In Search of Postcards
I could have spent hours browsing the selection here, at L’univers de Leo in Paris
When I moved to England I decided to channel my weakness for stationery into something worthwhile. So I started a postcard project back in October, offering to send a postcard to anyone who requested one.
The final tally: I’ve sent 47 postcards in the last seven months, 16 of which have been for my family (because I send one from every city I visit). My brother joked that he’d have to dedicate a whole wall to my postcards soon.
Writing postcards has become a fun and functional habit—it indulges my love of stationery, helps me stay in touch with friends back home, keeps the dying postal service in business and is a much cheaper habit than buying souvenirs that just gather dust. The only things I ever bring back from my trips are chocolate bars and other edible items :)
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*Tip: If you’re looking to buy postcards in London
The best selection of postcards I’ve found in London—and believe me, I’ve looked all over this town—is in a small convenience store in Hay’s Galleria along the South Bank, on Hay’s Lane. I honestly don’t even remember if the store had a name; it’s just on the left before you enter the Galleria if you’re walking from Tooley St. It’s a small selection, but they’ve got a lot of interesting historic ones. A lot classier than the garish close-ups of the Queen where you can see all her pores. The postcards here cost about £0.60 per card. The cheapest postcards I’ve seen are sold in the souvenir shops lining Oxford Street, for £0.10~0.15 apiece.
8 Responses to “In Search of Postcards”
I wish I could find a place to buy nice postcards in Bordeaux, couldn’t find one so far :( Also now I kind of regret not sending my family postcards of the cities I’ve visited, but maybe I’ll start doing that now :)
Never too late! :)
There’s something about sending and receiving something in the mail that will never grow old. You make me wish I’d done a little more of that over the years…
Agreed! There really is nothing like a handwritten, tangible piece of mail waiting in your mailbox. Worth a dozen one-liner emails fired off an iPhone/Blackberry!
I really love this paragraph as I wholeheartedly concur: “Writing postcards has become a fun and functional habit—it indulges my love of stationery, helps me stay in touch with friends back home, keeps the dying postal service in business and is a much cheaper habit than buying souvenirs that just gather dust. The only things I ever bring back from my trips are chocolate bars and other edible items :)” I hope this art never dies!! Maybe we need to start a ‘postcard marketing campaign’?
I’m all for it! Right before I moved to London I read an article about the “dying art of postcard writing,” and it made me sad but determined to keep it alive. Though I don’t try to be as clever as the author thinks one needs to be when writing postcards. Then again, the author is British and them Brits are always trying to be clever, aren’t they? Heh.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/04/postcard-writing-lost-art
I too love post cards and used to buy one (or two or three…) in every city I have visited. They seem to be harder to find and mail in Asia; not to mention the mail service is super slow or things get lost… so I haven’t bought so many glossy postcards lately. This has inspired me to start again. I love the post card idea too! May have to borrow that ;)
I can imagine! And yes, spread the postcard love! I’m sure your friends and fam would love to hear from you :)