If you’re vacationing on Labor Day, why not pack a few pens, a sheet of 56-cent stamps, and an address book and send some postcards during your trip?
Postcards – like the ones you received from your grandparents – are still sent, treasured and collected, even in this age of text messages and Instagram posts.
“Someone once described a postcard as ‘a hug in the mail,'” Ana Campos, community manager for Postcrossing.com, told USA TODAY. “Who wouldn’t want to receive one?”
Although Americans overall send far fewer cards than they used to, there are enthusiasts who keep the tradition alive and encourage you to give postcards a try.
Whether you’re two states apart or across the date line, writing a postcard is like a journal entry that keeps you focused on where you are and what you’re doing. It helps you remember and share a moment.
Some people freeze when writing a postcard. You don’t have to be Dostoyevsky or Hemingway – just keep your message short, friendly and personal. Here are a few suggestions:
Postcrossing is an international organization with over 800,000 postcard lovers in 208 countries who send cards worldwide. The website was launched on July 14, 2005.
Campos, 42, from Tavira, Portugal, says the group has contributed to a renaissance of cards over the past 20 years, including by launching World Postcard Day in 2020.
Postcrossers send cards to other Postcrossing members, who are randomly selected to receive them. “The more you send, the more you get back from other people,” says Campos.
Nothing is more immediate than Twitter or SMS. But postcards have the advantage of a personal touch, a direct connection and a shared moment.
You don’t just push buttons; you make an effort and show someone that you really think about them.
“There’s something special about receiving a piece of writing that someone took the time to select, write and send,” says Campos. “Many people tell us they like sending a postcard even more than receiving one.”
It’s a small gesture to do something unexpected to brighten someone’s day, she says. “It gives the sender a little boost of joy and anticipation.”
Travelers, individuals and organizations can be postcard lovers. This also applies to families.
The aptly named Postcard Club is a family group whose eight members send each other messages on handmade postcards every month to stay in touch and share their unique artwork.
“Most of my family lives in the Midwest,” says James Hartman, 74, of Burlingame, Calif., a founding member. “This is a great way for me to send something to someone I may not see throughout the year. It’s a way for us to stay in touch.”
“We have several artists in the family,” Hartman says. With this artistic inspiration, family members paint, sketch or create images on the back of blank postcards and send them out. “Over the years, we have exchanged postcards with different themes,” he says.
Club members have exchanged more than 200 handmade postcards in the past 18 months, Hartman says.
“The reason we’re so excited is because my mother collected postcards,” says Hartman. “She started a postcard club in St. Louis. They collected old postcards from the turn of the century with a description on the back. I inherited her entire collection.”
Postcards are ubiquitous and are “used as mementos, promotional messages, and casual correspondence,” writes Mimosa Shah in her essay “Wish You Were Here: The Power of Postcards.” “They mark journeys and travels and are shared with colleagues and loved ones alike.”
“Overall, we see a lot of postcards from countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and the USA,” says Campos. “These are countries with a long tradition of writing letters and postcards.”
Which country sends fewer postcards these days?
“I would choose Denmark,” says Campos. “Sending a postcard abroad costs an incredible 50 krone, or about $7.30.”
Mysterious postcard arrived at the office 121 years late
A postcard originally sent 121 years ago found its way to the headquarters of a building society in Wales, arriving by regular post on Friday, August 16. The Swansea Building Society, which described the find as “a mystery that may never be solved”, said the postcard was dated August 3, 1903, and bore a King Edward VII stamp that matched the 1903 postmark perfectly. The postcard was addressed to Miss Lydia Davies, who the building society believes probably lived at its headquarters in Craddock Street, Swansea. The postcard appears to have been sent from Fishguard in Pembrokeshire; the front features a winter landscape with a stag standing over a frozen tree stump, with snow-capped mountains and a starry sky in the background. It contains a cryptic message which reads: “Dear L., I couldn’t, it was impossible to get this pair. I’m so sorry, but I hope you’re enjoying your stay at home. I’ve got about 10 (illegible) in pocket money now, not including the train ticket, so I’m getting by just fine.” The note ends with the request: “Give Miss Gilbert and John my best regards (illegible).” The postcard
Where can I find postcards and how do I choose them?
Postcards can be found almost everywhere. They are usually available in grocery stores, pharmacies, gift shops, museums, souvenir shops, bookstores and larger gas stations.
The choice of image on the back is up to you. Some people like the standard “here we are” type photo, while others prefer more artistic views. Or, like Postcard Club, you can buy a blank card and create your own artwork.
Postcard photos: Getty Images
Source: Reporting and research by USA TODAY Network; Reuters; US Postal Service; Postcrossing.com
