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If you have a question/request for Portuguese speaking postcrossers, but don’t speak the language, just do it here in English!

Hi, I’m in travel mode, and draw my first address from Portugal. Can anybody tell me if UK counts as “Europe” or “rest of the world”? Can’t find it in the link for Europe… But really- rest of the world, more expensive than USA?
Thanks and bests from Lisboa!
Ps: if anybody knows a postcard shop in Lisbon with other than tourist postcards, I’d be interested to know…

Hey Lisa.
UK should count as Europe (0,88€), it seems they forget to include it in the table on european non EU countries.
For postcards, USA is the same value as rest of the world, 0,91€

(It’s really difficult to find other postcards in Lisboa, I don’t know any shops now)

Enjoy your stay :wink:

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There are no postcards shops in Portugal but in some tourist shops you find one or 2 “non tourist” postcards.

In downtown search on the “right lines” streets that lead to the river, they are easily identified, all the other streets are a mess! :rofl: Also, if you go to the castle, there are plenty of stores there and on the way up, if you follow the streets with the tram line.

But the best stores closed due to covid and the ones opened have just a few (boring) variety… :frowning_face:

You can also find them at museums. The Oceanarium has very pretty cards (you can visit only the shop).

Have fun!

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Obrigada, dear @bom_dia and @Geminiscp !

Two last questions (so glad about Forum help😉)…
There’s cork postcards everywhere… Did you successfully send them? I don’t know if I should dare… Can you send them at the normal tariff?

And- for buying stamps, should I go to the Main Post office at Restauradores (at least my guidebook says, it’s there) for getting “nice” ones, maybe even at a philately counter, or would all shops have more or less the same ones?

Bests from foggy Lisboa!

If they are really made with cork and not just an imitation (more “fat” than normal cards) they should be sent with the next tariff cause they are considered “non standard”: € 1,40 to Europe or € 1,80 WW without US, to the US should be € 1,95. But if you just use stamps with the normal tariffs I guess they will not notice it, they will go as “postcards”. Just don’t show to the CTT clerks…

I’ve sent and received several cork cards, but have sent several that never arrived (but they were official cards, we never know why…). CTT advise to send those inside envelopes cause they easily get damaged on mail sorting machines since they are thicker and some bend easily. There are some cards that have a piece of cardbox attached to make them stronger.

Btw, if you are sending cards to Spain, the price is cheaper, € 0,84, the next tariff is € 1,40.

Do not, I repeat, do not buy stamps outside the CTT shops! Stamps sold at touristic shops are sold twice expensive! And some have “mail boxes”, don’t use them and don’t buy those stamps, they don’t belong to CTT.

At Restauradores station, if there is someone at point 2 (when you enter, it’s the clerks just in front of you, at the end of the room) that’s the Philatelic point. You don’t need a ticket, just go to no. 2 and ask for philatelic stamps. The employer’s name is Adélia, tell her it’s stamps for Postcrossing, she will show you the better stamps she has right now.

If the lady is out, then take a ticket letter A and wait for your turn. The other sellers don’t have much choice, if you don’t like the stamps they show, insist for better ones with “glue”, usually they will sell you sticker stamps and the better ones are the “real” glued stamps.

Philatelic shops only sell stamps for collectors, there are many downtown.

There are several CTT stamps downtown too and in Chiado, but Restauradores have the biggest opening hours (less now due to Covid) and are more used to tourists, there’s always there someone speaking English.

The sun is coming! Maybe you’ll be lucky now! :sunny:

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Olá! O meu nome é Catherine. Eu moro na Rússia. Ficarei feliz em encontrar novos amigos por correspondência. Se alguém decidir responder, aqui está o meu trocador Ошибка 429

Olá Sr. Paulo & Postcrossers,

I am trying to find a variety of postage stamps but I have not had any success with my local CTT post office. They never seem to have any new stamps or even stamps that were previously issued. I tried CTT online but it was difficult to navigate the web site to find stamps for postcards.

Also, last week, the first time I purchased stamps for postcards the price was euros 0.91 for EU and 1 euro for the rest of the world. Two days later I paid 0.95 for EU postage and 1.05 euro for rest of the world. I am worried that my first set of postcards will have insufficient postage and they will be discarded. When I informed CTT, they said not to worry and they will mail them.

Much appreciate any guidance on the above!

raj

Since you are in Porto, can’t you try their shop at Praça Trindade 32, 4000-010 Porto? it’s the philatelic shop, they should have philatelic collections and the special rubber stamps from the past months. The shop is on the top corner, right, of the “Avenida dos Aliados”, after the town hall.

Online they only sell complete series, you better contact the philatelic services by email : filatelia@ctt.com

and explaining what stamps you want to buy. They will make you open an account with them and pay in advance or pay each order by bank transfer.

The actual prices are € 0,95 to Europe (standard postcards and standard letters up to 20 gr) and € 1,05 to the rest of the world. This changed in February. You should buy the small stamps to complete the postage, otherwise, if mail is caught on controls, it may not be delivered or will be send with a fine and the receiver may not be willing to pay it.

