, exploring, and for zest for life. Also, kudos for being a scout. We need more young men like you in this world. BE PROUD of Yourself
Thank you so much for all the nice comments here and to the people who sent me messages on my profile. I have so many to answer! The comments make me feel happy. My next idea for a display of my collection is to hang each card from the roof like hanging light lamps. They will sway in the wind! I need to check my Dad to see if he will let me do it though.
Alex, loved reading about your interests and your hobby of postcrossing! I love your Antarctica card!
A great story about Alex and I was so fortunate to receive a postcard from Alex with a photo of the spectacular Cathedral Cove.
Kia Ora Alex. Great story. Postcrossing is so much fun isn't it :) Keep up the hobby and I hope you inspire others to join in the fun too. I used to be a Cub in Oamaru and then Winchester. Now living in Canberra. :) - regards Rod
💚 your map wall Alex 🌏 it's an awesome way to showcase all your postcards ... thanks for sharing with an Aussie Mate from "Down Under"👍
Thank you for sharing your story and love of Postcrossing, Alex! It will inspire others to follow their passion.
Alex! You are so inspiring. Glad you are enjoying so many interesting hobbies. Message me if you are interested in a swap from Toronto, Canada. I will try to find a fun card to add to your collection. : )
Awesome interview! Thanks for sharing your passion!
I love Postcrossing, what a good way to start off the year!!!!😊
Wow! I loved reading about Alex and am inspired by his display maps!
Cool!
This is fantastic! I love that your postman was happy you're making sure he has a job!😊😉 And that in New Zealand you call them posties!! I'm sure our postcrossing paths will cross in the future!
He's so adorable, and serious! Good for him! It's the same reasons I joined, to meet and find out about people living all over the world (and to get postcards).
That's so nice to read over a boy that realizes the magic behing postcards.
Congrats Alex!
May the stars shine brightening your path in life.
Great interview. Enjoyed learning about your postcrossing experience. Reach for the stars and you'll have a brighter life. Best wishes to you and yours. Thanks for sharing with us.
What an awesome interview! His enthusiasm is infectious!
Good to know that a boy has such enthusiasm for postcrossing and life. Good luck to you Alex!
Dear Alex,
It was so nice to read your interview. Wish you good luck with your dreams to become a scientist :) and carry the postcrossing hobby forward. :)
Nice to read your story. I wish you good luck at your life. Happy postcrossing 😉
+1
well done
What an amazing young man!
This is so amazing and heartwarming, this kid is doing it right!
Hello !!! Очень оригинально ,красота ! Могу выслать окрытку с нашей природой , городским видом , северное сияние !?
Hello from Bergen in Norway :)
Its so nice to read your story :) I wish you a happy postcrossing :) Hugs from Nina
Great interview of a great postcrosser .:)
Hello. Great story. It is very nice to hear about your collection. If you send us your information, we would love to send you a postcard. God bless you.
You are awesome, Alex.
Really lovely story. Quite an interesting kid!
Great!
Dear Alex, I wish you all the joy in the world. May all your dreams come true.
Great to see a young person loving postcrossing and rest of the family also. Enjoyed reading what you do and also all the comments. kia kaha
What a great postcard collection!
What a great way to display the cards!
What else?...
Congratulations Alex!
Like your cards,and your handsome sons.
Wonderful! I believe that's what we all share with postcrossing..the wonderful feeling of learning more about other places, cultures, people and more..Bravo, Alex..
Great article this month, and that is some postcard wall you have Alex! Keep it up, and thanks for sharing your story with everyone.
This is so cute!!
Hi Alex!
Love your postcard map
Hope to see it with my own eyes one day
Happy Postcrossing
Smart boy... !
Congratulations boy
↑ Back to top ↑