Postcrossing Blog

So, you might remember that last week I asked for your help with some postcards for a conference… and boy, did you ever deliver! :D

Here’s my brother opening the PO box about a week after the initial call:

I’m still speechless at the amount of postcards that tumbled out of that mailbox… it’s like it never ends! Can you believe there were over 600 postcards in there?!

So, I owe you… a lot. Thank you so, so much for your generosity and support. Seriously, postcrossers are THE best! :)

I expect that quite a few cards are still on their way and will arrive in the coming weeks, so I’ve already taken the address down. The audience should be less than 1000 people, so any extra cards will be safely kept for a next event of the sort.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a presentation to work on! The event will likely be recorded on video, so I’ll try to show you how it went in a few weeks. Fingers crossed! :)

Dear postcrossers,

This is Ana, your community manager speaking. I’m usually the writer behind the posts that you read on this blog… but today I’m writing this one as myself, to personally ask for your assistance.

You see, in about a month, I will be in Portugal, standing in front of an audience of several hundred people from various backgrounds, to tell them about Postcrossing and the simple pleasures of receiving mail. The problem is… I’m willing to bet that 99% of them have probably never received a postcard, or don’t remember the last time that they did. How can you empathize with something you’ve never experienced? While brainstorming a plan for making this work, I reached the inevitable conclusion: I have to show them!

So, inspired by Oprah, my idea is to surprise many of the conference attendees with an unexpected postcard written just for them, which they would receive during the talk!

I could write all the postcards myself… but I think it would be much more interesting if the postcards came from different people all around the world, with their own stories and details.
So I wanted to ask… would you mind writing a postcard, and giving me a hand? I would be really grateful, and you’d be helping all these people re-discover the magic of postcards! :)

Interested? Got a neat card that you don’t mind sharing? Then mail it to:

We’ve received sooooo many cards in just a week, that I’ve decided to remove the address, as I think they’ll be more than enough. Thank you so much! :)

What should you write on it? Whatever you like, really, but here are some ideas to get you started:

• How do you feel when you find a postcard on your mailbox at the end of the day?
• What does Postcrossing mean to you?
• What have you learnt or discovered through postcards? What would you teach this person?
• What was the most inspirational talk you’ve ever attended or listened to?
• What is special about your city or country?

Or you could just describe what you did today and what the weather is like where you are… anything goes, really! :)

That’s it! Those who know me, know that I’m a bit shy and not particularly comfortable with the spotlight… I’d like to think that, by carrying your postcards with me, I’ll have a little bit of your support on that stage.

Thank you so much in advance! :)

PS:

I thought I’d add a couple notes to clear up some of the questions that have come up in the comments:
- Please don’t put my name on the postcard – the cards are not for me, they’ll all be delivered to the attendees. The address is a PO box, it works fine without a name.
- If you want to write a salutation on the message, keep it simple and flexible with an “Hello” or “Dear attendee”
- The event takes place on March 8th… so please send your cards soon! :)

I saw this call for postcards on the Letter Writters Alliance blog and couldn’t resist re-posting it here.

Smarter Every Day is a Youtube channel that explains interesting science bits. It’s run by Destin, a father who is really excited about science… and high-speed cameras! The videos are contagiously enthusiastic – the one about the mystery of Prince Rupert’s drop is a favourite around here!

So in this video about teaching his kids how to skip stones, Destin asks for help getting postcards to cover the walls of a room in his house. I think we can give him a hand… if there’s one thing postcrossers are good at, it’s sending postcards! :)

So if you have an extra postcard, please send it to:

Destin’s Wall Project (or something funny)
Smarter Every Day
PO Box 63
Hartselle AL 35640
USA

He doesn’t ask for a specific message, but you could always mention your favourite science bit, ask a question, or say that you come from Postcrossing! :)

We’re looking forward to see how that room turns out!

As some of you already know from previous editions, a new Chinese Year means a new exhibition at the Singaporean Philatelic Museum!

The theme of this year’s exhibition is Snakes and Ladders, and all postcrossers are invited to contribute to it by sending in their snake-themed postcards to:

Singapore Philatelic Museum
23B Coleman Street
Singapore 179807
Singapore

As with the previous exhibitions, the museum will send a postcard back to all of those who include their address!

The exhibitions at the Singapore Philatelic Museum are usually very interactive, and especially attractive to the younger visitors of the museum – so please send a message to the little ones! You can tell them about your favourite snake, or just say hi! Bonus points if you can find stamps with snakes as well!

Here are some photos from this year’s exhibition, which will run until September:

Doesn’t it look neat? You can tell all the effort that goes into making this a great showcase, so if you’re in Singapore, don’t miss it! :)

The Singapore Philatelic Museum is once again preparing their annual exhibition dedicated to the Chinese Zodiac, this time featuring… dragons! These magical creatures have inspired legends and stories all around the world – from Saint George and the dragon, to Watatsumi, Tianlong or even… Dragon Ball!

No matter the dragon you know best, the Singapore Philatelic Museum would like you to share it with their visitors! So please send your dragon postcards to:

Singapore Philatelic Museum
23B Coleman Street
Singapore 179807

Mishelle Lim, who works at the museum, tells us that many visitors, young and old stop to admire and read the postcards sent by the postcrossers.
The exhibitions are usually very interactive, and especially attractive to the younger visitors of the museum – so please send a message to the little ones! You can tell them about your favourite dragon, or just say hi! Bonus points if you can find stamps with dragons as well!

As usual, all cards received before the end of the year will receive a reply from the museum – so don’t forget to include your address.

PS – Curious about what these exhibitions look like? Take a look at the previous editions!