Interesting to read everyones approach on this. So here is mine.
Categories:
Germany
Rest of World
UNESCO
Bridges
People
Art
Food
TV Cinema
Quotes
Animals photo
Animals illustrations
everything Mail related
Transportation
Ad-Cards
Lighthouses
PHQ
Religious cards
some smaller often demanded collections (eg Jiska de Ward.
And of course a box with random, miscellaneous cards. That is also the place, where I throw cards I pulled out, but have no time or energy to put back immediately.
Most of these categories I store in one drawer but in separate zipper bags or envelopes.
In addition to this I have different postcard boxes. I store the ones I receive at the back of the box. So hopefully one day I have those boxes complete again, but with lovely messages on the back.
And I also have a drawer for all those Harenberg cards. I try to keep the calendars intact and use the back page with the small pictures to find a specific card. And afterwards I cross it of.
Sorry if I made everything complicated - for me Humor is very difficult to Read ābetween the linesā especially in a foreign Languageā¦
But now here are really many categories named anyway - Actually the labeling of categories grows with the stash - so if you have only two boats, you will probably sort them either to Transport or to sea/lake, but if you have 20 boats you will name a new categoryā¦ so it is always changing anyway.
I have only three:
Christmas cards
cards made from my photo
all other cards
This works because I donāt have many cards, so I remember (mostly) what I have.
So if I have a colourful text that talks about books, that can be quote, book, colourful, artsy, something I like etc. -themed
For the first two categories I have boxes that each have 6 smaller ones inside, postcard size. I subdivided the categories into the 6 smaller boxes.
My āotherā categorie I only use for sending officials, if I can match a wish. The are in a drawer.
On the forum I only take part in the tag and RR that involve cats and I only collect cat cards.
I think my categories are (Iām not going to go look):
single view
multiview
fine art
illustration
dogs
cats
hedgehogs/bats/wolves/foxes (these are my favorite animals)
other animals
meetup cards
illustrated tourism/maps
handmade
propaganda
I think, if a ājokeā or joke doesnāt feel like a joke, itās good to tell it, isnāt it? That helps. Because it can make better communication, maybe know it was misunderstanding.
If that to you is same as taking everything so serious, maybe donāt take it so seriously yourself
So much bullying happens and is justified because someone thinks itās funny, or is just a joke, and the one who feels hurt is told not to take it seriously. I donāt want this to happen here.
I think and hope you didnāt mean it bad way still
Back to topic:
I forgot one category, which is hand made.
I have these on a smaller separate folder, and some are āhalf doneā, like only background, and these I mostly swap elsewhere, but sometimes if someone likes hand made, and Iām in the right mood, I make such.
Having many categories looks very tempting and easy, just to look the correct place
But, does it get hard to decide to what category it goes? Or if it gets hard, like cat with dog card, itās not a cat, neither a dog - > need for a new category ?
Ohhh, I feel stupid!
Are you keeping the categories in computer, so you look with the word?
(Then the cat and dog -card could be under cat, dog, and cat and dog, maybe also a photo image, cute, animals, pets, the main colourā¦)?
Advertisement cards (as I mostly swap these with other ad card collectors, they are sorted by ad card company and then either by number or chronologically when I obtained them)
Cards I do not collect but are often asked for: map cards, Tausendschƶn, COVID-related, art, Keep calm.
All cards that I have put into my collection and into my stash to send I have scanned and entered into the Colnect Postcard calalog (free to use and contribute for everyone). With its goo search fubction and predefined themes I can quickly find cards matching a Postcrosserās profile. My profileās swap list also shows exactly which cards I can swap. @Idler@Mezzosoprano: As you have already scanned your cards, adding them to Colnect may provide you with an easy search interface.
I really like souvenir cards so I sort mine by: my hometown, my old hometown, museum souvenir postcards, other souvenir postcards from trips, and animals. Then I sort the rest by continent because I have not received it that many from overseas. The coolest artwork gets displayed around the apartment.
Vienna & Austria
Animals
Flowers (which by now is just āBotanyā in general)
Art
Seasons & Occasions
Various
Foreign (cards that I bought during travels etc.)
In the last few months I collected quite a few free cards that often have text on them, bought two box sets, and focussed on cards with food and recipes when visiting souvenir shops since those are often asked. The āVariousā category got really big So I split it up into: food, sayings/text, vintage ads, iconic personalities (people like Mozart, Monarchs etc) and again āvariousā for the rest.
I keep a small system within the categories though- for example under āSeasons & Occasionsā I keep cards in the order spring, easter, summer, autumn, winter, christmas. Or within Vienna/Austria I have viewcards of Vienna at the front, then illustrations of Vienna, and then cards of Austria.
Not having too many categories has two advantages for me: 1. I look at my cards more often when Iām going through a category and my memory of what I have is kept fresh. This helps me not going too crazy when I see postcards in shops
And 2. I love browsing for a card after I read a profile, and sometimes it happens that I stumble across a very fitting card I would not have thought of if it would have been in a more detailed category. I always like when that happens
Well, I have two boxes: one of GB cards, the other of anything else (animals, art, etc). I donāt sort the āotherā cards but I sort the GB cards by country (England, Wales, Scotland) and then by county (Berkshire, Hampshire etc). I like to be able to pick from where Iāve been recently.
As a fairly new Postcrosser I have so far managed with a system that runs to only: ānatureā/animals; historic places; everything else. But I have recently bought many more cards (some from charity shops and vintage shops) and I think I am going to have to make a much more precise system.
I think categories I will need include:
Vintage
Food
Maps
Historic places
Natural world
Animals and birds
Christmas
Postcrossing/post-related
Christian
The media
Literary
Where am I going to keep all these??? At the moment they are in different paper bags in a Wellington boots box!
I jusf started & havenāt.even gotten any of the ones to register. So, for now they qre only: Respond, Response not needed & Pen Pals. I have a question though. Are insect cards & the like popular to send? I have seen them mentioned by a couple of people. I am TERRIFIED of spiders. Has anyo e gotten these & is it normal?.
Yes, many Postcrossers like photos and nice illustrations of insects and spiders. Iāve met a lot of them on here! They are included in wishlists just like other animals and topics.
If you are worried, perhaps just mention on your profile, āPlease no pictures of spiders - I am very afraid of them!ā
I have received postcards of butterflies and a banana slug (because on my profile I mention how I enjoy looking at bugs and creatures in nature.) Iāve never had anyone send me anything shocking
No apologies please. Thank you for your kind reply. There are some wonderful forum topics about organizing received cards as well, if that is what you seek. Best wishes!
I have 3:
and I only collect cat cards.
So I split it up into: food, sayings/text, vintage ads, iconic personalities (people like Mozart, Monarchs etc) and again āvariousā for the rest.
