International Postcard Week

International Postcard Week is the first full week in October every year.  So for 2024, it will be October  6 - 12, 2024.  World Post Day is on October 9th. So this is a great week to celebrate and share our wonderful hobby! #InternationalPostcardWeek

Why have an International Postcard Week?
Why not? - Because of sites like Postcrossing, postcard collecting has become huge over the last few years.  Many people are meeting-up all over the world to celebrate their hobby.  This will be a week for everyone to celebrate by creating their own postcard to swap and share.  It will be a boost for our hobby and maybe bring others in to start collecting and swapping cards too. It is also a great way to get postcards of places that are not printed on any other postcard!

Here is how to participate:

Take a picture, draw, paint, use rubber stamps or stickers and design the front of your card.  Keep in mind you want it to say somewhere on the front "International Postcard Week" and the dates "October 6-12, 2024".  Maybe you can draw inspiration from your home town.  Remember you will be swapping with people from other countries and they might not have a postcard from your home town.  Some will use humor as their subject, or their pets.  Remember there will be children swapping too.   When you get the front of your card done, you can add some information on the back about your design.  If you are using a building in your country, tell us something about it.  Your pet?  What makes him/her special.  Feel free to write on the card in your native language.  However, please translate everything into English right next to it if you do.  - Also, make sure you put somewhere on the card your name and the name of your country so the receiver will know where your card came from!

When you're done, have your card printed.  Some can do this in their own home with a printer.  If not, there are many sites that will print it for you.

www.vistaprint.com
www.zazzle.com (you can design on this site too)
www.overnightprints.com 

Use your search engine and you will find many more to choose from.  (I have used both vistaprint and zazzle with no problems)

After your cards are printed, be sure to sign at least your first name on the back to make them more personal.  This is not required, but it is a nice touch.

How Many Cards to Swap??

There is no way to know until about a week before the celebration to know how many are going to sign up.  You can look at the previous year and that might be an estimate.

Last, but not least - to swap:

Send an e-mail to: InternationalPostcardWeek@gmail.com and let me know you are going to participate.  I will make a list of all the people who want to swap and send it out a week or so before International Postcard Week begins.  ** Send me your name and address (with country) AND if you want to receive your card in an envelope or if you want it stamped and written.

QUESTIONS??

If you have any questions, send an e-mail to the above address, or leave a note here.  I will be sure to help as soon as I can.

Share: 

Thank You for participating or sharing this page to help get the word out.  There is a twitter and facebook link on the bottom of the page to share.

Here is a quick summary: 

Step 1) design and print/create your own postcard 

Step 2) register at this site

Step 3) in the month of September I will send you an address list, and you will send your cards to the people on that list

Step 4) in early October, you will receive postcards from other collectors around the world


ONE EXAMPLE:

 here is a scan of the back of the postcard...

Here are a few examples: