What to do with unused postcards

So I am at a loss and am hoping that someone can give me a good idea. I have a lot, and I mean A LOT of new, unused postcards. I guess I have some issue (LOL) and over the years bought a lot of cards for trading on here and Swapbot. Well, I have moved and am downsizing and I have also really slowed down on my trading so I need to rehome most of the cards. But I have no idea how to do it. I shutter to think of them in a landfill. I’m concerned that sticking them in a box and donating them to Goodwill or the like will result in them being trashed. I have managed to find new homes for other stuff like books, fabric and craft supplies where I know they will be used, but haven’t come up with any ideas for postcards. I would be thrilled to donate them somewhere that they will be put to good use. That would be my first choice. I would sell them if I knew where but don’t want to mess with it unless it can be a big “dump.” They are all pretty much the type you buy when traveling around. I have bought them all over the USA. OH YEAH, I also have a bunch that are used and written that I have received and would also love for them to go somewhere that they would be used/loved. Any ideas welcome! TIA!

3 Likes

Maybe you should check out the lottery forum to see if you can give away those postcards?

3 Likes

I’m fairly new to postcrossing and starting to buy more postcards. If you’re in a giving spirit, you can send me some of your unused postcards :slight_smile:
There’s another category in the forum for trades/offers too! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

2 Likes

As syaffolee said, you could give them away in lotteries or - if you’re interested in receiving written and stamped postcards in return - trade a couple of unwritten cards for one written postcard. You can also just sell them here. This forum is a great place. You can make all kinds of offers and will find someone who’s interested in trading or swapping with you. :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like

In the German forum a member offered to give away a part of his collection to interested members in Germany, in bunches of 30 cards per person, if they’re willing to send back the postage. It was a “first come, first serve” action.

An envelope with 30 cards needs a stamp of 1,55€ to be sent to a German address, so he asked that everyone participating sends back a stamp of 1,55€. Over forty people participated, and nearly all fulfilled their promise to send back at least stamps of this value, so that in the end he didn’t have to pay for giving away his cards for free. :slightly_smiling_face:

I thought this was a great idea to make other Postcrossers happy, and much simpler and quicker than doing lotteries. Perhaps it’ll work in the local US forum too?

19 Likes

I have encountered many teachers who run a postcrossing account for their students. It seems to me if you know any teachers, or contact a few local schools you might find a home for them where they’d likely get used.

Cassisia has an excellent idea as well. Domestically, a small flat rate Priority Mail box costs $8.45. I think you could easily fit 200 postcards in one. Make that offer (I pay postage for free postcards) here on the forums, I bet you’d get some takers.

2 Likes

Used: You could sell your used cards to a cover dealer at a stamp show/dealer at your local stamp club or auction house.
They may pay ~$20-$50/shoebox, depending.
Some dealers buy new cards too.

Mint: Could pre-package and price the cards in like packages of 30. To make it easy for the thrift store?

Some ideas:

  • batch them and drop them off at area senior’s residences or seniors activities centres. They can either just read them, or they can select from them and write to people they are thinking about.

  • they could be interesting resources for centres for disabled children and adults

  • art centres could use them for various lessons

  • schools: for after-school programs

  • private schools, such as Montessori or middle / high schools which could use them for history/art activities

If you want to reduce your stockpile of unused postcards, my first advice would be to keep away from this website! :wink:

My original reason to become a Postcrosser was, that I always wrote a lot of postcards during holidays - but bought even more! So over the years I had piled up a stock of some 200-300 leftover postcards. And when I heard about Postcrossing I thought I could finally put them to some use…
Well I could, and I actually did. But I also started buying more postcards - from my own town, and on various themes that people wre looking for… And soon I was buying more and more postcards - while also writing more and more, to be sure - and by now I have a stock of some 1500 to chose from. So as far as “reducing my stockpile of unused postcards” is concerned, Postcrossing really hasn’t worked for me!!! :smiley:

10 Likes