Postcard Swapping Opportunities

Having amassed a good sized box of postcards I've picked-up while traveling and collected on Swap-bot I thought I'd see what else was out there.

Send a postcard & help save a post office!This post office in Rupert, VT is owned by artist Jane Davies. It's hours have been cut & with the uncertain state of the USPS it's future could be in jeopardy. Jane writes on her blog: " The postal service will review the activity at our post office annually, and decide what to do with it: restore the "normal" hours, close it, cut back the hours even more, etc.  The two things that make a difference to The Postal Powers That Be are (A) revenue, the amount of money the PO brings in via stamp sales and package shipping, and (B) - and this is where you come in - the VOLUME of mail that it handles." 

If you send her a card she'll send you one back. Check out her blog posting for more info.

SWAP-BOT always has a few going, and they've generally pretty specific. Example - just signed up for one that's called "Museum Postcard Swap", with the description "For this swap you'll send your partner a postcard from a museum. It can be any kind of museum, but the postcard must be store-bought."  

Sometimes they can be a bit too specific, and when you add in your individual swappers sometimes (at least to me) obsessive wishes, likes & dislikes it can be sort of a hassle to figure out. There seems to be a consistent disinterest in handmade cards, which are my favorite, so I've gone searching for other/additional options.

POSTCROSSING is probably the best known with the largest number of participants. It's pretty straightforward. Send some. Get some back. The interface is easy. So far I've sent 15 and received 12 back. No problems as yet.

I've received some I'm especially partial to:

from Kel Hardy in Montgomery, Alabama (handmade)

and

from Minna in Outokumpu, Finland (from her mother-in-law's photo stash)

Kate Edith Gough (English, 1856-1948)

Matt sent me this interesting card from Art Institute Chicago. He explains that it's from a Victorian Photocollage show he saw a few years ago. "In those days, it was thought unseemly for women to attend art school or dirty themselves with oil paint, so for many women their only artistic expression came from making collages of their family photos at home."

It's a great card with a really nice message, which shouldn't be surprising as I see that Matt is "18^th on most postcards sent from United States of America" on Postcrossing.

He's inspired me to emulate his messaging style. It was both personal & informative. I feel really lucky to have it in my collection.

















Kat Sloma has set up a "LIBERATE YOUR ART 2013" swap. Send 5 postcards printed with your art by April 6 and receive 6 postcards back. There's also a facebook page for the event. I'm having fun figuring out what image to use.

When I googled postcard swap this cheerful fellow popped up with the appropriately titled website CANYOUSENDMEAPOSTCARD.COM. So far he's received 756 postcards. I'll definitely be sending one just as soon as they come back from the printer.








Searching Tumblr for postcard swap turns up a few options as well. Need more time to sort through what they all involve.

There are a few Facebook pages for swapping: Postcard Exchange is the only one I've had time to look at. Need to spend a bit more time on it. The other pages need more review before I can put them up here. Time, time, time.....


I just found a set of 100 Pantone postcards on Amazon for about $13. Not sure if I'm more interested in having a cheap way to have 100 pantone colors to play with, or the option of using the postcards as a base for my own art.
    Either way, it's cheap enough to give it a try.



Finally, if anyone's interested in swapping directly with me I've got this postcard I designed & had printed available to send out

Email me your address and I'll send a card out to you.