Well done, I’m just sending them a postcard whenever I can!
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I was just wondering how many more postcards UK postcrossers would potentially send if the UK postage prices were the same as Germany (for the sake of the example given they have lots of users who send lots of cards and the postage prices are lower) and what potential impact/benefit this would have on Royal Mail. Analysis incoming… 
For comparison:
Postcard postage prices as of Apr 24
Domestic: £0.85 / £1.35
International rate for all destinations: £2.50
Domestic: €0.70 = £0.60
International: €0.95 = £0.82
Basic stats from the Postcrossing website at the time of writing:
Population
66,488,991
82,927,922
Active postcrossers
17,915
59,470
All time official postcrossing cards sent
1,602,586 registered (1.7m if you use postcard IDs)
13,231,021 registered (14m if you use postcard IDs)
Calculated stats using the above figures:
Average cards sent per year on Postcrossing, rounded (calculated by dividing the total number of sent cards by 18 - the number of years postcrossing has been running)
89,033
735,057
Average number of cards sent per active member, rounded (calculated by dividing the number of total cards sent by the number of active members - I know this isn’t an exact way of calculating the average number of cards UK postcrossers have sent, as inactive postcrossers cards are included in the total so just take the numbers as a guide).
89.5
222.5
Based on the above, there are 3.3x the number of active postcrossers in Germany to the UK and active postcrossers in Germany send roughly 2.4x the number of cards per user - this is 149% more than the UK. Combined, 8.3x more cards are sent from Germany than the UK - which is 726% more cards overall.
The potential
If you base it on the current UK postcrossing population, the potential opportunity is sending 149% more cards which would be an additional 221,692 cards per year, taking the total to over 310,725 cards per year.
Potential number of cards sent at Germany’s stamp rates
310,725 cards at £0.82 each (the international stamp price in Germany converted to GBP) would generate £254,794.50 in stamp sales. This would not include any inactive postcrossers who may start postcrossing again, or new members who may now find it affordable to join at £0.82 per card, so the potential gain is likely higher.
Current number of cards sent at £2.50 per card
89,033 cards at £2.50 (the international stamp price in the UK for all destinations as of Apr 24) would generate £222,582.50 in stamp sales. Although some people will send using the £2.20 international economy rate and many people have said they will not continue after the price rise so this figures would be lower in reality.
Unfortunately, the £32,212 increase would still be a drop in the water for Royal Mail and with the additional costs associated with sending a higher volume of postcards across the world, I’m not expecting any changes as extreme as matching the stamp prices in Germany 
- but it would make UK postcrossers much happier 
.
Numbers have been rounded for ease of reading. This is just an estimated outcome, many other factors would actually be at play including cost of living and operational set-up in different countries.
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From what I can see, one of Royal Mail’s biggest challenges is the shift around the mid 2000s to commemorative NVI (non-value indicated stamps) such as ‘1st class’, as opposed to, say, 64p, which essentially inflates the value of those stamps each time there is a price increase. Because commemorative typically go to collectors, they’ve held onto these. Which means RM has a much higher price of service these days (as there’s fewer letters) but every time they put the prices up, it’s got to be encouraging collectors to release more of their stash of NVIs, which are now worth a lot, and that’s how they end up at Philatelink. As postcrossers can’t afford the new ridiculous prices, we go to Philatelink (et al), which then means RM hikes the price further, which means more collectors release so they can get a return on what they’ve held, and so on.
Had they stuck to the old way of doing stamps, this wouldn’t be as big an issue now.
I’ve been trying to work out solutions that I could offer up when sending in my FREEPOST complaint postcards, as I do think they’re probably up for some!
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Well here we go…
Despite the Bank Holiday yesterday, I still posted a few items, and whilst in London on Saturday, I sent some “Flood The Freepost” postcards, even got a few fellow postcrosser to do some.
I’m wondering what’s the largest or heaviest thing I can send, perhaps a nice shoebox with a brick in or stones or something to make it heavy… lol… And then send that, FREEPOST…
Well carry on sending and many thanks for taking part if you are…
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Maybe send them all the leaflets, they insist on pushing through our letterboxes.
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You could try this…
It’s a photo from an art exhibition last year where the artist posted large and unusual shaped objects to the gallery, which were then displayed.
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Well sadly sometimes our lazy postal worker just leaves them in the communal area, I live in a block of four flats, and although I have complained, still the postal worker will leave them there…
Thanks for the idea
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The thing is, they had all the money from those NVIs sold and none of the expenses for the service they didn’t have to provide.
If they had invested all that money at the time, they’d be fine. Businesses like Pure Cremation have the same business model - pay £1000 or whatever for a cremation and they agree to provide that service in however many years time.
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So yesterday as part of a two for one deal I picked up brand new, still in wrapper “Hacksaw Ridge” as I already have the DVD, I sent it, FREEPOST along with a postcard that said “Flood The Freepost” I also proudly wrote that I bought it for less (£1) than the cost of a current first class stamp and enclosed the receipt as proof.
I also have a small six dish metal cake tin, about A% size that I plan to send as well in protest of the current increase…
All the best, thanks for taking part if you are…
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Hi all… So the end of April passed, I was still sending at least one postcard a day and I even filled a cereal box with FarmFoods leaflets and sent that to Royal Mail… lol…
I sent off a letter to ask why all the sudden increases, but so far I’ve not had a reply 
Well keep the campaign going a bit longer by sending random things to Royal Mail to Flood The Freepost…
As soon as I get a letter form them back, I shall let you all know.
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Hi, so today (11/05/24) I got a reply, it’s dated the may 8th, so sort of shows how slow the service is as it was posted in Plymouth, and I’m in Lincoln (U.K).
Royal Mail says, “Our priority is to maintain a six day service” “As one of the most successful postal services in Europe”…
These are the two main reasons for recent price increases…
Royal Mail was however both dumb and kind enough to provide me with a NEW FREEPOST address I can flood… lol…
FREEPOST
Escalated Customer Resolution Team
So if you want to send them some complaints, or flood it with postcards, then be my guest…
Soon teach them to keep putting up the price… lol
Take care all…
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