If picking the most creative postcard images on the 150 Years of Postcards contest was a tough job, choosing three best messages was even harder. All these heartfelt words tugged at our heartstrings and it seemed impossible to put a postcard down, or somehow judge some as “better” than the others… how to choose?!
In the end, the three postcard messages we’ve picked are all different, but special in their own way. So here they are, in no particular order.
Annie from Wisconsin USA, sent a postcard with a very simple message, which neatly sums up our feelings about postcards:
“A postcard is a hug sent through the mail.”
We liked this quote so much that we ended up printing it in a big font and featuring it front and center at the UPU exhibition in Switzerland. The other side of the postcard is a quilted masterpiece, featuring both fabric and stamps (see it here).
Juice sent in a postcard featuring her own handmade design of a tree in Autumn (see it here). She wrote:
“As someone with loosely-settled roots in many places, sending postcards gives me a chance to spend precious moments with friends, family and acquaintances across the world. I cherish the opportunity each card gives me to pass a little time with another person, across geographic and temporal boundaries, and I find the transformations each card undergoes in the mail, along with the new light each card is illuminated by in the hands and eyes of its recipient, almost inexplicably magical. In today’s world, it is perhaps more important than ever to attend to how and what we communicate. Postcards provide refreshing ways to share feelings, ideas, and time not only with words but also with images, physical objects, and embedded love.”
Well said! We also often think of postcards as time that we spend with someone far away, and imagine our words being held in that person’s hands, bearing the marks of a long journey across the world.
And last but not least, Claus from Germany sent a postcard showing an illustration of a mail carrier in Hamburg (see it here), with beautiful stamps. On it, he wrote a short but delightful poem about postcards:
"Postcard!
A picture
A thought or two
A stamp
A touch of paper
The beauty of it all.
Out in the open
Close to the heart.
Memories in the making
Memories to keep.Please, Mr. Postman, come again soon!"
Congratulations to the three winners, who will each receive a box of 100 postcards as their prize!
Next week, we’ll bring you some more highlights from the nice postcards that have landed in our mailbox for the 150 years of postcards celebrations.
By the way, would you like to try guessing how many postcards were received? 😊 Leave a comment below with your estimate (a number between 500 and 2000), and next week we’ll reveal the grand total and send a little something to whoever gets the closest guess first, without going over it. Good luck!
212 comments so far
1960 postcard received!
Wow! Really cool idea! Thanks for showing us this awesome stuff. I really appreciate all the things you guys do for us, Ana and Paulo! :)
Also, my guess is 1520! ^.^
1,027 postcards?
Lovely messages! My guess is 1352 :)
1832 :O))
Thanks again for sharing this enormous creativity - my guess is 1707 postcards :-)
I would love to see more - the fronts and the backsides with the messages :-)
1987 postcards
1759 is my guess.
Love all the winners above.
I guess 1563 postcards.
1019 postcards
1800 postcards
I guess 1756 postcards.
WOW! Blow me away! Thank you so much for enjoying my message! Congratulations to Juice and Claus as well. Amazing love for the Postcard. Thank you.
My guess 1767 postcards
I guess 1111 postcards (because I am from Cologne - we love everything with the number 11...)
Congratulations to all winners!! Dear Claus, what a nice poem you wrote! Very short yet truly expressing your love for postcard and Postcrossing! You really deserve it, very proud of you! <3<3<3
Lovely messages! All the postcards you shared were amazing and show how much love travels around the world through those little rectangles. Thank you Paulo, Ana, the whole team and every Postcrosser! 💙
My guess: 1504 postcards.
My guess is 1954 postcards.
How about 1998? Congratulations to the winners, very well deserved
Hello! I think 1976 😉
My guess is 1956 postcards as I was born in that year & so was my partner. Congratulations to the winners too. Their efforts are especially deserved. I especially love the saying on Annie's postcard. It's one to remember always.
My guess is 1973 😁
1752 postcards received. I enjoy seeing the postcards! Very creative and heartfelt. All the best.
Hello! I guess 1875 ...
1980 postcards
791 I guess
1762
my guess is 1789
Congrats!
My guess is 1883
2534
What creative and special folks Postcrossers are!
Nicely done winners ✨
my guess is 1382 postcards
Well done everyone! My guess is 2500
1061 cards
Wonderful cards and sentiments! My guess is 1444.
Such a wonderful post! I’m guessing 1846 were received.
My guess is 1678
My guess is 749
HI,
My guess is 2021
Enjoy the day!
Demaris
My guess is 1213 cards
My guess is 1800
My guess is 1,444.
1600 postcards!
623 is my guess
I'm guessing 1935 were received.
1599 postcards
Maybe 1713 postcards?
1290
1423 postcards
599 postcards
Wonderful :) 1723 i think
Very candy one atmosphere. :)
Thanks a lot for the great opportunity of postcrossing. I guess you received 1956 postcards.
1867
1985
Hey!
Lovely cards!
I'll go with 1898 cards I don't know why seems good number and I think we could have reached it! 😊
I think this is my almost favorite number 1853 :)
Lovely messages on the cards.
My number for the competition - 1796
My guess is 1858
Thank you so much Postcrossing for bringing lots of joy into my life!
I think , 1971
These are lovely! My guess is 1812
My guess is 1983 =D
1449 postcards 😃
My guess is 1276
My guess is 1515
Hello! My guess is 1857.
