Postcrossing Blog

Yes, you read that right! On October 14th, PostNL will launch a real stamp, featuring Postcrossing! How awesome is that?

For us, it’s a huge honour that the project was deemed worthy of being featured in a stamp, and we’re very grateful to PostNL (the Dutch postal service) for making this dream come true. We’d also like to thank postcrosser Raymond68 – the Postcrossing stamp exists because of his efforts and persistence.

The stamp was designed by Garech and Declan Stone, and features all kinds of traditional postcards strewn about, as if scattered on your doormat. Here is what the stamp sheet looks like:

Neat, right? There are several different stamps, both for Europe and the rest of the world, featuring the traditional postcard motives.

The first stamps will be delivered to Paulo on October 15th, during the Postex event in Apeldoorn. Postex is an annual event for philatelic collectors, featuring celebrating associations, youth philately, traders from home and abroad, foreign postal administration(s), Day of the Stamp, exhibitions and much more.

If you’re in the area, come and say hi! There will be plenty of stamps for sale, and we’ll have a small presentation about Postcrossing around 10:30am.

We’ll be back on the weekend with more information about the stamp, and also to give away a few sheets! :)

Today on the spotlight we feature bodrumlu (aka İbrahim), from Turkey. He’s an avid gamer and loves his first place on Turkey’s ranking of postcrossers!

Here is what he had to say:

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

In 2008, when I was a very active member of CouchSurfing, I had been looking for some websites to exchange postcards and stamps. I had seen a topic about postcards on that website and one of users mentioned Postcrossing. I clicked the link given on that topic and that’s how I met your mother… oops! I meant how I met Postcrossing! :)
Since then, I’ve been sending postcards through Postcrossing no matter where I am, or what I am doing.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies?

Apart from collecting postcards, stamps and coins from all over the world (which are very rare hobbies here), I like solving puzzles and playing strategy games. I am an avid player of Age of Empires and the Red Alert series! I also like swimming and playing chess.
“Self-improvement” is the key point of my life, therefore I like to read related books and watching documentaries about the lives of successful men. As part of my self-improvement program, I also love to go to gym even though I am a one-handed disabled man. I have even designed a special glove to let me use the lat pulldown machine. There is an old saying: “as long as you breath, there is a solution for every problem, just keep looking for it”.

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

This is me, going to send my postcards:

And this is where I keep my postcards. Looks very tidy, doesn’t it?

Here you can see my post office, the last stop for my cards :)

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

Here are some of my recent favourite postcards:

Have you been surprised by any place that you have received a postcard from or sent a postcard to?

Yes, there have been some places I was surprised when I’ve seen the address on the card. For example, Papua New Guinea, Montenegro, Mauritius, Macau, Iraq, Ecuador and Bermuda (I didn’t even know there was such country!)

Have you met any other members in real life?

Yes, I have organised a meeting in the most beautiful city Eskişehir (my hometown). We were a small group but we had a great time altogether. You can have a look at the meeting pics on the forum. I have also personally met countess_ofdark.

What is it your favuorite part of the Postcrossing process?

Going up and up in the top rank list! Well, not that exciting anymore as I’m the first on the list (just kidding!)
Well… the moment when you wait to show up a “random” address that you send a card. I have even been praying for “please God, not China this time” because of their very long addresses, but now I print addresses, so not a problem anymore! :)
To be honest I really enjoy every moment of the process, from writing the postcard ID to receiving a “thank you for your beautiful postcard” message :)

This week, the US Postal Service announced that it will start to honor living people in its stamps, in hopes of increasing public engagement with snail mail.

Up until now, only deceased people were considered to be featured on their stamps, but this recent measure opens the door to a world of new possibilities…

So we wanted to ask you: which living person would you like to see featured on a stamp, and why?

Thank you to everyone who participated in the latest giveaway, we seem to have some serious photographers in Postcrossing!

Without further ado, the winning images picked by Dan at MOO are…

The cloak of night by lazycat66

Northeast Pacific Sea Nettles, by RJSmith

Field of contentment by pipps

Congratulations to the winners! The coupon for your pack of 20 postcards will be sent shortly! :)

Today our spotlight features lucymonty (aka Lucy). She’s a big animal lover and a keen crafter who runs her own small jewellery business. Here is what she had to say:

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

I read about Postcrossing in a newspaper in 2009. I’ve always thought there’s something romantic and ‘olde worlde’ about writing letters. I imagine the characters in Jane Austen novels sending love letters!

Although I travelled quite a lot with my family when I was younger I’ve not been able to go abroad in recent years so Postcrossing is my window to the wider world. I can also get ideas for trips I’d like to take in the future…

Like so many Postcrossers I was instantly hooked- I love seeing what cards have arrived when the post comes!

Do you have any other interesting hobbies?

I’m a non-stop crafter- I make jewellery, cushions, trinket boxes and more and *try to* sell them through my Etsy shop. I also love photography, particularly local nature and animals (often my pets!) and I have some printed to send as postcards. This one shows the local beach at sunset:

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

Outside the local shop that also has a little Post Office at the back.

Inside, at the Post Office desk, there is often a queue!

I store all my received postcards in these two boxes, and arrange them by country or region. I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to organising things! I have a feeling I may need to move some into a third box pretty soon…

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

Even though I limited myself to choosing only from ‘official’ Postcrossing cards and not direct swaps, I couldn’t pick just one favourite card! Here are five that stand out:

Clockwise from top left:

• A beautiful flying squirrel card from Marja in Finland- it’s such an unusual animal!
• The ‘I Love My Planet’ card from Keijo in Finland- it’s just so ‘me’!
• The black and white dog card from Renate in Austria- the image is great but it’s the lovely message on the back that makes it extra special.
• The cats illustration card from Anna in Russia- this was ‘the beginning of a beautiful friendship’ to quote Humphrey Bogart, we’ve been exchanging cards ever since.
• The sunset card from Debby in Taiwan- I just love this stunning sky!

What is it your favorite part of the Postcrossing process?

Of course I love receiving postcards but my favourite part is when I get a new address to send to and I do my best to find something from that person’s wish list or something that would mean something to them. I really want all the cards I send to become one of the recipient’s favourites! I also enjoy looking up the place I’ve sent to/received from in our atlas.

Have you been surprised by any place that you have received a postcard from or sent a postcard to?

I was very lucky to be one of the people who received a card from Tuvalu to mark Earth Day in 2010!

Is there anything that you are passionate about?

I’m passionate about animal rights and conservation. As a result I’m vegetarian and have something of a menagerie at home- a cat called Monty, 3 tortoises called Puffy, Diddy and Clemmy and 2 chickens (rescued ex-battery hens) called Jack and Tony!