We sure hope you will like it here!
1 Like
I’ll try to make this brief. (My husband says nothing I write/say is brief so sorry in advance.)
I happened across Postcrossing on accident while looking for journal stuff. (I was looking for washi tape which I have an addiction to. 
)
After a week of wondering what the heck “postcrossing” was, I finally looked it up and here I am. I was super, SUPER excited; I LOVE sending snail mail and writing random notes, leaving them around my house for my kids and husband (usually involves washi tape too; did I mention I love washi tape? 
) I love anything handwritten as it is sadly becoming so…unnecessary?
So, with anticipation and pure Christmas morning excitement, I created my account and had visions of postcards going all over the world with washi tape, stickers, etc. I’m thinking about how excited the receivers of the postcards are going to be! I sent my first five (5) cards and THEN started reading forum topics…I’m not sure if I am regretful or grateful I started reading the posts here? One of the first topics struck fear: someone said a recipient wasn’t happy with what they received from them and my heart drops. I am instantly disheartened because I am thinking I would be happy to receive a postcard at all! What if someone gets my postcard and is upset because I chose the wrong color washi tape? Or upset that I put washi tape on at all? Doesn’t like the stamp I used? I was getting pretty depressed reading how intricate and detailed postcrossing seems to be. I work a full time job 3rd shift, I am a mom, wife to a disabled husband, run a cheesecake business and have a Black Russian Terrier and Romanian Mioritic Shepherd; two giant breed dogs. I had horses until a month or so ago. I’m crazy busy during my routine “day-time stuff”.
I started thinking- maybe I am not cut out for this? It seems like there are a lot of guidelines and rules. What if I break a rule or don’t do something right? I just wanted to do something for fun that made others as happy as I would be to receive an actual, for real, live, hold-in-your-hand postcard with an actual stamp…which is another topic and the reason I didn’t post this in a certain category on the forum. I am sort of embarrassed to say this, but, I guess in my excitement to send postcards, I didn’t even think about looking to see how much it would cost to send a postcard internationally, so I am sure a couple of the first several will never make it to the recipient. (Sorry in advance… 
). I also didn’t realize there is a proper way to send a postcard depending where it is going?
Everyday, we are disappointing someone; I realize we can’t make everyone happy. I also realize we have preferences, but I am intrigued by people and the way they think and why they make the choices they make, so really, I don’t have much of a preference. I just want to have fun and I just thought if someone signed up to be a postcrosser, they were, by default, thinking exactly like me- super excited to send/receive postcards…any, all, handmade, homemade, red, flamingo, moomin, washi tape on and only one stamp instead of 5 (if it makes it there at all…lol).
Am I overthinking this? I feel like my happy red hot air balloon was deflated.
8 Likes
Hey and welcome to Postcrossing!
First of all, I love Washitape, too!
Second, if you would like to receive a card from me made with Washi-Tape, please send me your Adress in a OM and I will send one out to you.
Third, I do not think that you can do much wrong here. The only rules there are: send a postcard and register any received postcards. The rest is mandatory, or so I see it. Of course, I LOVE it when someone takes special time and care to choose a card for me, stamps, stickers, Washitape an writes something nice, sharing something. But I am aware that not everyone has the means to do so and so every card is welcome. I think you are a nice, creative person who puts care in her sending postcards. If the recipient does not see this or appreciate it, the it is their problem, not yours. Just enjoy your part of Postcrossing, the writing, decorating, receiving, and don’t worry too much if others enjoy their part. That is their choice anyway and you can’t change it.
So for now I hope that helps a bit.
8 Likes
Hello and welcome to the forum and Postcrossing!
Please know that the majority of Postcrossers are people (who are not demanding) and will be happy with cards you send.
There are some things to know, so consider reading up on the guidelines and FAQs: Help and F.A.Q.
Stamp requests are just that - requests. Do not feel obliged that you have to fulfill them.
On a side note, putting proper postage on the card is necessary for it to reach the recipient. In the US, the easiest way is to use the global forever (the flowers) stamps. Sure, some people do not like that but they can suck it 
I jest but use the flowers if they are convenient for you.
Please see this thread:
Because you like washi tape, perhaps consider joining this tag?
https://community.postcrossing.com/t/washi-tape-postcard-tag-decorate-a-postcard-with-washi-tape/9111
You tag the person above you, send them a message asking for their address, then send out your card to them decorated with washi
6 Likes
Welcome to Postcrossing. I hope you can relax and give it a chance. It has brought me and my family much joy. My experiences have been overwhelming positive. Postcrossing can take as much or as little time as you need it to…it very flexible. It also has many opportunities for creativity. Wishing you many magical postcrossing experiences to come.
4 Likes
First of all, warm welcome to postcrossing!
I think majority of postcrossers are enthusiastic about snail mail. Of course this is a large community, people have joined for different reasons, have different preferences. The only rules you need to follow are postcrossing guidelines and postal rules.
For a newbie in the forum it may seem that there are lots of expectations and unwritten rules and that so many things could go wrong, but it is just the first impression. People come to the forum to share experiences and opinions, to discuss every aspect of postcrossing, positive and negative. You will start to notice that there are so many preferences that each card has potential to be someone’s favourite.
