Postcrossing Blog

I wouldn't use these stickers for postcrossing purposes.

For some reason I can't see the video, but I agree that putting a label on a flyer doesn't turn it into a proper postcard and would still disappoint people. However, for photos it might be nice! Especially if the labels are not very thin, then it wouldn't be that much different from ordering postcards with your own photos at Moo for example :)

A big no for me. I would be really dissapointed in receiving such a "card'. Its no card at all.

In my opinion, it's a bad idea. I would not be happy at all with such a postcard. I'm here to know more about the world, see different parts of it... Not to get a simple drawing or collage. For it, I can go to a kindergarten & ask a child to do some there. So I hope this idea won't get worldwide as it's not the meaning of postcrossing.

It's a great idea, but I really wouldn't like to receive or send something with this sticker on postcrossing. I like to receive real cards, not a flyer or whatever with a sticker on the back.. It's a -postcard- crossing project after all :)

A big NO from me. I love receiving proper postcards from around the world, seeing places I will probably never visit. I 'visit' them from my home and learn what different countries look like, usually completely different from what I imagined. That's the joy of Postcrossing.

I, for one, quite like the idea, since it would allow me to fill some special requests more easily.

I often see postcards/flyers that are exceptionally smart or well made, but have the backside filled with text, rendering them unusable. Or sometimes a user specifically wishes to receive a cut-out from a local cereal box or some chocolate packaging... stick a label on it, and off it goes! :)

It's not for everyone of course, but they would surely come in handy for more crafty or handmade cards.

Not a very new idea, I got such postcard-stickers 20 years before. Go to a photograph-shop, staples oder look at a photo-printer in a grocery, there you can buy such labels.

I don´t like it. I love it to look for nice postcards at different shops, buy it at if I become a new adress, I look in my postcard-collection and hope, I´ve a suitable card.

That´s a big part for me for postcrossing. Different people like different postcards. And no one MUST send so a lot of postcard that he´ll become a financial problem and means, this cheap idea (like a lot of add-cards) are great.

And if a member has special wishes like special packaging - so I can take a envelope to send it secure, if I would send it to him.

I actually LIKE the idea. I've had a few people send me clips of advertisements or news articles with their postcards, and sometimes I like the extra item more than the actual postcard. I think that they're a great way to see into another country/language/culture. I like to see different advertisements, cereal box images, etc. Plus, if they're in a language I'm learning, it's more fun for me to learn. I love handmade postcards, and I actually get a bit bored with the typical touristy view-postcards.

So, I support it :D

a big YES for me, as anything picturing something and sent by mail without enveloppe (so called naked) is supposed to be a postcard.

there are a lot of postcrossers who say: because i spent money on a proper postcard you must do the same.
then i say: because you love to spent money on a postcard, you do not have to do the same as me.

i love the idea of re-use, towards a greener world. and the fun of sending items that you easely can turn into a happy card, decorated with stamps and what you want. http://www.postcrossing.com/green

here are some examples which i sent or received:

one of my favourite received cards is this one from china
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/CN-307934
discussed at douban as is this allowed to sent in china?

postcardboardcard from belarus, including magnificent hare stamps, sent without enveloppe http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/BY-408935

nine matchboxes turned into a 3D-card http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/NL-498355 which was a good pleasure to make

from a dutch postcrosser who loves to burn candles http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/NL-611687

made from a calendar, including the storey of the pictures man from bahama's http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/BS-605

received 3 exactly the same items within one month! made from cookies number 1 of u.s.a. http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/US-1678075

complete small novel sent as postcard http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/NL-1163023

message in a bottle, bought in a shop - not homemade, but a postcard different then others http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/NL-1159956

russian tree made with sewingmachine http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/RU-70488

and just one more to complete an atrandomtop10

a kettleshaped card picturing a.. http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-157567 sent as it is

and the fun is that postcrossing is for all of us loving postcards, despite we have other wishes about cards. the messages on the postcardboardcards i receive are heartwarming, a lot of people discovered the fun of creating something and sending it out. thank you all!
i wish everybody a lot of creativity and good luck for tatjana and the postickproject

p.s. more and more postcrossers love the idea of sending out cardboard turned into a postcard, maybe a good idea to have some in stock so you can sent out directly when you request an address. this one i received from Ana http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/SI-31079 , which was a happy day to receive!

