Postcrossing Blog

You might have noticed we are already in countdown mode for the postcard number 4 million in Postcrossing. That’s right, 4,000,000 postcards! Can you believe it?! (we’re still having some trouble wrapping our heads around that number ourselves…)

For those of you who’ve joined Postcrossing recently, you might want to know that Postcrossing reached the first million of received postcards in April 2008 – that was only 3 years after its very start. That date made us immensely proud of Postcrossing and of all our members. What we didn’t know back then was that it was only the beginning!

In February 2009 – less than a year later – we reached the 2 million and by September we were already celebrating the 3rd. And now, 6 months later, we are preparing for the postcard 4 million!

We like to celebrate these milestones with all Postcrossers and so, continuing in what has become a Postcrossing tradition, ladies and gentlemen, we’re pleased to announce the forth edition of the “Guess the Countries” contest!

All you need to do is to leave a comment on this post with your guess about which country the postcard 4 million will be sent from, and where it will go to (example: From Tanzania to Iceland). It’s really simple! The first to guess it correctly will be declared the winner, but only one guess per person is allowed! We will announce the details of the lucky postcard when it gets registered.

But… if there are winners, there must be prizes, right? I’m glad you asked, because there are awesome prizes for both the correct guesser and the sender and receiver of the lucky postcards!

Our friends at MOO (makers of all things printed and pretty) have agreed to partner with Postcrossing and offer 3 packs of 60 postcards for the winners!! How great is that?

With MOO, every single postcard you print can be different, and have your own pictures in it. If you’re not a keen photographer, don’t worry! They have an incredible selection of ready-made packs that you can choose from.

Also, until April 15th, MOO is offering all postcrossers a 15% discount on the purchase of any pack of postcards (20 or 60), with the code POSTCROSSING15. Aren’t they sweet?

So, take a guess in the comments, and write/register lots of postcards. Let’s get the party started! :)

(top image by leo reynolds, flickr)

At Postcrossing HQ we are always looking for ways to do good through postcards. Today we are happy to share with you a simple but very powerful way to ignite big smiles.

Hearts in Unity is an organization working towards improving the life of orphan and at-risk children in Tanzania. Through several projects, they aim to feed, clothe and give access to education to Tanzanian children as well as tell the world more about this African country, one of the worlds’ poorest with over 2 million orphans.

One of Hearts in Unity projects is Messages from the Heart which consists in bringing heart-felt messages of greetings, friendship and encouragement to Tanzanian children. And what better medium for that than a postcard?

The Hearts in Unity representatives in Tanzania hand-delivers those messages to those who need them most, many in remote villages where there isn’t even postal delivery services. This is the only way for some of those children to have contact with postcards and receive greetings from somewhere else in the world.

We believe this is a great match for Postcrossers, who understand what a postcard can do to lift our spirits and bring some encouragement.

If you wish to participate in this cause, this is the address where you can send postcards to:

Hearts in Unity
P.O. Box 6497
Moshi, Kilimanjaro
TANZANIA

For sending anything other than postcards such as parcels, donations or enquiries, please use this address instead:

Hearts in Unity
“Messages from the Heart”  
P.O. Box 41
Germantown, WI  53022
USA

You can use this address as well if you are in U.S.A. and wish to save some postage. The correspondence will be forwarded to Hearts Tanzanian representatives as well.

If you need ideas about what to write, or even how to write a message in Swahili, check Messages from the heart project page.

Please note, that Tanzanian children don’t have a way to send postcards back – an international stamp can cost more than half of a family’s average daily wage in Tanzania. However, Hearts in Unity also has a penpal project. In fact, they have many other projects, so be sure to check their website: http://www.heartsinunity.org/.

Valerie from Paris (but currently in New Zealand) learned about Postcrossing from a penpal site. She is 24 and enjoys riding horses and photography.

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

I had been penpalling for a long time and heard about postcrossing on a penpal site. I was moving out of my parents’ place in only a couple of weeks and I thought it was a good idea to get some nice mail in my own new private mailbox. Since then, thousands of postcards and many good friends later, I’m totally addicted. :D

Do you have any other interesting hobbies?

Travelling, taking pictures, horse riding (all 3 at the same time is the best)!

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

My mailbox is old and ugly; that’s why I need colorful and nice postcards to fill it! My postoffice is not really any better, but I get to post my mail in the bright yellow boxes! I’ve never seen my post(wo)men, so sorry no pictures. I’m not home during the time the mail is delivered. I keep all of my regular size postcards in albums and all oversizes in a big box not counting the ones that are on my walls. I have no idea how many I have.

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

It’s hard to choose one card and usually what makes me like a card is more the message on the back than the picture in front! But I do have one that I find special—one of my first official received from Finland. I’ve said in my profile that I like handmade cards and this girl (14 y/o at the time) sent me a lovely watercolor card she did from the “fox lake” that is near her place. All cards received from my forum friends are so special to me too!

Do you know your mail carrier? How old are they? We bet not as old as Ted Ingram. Ted is 90 years old but he still delivers newspapers in Dorset, United Kingdom.

Ted has his job since since 1942 (imagine that!) and has delivered over 500,000 newspapers! That’s nearly 7 decades – we wonder how many people can claim to have hold any job so long!

The guinness book of records is now considering him as the oldest paperboy, but Ted says “I hope I can carry on the round when I’m 100, I have no plans to give it up”.

Heidrun, 49 y.o., coming from icy Iceland. She’s a warm person that enjoys planting trees as a hobby, doing deco books and of course, sending cards! Her 9 y.o. son is already a devoted Postcrosser too.

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

I found a link that was in the homepage of the Icelandic Mail Service. I believe it is not there anymore. I had collected postcards for years (written and stamped) so this was just what I wanted. A wish come true!

Do you have any other interesting hobbies?

My other hobby is planting trees, we have some land where we can plant and grow them. Trees grows slowly here – but we don´t give up. And I also do decos (small books where you put a picture and it travels between people. Everyone does one page and finally it goes back home.That’s in Yahoo Groups (for example: Old_decos_and_homers). It is related to scrapping.

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

Hedrunhlin’s shy mailman and one of the mailboxes:

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

My very first Postcrossing postcard was a special one. Sent from France by a Finnish Postcrosser, from a place where I had been years before. But every card I get is a special one and I feel the kindness when people choose something I will like. My son is also a Postcrosser (Hemmi) and people have sent him such nice cards too. Happiness is getting a postcard from a stranger wishing you all the very best.

(On our way to plant trees)