The 711s in Japan let you print color postcards from memory card for ~$1 USD . I would take photos with my camera, go to the copier machine in a 711 (they are everywhere), print the postcards, and sometimes buy the stamps from the cashier. Some stores don't have postcard specific stamps. Just ask for stamps in equivalent value 100 yen.
I always found https://www.miede.de/postcards/ charming. The creator of a popular LaTeX template for thesis welcomes postcards and posts them on this website. I've sent him one myself!
I've been exchanging postcards on Postcrossing (https://www.postcrossing.com/) for years, it's very fun! I've even been to Postcrossing meetups, where several members gather to sign postcards so you send them to people.
In Postcrossing you put your address, and then you can request a random one. You put an ID, so when the recipient receives it, they register that number and you get a postcard from a random member.
Postcards, while travelling, are one of the very few instances when I write by hand, these days.
I started about 20 years ago, I most usually only write the address and a smiley — the old school analogue medium is most of the message (that I take the time to pick a postcard, which then has to travel physically to reach the distance to its target).
where can you buy them? not at the post office, grocery store, nor the Hallmark near me. the cheap 19 cent postcard stamps also cannot be bought anymore.
I'm one of those improbable folks not based in US. While a tad more difficult to get by these days, I've eventually most always managed to find postcards. All post offices sell stamps (excluding the few that only manage parcels).
Also, any postcard sized piece of cardboard that bears a stamp qualifies as a travel worthy postcard – once I did just that, for the fun of it, and it worked. I've once received a stamp beer coaster.
PS. Another fun game is to see what's the most cryptical, vague postal address that does the job. See:
You can also use a normal stamp, but the postcard stamp saves you 12 cents per postcard. Up to you how much you care; I'll just use whichever design I like better.
Yes they do. In my last holiday I went around in the whole bar and everybody wrote a few word for my mom. The experience to do was very nice, the result was very fun and my mom was very happy and knew we had a fun time :-)
They're everywhere. But if you're short on time, buying the postcard is often easier than getting stamps and dropping it in a postbox.
One petty complaint - generally across the world, stamp design has nosedived. Compared to old postage stamps, they have terrible typography and gaudy colours. I've generally been disappointed when buying stamps to put on postcards. Old stamps were truly works of art.
A year ago I started sending postcards to my 91 year old father because he has difficulties with modern forms of communication. They do still exist but you have to search for them.
18 comments:
The 711s in Japan let you print color postcards from memory card for ~$1 USD . I would take photos with my camera, go to the copier machine in a 711 (they are everywhere), print the postcards, and sometimes buy the stamps from the cashier. Some stores don't have postcard specific stamps. Just ask for stamps in equivalent value 100 yen.
Yes they do https://mr.bingo/hate-mail/
I always found https://www.miede.de/postcards/ charming. The creator of a popular LaTeX template for thesis welcomes postcards and posts them on this website. I've sent him one myself!
Spatie (creators of a bunch of Laravel/PHP packages) is postcardware, too! https://spatie.be/open-source/postcards
postcards dont exist anymore
I've been exchanging postcards on Postcrossing (https://www.postcrossing.com/) for years, it's very fun! I've even been to Postcrossing meetups, where several members gather to sign postcards so you send them to people.
In Postcrossing you put your address, and then you can request a random one. You put an ID, so when the recipient receives it, they register that number and you get a postcard from a random member.
Postcards, while travelling, are one of the very few instances when I write by hand, these days. I started about 20 years ago, I most usually only write the address and a smiley — the old school analogue medium is most of the message (that I take the time to pick a postcard, which then has to travel physically to reach the distance to its target).
where can you buy them? not at the post office, grocery store, nor the Hallmark near me. the cheap 19 cent postcard stamps also cannot be bought anymore.
I'm one of those improbable folks not based in US. While a tad more difficult to get by these days, I've eventually most always managed to find postcards. All post offices sell stamps (excluding the few that only manage parcels). Also, any postcard sized piece of cardboard that bears a stamp qualifies as a travel worthy postcard – once I did just that, for the fun of it, and it worked. I've once received a stamp beer coaster.
PS. Another fun game is to see what's the most cryptical, vague postal address that does the job. See:
- What is the minimal possible UK address? – https://hkrn.ws/34995370
- Falsehoods programmers believe about addresses – https://hkrn.ws/5791489
Museums. Bookstores.
Those are the top-two places I see them when traveling abroad from the US.
Museums always have cheap postcards for sale.
i found the usps website has a 61 cent postcard stamp, there is one to choose from
You can also use a normal stamp, but the postcard stamp saves you 12 cents per postcard. Up to you how much you care; I'll just use whichever design I like better.
Yes they do. In my last holiday I went around in the whole bar and everybody wrote a few word for my mom. The experience to do was very nice, the result was very fun and my mom was very happy and knew we had a fun time :-)
They're everywhere. But if you're short on time, buying the postcard is often easier than getting stamps and dropping it in a postbox.
One petty complaint - generally across the world, stamp design has nosedived. Compared to old postage stamps, they have terrible typography and gaudy colours. I've generally been disappointed when buying stamps to put on postcards. Old stamps were truly works of art.
A year ago I started sending postcards to my 91 year old father because he has difficulties with modern forms of communication. They do still exist but you have to search for them.
A friend just sent me one from Minnesota!
treasure it, not as common an occurrence as it used to be