Don't like. It seems like a lot of money for labels, however if she is up to $4,000 someone must like it. I guess it would be ok if sending to family. I once got a cut out of a Lean Cuisine package. I was not happy. I could get tht from my garbage can.

I LIKE the idea to reuse materials which have a meaning to the receiver, are well made, thought and effort was put into it, there's a connection between both parties.
But I don't like when people use random materials just because its cheaper or they don't bother.
To be used with common sense, I support this idea. :)

As we see from this discussion: some people enjoy hand made cards, some don't. This is very clear in the profile of everyone.
It is nice to reach the desire of the member, and normaly not that difficult!

I did make a donation and ordered a pack. There are some people who ask for hand made, original postcards, this would be nice for them. I wouldn't use them for everyone, only those asking for the artistic hand made cards.

Thanks for sharing the link!!

Already there: http://www.amazon.de/HERMA-GMBH-Herma-7758-Postkartenetiketten/dp/B000KZ73J6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338323474&sr=8-2

I think it is a good idea. But still it depends on the creativity of the sender. Even before this project people will get crapy cards because some people can not be bodered to send a real card or be creative.

Not new, too expensive (compared to other similar products), and -as seen here- most people like real postcards.

Glad to see the Postcrossing team endorsing something that broadens the definition of "What is a postcard?" Everyone needs to remember that when you send a postcard, this question is for you to answer. Crack it open!

This is nothing new. I used this type of thing many years ago and have used one or two since joining Postcrossing. However, I have not seen them in local stores lately. I prefer transfering my photos into real postcards via Moo.

Clearly this won't overtake the use of "regular" or "real" postcards, but it is a clever way to make something unique!

I love this idea! I have photos I'd like to send as postcards but they are too flimsy. With a postcard backing that helps two fold. I hope she gets the funds she needs.

Where these products do work really well, is adding them to the front side of greeting cards (then cut the back flap off). They turn out glossy and beautiful just like a postcard.

I received a card with a sticker similar to these and loved it. I thought so much of the idea that I bought a 12-pack like them at my local office supply store. As long as it is stuck on the back a nice picture, any type of picture, I think they are wonderful to receive.

Per http://www.postcrossing.com/edit/profile -

"◦You may state which type of postcards you like the most, but you can not make any demands for specific postcards. Your preferences will be used as reference only and not necessarily always satisfied."

I personally have always been satisfied (never disappointed, and sometimes thrilled) with the hundreds of cards I have received (official & forum).

Great idea! I think you need to be a bit creative to appreciate it fully. I would love to buy the stickers and send them to other creative postcrosser.

So far in postcrossing I have received three self-made cards and they were lovely. Two of them from young girls still going to school who obviously can’t afford to buy new cards for every postcrosser.

As for the use of a milk carton, I would love to see a milk carton postcard from across the world.

More people would send junk if this is follow in Postcrossing. Certainly, I would not like to received such kind of postcard. I don't like this idea, it's not creative and mostly lead people to send junk instead of making an effort to send something meaningful. This is Postcrossing, please send real postcards.

A special thing for special wishes....

The idea is indeed far from new as I remember a discussion about it on the forum about where to get them as they are hard to get.

I think it is a good idea for people who sent homemade cards (there are postcrossers who like them and they can always sent to friends and family) as it reduces the change that it get's dammaged during it's travel. That is also the reason why many on the forum are looking for them!!

I love the idea. I get bored from some of the standard "tourist- style" postcards. I love anything creative. A great idea for photographers and artists.

But I wouldn't use them unless it is clear that the receiver like home-made cards.

In the spirit of the project one should try, as best possible, to fulfill the wishes of the receiver.

I've ordered a set as I've not seen them easily available where i am. My husband's family lives quite far away and I think they would be very excited to receive a postcard of my 7-year old son's artwork. :) That's most likely what I'll use them for.

This sounds like a terrific idea to me! Sometimes it's hard to find great postcards. Posticks would allow me to convert the front of a nice card or a photograph into a postcard.