HERE you can see the last stamps issued but they have more on stock, sometimes they send a list of all the available issues. Series before 2022 must be bought complete (I think).

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Muito obrigado, Paula!!!

Hi everyone! I am interested in the WPD cancellation, however India no longer issues IRCs. Ana said that someone here can help me out with this. If anyone would be willing to help, please PM me with your address so that I can send you my postcard.
Thank you and Happy Postcrossing!

Hello everyone! I have a very specific request for users from Brazil, I would be really interested to receive cards with brazilian pop, pop rock, new wave stars and bands of the 80’s, Fausto Fawcett, Kid Abelha, Paralamas, Lobão, Gang 90, Metrô, Legião Urbana, Capital Inicial, Absyntho, Robertinho de Recife, Engenheiros do Hawaii and so on, just can’t write them all down, but you should get what I’m talking about. Just not with MPB ones, who are very amazing too. If there is even a small chance someone have at least a couple of these and maybe just some other cards with art and views from this era, I propose a full 100g packed envelope with assortment of various cards, soviet mint stamps and neat stickerpacks. Even if there in no Brazil>Russia connection right now we could at least arrange it for the future, or maybe if “via” routes from Brazil are possible we could try to use them.

Hello All,

I am a stamp and first day mark collector collecting on covid and Vaccine themes, any same theme collector here? Would love to trade and swap :blush:.

Dev b
INDIA

Ola!

I have some older Portuguese stamps, but I have realized that the postage has changed. I need to get ~ 0,1 - 0,2€ stamps.

Do such stamps exist? Is it possible to buy them in regular post office? I am going to visit Lisboa and surrounding areas soon, can you recommend me some places where to get some stamps and / or postcards?

Thank you for your help!

Martin

Hello Martin! :slight_smile:

Those stamps exist but they are available only on big post offices.

In the historic center of Lisbon you have several post offices with stamps: the biggest of the country and with a Philatelic spot (counter #2 of the store): Restauradores square. The other that use to have stamps: Largo Camões, Praça do Munícipio, Belém (just Google “CTT Restauradores, Lisboa”, etc).

Do not buy stamps on souvenir shops. That mail never arrives, use only “CTT stamps” and put the mail in their mailboxes.

Be sure the stamps you have were issued after 2014, older stamps can’t be used anymore.

Cards: Covid closed a lot of stores but you can still find a lot of postcards in the historic areas (and outside Lisbon you have a lot in Cascais and Sintra). Usually they cost € 0,50.

Have fun!!! :slight_smile:

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Hii I am visiting Portugal this summer and I collect postmarks so I was wondering how it works in Portugal. I usually prefer getting them hand canceled as if I just put them in a postbox I am worried they don’t get canceled properly so my question is:

  1. Do normal post offices hand-cancel stamps (if I ask them kindly) or are they specific post offices or museums or shops that have special postmarks?
  2. If I drop a mail in a postbox do they actually sort and cancel them properly (what would this cancelation look like)

Also, if you can teach me how to say stamp and postmark and how to ask for postmarks in Portuguese this would be great.

Thank you, everyone!

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Hi Jason! :slight_smile:

All post offices are obliged to have the “daily mark” = “marca do dia”, that is the rubber stamp for that day. It’s best that you take a ticket for letter A (also used to buy stamps) and ask them to cancel the mail in front of you. They may protest or refuse but they are obliged to do it, if you have the ticket and it’s your turn, they can’t refuse, ask for the “responsável da loja”, that is the person in charge and they know the rules.

Since you collect postmarks I can tell you there is no rubberstamp saying “Lisboa”, each post office have their rubber stamp with the name of the station on it.

Special rubber stamps only for special events and for a few days on the event they are issued for or on the post office of the area.

In Restauradores post office you have all the rubber stamps issued in Portugal mainland and islands for 6 months after they are issued. Problem: to find the only person who knows about philately is there (name Adélia Sousa), say you are from Postcrossing, she knows the project. In this station only you can enter without a ticket and go to counter 2, you specific ask for the philatelic service and to use the special rubber stamps.

There’s a 50%-50% chance to get a mechanic rubber stamp. It usually says “CTC Sul” but sometimes, very rare, they can have other rubber stamps. These are usually very bad to read

Better not risk it, loose time and go to a post office.

Stamp : selo ; stamps: selos
Commemorative stamps, not the basic sticker stamps, ask for “selos comemorativos, com goma, não quero autocolantes”
Postmark: carimbo da estação com a marca de dia

Have fun! :slight_smile:

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Hi, thank you so much for the detailed reply, it means a lot to me!

Would it be possible to direct me to the website where I can check if they have a special cancelation for certain dates or is there no website for this information?

Also is there one post office that has most of the stamp designs (even older ones) or do they all recall most stamp issues after a certain time? Would the Restauradores post office have the best chance of getting a variety of stamps?

Thank you so much <3