What to Send? What to Send?

It’s actually pretty hard choosing which postcard you want to send out. I think anyone would be surprised when I talk about how much time I take thinking about this every time I go to write a card.

I think the first thing that makes the task hard is people on Postcrossing can be so picky. Once I’m assigned an address, I can look at the receiver’s profile, and most of them list at least a few preferences of what they’d like to get in their mailbox. Most are pretty open to anything, or request something easy like ‘images from your hometown,’ or ‘I like art cards.’ It’s really when people start asking for some pretty specific cards, or set up these criteria that go above and beyond a normal suggestion (‘no multi-views!’ or ‘I like Rodin but not Degas!’).

I’m very tempted to tell these people to be grateful I bothered to spend fifteen seconds thinking of them in choosing a card I think they would appreciate, even if it doesn’t fit in with their expectations. I never do, of course, but I also don’t languish for hours on it either. I like people respecting my suggestions (I do have some of my own, after all) so I try to respect theirs. But this is only the first problem I encounter. There are also the people I am assigned that have absolutely NO preferences. I still want to send them something I think they will enjoy, but I also feel like sending them a more generic ‘Syracuse!‘ card would suffice.

I’m pretty sure this appears next to ‘generic’ in Webster’s Dictionary. 

I have to admit, the pickings around here as far as local postcards go are pretty slim. Most are multi-views, which a lot of people don’t like (I guess because it makes the images too busy to really appreciate). If it isn’t a multi-view, it’s a simple skyline (boring) or a close-up of a place on the SU Hill (frankly, who outside of the US would even care about a state school?). I want it to look like an effort was made, and I want to fairly represent my city!

Aw, come on! They didn’t even try!

Admittedly, I cheat sometimes. I travel a lot for work, and in the winter months I commonly take the train. Train stations I stop at usually have a small gift shop with some pretty cool New York City-centric cards. I’ll send some of these. Sure, it implies I’m from one of the most exciting cities on Earth instead of Mehh-It’s-Ok, NY. But these cards are much more exciting and generally better-received than the Syracuse-based ones.

I’ll even pick a few cards up on vacation elsewhere and send these. For example, last year I went to Seattle for a few days, and ended up acquiring and sending out nearly fifty cards that show off how cool Seattle is.

I mean, I don’t expect Syracuse-based cards to be Rembrandts or anything, but I do feel that twinge of jealousy when I get cards from Nowhereland, New Zealand that are cooler than the ones I send.

On the flip side of this little rant, I have to admit that this aspect of the hobby is as enjoyable in some respects as receiving the cards. If you’re genuine about the collection, you develop a sense of caring about your fellow collectors and want to try and contribute a favorite or a stand-out piece to their own stash. When I receive a card I especially adore, I will PM the sender (an option on the site) and tell them so. It’s flattering when someone does the same for you.

A quick note before I end this post: if you have questions you would like me to discuss or a related topic you wish for me to bring up, let me know! I’m open to requests for guest-posts as well! Until next time!