Postcrossing Blog

“Baia Mare is small town northwestern Romania, surrounded by mountains.” – This is how achimandreea usually starts her postcards.

Earlier this month, she got together with adriananpop, steligrigore, Canda and Andreea (all postcrossers and volunteers with local NGOs), to organise an event to spread the word about Postcrossing in their city – and simultaneously, to spread the word about Baia Mare in the world. And what better place to do this than at a post office?

After receiving permission, they showcased their private collections by hanging a total of 400 postcards on strings on the town’s main post office. They also designed a poster, set up a couple of computers to display the website, and even made special bracelets for the visitors – so they’d remember the name of the website when they got home. How thoughtful is that? Here are some photos from the event:

The response was very positive – and now Baia Mare has quite a few more postcrossers! Well done everyone, we’re very proud of your achievement! :)

Michelle (aka MichelleW) hails from Dallas in the state of Texas. She’s an advocate for children’s cancer research, and describes herself as the proverbial “cat lady” in her neighbourhood – with 4 cats and a cat-themed mailbox to prove it! :)

Here is what she had to say to our interview questions:

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

In 2010, I was recovering from cancer treatments and my good friend, Aurora, showed me this “new thing” she was doing. She explained the process and showed me how to set up a profile. She kept saying, “just be patient, ” when it seemed like forever for the first card to arrive. And then it come and when I got the first card and then the second…I was hooked – completely! It was only the start of what has been an unbelievable experience.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies?

Besides Postcrossing I enjoy some arts and crafts and like to find other members who like handmade cards. If I’m not writing cards, I’m reading a book, watering the plants or at the movies. I also try to support children’s cancer research hospitals by participating in walks or sending cards to kids in the hospital. I met far too many children during my time in treatment. I also have a small blog that I write mainly to show off the cards I send and receive every month!

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

I’m embarrassed to show you where I keep my cards-to-send! I have enough cards to send to the entire Northern Hemisphere. I started storing received cards in albums, but realized that was going to get too expensive – so I ended up with attractive boxes that are categorized by cards I get from the official Postcrossing site and those I get in Round Robins – my passion! The mailman was too shy for a picture.

I had fun finding different styles of letter drops during a trip to Canada this summer. And I was very happy to find my cat mailbox since I am without doubt, the cat lady of our neighborhood. My youngest cat loves to paw through the cards.

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

I have received literally thousands of cards through Postcrossing, but there is one that I will always remember and not for the front, but for the message, which said,

"Saturday, March 12, 2011
Hello from Yokohama, Japan! You probably heard about the big earthquake we had here yesterday. My husband I weren’t hurt but it was very scary and we were without power for 8 hours. I hope things go back to normal soon.

Have a great day!,
Lauren

Now Lauren is a Postcrosser. I’m not sure I’d be writing cards after a day after such a major catastrophe!

Have you inspired anyone else to join Postcrossing or start collections of their own?

I hope so – but I can’t prove it! I’ve found that you raise eyebrows in stores when you buy 30 cards or so in one transaction. I’ve had several people ask me what I do with them and many have written down the site’s address. I hope they joined. It’s amusing to have people ask, “You actually mail them…like with a stamp??”

What is it your favorite part of the Postcrossing process?

At first it was receiving, but now I love the process of reading profiles and trying to choose a card that really fits the addressee. I also print my labels with graphics for that person – whether it is their avatar or country’s flag. When it is registered, I get a truly warm feeling in my heart when someone replies, “It’s exactly what I love and that’s my picture!” I also have to admit that I get a certain twinge of satisfaction when my cards are marked as “favorite.”

Is there anything that you are passionate about?

I am passionate about children’s cancer and cancer research for “orphan” cancers. My experience with a rare form of the Big C made me realize how much is left to learn. To see a five-year-old with a shaved head, big scar and waiting for radiation will break your heart but also amaze you when you observe their determination and laughter through their pain. I still keep up with one young man who beat a very deadly brain tumor. They fight so hard and I try to give whatever I can to help researchers with their work.

This year, politics and environmental issues have been uppermost in my life. I’m a liberal tree-hugger, which is not common in a conservative state like Texas! My efforts are geared primarily in reduction of fossil fuel usage and saving native animals such as the grey wolf from total extinction in the US and Mexico by big-business ranchers and petroleum interests who destroy their habitats. I can get rather heated on the subject of conservation.

Since Halloween is just around the corner, we decided it was time to tell you a bit more about this popular holiday – and the postcards that used to be sent around this time of the year :)

Halloween originated from Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival celebrating the season change from summer to winter. This night was allegedly filled with magic and spirits. Demons and ghosts were allowed to roam the Earth on this night, so people wore strange outfits and scary costumes in order to trick the spirits and frighten them away.

The Catholic Church then adapted this pagan tradition into All Saints’ Day; the night before was called, “All hallows’ evening, ” or “Hallow e’en”. Irish immigrants rekindled interest in this celebration in America, with door-to-door visits, masquerades, and the jack o’lantern (based on a myth about a soul trapped on Earth, only given the burning embers of hell for guidance). It was the Victorians who eventually brought the Halloween traditions of England and America together, making it a refined holiday involving child’s play, romance, and parlor games.