I support this idea, yes, though I wouldn't pay that much money for something alike to what I could quite easily make myself (so I do from time to time, and am very pleased about my neat cards). ;)

I can see that people's opinions split on the idea itself, so my response to all of those who think that all the handmade cards are just a random junk is, I'm truly sorry you have never found a special little piece of art in your mailbox. It's an other talk entirely if the person simply doesn't put his heart into the postcard, but such emotionless card couldn't be "saved" even if it's the most gorgeous looking store-bought one. Where's the harmony between both the front and the back sides, ha?

BTW, I hate when people start defining what "a real postcard" is supposed to be and so on. Sending and receiving snail mail should never become some sort of a list of rules.

Hi Postcrossers.
Of course there are a lot of people who love postcards because they're postcards in the traditional sense and that's wonderful.

A lot of us love such initiatives as Postcrossing for different reasons. Some because we like to collect traditional postcards and others because it's a chance to get creative and learn about other countries. I, for example, request hand-made postcards on my profile because I love that it tells me something about the sender and his/her environment. I've received many really special hand-made postcards in the past and I cherish them also for the time and creativity it took to make them. I also like to custom-design postcards according to what people like so that it's really specifically designed for you.

This Postick idea isn't new but based on the amount of support it's getting it's clear that very few people know about/ have access to the labels that are out there. Of course the price that's on Kickstarter is high because it's a campaign that aims to "raise the funds necessary to produce the Postick". It's not an online store, it's a crow-funding site. Once the crow-funding campaign is done the ultimate retail price will naturally be competitive with similar brands.

The bottom line with this campaign is to inspire people out there to start sending postcards again. To spread happiness with the postcard as you'll see in the related projects in this campaign such as http://www.postcardhappiness.com/postcard-happiness-project/. Whether it's with a Postick or a beautiful conventional postcard is irrelevant.

Of course, if this is not the kind of postcard experience you're after it's easy to clarify it in your profile. But if it is, then I wish for you to receive plenty of beautifully created postcards made with love.

Happy Postcrossing :)

About "real" postcards - would you mind receiving a "reused" one?

Sometimes I change my mind about the postcard I want to send even after I've written the address and ID, or I realize I made some other mistake. In such cases, blank postcards have helped me save the card (by carefully peeling off the written side and gluing a new writing side to the picture side) and send it to someone else. Especially when I spend more money on the card, I would feel sorry to throw it away.
However, I'd never reuse postcards that someone sent to me.

Personnally I really like to get a carefully chosen fragment of the sender's everyday culture. I've received some of those and have always been thrilled.

This idea is already in the stores, yes, currently.  I'm, um, amazed that Postcrossing would allow a startup to use this blog platform to ask me send  money. I would keep in mind that people in the forum say they are not required to register things that are not postcards.  As for me, I post my personal photos on other websites.  This would be okay for swaps or forum trades or if you want to include it along with a regular postcard. Today I am sending two ad cards in an envelope along with a postcard; I would treat this kind of thing the same way.  

I think it's a lovely idea. I've signed up, but I won't use the stickers for Postcrossing unless someone says they like handmade cards :-)

I like it. I had a really cute postcard the other day but for some reason there was a pricetag on the back and I couldn't get it off properly :/. I had to use some blank stickers to cover it up... A proper postcard sticker would have been more elegant.
Didn't know it already existed though, not sure why this needs to be kickstarted then if the same product is already out there?

I think it really just depends on who you're sending a card to. If they want a homemade card, send them one of these. If they don't, then don't. Personally I would think it would be cool to get one of these in the mail.

Whilst a lot of people don't like hand made cards, I appreciate the time someone has spent making a hand made card for me and I love to see some imagination! But my first reaction when I saw these was how great they would be to send things to my friends back home!! I hope her venture is a success :)

what a BORING world this would be if we all had the same taste and likes!!!!!!!!!!!

I support the idea! I am a bargain hunter and I love AD-cards. I've joined group orders where we payed as little as 8 cents per REGULAr Postcard, so some of these "cheap" substitutes as these labels are actually more expensive than "real" cards!
*I* would much rather get an AD card or a handmade anything to match my collection and likes than an expensive card that tells me nothing. The price tag isn't important to me, it's the time and effort the sender makes to send something that fits my likes.
I also love recycling and up-cycling, I do buy blank postcards regularly,b ut they are rather thin.... a self-adhesive version sure would be convenient!