Forum can also be a great way to find like minded people. Have you for example visited this topic yet?
3 Likes
Thank you so much! I will definitely send you an OM. That is very kind of you- And thank you for the motivation! I already feel much better reading the replies I’ve received already.
1 Like
Thank you so much! I sure appreciate the information. I have a lot to catch up on. I did send a forever stamp internationally, so it should make it? The first of five I sent just arrived in Germany, so maybe the forever stamp was sufficient…
Thank you again…sure appreciate the motivation!
Thank you so much. I will continue on!
1 Like
Thank you! Yes, I believe Seracker mentioned this topic and I will definitely check it out. There is definitely a lot of information to read, and I am going to try and not get too overwhelmed from here out.
Enjoy your week and thank you again!
2 Likes
Yes, but in the US there are two types of forever stamps, global forever (usually the round flower, currently worth 1.50) or the domestic forever (currently worth 66 cents)
PS. Stamp prices are about to increase soon again in the US 
Please see:
3 Likes
no, the stamp is not sufficient. But as there is no return address on postcards, it happens quite often that it is delivered abroad nonetheless. I do not think that the US post will just bin it. But I have had to go to the postoffice to pay a “fine” for postcards with unsufficient stamps a few times, so that can happen to recipients, too…
3 Likes
Hello! I see you also subscribe to Overthinkers Weekly. Please be kind to your mind.
There are washi or homemade exclusive tags and RR (if you’re into sending to several at a time). It’s a habit for me to look at someone’s profile and see if I can match their likes list. It’s just how I am.
Just remember, you can’t please everyone. You WILL receive a card one day that is a disappointment. And odds are, you will send some the same. That shouldn’t discourage you. I’ve only been here since last summer and I have paper-met some wonderful people I call friends.
4 Likes
Truly, 99% of the time, people are grateful! Writing postcards is a type of human communication and as with all human communication, there will always be a margin for nuances. That in itself is part of the experience of being an expressive human. There is still beauty in miscommunication, in missing the mark sat chit Ananda!
2 Likes
I haven’t been writing postcards for a long time but would love to get into it again
1 Like
Yes, you are overthinking this, for you see the one who got a negative message, but not the many positive messages that postcrossers send and that are never published anywhere.
I may have received 20 cards, that I did not like for some reason, but in total I received more than 7000 cards.
5 Likes
welcome to postcrossing!
yes, you are absolutely overthinking it, but i can also definitely understand that it’s all a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you read everything on the forum.
i love decorating my cards as well and unless people specifically state on their profile they don’t like washitape or stickers on their cards (yes, that happens sometimes), everyone will get a decorated card from me.
i like to think of it this way: it’s my time and my things i’ve paid money for so i think i should at least have a bit of the fun, no? and honestly, not everyone will like your card. or your decorations. or your message. you will not like every card that falls into your mailbox either.
and some people will have a very specific wishlist on their profile that you can not fulfill.
but that’s only a small part of this beautiful hobby. postcrossing does say that you can not make any demands so if someone does that’s their problem, not yours.
mostly people are just very happy to send and receive cards. just have fun with your cards and your washitapes and i’m sure most people will enjoy your cards.
5 Likes
Maybe some profiles seem to be picky or you want to do it right, just keep in mind. We are people who get excited over a piece of paper that we find in our mailbox… it is not like we have raised the bar high. 
Anyway, try not to overthink it. If you send a nice postcard and write a nice/happy message, for most members that is already the highlight of the day!
7 Likes
welcome to postcrossng. most of us are not picky, the forum is a great place to also meet people. i am happy to swap with you a postcard or even a letter.
Sara
1 Like
Hello, welcome to Postcrossing! In general, everything important has already been said before me, so I’ll just add to it.
- People like different things, but for the vast majority the most important thing is the fact that the postcard has arrived. A postcard for him personally, from afar. You come home after a hard day, and in the box there is a postcard with kind words. This is already enough for the thought “not everything in life is so upsetting.”
- The postcard is perceived as a whole. With tapes, stickers, handwriting. A short story about a person, both about his mood at the time of signing the postcard and about his lifestyle. Even if I would never buy such stickers for myself in my life, on this postcard from this person this sticker is in its place and that’s why it’s beautiful. What’s not to like? The other person is not me, yes, he has different tastes, but for this reason we participate in sending and receiving postcards, in order to touch the world of other people.
- Postcrossing is primarily about patience. About small steps that add up to a long journey. About acceptance, about not worrying about what you put in the box, because you can’t influence it further. About the delayed result of actions, about probabilities, the search for new experiences, communication on the forum and more. Postcrossing is not the burning of a torch, but the smoldering of coals. Roughly speaking, a meditative practice for the soul. So you should enjoy it, buy cards you like, decorate with things you like, etc. It is enough to follow the basic rules like sending a postcard to do it correctly, the rest is up to the individual’s discretion.
I wish you success! Happy postcrossing!
7 Likes