Routine when putting postcards in the mail

Postcrossing General Topics
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(Almost) every morning I put my postcards in the mailbox at the post office on my way to work.
And I always say to my postcards “safe trip”.
I have a feeling that when I forget to say this, they will not arrive to their destination :stuck_out_tongue:
Is there anyone out there who also talks to their postcards? :sweat_smile:

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I do not have a special routine. I take them either to the post agency around the corner where I live or whre I work or put them into the next mailbox. They travel with Deutsche Post, so I am sure they have a good trip at least until they land in the country of destination and most of them will get to their destination safe and sound. I am really confident, but maybe I’ll start saying goodbye to them anyway. But for now I welcome some that arrived here.
Do you give them names, @Purple-Hortensia ? Maybe Fred or Amalia? Just an idea…

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No, I don’t talk to my postcards :slight_smile:
But I do make sure I have a last good look at them on the way to the mail-box. Several times I caught myself almost mailing cards without an ID, and once I had forgotten to write the address :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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No, I don’t give them names, but maybe I should … :thinking:

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Dear postcrosser you send more 5000 postcard.You’ll need a dictionary for sure if you start naming them :sweat_smile:

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Similar to @Ludek, I have some kind of final checklist:

  1. ID added - Checked
  2. Address fully written - checked
  3. Correct stamp used - checked

Otherwise I have fear that something is forgotten :joy:

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Adding to this list: did I take a picture of the front of the postcard?

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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I just have a special feeling when I put the postcards in the mailbox. It’s hard to describe, but my heart just kind of squeezes at a thought that these postcards will go far away and I will never see them again. Each time it’s a special moment, so I take a second just before I put them in the mailbox.

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If no one else is waiting for the mail slot, I put each card in one at a time and tell it where to go:
“Go to China”
“Go to Netherlands”
“Go to Russia”
“Go to East Pickle Fork, Pennsylvania”

Most of the time the cards listen to me and go to their destination :laughing:

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delete

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I try to get hand cancelled at the counter to avoid the machine cancellation (or dreaded pen cancels!).

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@chasingkites, that is so sweet. :relaxed: And I know exactly what you mean.

I definitely talk to my postcards sometimes, usually when I am dropping them into a public mailbox (instead of leaving them outside my door for the mail carrier). Sometimes I say goodbye to them individually, and sometimes I address them all as a group before dropping them in:

[deep breath] “Okay, good luck, guys!” :crossed_fingers::grimacing::crossed_fingers:

Apart from that, my routine is usually:

  1. Verify that I wrote the ID
  2. Put the cards outside for the mail carrier
  3. Realize hours later that I never took a picture of them to upload
  4. @#$%!
  5. Check my mailbox and see that it’s too late to retrieve them
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How strange, putting on the stamp is always the first thing I do!

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I use only two different mailboxes where I put my postcards, one directly on the post office and one in the city on the way to work. If I will not go to work, I will drive extra to the postoffice to put them into the mailbox. So my feeling is, that I trust only these two mailboxes, that the postcards will arrive for sure :slight_smile:
A last look if everything is okay, stamps, ID, adress and then I wish them always a “good way” :smile:

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Lately I started to go to the mailbox close to my place during my lunch break - not only cards are collected earlier but also I may get some sun, so it’s always worth it :sun_with_face:

The only consistent thing all these years is that I always pat the mailbox after dropping stuff in it. I started doing that as a joke (I think I saw it in a movie or a hidden camera show) but I adopted it quickly and I don’t see a reason to stop doing that :blush:

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After reading this thread, oh, yeah, I have to rethink my strategy.
I usually go for a walk to the mailbox on workdays (1 km there and 1 km back) and throw at least one postcard into it, the written side facing up. I take a quick look to see if the stamp is stuck on and throw it in the mailbox.
In the future, I will also send - in my thoughts - a good wish for a safe journey … :smiley:

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I usually mumble: “Safe travels and do not disappoint me!”

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My Post lady is so kind- I can leave my cards and letters in my postbox, and add a small note: “Please, take them to Post Office”- and she do. So, the main point is to check, is still the note on the box, or already collected off. My mental talking is with the people to whom I’m sending the cards.

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I usually flick through the cards before I put them in the mailbox, counting to make sure I haven’t dropped one on my way. I also take a glance at ID, address and postmark. My boyfriend always thinks I check which slot I need to put them in (there’s one for local cards that stay in the city and one for everywhere else) and tells me they certainly all need to go into the same one (they do), but I like to see whether anything unusual catches my eye, like a missing ID or wrong postage.

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