For the idea of the posticks themself, it's just a "like/don't like" matter. Some postcrossers like to get AD postcards, children's drawings, hand-made postcards, cardboard scraps, anything of the sort, and they say so especifically in their profiles. Most of them, for what I've seen in almost three years of Postcrossing, only like store-bought postcards. Personally, I have received hand-made postcards that were lovely and other that were horrendous. But I would never send a drawing, a picture taken by myself or a cereal box scrap to a postcrosser that never asked for it. So the posticks are convenient for certain postcrossers' wishes and likes but, obviously, not to be taken as a regular basis. As some other users have remarked, it is postcards what most postcrossers want to exhange, not paper crafts.
What makes me unconfortable about this entry in the blog is that Postcrossing is being used as a commercial platform of a store - and no, not a pop-up window one, but a store that is encouraged from the site itself. I would say that using the blog for saying "Hey, I sell postcard related products, buy them from me" is definately not a good idea.

No, no, no! Great idea as long as ppl won't use this for PC!

I do like the idea, they would surely come in handy for me.

Does anyone else besides me just see people on Kickstarter as duping people into giving them money? I could buy my own packet of adhesive labels & stick them on a back of a flyer for about $10.00 or less (NOT $4000-$8000). I mean, come on! Nothing about this idea is unique. Sorry, but I'm not going to be tricked into giving someone money to pay their rent & lead a fabulous lifestyle. I could use a donation myself ... maybe I should join Kickstarter & come up with some inane project?

Well, I created project called Post Your Dreams where you can send us your dreams anonymously in a handmade postcard (prefer). Check out our website at http://www.postyourdreams.org

I support both projects ! Happiness Postcard is anyway wonderful ! About Postick, i feel it promotes creativity and sender spends enough time and idea making the postcard which should make the receiver Happy ! Some days, I asked a postcard about Johnny Depp in a swap ! As the postcard not available the kind lady cut Johnny's pictures and quotes from Magazine and made 2 handmade postcards ! Which is one of the most cherished postcards for me now ! :)

FYI, some stats:  Tatipants, POSTICK project creator, has been a PostCrossing member for four+ years but has sent just 14 cards and received just 14.  The last sent card address was drawn on 9 August 2010.  Breakdown of sent cards:  7 in 2008,  2 in 2009, and 5 in 2010. 

The Postcard Happiness Project has  posts between April and June 2012.  It asks that postcards be sent to five addresses:  1)  an immediate relative (father) of the project creator, 2) a couple who have recently retired and are moving, 3) a lady who recently lost her son, 4) a little girl struggling with cancer, and 5) a lady who will soon turn 96.  

The Postcards Creative Network has 8 posts, the first one on April 8, 2011, the second on March 1, 2012.  One of the posts has 1 comment, the others,  as of today, have zero comments.

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I do not invite handmade postcards or photos in my profile but many people send them anyway.  I've started throwing away the junk.  

I do think it is a shame to throw some away when people have taken the time and money to send them, they may just have not had a suitable postcard and thought that the homemade one would be best? Our class keep all our postcards, bought and handmade, because the really special part for the students is finding our where the postcard has come from and having the stamps as evidence of this. The picture on the front is just a bonus!

This could be nice if the sender puts some thought into it.
But it could be an excuse to send junk.
Not so good when I've spent time, effort and money to get a proper store-bought postcard for use on this postcard site.

It's an interesting project, but, as far as I can tell, the idea and the product are not new. Also, it's not difficult to make such labels at home with a little help from a printer and blank labels.
Personally, I would perhaps use such labels for my own photos or artwork (although I think it'd be simpler to have them printed in the photo-studio).

As for using Postick for Postcrossing -- it's just a matter of adhering to the specific memeber's wishes what they do or do not like to receive. I had real trouble finding nice postcards with specific themes in my city, for example; it would've been much easier to take one of my own photos and turn it into a postcard - but only if the receiver has no objections to that.

Still, I wish Tatjana luck with the project, it will most definitely have a wide userbase among crafters.

I can't see why almost everyone here says it is a bad idea. I think it is wonderful and I would love to receive 'transformed' postcards. People can state on their profiles if they are annoyed by 'unreal' postcards. I still think they are postcards, because they are ... well ... cards which were posted, somehow. :)

interesting idea.. also I liked it.