Postcrossing Blog

I love perusing random postcard walls on the website, just to see what lovely cards I can discover. Apparently I’m not alone in my little pastime, since quite a few of you have found SeanPatrick’s gallery and sent us the link! :)

Sean uploads photos of his postcards to the website, but with a twist: featuring himself as well as the postcard! Here are some of his photos:

It took a little getting used to, but I must confess I love it and couldn’t stop myself from going through his entire gallery, like a mini-stalker! I was intrigued by his unusual approach to the postcard wall, so I decided to reach out to Sean and he explained:

I was curious what the postcards would look like upon arrival when I sent mine and I wondered what they might look like in the hands of those that received them. Then it occurred to me… why not take photos of myself with the postcards I received?

Brilliant! How often have I wished for the same thing, to get just a glimpse of the reaction that lights up someone’s face when a postcard I’ve sent finally arrives? I think we can all relate to that.

Sean’s photos are taken by either himself or his daughter, and a bit all over the place: his home, his wine shop or while he’s out and about outdoors. He says many people enjoy seeing their postcards like that.

Postcrossing is about connecting people, first and foremost, and the more I look at Sean’s wall, the more I’m reminded of this. At the end of each postcard’s journey there’s always a person who will receive and hold that card, just like he does… the smile on that person’s face as they open their mailbox and find an unexpected postcard there – that’s what it’s all about!

We’re well overdue for a giveaway, don’t you think? So this week, we invited one of our longest-running advertisers to spread some happiness! :)

Natuurlijkefoto is run by Arnold, a professional photographer who makes postcards from his own photos. He’s especially good at photographing animals and landscapes, including those of his home country, Netherlands. Whether you’re into castles or birds, seaside views or quaint mailboxes, he’s got you covered!

This weekend, Natuurlijkefoto is offering 3 sets of postcards to 3 lucky postcrossers! This is the 3rd prize, with 10 postcards…

… the 2nd prize, with 20 postcards…

… and the huge 1st prize, with 30 postcards!

To win one of these lovely sets, visit Natuurlijkefoto website and leave a comment below, telling us which postcard (or series) you liked the best. Be warned though… it’s going to be a tough job!

Good luck everyone! Check back on this post around this time next week for the winners (randomly picked by Paulo’s number generator, as usual).

PS – For the duration of this giveaway, Natuurlijkefoto is also offering a 15% discount on all orders above €15. Use the code “weekendgiveaway” during checkout!

Remember last year, when we wrote about Keri Smith’s new postcard book?

The promotional video Keri did highlighted one postcard in particular: a postcard that was made to be sent back and forth between friends! It sounded like a great idea, and I was itching to give it a try… And just then, PostMuse tweeted this serendipitous message:

I suggested we give it a go, to see if it worked, and she accepted. YAY! I promptly mailed her my card:

Over the course of several months, we sent the same postcard between Berlin and Pittsburgh. With time, it became a sort of tiny journal, telling its story not only on the messages we wrote, but also in its stamps, postal markings, nicks and scratches. It even visited Ex Postal Facto and Postcrossing’s stamp launch in Guernsey!

And now, almost a year later, we’ve finally ran out of space. Here’s how it looks:

So, yes, it worked, and it turned out to be a pretty cool postal experiment too — one I can definitely recommend! :)

A week ago, Paulo and I were in Prague for a special Postcrossing meetup, and we took the Little Mail Carriers with us, so they could tell you all about it! Here they are:

Ahoj from Prague! It’s sunny and lovely – perfect for adventures!

Ever since we saw a picture of Prague’s main post office on this post from February, we’ve been demanding to be taken there, so that we could see it for ourselves. And what do you know – six months later, the perfect opportunity presented itself: we were invited to attend the yearly Sběratel/Collector’s fair! :)

The fair, which takes place in Prague, welcomes collectors from all over Europe, who come to peruse the stands and enrich their collections. But this year, the fair had a special event taking place: a Postcrossing meetup!

The organizers invited us to come and meet the local postcrossers – we were honored and very happy to do so! Lots of people turned up and we got to meet many new postcrossers, shake their hands, answer many questions and sign a ton of postcards too. A computer and volunteers were at hand to explain Postcrossing to newcomers, and guide them through the signup process. There was even a special postcard and cancellation mark, designed just for the occasion!

We oversaw the stamping process and made sure everything was shipshape!

Meanwhile, the exhibition hall was buzzing with excitement. There were many people walking between the stands, perusing and scanning boxes and folders — it felt like a huge treasure hunt!

Afterwards, we came back to the city center, to finally visit Prague’s gorgeous post office! Ladies and gentlemen, look at that:

The walls are exquisitely painted with themes related to communications and post: in a corner, a young lady seems to be reading a love letter, on another, people call each other on the telephone, while postmen do their rounds. It’s just stunning!

Mr. Kostka from the Czech Post told us the building used to be an old monastery — the central hall is now where the old inner courtyard used to be. This is why there are so many vines and natural elements surrounding the figures on the walls.

Just before leaving, we still had time to meet some very old Czech postmen and peek at the overflowing philatelic counter.

It might well be one of the nicest post offices we’ve ever seen! Plus, it’s open every single day, from 2am to midnight! Wow… can you believe that?!

We really enjoyed our short stay in Prague, but soon it was time to go back to our envelopes and start the journey towards another exciting location… Goodbye Prague and see you soon everyone! :)

Hi everyone!

As you may know, World Post Day happens every year on October 9th — it’s kind of a big deal for all of us, post-lovers worldwide!

Many post offices and postal museums around the world use this opportunity to organize all kinds of events. Last year, we put together a list of all the events we could find, and this year we’d like to enlist your help in collecting them. This way, we can update our special World Post Day page in advance, and let everyone know.

So your mission, if you wish to accept it, is to find out what your postal service and/or local museums are doing for World Post Day this year. Are they launching new stamps or a special cancellation mark on that day? Do they have any special exhibitions or events taking place? Or will they perhaps offer something to their customers, like free museums’ entries? Check their websites for announcements or get in touch with them!

We would love to help spread the word and make this day a success – so if you hear from them, just let us know on the comments below! :)

Thank you!