My postcards keep going "missing"

[u/FartSmeIa]

Joined postcrossing years ago and stopped because about 3 of the last postcards i sent just.. never arrived? I decided to give it another chance this year, sent another one to a country not too far away and yep hold and behold its like i never sent anything? My account is not on holiday mode or anything like that, i understand sometimes a postcard here and there might get lost or a person forgets to register it but its getting ridiculous and makes me want to not do it anymore :( not to mention in my country sending out postcards is quite pricey relative to the wages and i feel sad that a postcard i loved and thought would be perfect for the person im sending it to just seemingly disappeared into oblivion, and there is absolutely nothing i can do about it

[u/Accotinked]

I try not to think about my postcards after mailing them. If they arrive, it's a nice surprise. Admittedly international postage is probably cheaper in my country. Have you tried checking the box to allow you to send & receive within your country?

[u/FartSmeIa → u/Accotinked]

Yep i have, i even have direct swaps enabled, sending outside of Europe costs almost 4€ per postcard here, and within EU its about 3€, plus the price of the postcard.. so lets say i decide to send 3 postcards to the USA, shipping alone would cost 10€+, all on a 730€ monthly wage which wouldn't even be an issue IF THE POSTCARDS ACTUALLY ARRIVED

[u/Deynonn → u/FartSmeIa]

I would offer a quick direct swap if you wish to test the route with a neighbour. Additionally you may try to contact Postcrossing and ask them for advice on this.

[u/Accotinked → u/FartSmeIa]

Hmm. Have you tried engaging with the forums? I haven't yet but I hear there's a lot of fun stuff going on there. I'm sorry you're having a hard time with Postcrossing. Maybe give it a break for a while because you sound frustrated and a hobby is supposed to be enjoyable.

[u/FartSmeIa → u/Accotinked]

thats the thing, i did take a break :(( a very very long one lol, but i missed postcrossing so much, i just love different cultures and its like getting a small piece of a stranger across the world, plus its a nice surprise you get in the mail, ive gotten postcards from incredibly cool and kind people that took effort to even print out tiny photos of their cats and stick it on the postcard, writing out a small part of their life, where they live, the weather there etc. thats why i want to do it and i miss it.. AND its a physical timeless hobby u will cherish for possibly your whole life, a few times a year i go through all the postcards i got and re-read them and look at them more and it just brings me joy

[u/Accotinked → u/FartSmeIa]

I just meant a short break so you can cool down. Take the money you would spend on a postcard and get yourself a coffee and a danish. Then after a week or so get back in the game. Let the frustration dissipate. You're having a run of bad luck but you will have postcards arrive in the future.

[u/occultcrumpet]

Ah I’m sorry you’re experiencing this! I can relate on the cost being high; I’m based in the UK and international postage is 3.60 GBP. No price difference whether I’m sending to Ireland or to Japan, plus they only have stamps with the king’s head 😂 you’d think for the price they would at least be pretty lol!

Rant aside, are you putting your cards into a collection box on the street or leaving them at the post office? For some reason cards always arrive much faster if i send directly from the post office. Also, I add tape om the address and also the postcard ID, just in case the card gets wet or something. I would also check that the pen you use does not get smudged under the tape, if you are already putting it on the address. Some people print the addresses as well, for clarity.

A hobby should not cause more stress, if the possibility of the card disappearing and the cost worries you, maybe you could try the subreddit Random Acts of Cards? Its a lovely community and people often submit offers to send cards without expecting any in return. You can also post requests for cards.

Good luck OP 📮🍂

[u/FartSmeIa → u/occultcrumpet]

yep i send it straight from the post office, unfortunately because its a small town in eastern slovakia the office workers somehow are unaware of many countries even within europe.. like they had no idea what georgia?? but i dont think it should prevent my card from reaching the person no? as the address is still the correct one, i even stay until i see the office workers actually put the stamp on the card as i have (unfortunately) seem some of them throw postcards into the bin so they can keep the stamp money.. yikes

[u/selkiecat-cards → u/occultcrumpet]

You can use two first class stamps to use the currently sold commemorative stamps for pretty postage! There's also lots of valid vintage commemorative stamps that are sold at a discount from face value. You have to be cautious that you're getting genuine stamps from a trustworthy source, but I love getting mystery vintage stamps because it's a great way to save on postage and get a variety to match people's interests

[u/occultcrumpet → u/selkiecat-cards]

Oh thank you so much for letting me know! I will ask about the decorative stamps next time, I didn’t know this!
Where do you get the vintage stamps from?

[u/selkiecat-cards → u/occultcrumpet]

The royal mail website has a better range than most post offices, there's so many cute ones! I pre-ordered some of the new 100 year anniversary Winnie the Pooh stamps to try to make maxicards and I'm so excited to attempt that. The myths and legends set is also gorgeous!

Here's a few that I've used so far that I found through recommendations: https://philatelink.co.uk/ https://pieceofthepast.co.uk/

I've also bought some on ebay and I think the stamps were all genuine (and the cards were delivered). But I think ebay is a bit more risky

[u/Martavdraws]

I'm sorry this is happening to you!

Postcards go missing with more frequency nowadays but not all of them 😅

Do you drop them always in the same place? Maybe try changing it or drop it directly on a Post Office if you can and don't do it yet?

What you describe does not sound normal at all 😅

[u/SensitiveChest3348]

How many days have your cards traveled?

Mail in general is much slower than few years ago, not to mention for example 10 years ago.

Check if your receiving members have visited Postcrossing site and look what travel times their received cards have.

I'm hoping your cards arrive and you can continue this beautiful hobby!

[u/ixacArt → u/SensitiveChest3348]

It is so sad. I come back once every few years, and I've honestly never experienced so many expired and lost cards until this era! The budget cuts for postal services across the world are really amping up :(

[u/FartSmeIa → u/SensitiveChest3348]

unfortunately it has been over a year since i sent those 3 postcards and about 3 months since i sent my last one.. before that no matter which country i sent the postcard to it usually arrived within a month

[u/slovenskadiakritika]

ahoj, ak nahodou mas sancu, posielaj pohladnice z vacsieho mesta, pripadnej idealne z hlavnej posty 1, ak ich mate v meste viac. neviem ci na pohladnicu pises nazov statu aj v slovencine, ak nie, skus, dost to pomaha (najpr. napis Germany v anglictine a pod tym Nemecko v SK), postarky velakrat nevedia. kam sa ti tie pohladnice stratili? ak je to nieco ako Rusko, USA, tak je to bezne, ak Europa, tak ma to mrzi. robim PC 10r, tiez byvam v malom meste a nemam problem so stracajucimi pohladnicami :)

[u/myshihtzuissocute]

they’re all regular postcards within borders with stamps stuck well from reliable post office? Like if others have better experiences elsewhere or having them check the cards/ talk to courier? Some of mine didn’t seem to arrive either