I recently joined Postcrossing, but have been known in my family for sending letters, postcards(usually while travelig) and cards via mail for a long time. I have one aunt and uncle who send cards (birthdays, etc.), but my Dad recently joked that I am the “last person on earth who writes by hand.” Obviously, joining Postcrossing, I am not the only one!
My husband is confused as to why I would write to people I have never met.
I write cards to my friends and family, and they love them, but I also think they consider me a bit of an oddity.
So how about you? What do your friends and family think of your hobby? Do you write to your friends and family? Do they write back?!
Yes, absolutely few people reacted that in the e-mail what’s purpose of Snailmailing, but as i have shared, learnt and evolved through postcrossing, Snailmailing and stamps in past 3 years, my friends, family and others have started understanding and appreciating my hobby and they also like if i get any interesting card or stamp of their likings
Intially i was worried that what’ll happen if i share that i collect stamps but now I openly say and enjoy my hobby and Love for stamps and writing messages on cards
My favourite part is this-- i made my friends started liking cards & stamps - i gave free stamps to them, and many used them in thier Mobile cover
Hi, that topic is quite interesting because I’ve had so many different reactions to my being a Postcrosser. It is my impression that younger people tend to dismiss it as a weird quirk of an old man, while more “mature” folks seem to be genuinely interested by it and even ask questions.
Before I joined Postcrossing, I actually thought that most members were 40/50+ but I was surprised that actually quite a lot of young people participate here. It’s a truly marvellous experience!
As a relatively young person (22), I’ve gotta say you’re not a weird old man! There really is such a unique appeal in snail mail and the people who say that likely haven’t really tried it!
I love getting cards from the older generations too, I swear that they’re much more wholesome on average than many people of my generation who dismiss snail mail and who’ve been corrupted by the internet.
(Just kidding around, but yeah honestly though most people on postcrossing I’ve seen have been such nice people including people of my age, this place brings people together. I love seeing the young people who still read books and use snail mail as well! )
But yeah, regarding the general reaction…some people have said it seems pointless in the modern age or why send stuff to randos, but I’ve also had a lot of people close to me think it’s cool
I am in my fifties, so me and my peer group know well how the postal system works and have used it without even thinking about it for a good portion of our adult lives before the internet arrived and became ’normal’.
With that said, my husband, family and peer group/local culture also tend to be an open-minded lot who understand the mail system and ‘get it’ about the concept of Postcrossing.
My husband shows interest and what I receive, mostly which country it’s come from.
My friends ask me “Got any postcards lately?” and they do seem to want to see them. So now I have received a few, I will show them to the good friends that I trust just to enjoy their reaction! (There is nothing personal been written to me and they know my address, so it’s fine. )
My mum buys me cards from places she visits; my husband backs away slowly when I talk about it; my sixteen year old is usually happy to look at my sent and received cards, etc.; my fourteen year old hides under the table if I try to talk about it…
I think most of my closest friends and family think it is pretty cool. Also, whenever they travel they know what gift to bring back for me.
Most of them do not write back to me. I’m okay with that. If they ever keep them and when I’m gone, I think it will be a great memory for them.
But my young adult daughter recently purchased postcards for herself to mail to a few friends who have started to write postcards while traveling. My daughter who doesn’t live in the same state as me will write postcards and letters to me. We both love stationery. I’m happy.
My husband takes an interest/ helps with finding postcards when we are out and about etc. He particularly likes looking at the geographical locations - its improving our quiz knowledge lol. No seriously he gets my desire to spread a little positivity and connections in the world.
My grandchildren like to receive them so you never know…
I have been sending snail mail for my entire life so everyone knows it’s a part of who I am. People keep my letters, handmade cards and the postcards I send from my trips. I will tell you a story… when I was in middle school, we had a school trip to a different part of the country. I wrote a letter to my parents on the 5-day train ride and mailed it from a train station. When we returned, my mother’s best friend thanked me for it as the entire class parents had no news from their kids and were worried sick… My letter calmed everyone down and I got the most thoughtful kid nod .
My husband doesn’t understand why I like sending to strangers. But he did like it a lot when we sent postcards from all the places we visited on our roadtrips. As well to my parents and out-of-home kids as staying-at-home kids (so basically my home address ).
The kids like our filled mailbox, even though it is not addressed to them personally.
My parents said that I tend to have all those special hobbies, but they are very interested.
And my friends, well 2 of them signed up after I told them!
I’ve got all kind of thinkable reactions.
“Isn’t it dangeraous to give your adress in internet?” (my mother).
Uninterested, but bringing me sometimes postcards from trips, or just as a present (my husband, my sister in law etc…).
Being a postcrosser herself (my sister).