What to write? I want to write such one - 1959
Thanks a lot for your job!!!
My guess is 1232.
Thank you to Annie, Juice and Claus for her lovely words.
Congratualion!
My guess is 1454.
Wonderful cards ! My guess is 1977.
I'll guess ... 1537.
1666 ? ;-)
it could be 1212; the 3 winners were so inspiring!
1400!
1333
My guess, 1734
1571
777 ?
1825
Congratulation to the winner, and thank you Ana & Paulo to make all this happen.
My guess is 1963
Nice! I guess 1002.
1432 cards
1999 postcards
1988 postcards? :)
855!
Thank for sharing these wonderful cards - so inspiring!
1235 cards!
1984
Oh, I would love to receive postcards with such beautiful and thoughtful messages! Congratulations to the winners!
I think that you received 1676 postcards.
Howwwww beautiful these messages describe a postcard ! ! : - D
Thank you very much for sharing this and Congratulations to the winners !
You received exactly 2000 cards, right ? :-)
1555
1889
I guess 562. :)
I think about 723 cards
My heart's congratulations to the winners. My postcards lost this contest, I'm sad, but I'm happy for these six winners. :). My guess: 936 postcards.
My guess is 1964! It's my birth-year... You never know, right?
1854
1874 post cards you received !
I guess 1771
I say 1587!
Whatever the number good job and thank you so much for making it possible to share our passion for postcards :-)
1341
Congratulations to all winners! My guess is 1792 received postcards.
I guess 986 cards
I'll guess 1622. Congrats to all the winners!
1870
1,247
Чудесно 1921
1742 is my guess.
Beautiful messages by the way, your hearts must be full with love! 🥰😍😍
2020 :)
1684 postcards
Amazing messages!!
I'm thinking 2150 cards received>
1389
My guess: 1345
Just amazing!
1976 :)
1966
1808
1773
1203 card?!?!
I think 1844)
1380
I love Annie's simple message: it says it all. A clear winner! and the front side of the card is beautiful - what a lot of work went into that card. Thoughtful creativity at its very best. Thanks for sharing the card with everybody. It's inspiring.
Number of cards? 1029
I think 1024 :-)
Thank you so much for sharing these! And thank you for starting postcrossing for us all! My guess is 1754.
1287? 😁
1589 postcards
1895 postcards received!
Rohland - 1960 Postcrd
1246 postcards
999 postcards :)
Great !! My guess is ... 1637
My guess 1408
My guess is 684 postcards!
I think there were 1577 postcards
1732
Perhaps 1777 postcards?
I love the wonderful small poem! My number is 2345 ;)
My guess is 1819. :)
Perhaps 1385 postcards
I hope 1970 ;-)
My guess would be 1956 cards! :)
Thank you for a fun interactive share. To think you sorted through more than 500 cards at least....! You guys are amazing!
How about 1971, it was a good year!!
HELLO, GREETINGS FROM GERMANY. MY GUESS WOULD BE 1960!
I’m guessing 1811 😁
1632
1992 postcards? :)
1728 :)
I guess 1438 😁
I'm going to say ... 1809
1777 postcards received
1237
1689
1672
1872 postcards
1869
1969
1975
1969
Is it 1850?
1909?
1778 :)
2525 special postcards
999 cards
1234
1300 cards
Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who sent a postcard. My guess: 1687
1374 postcards received
Congratulations to the winners and good luck everyone participating in this new contest! :)
These are all lovely! I'm going to guess 1732 were received. Congrats to the winners, hope your enjoy the postcards!
1789 postcards!
1949 is my guess. . .I'm sure Postcrossers came through Big Time in sending cards...this kinda reminds me of our t.v. game show -- The Price is Right!
1920 is my guess... Congratulations to the winners.
My guess is 1230 postcards.
1250 i hope
Happy Postcrossing! :)
1898
My guess is 1188
1209 postcards 😜
beautifully written postcards! Congratulations!
I think 1996 postcards arrived
Let it be 1717 :)
1815
Maybe 1991?!
Hiii, maybe 1785 postcards
1500
1719
1226
My guess: 623
1433!
Such nice messages :)
I would say 921!
Congratulations to all winners! I think 1966 postcards arrived.
1821
1975 postcards
1776 :-)
1,757
1469 postcards!
1754 poscard
1492
All were wonderful messages.
My expectation is 1199!
1819!
really like the first message! ofc, other two are beautiful too!
1952. Enjoyed the winning cards!
1831
2222 😁
So beautiful initiative!!! Thank you for organizers :) My guess is 1652.
1991! I am sure!
Thank you for showing the wonderful cards :)
My guess: 1527
I guess you received 759 cards
Думаю, что вы получили около 1638 карт!!!)
1914
1727 - I love postcrossing - so many pleasures - buying postcards, choosing just the right one for the receiver, choosing the best words for the receiver, receiving cards, organising collections, looking at favourites over and again.
Thank you to the hardworking organisers.
I guess 1378
1402 cards
Congratulations for so many beautiful cards & messages. I like how Claus signed off with " always postally yours " - I'm going to use that myself! My guess is - 1999 cards altogether. WOW! Cheerio, Bev Braam, Sydney xxx
1114 cards
1012 cards
My guess is 1322 cards.
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