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Comment by dmvjs | Hacker News Reader

postcards dont exist anymore

I've been exchanging postcards on Postcrossing (https://www.postcrossing.com/) for years, it's very fun! I've even been to Postcrossing meetups, where several members gather to sign postcards so you send them to people.

In Postcrossing you put your address, and then you can request a random one. You put an ID, so when the recipient receives it, they register that number and you get a postcard from a random member.

I recently started Postcrossing. 5 sent, with 2 traveling to Russia and China (from the US, it's been ~40+ days, I figured those 2 would take a while, but we will see if they get delivered!)

So far I've gotten 2 from Taiwan, and 1 from Germany and Belgium.

I'm excited to find my next stash of cards to send out! It really is such a wholesome activity.

I've been sending postcards to a list of ~15 local friend and family for the last couple years. I travel a lot for work so have a lot to send. I get so few responses, only 2 people have ever replied, and one of those was some random person I met on Discord. I really wish more people would send mail. My mom will occasionally text me to say she liked the card, but she never seems to get the hint that I'd super appreciate a physical response even if it's some scribbles on notebook paper in an envelope. I teared up a little bit when I got my first postcrossing card.

Postcards, while travelling, are one of the very few instances when I write by hand, these days. I started about 20 years ago, I most usually only write the address and a smiley — the old school analogue medium is most of the message (that I take the time to pick a postcard, which then has to travel physically to reach the distance to its target).

where can you buy them? not at the post office, grocery store, nor the Hallmark near me. the cheap 19 cent postcard stamps also cannot be bought anymore.

I'm one of those improbable folks not based in US. While a tad more difficult to get by these days, I've eventually most always managed to find postcards. All post offices sell stamps (excluding the few that only manage parcels). Also, any postcard sized piece of cardboard that bears a stamp qualifies as a travel worthy postcard – once I did just that, for the fun of it, and it worked. I've once received a stamp beer coaster.

PS. Another fun game is to see what's the most cryptical, vague postal address that does the job. See:

- What is the minimal possible UK address? – https://hkrn.ws/34995370

- Falsehoods programmers believe about addresses – https://hkrn.ws/5791489

National and state park visitor centers often carry them too. Cities and states also have tourist information centers with postcards.

Museums. Bookstores.

Those are the top-two places I see them when traveling abroad from the US.

many of the gas stations, I think cracker barrel, and many other tourist knick knack stores around my (tourist heavy) city have them.. of course printing your own is not hard these days.

Museums always have cheap postcards for sale.

i found the usps website has a 61 cent postcard stamp, there is one to choose from

You can also use a normal stamp, but the postcard stamp saves you 12 cents per postcard. Up to you how much you care; I'll just use whichever design I like better.

A year ago I started sending postcards to my 91 year old father because he has difficulties with modern forms of communication. They do still exist but you have to search for them.

They're everywhere. But if you're short on time, buying the postcard is often easier than getting stamps and dropping it in a postbox.

One petty complaint - generally across the world, stamp design has nosedived. Compared to old postage stamps, they have terrible typography and gaudy colours. I've generally been disappointed when buying stamps to put on postcards. Old stamps were truly works of art.

I send around 20 a year. Checking the mail is relatively monotonous for people, so receiving one is like a lucky gacha pull in today’s world.

Since they’re so memorable, it’s usually an easy way to make someone’s day without much time, money or effort. There’s also very little scrutiny in what you write, so even an in-depth episode about sun glare at the bus stop goes a long way.

Yes they do. In my last holiday I went around in the whole bar and everybody wrote a few word for my mom. The experience to do was very nice, the result was very fun and my mom was very happy and knew we had a fun time :-)

A friend just sent me one from Minnesota!

treasure it, not as common an occurrence as it used to be

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