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But where do I send my snail mail?


Postcard photograph. Black and white. Brooklynn Bridge in 1890. Postcard published by B. Merlis
Postcard of Brooklynn Bridge in 1890.

Hello, all you lovely crafters out there. This post is dedicated to all my fellow snail mail enthusiasts. If you're like me you discovered your love of correspondence as a child. I began receiving and writing letters to my Grandma Georgia and Great Grandma Bessie from the time I was old enough to realize the magic of the mailbox. My Grandmas would send me birthday cards and letters regularly. Before the time of email and social media, the only option was to use the good old postal system. I also wrote letters to my classmates over summer break and even wrote to my first love in boot camp and throughout the years while he was stationed all over the world. Needless to say, I have a collection of correspondence from loved ones that I cherish.

Postcard of 1950's housewife smiling in kitchen. She's in a blue dress with a white apron, has her hand on her hip and a dish towel glasped in her hand. Print reads " a career. . . a family to care for . . .gee! I've got it all!
Received Postcrossing card from the "another day in paradise" collection 

Jump to the current day, my Grandmothers have passed away and all my schoolmates have put down their pens long ago. I found myself collecting stationery, postcards, and postage stamps and creating papercrafts with no one to send them to. That's when I did a quick google search and discovered the website Postcrossing.

Postcrossing themed postcards.
Special cards from Postcrossing meet-ups

 It's since become a hobby all its own and I've sent and received over 400 postcards from all over the globe! I started Postcrossing in 2019 before the pandemic struck in all its lockdown fury. It was a lucky break for me as I was able to start a postcard collection that has pretty historic value. I don't really know anything about the serious business of collecting postcards. I'm not really a collector at all. I just assume that a postcard received during a pandemic with a message about pandemic-type stuff might be of some historic interest. I also have two little boys and I'm hoping that one day I can gift my postcard collection to them and it will be worth something, even if only sentimental in value.

A plastic bin full of postcards. A postcard collection.
My collection of postcards. Nearly 400 cards. 
A postcard image of Donald Trump on Donald Duck's body. Text reads, "quack quack, quark, quark". The hair is fuzzy blonde cotton.
Received a postcard made by Rudi Hurzlmeier

If you're a postage stamp collector, Postcrossing is a wonderful resource as you will be collecting postage from around the world on your cards. I've suggested in my profile that I'd be happy with the addition of any spare stamps laying around, should the sender wish to include them in their parcel. You can also ask that your card be sent in an envelope if you want to remove the postage without ruining your postcard. Because I'm not a serious collector I have no preference for how someone mails their card. 
Postage stamps on envelopes from all over the world.
Postage stamps from postcards that are sent in envelopes. 
Beautiful postage stamps from all over the world recieved through postcrossing.
Beautiful postage stamps 

Depending on who you're sending your card to, you may get requests to send extra items. I've seen profiles where people will ask for coins, magazine pages, tea bags, stickers, bus tickets, or any type of ephemera from another country. I LOVE when people request extras as I can put together a really fun package that will put a smile on the recipients' faces. I also request these extras without trying to sound greedy and it's the best surprise when people can grant some of my requests.

Parcel recieved from postcrosser in China. These items are of historical and political significance.
Received ephemera from a postcrosser in China
Postcard of coronavirus head of a chinese political figure. Meant for Comedic value.
Received card during the pandemic
 
There's an option on Postcrossing where you can indicate that you're interested in sending and receiving direct swaps. This is something you should indicate you'd be interested in doing, especially if you want to swap more than just postcards. Postcrossing is a great way to pick up regular penpals. Make sure you indicate that you're looking for penpals in your profile. 

Postcard with purple background featuring an image of an 18th century plague mask.
A postcard was received during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.

I absolutely adore the Postcrossing community and have the most fun with this hobby. ❤ 
If you're interested in checking out my profile, take a look. Or if you're interested in starting your own Postcrossing account, I highly recommend it. 
Curious about other ways to exchange happy mail? Watch out for an upcoming post about another favorite happy mail website that I adore. 
 Thanks for checking out my blog post. If you like my content you can follow me on Instagram. If you have any questions drop them down below
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