When postcards emerged in the late 1800s, sending a holiday postcard was an inexpensive way to send your greetings. Early Halloween postcards featured cute, chubby traditional Halloween symbols- like jack o’lanterns, black cats, and children in costumes. Witches were often portrayed as very beautiful women sending messages of romance and amour. Other cards featured people bobbing for apples, predicting who they might marry, and playing games of chance. Some cards had accompanying verses like, “On Halloween, Goblins have been known to fly away with Fair Maidens. Therefore ‘tis best to have some one hold you and tightly, too—because Goblins are strong."

The peak of the Halloween postcard trend lasted roughly until 1918. Approximately 3,500 images were produced during that time. Cards did not begin depicting the tradition of trick-or-treating until the 1930s; one of the only indications that trick-or-treating did not become a widespread practice until then.

Vintage Halloween postcards are highly collected and some of the hardest to find. Original Edwardian postcards are especially rare, and can be distinguished from the spelling of the holiday “Hallowe’en.” Prices for these postcards range from $20-$600, depending on the condition of the card and how rare it is.

Check out these and more great vintage Halloween postcards available through Flickr Commons!

Sometime ago, Carol (aka carolreader) received a special postcard from Anneliese (aka illustransit). It depicted an anonymous person on a Portland bus, which had been hand-drawn by the sender during her commute. Carol told us she was floored by the quality of Anneliese’s illustrations, and that we ought to check them out.

Discovering Anneliese’s work has been magic. We loved the idea of these remarkable and unique postcards, and decided to ask her about them.

A couple of years ago, Anneliese donated her car, and started taking the bus to and from work. Reading in motion made her woozy, so on her new-found commute time, she decided to observe instead:

I love watching people during this time, when they are between places, simultaneously in public and in solitude, both guarded and naked. Their posture, their fidgeting, whether they engage or avoid eye contact, their exhaustion, and their anticipation. I think about where they might be headed, where they’re coming from, and what kind of day they might be having. I spend so much time observing these people, that I decided to draw them.

The format for these portraits is the postcard. After documenting a bus-rider, I drop the postcard in the mail to a stranger somewhere else in the world. For me, there’s something incredibly motivating about drawing for another person. I hope that whomever receives these postcards enjoys them. And I hope you enjoy looking at them!

What a nice way to spend your commute time! Well done, Anneliese! Too see more of her illustrated postcards, check out her website.

It’s Bielefeld-time! Last weekend, the German city opened once again its doors to almost 50 postcrossers from several countries. The Little Mail Carriers were unable to attend this year, but instead sent their recently discovered cousin in their place! Below is his photo-diary of the long weekend in Germany.

Hello everyone! It was my first time on a big meetup, and boy was it exciting! I have a lot to tell you, so grab a cup of your favourite beverage and listen up!

Friday morning we visited a mail sorting center in the nearby town of Herford – I felt right at home! My colleagues at Deutsche Post showed everyone a presentation about the company and how mail is processed, and then guided the eager postcrossers through the mail sorting plant. Everybody ooh’ed and aaah’ed at all the envelopes speeding by! It was a real eye-opening experience, and I think that after the visit we all felt renewed respect for the diligent postal workers who labour the whole night for us to have our postcards in the morning.

On the afternoon, a group of postcrossers went on a Geocaching mission in the woods around the Einschlingen guesthouse, where we were all staying! The weather was unseasonably warm and the autumnal scenery was just stunning. We saw plenty of mushrooms and golden leaves, and after a few trials, found the cache we were looking for!

In the evening, MissMaple held a neat workshop where postcrossers got to experiment with old stamps as a decoration material for different objects. I found some great stamps on those piles, and saw the participants come up with very creative ways to decorate their bags and boxes!

Saturday was scavenger hunt day! sofa organised an exciting trip around Bielefeld, where postcrossers had to do all kinds of silly assignments, on a fact-finding mission in the city. It was a lot of fun – and we learned some intriguing facts! For instance, did you know that according to some theories, Bielefeld doesn’t actually exist?

On the evening, the traditional lottery was held. Every participant had brought something from their hometown, which they put in a big pile. Then, presents were pulled while names were called, and everyone got something new.
After that, a fantastic game of bingo was organized by dandilion! By the time it ended, it was almost bedtime, but we stuck around to wish a lucky postcrosser 'happy birthday’ at midnight! :)

Of course, everybody brought sweets from their hometown, to share with other postcrossers: there were delicious Schokokussen, Lübeck’s famous marzipan, Haribo’s gummy bears… I must have gained at least 20 grams from all those treats!! :D

Too soon Sunday came and it was time to say goodbye… I couldn’t believe how fast time flew! Throughout the weekend, the participants all signed hundreds of postcards which should now be on route to friends and other postcrossers. Fancy a guess at how many cards were signed? Reply in the forum for a chance to win some prizes!

All in all it was a wonderful weekend – the kind that leaves our cheeks hurting from so much smiling! :D A big thank you to Nordbaer for organising the meeting – and to everyone that took part and helped it become this outstanding event! I hope to see you all next year! :)