Seeing my postcard-decorated walls, asking questions about it and asking if they could joyn postcrossing themselves (some of my language students, age 9-14, I’ve created an own account for the interested ones, so they can try sending and receiving cards in English language)
Complete lack of understanding “Who does something like that?” (Some friends and aquaintances)
Appreciate it: “cool!” (some other friends and aquaintances)
and many others
My husband is a fellow postcrosser. We’ve had immense fun postcrossing in the past - choosing the postcards, registering the postcards, even making postcards. Currently dipping my toe back into it since parenthood!
The reaction has been one : Who does this in this era?!
My friends and my parents themselves, do not appreciate handmade handwritten stuff, postcards. To them or any of my hobbies like journaling or scrapbooking is “waste of time & money” as if being obsessed with stationery and journaling supplies wasn’t enough already
My students often ask me - “Why would you use these ways to connect when you can use the social media instant messaging?!”
Postcrossing has helped me find like minded people, though still many people from philately are obsessed with expanding their collection which I feel ruins the joy of snail mailing (in my honest opinion- not to offend anyone!)
But I have met absolutely gems and diamonds in this community, one of them being @Hemang himself who supported me in all ways he could, from buying stamps when I didn’t get, to encouraging me to join the forum too! @masalaptk sir who is now my dearest uncle always pampering me by making me hand made journals for my scrapbooking, sending me tons of stickers and other stationery almost every week. Always supporting me by sharing various kinds of stuff so that I can make them.
And I have met such lovely people who are now permanent members for life @Tanushree@collector_kanishka and everyone else whose postcrossing IDs I can’t remember
But the biggest wins in life so far has been, when last year we went on a holiday my father told the tour guide how I needed to go to the post office to drop my postcards and he made it a point that it was one of the important things we needed to do
And I sent my mom a postcard, which she put it on the fridge for many days and one of my students got me a postcard from Vietnam as a token of love
So that’s a wonderful victory
I can’t remember the original reactions of people around me from when I started Postcrossing, as it was such a long time ago (and i have a lousy memory).
But I’ve had snailmail penfriends since I was about 6 years old (soon after I started out in primary school). At first I wrote to girls from Austria, then Germany, that I corresponded with in German and then more international penfriends, once I knew English.
So I’ve been sending cards and letters long before Postcrossing!
My mum always supported me and wrote cards to me, when she went places, even though she absolutely hates to write!
My granny always sent us (= our family, but I gathered them) postcards from her travels.
My dad sent me many, many cards, when he went somewhere and also brought me back lots of beautiful cards!
My best friend (she is 3 years older, than my mother) doesn’t understand and occasionally asks confrontational questions about the cards I’ve collected through the decades and sometimes implies the “waste of money”. So sadly she sometimes (only) sent me (free) cards of the hotels she stayed at (= disappointing for me). That said she sometimes brought me back cards she bought for me.
My family and friends think I’m bonkers for paying £2.20+ for postage! I don’t drink, smoke or spend money on myself so I can afford it. They joke that I am single handedly keeping the Post Office afloat Long live the handwritten word to spread joy and to making connections!!
That is a good point! My husband raises his eyebrows at all my stamp purchases. Though there are many much more costly hobbies! (Some examples in my family: rare coin collecting, photography with fancy equipment, downhill skiing…) and if I am keeping the mail trucks going, all to the good!
I feel you! Stamps cost 2.88 euro here in Belgium, for international mailing haha
I am actually considering to order German poststamps (they are 1.10 euro for international post!), have them delivered here to me in Belgium and then drive out to Germany 1-2 times per month to go post my letters
@antoniaseagull Oh you’re definitely not alone with a confused husband. Mine thinks it’s weird as well, writing to people I’ve never seen or heard, but in my opinion that’s the exact reason why it’s so magical. And there are so few magic things left in the world these days.
I only discovered postcrossing last week and I love the concept. My first 5 cards are travelling right now, and I can’t wait for them to arrive.
I have also been writing (penpalling) and exchanging Christmas cards before, and I do send Xmas cards to friends and family during the holidays too. They love to receive them, but never write back haha. I guess there aren’t many people anymore who actually appreciate handwriting, or want to take the time for it. Good thing we have all found our tribe here on postcrossing so we can keep up with the hobby for as long as we want!
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and they do seem to want to see them. So now I have received a few, I will show them to the good friends that I trust just to enjoy their reaction! 
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always pampering me by making me hand made journals for my scrapbooking, sending me tons of stickers and other stationery almost every week. Always supporting me by sharing various kinds of stuff so that I can make them. 
So sadly she sometimes (only) sent me (free) cards of the hotels she stayed at (= disappointing for me). That said she sometimes brought me back cards she bought for me. 
