As I’ve mentioned perhaps meepillion times before, I like to do Postcrossing. It started as a way to cull and cultivate my postcard collection (“Why do I keep buying postcards when I never SEND them? And how can I get postcards from ____ without traveling there?”), but it has turned into something I’d be reluctant to admit to friends: pre-buying new postcard sets on Amazon.com; storing the cards sorted into clementine crates so I can find the right one for each recipient; sheet after sheet of stamps so I can use, say, a Ronald Reagan, a Shelter pet cat, and an American clock, instead of the boring 98-cent stamp; etc…. *drifts into postcard reverie*
DomestiKook and I were discussing one of the BIGGEST THINGS about Postcrossing, which is “What do you WRITE on the postcard?” It’s to a total stranger and you’ll never write to them again. Some people write “Happy Postcrossing!”—which has led a surprising number of people to put in their profiles that they want the sending to “WRITE something, not just ‘Happy Postcrossing’!”
I will tell you what I do. I write: “Hello! I’m [age], married, with 5 children and 3 cats. We live in the [adjective describing size] [adjective describing area of country] state of [name of state]. -Kristen” (sometimes I accidentally start to write Swistle).
If I have lots more space or feel more chatty, I might add something about our state: “We’re known for [food item], [character trait of residents], and [scenic attraction].” Or “This postcard is of ________.” If the recipient has expressed a liking for something I like, I’ll say, “Oh, I like ____ too!” If they’ve described their cats in surprising detail (age, sex, coloring, temperament, fur length), I’ll describe my cats in similar detail. You could also write “I’m a [profession],” “I can’t have pets where I live now but when I can I’d like to have a ____,” “I like to [athletic activity] and watch [type of movie] movies,” “My favorite authors are ______,” “My favorite celebrities are ________,” “We’ve been married for ____ years,” “We used to live in ____,” “I was born in ____,” “My ancestors came from [country] in [year].”
Paul thinks this is kind of boring, but I like it when I receive postcards that say those sorts of things.
Some people like to write secrets, and that can be fun too. I got one that said “I will tell you a secret: I’m in love with my best friend. I’m going to tell him this afternoon!” (My reaction was more “NOOOOOOooooooooo!” than “Yay, I’ll bet it’s going to work out great for them!”) (I’ve read the book He’s Just Not That Into You.)
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Links:
From the Milk and Cookies blog: letting a child wrap a gift, without losing your mind and half a roll of wrapping paper.
From the baby name blog: Can you use the name Natalie for a baby who wasn’t born at Christmastime?
From Hilarity in Shoes, I suggest two posts: Two Times a Bridesmaid in which she does NOT kill rabbits with her mind, and Whine School / In Lieu of a Revelation, in which a professor refers to Canada as “a purely agricultural society.”
Mine always starts “Hi, my name is Heather and I live in [city], [state of Australia].
I then have a little chat about the card and if I still have room, I will comment on their profile info.
I’m one of those people who hate to get ‘happy postcrossing!’ I prefer something beyond that be written on my cards.
Do you do many swaps via the forum?
Heather- I’ve done a couple of swaps when people have contacted me directly, but I don’t do many. I find them kind of stressful: what if I never get the card? what if they never get the card?
I get asked for swaps on an almost daily basis! To give you an idea, I swapped about 200 postcards in February and none were at my request. I get one official card to every 3-4 swaps. You’re right, I come across a lot of people who never reply to my cards but have only ever had one of mine not arrive. I have a ‘naughty and nice’ swappers list.
Do you have a special way of storing/organising your postcards?
I have mine sorted by categories. Each card I buy is scanned and assigned a number then filed in a box. The scan goes into a folder with matching names to the tabs in the box. So it’s easy when I need to search out a request on someone’s profile, I dont have to flip through more than one tab of the box because I first can decide digitally what to send. When I swap, it is written in my journal by country, name/username, date sent, number of card sent and a gap for the date the reply was received. I love organisation, can you tell? :P
Oh, Heather, what good ideas! Mine right now are in clementine crates, sorted loosely (like, quirky in one box, local in another) with post-its on the front to remind me what’s inside.
I’d definitely need a swapping journal if I did more swapping: that sounds like just the thing to set my mind at ease.
Oh, I LOVE the idea of writing a secret! When I read that secret, it made me gasp. Only, I think it would drive me a little crazy to never hear how it ends…
Thanks for writing this. As you know, I just sent out my first card a few weeks ago and I was a bit flummoxed as what to write. I need to get more out, thanks for reminding me.
I also love the idea of sharing a secret. How fun! Exciting without the risk.
I had no idea post crossing was so….involved. It sounds interesting.
Nice post! I usually write about where I found that particular card, or why I thought they may like it, or when I’m at a complete loss, I write down an inspiring quote. :D
I usually write a bit about the picture of the postcard or where I bought it and etc. I write something different in all my cards cause it depends on the profile of the person I’m sending and how I feel on that day.
