Hi! Next month I’m having a layover of 12 hours in San Francisco. I’ve never been to the US, and I’m excited to be there! I’m wondering if there’s anywhere special to get a variety of fun stamps, and somewhere to buy good quality touristy and artistic postcards! Links and google maps locations are appreciated. Thank you in advance!
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The airport would be a good place to start. Fisherman’s Wharf, pier 39. Really most places in San Fran has postcards from what I’ve experienced when I travel there 
googling places to buy postcards might help with showing you bookstores, antique shops, etc. Someone else might be able to give exact stores that sell postcards. I can only speak from my experience with visiting San Fran.
This is not postal advice, but a reminder- check the weather in advance. Depending on your destination, San Francisco could be much warmer or much colder than other destinations in the US that time of year. I once made the mistake of landing in Portland Oregon without a coat. Have fun.
Regarding UnreadLetterDays comment, a light jacket should suffice for the coldest/warmest that SF can offer. Dress in layers if possible. From the airport, you can follow signs and catch BART (the train) to Embarcadero. Make sure to get off at Embarcadero, or else you’ll cross the Bay to Oakland and have to take a train back.
Walk along the Embarcadero and enjoy the view of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. The Ferry Building is home to Acme Bread - pretty good bread, as well as lot of other pricey but pretty good food/drink/artisanal stuff. Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 have lots of touristy postcards at around the 2 for $1 price point, and you can see the sea lions basking in the sun.
Chinatown has a really cool vibe if you’ve never been. They have lots of Chinese bakeries selling buns and pastries by the piece. Good Mong Kok bakery has a bit of a gruff customer service but good food. Postcard wise, you’ll find lots of touristy ones anywhere near the Chinatown Muni station and around Portsmouth Square. These might be closer to the 4 for $1 price point if you get lucky.
Stamps-wise, there is a USPS on the first floor of the Embarcadero Center. They usually have a sign with what stamps they have and a big binder that they’ll flip through. You can preview what might be available on the USPS website.
The postcard places that I recommended in here are very, very tourist-centric if you’re OK with those. Artistic cards-wise, Lola Card Shop looks pretty good and it’s in North Beach, which isn’t too far of a walk from Chinatown. Can’t vouch for them in real life though.
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If you go to Union Square there is a small touristy shop sells postcards and stamps from there can walk into China Town
Get a tram to the front & walk along to Pier 39 near where the sea lions are and good touristy shops/cards. Grab some clam chowder
Wonderful ocean city. If you can spend a couple of days do & go to Alcatraz /get a bus to the ocean side & walk on the beach /Japanese garden at the top of the Golden Gate park /ferry to Sausalito & bus back accross the bridge.
If you take BART to the Embarcadero as tragicwaffle25 suggests, Book Passage bookstore inside the Ferry Building has postcards.
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@Pinksxo @UnreadLetterDay @tragicwaffle25 @tesc @sptortoise thank you all so much for your suggestions!
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