I just want to share with you guys these maxicards i made with royal mail’s latest special stamp release. It’s my first time so i am very happy and excited!!
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Wow! So pretty! 
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Omg!
You have a talent!
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Theyre absolutely beautiful!!! There are going to be some lucky people receiving those. On a technical level can I ask how you did it? Did you take them personally to be stamped? I’d love to do something similar but i dont live close to any of the stamping offices. I know you can post them to go to the sites but as far as i know the cancellations are only for first day use of the stamps so how do you get the stamps on the maxi card before the day of issue.
Lol starting to find that postcarding is a bit of a rabbit hole once you get into it.
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Hello @Natea Ok so i checked you are in UK😊
I was once like you full of questions so i would love to help you.
Ok so what i do is, check the bulletin for the postmarks code. Then i go to the post office (9am sharp lol) the day they are released! Then prepare it and send it the exact same day as you are right you can only do it on the day itself. On the bulletin there’s the posting addresses to where you need to send the postcards to be postmarked. as i do mine blank i have to include a return envelope (no stamps needed) and voila!! Let me know if you have anymore questions. I would love to answer all 
Hi @jahlove, thanks so much for answering my questions. I might just have to have a go at this for the commonwealth games issues later this month. Just have to hope that whatever I post actually makes it to the franking address in time as I live far away from all of them. It’s worth a shot though!! Thanks again 
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It doesn’t have to make it to the special handstamp centre on time. You just have to make sure that the outer envelope you send to the centre bears a postmark dated on or before the date the handstamp is in use. So in practice this means making sure your envelope is in the postbox before the last collection time on the day of issue. Best to use the postbox at a nearby Royal Mail depot if you have one, as they have later last collection times (and are more likely to actually get emptied every day!)
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I’ve actually found the Handstamp Centre’s to be quite flexible, I have frequently submitted maxicards and covers a few days to a week after the issue date, and they still come back with the desired postmark.
First Day of Issue postmarks have strict rules, but sponsored postmarks, are easier to to obtain.
I usually include phone number, if anything is wrong, the friendly team will give you a call.
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This is some nice new information! Thanks all! I am also new so still learning. Some postcrossers told me they don’t do it anymore after the date so i try to send it on time lol. But good to know. Will be ready for the 28th anyway 
I LOVE THEM, those are so cute!!
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hi will you be able to send it to me ?
karishma
These are so beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been trying to figure out how to get special postmarks for a while; In order to get them sent back to you, the official Royal Mail Bulletin states to include a return address marked envelope without additional postage, which is OK!
But elsewhere in the same document it notes that each postcard getting a special postmark needs to be addressed (in addition to the stamp)…
Would you happen to know if postcards need to be addressed in order to receive a postmark even if they will be returned to original sender, or is it OK to send them blank with postage since they’ll be sent back to sender in this example anyway?
I’m sorry if this isn’t very clear; I found the Bulletin to be a bit confusing, and it’s oddly hard to find more clear instructions elsewhere-- If you aren’t sure, no worries!
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I totally understand! Yes those postcards on the picture above are blank! The stamps are on the front with postmark and the back part is blank! And i just included a return address envelope without postage and it arrived back to me. This is the 2nd time i did it. Hope that makes sense! @Ratchet
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I did this in the beginning, blank postcards no addresses, about a year into obtaining special postmarks, the RM team at the London Handstamp Centre called me and told me that,
All items of mail submitted for postmarking must be addressed, even if reposting in an envelope undercover, they advised me if you want postcards and letters blank with no address, write it on a temporary posted note or peelable label, as postcards/covers are ‘farmed-out’ potential away from your return envelope and mixed up with other people’s covers too, it’s easier and quicker for them to return your covers without them potentially going lost or posted back to someone else.
Turn around times can be anywhere between 7 days and three months. Although I have had covers back recently as quick as three days.
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Thank you both so much! I really appreciate your help! This is all really helpful to know. <3
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