But I could always use some tips :D
Oh man, thank you for the Hilarity links. I hadn’t come across that blog before but I just subscribed to it since every post I read was hysterical. And now I have to go plow my fields or something. (On my farm, you know).
i always start with “greetings from the garden state! (new jersey)
then i say something about the photo on the postcard (which i took myself) and end with “happy postcrossing!” :)
I am not quite sure what postcrossing is (out of laziness – you have mentioned it before and I have perfectly good Googling fingers), but I love your description of it. The little details of a person’s life are things I would also love. But the secrets would be excellent, too.
Nice article.
Where you say you finish with your name – “Kristen (sometimes I accidentally start to write Swistle)” it doesn’t hurt to put your membername as well.
I put both and have found it helpful and appreciated.
It also helps if the ID can’t be read (postoffice has stamped over it for example) as your membername can be quoted when asking Postcrossing for help with the ID.
Mundoo
Sometimes ist’s difficult to know what to write in a Postcrossing card. Fortunately lot of people give me clues.
I’m usually write about the topic picture of the card, when it is a singular building of my city, or a typical thing of my region or my country.
When I didn’t write about my country y write about me, for example:
“My name is Samuel, I’m 27 years old and I live in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.
My favourite thong to do is playing roller hockey with my team and travel.
But it’s very boring write always de same thing.
Kind regards!
Sometimes ist’s difficult to know what to write in a Postcrossing card. Fortunately lot of people give me clues.
I’m usually write about the topic picture of the card, when it is a singular building of my city, or a typical thing of my region or my country.
When I didn’t write about my country y write about me, for example:
“My name is Samuel, I’m 27 years old and I live in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.
My favourite thong to do is playing roller hockey with my team and travel.
But it’s very boring write always de same thing.
Kind regards!
OMG! I inspired a Swistle post! My inner child is very proud herself. Also? She want a nap.
I want to direct swap with Swistle!! That would be awesomeness.
I normally start my cards with, “Hello from California! And tell about what’s on the card, or relate where I live to where they live, like one guy said he lived in a hamlet in the Netherlands with less than 1000 people. More than that live on my BLOCK! I like when they ask specific questions that I can answer.
I got a card from St. Petersburg the other day that only had the Postcrossing# on it. Kind of made me mad.
“Happy Postcrossing!”
that *is* annoying.
I have looked at the Postcrossing site after you have talked about it in the past. But I know that it could easily turn into an obsession for me, so I’ve avoided it. So I read this entire post with AWE and LOVE IT.
Then I got to the bottom and saw the thing about naming a non-Christmas baby Natalie and now I’m all WTF? WTF? I’m so confused. SO confused. I never heard of that connection ever.
I am relatively new to this, but I try to have fun when I write. Sometimes it’s about where I live, etc..but I like mentioning connections if there any, ie I’ve travelled there or know a friend there. Or even how neat it would be to travel to the country that the recipient lives in. I try to be friendly. I too think Happy Postcrossing messages would be boring.
I am glad that I signed up. For me it’s just as much fun sending a card out then getting them. I just wish that we had more post card selection in town, there isn’t much right now in the middle of winter, no tourists here. And I don’t have a stockpile laying around.
Thank you so much for the link!
I started Postcrossing after learning about it from YOU!
I try to write a little something personal and specific on the card but sometimes its hard. Thanks for the little tutorial!
Heather
I really do love Postcrossing, I think if everyone did it the world would be a better place! I live in Alaska so I usually write a bit about my city and the weather. If anything strikes me from the recipient’s profile I will comment about it. I like when people ask that you put write your favorite books, food, recipes-that is fun. Can I ask a question? Do you mix and match stamps to get to the 98cent postage? So far I have only found the Grand Tetons stamps.
I have no idea what you’re talking about. Wait — bookcrossing was in The Wife’s Tale. And the previous commenter in the last blog post I read mentioned Swistle. I’m having such a collision of zeitgeist or word-crossing or something that I’m dizzy. Or maybe that’s because my ten-year-old son is fake-singing opera. I would write something completely random, like chicken on a stick or choose the typewriter and lift up the yogurt.
Maureen- Yes, I use two different 44-cent stamps plus a 10-cent stamp. I get them from the post office or I more often order from usps.com because they have a better selection than my post office (and also because the website doesn’t mind if I dither for half an hour about which stamps I like best!).
Oh man. Don’t tell him! But also, I feel weird suspicious of any guy who has a female best friend (Although I just realized I’m only assuming this is a female?). She’s just your ‘friend’? Seriously? COME ON.
I never realized you were on postcrossing, too. Maybe I should not only read the baby naming posts all the time…
Culling postcards! Ha ha! I use the word “cull” all the time in my professional life, and it’s never occurred to me to use it outside of my workplace. I got really stuck on the word cull in that opening paragraph.
Swistle!
I just signed up for Postcrossing today! I am working through your old posts systematically and enjoying it so much. So, my postcrossings address was from Germany, so I sent her a postcard of a piece of German art that is at one of our local museums. I wrote a message about the painting with an awkward google translation into German. Should make her laugh, anyway! Do you just use English since the web site is in English? Did you see how someone made a quilt from all the fabric scraps people sent? Cool. This would be so good for kids. Do your kids do it? Okay, enough questions!
Yes, I use English. Yes, I saw the quilt; I thought that would be neat! One of my kids (William) tried Postcrossing for awhile, but then lost interest.