My venture into postcrossing was awkward from the giddy-up. Postcrossing is a fantastic site that matches people around the world who are into sending and receiving postcards. I think of it as a social penpal network because, well, that's what it is.
Whenever you want to send a postcard to someone, they give you a name and address, you send a card to that person and they, or someone else, sends one to you. There is a serial number associated and when you receive your postcard, you register it on the site, and a tally is displayed in your profile of how many postcards sent, how many received. Many people also display their postcards received, in a gallery that is part of your profile. Some have their display categorized as, "favorites". There are enough options to make it fun, interesting and, social.
Some people list what types of postcards they'd prefer- and/or, prefer not to receive. This can range from subtle suggestions to obnoxiously demanding ... I've discovered that listing preferences can be a sketchy option if done indelicately, but it can be handy if well executed.
I was eager to get into the mix. First things first. How to register? I clicked on the option I thought would lead me to the answer and it ended up popping out the name and address of a 20 year old woman in Russia that I needed to send a postcard to. I just wanted to know the process at that time - I didn't even have any postcards and it'd be at least a couple of weeks before I could get any. So I ordered some from Amazon. After a week + and no postcards, my daughter suggested I check my account to verify that the order even went through. I followed her sensible suggestion. Sure enough, the order had not gone through. Now this young woman in Russia was going to wait even longer for her postcard! I was starting this whole venture, feeling like a dweeb! However, humble is good.
This morning, my postcards finally arrived! ... And they're fantastic! I think I chose really well. Actually, it wasn't until after I had unwittingly registered to send a postcard, that I even discovered postcard books. Once I had made the discovery, I went a bit ape-shit on Amazon. Holy cow are they cool! It wasn't easy deciding which 'books to choose. I had a budget. And the mid-range was about $7. to $16. depending upon my choices, I could afford 2-3 'books. After a while, I recalled how people from other countries don't seem to grok that NYC is one city [ albeit The City of Earth ] in a larger state. I kind of get it. But I was closer to The City in Connecticut, where I grew up, than from up here in The Capitol Region of New York. Anyway, although there are NYC postcards, I felt it would be misleading of me to use them. When the absolute perfect option presented itself: A postcard book of 100 (The) New Yorker covers (spanning 10 decades)! LOOK!
And then, the other obvious choice for me was...
Since I have been so delayed in sending my first postcard pal her postcard, I think that sending her one from each book is the thing to do ... Don't you?
