If you're a newsletter subscriber, you read in last week's newsletter, we wrapped up our exciting 17-week giveaway celebrating the 101st anniversary of the modern First Day Cover.
We also extended a word of gratitude to Sylvia M.—who not only came up with the idea—but generously gifted all 17 FDOI postcard prizes at her own expense.
If you're a regular reader, you might recognize Sylvia's name from past mentions. Notably, she's suggested many of our biggest hits, including: World Postcard Day, Lunar New Year, the 150th Postcard Anniversary, Solar Eclipse, and many more.
We thought you'd enjoy learning more about Sylvia and her passion for postcards, so we conducted a virtual interview with her via email. We hope you enjoy the following!
Masai Mara, Kenya
Thank you, Sylvia, for sharing your time and experiences with us. We're so glad to have this chance to chat with you!
Thank you so much for having me! It's a pleasure to share my passion for postcards with your readers. I hope they enjoy it!
For our first question, what sparked your interest in postcards?
When I was younger and there were no cell phones, I sent postcards to myself when I traveled because they made nice souvenirs and didn't need to be developed like the film in my camera. In 2015, when I read an article about Postcrossing, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun and after receiving my first twenty postcards or so, I became a postcard enthusiast.
Dog sledding in Alaska
Do you travel a lot, and in your travels what type of postcards do you like to collect?
I love to travel and have visited about 65 countries and 47 of 50 states. When traveling, I especially like to look for unusual postcards, including 4 x 24 panorama postcards (Grand Canyon), postcards made of wood or copper, round postcards (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), and motion cards (two different images show when you tilt the card).
(NOTE TO OUR READERS: The photos in this newsletter showcase some of the fascinating destinations Sylvia has visited during her travels. Some photos are her own, while others are representative images of places she's visited.)
In addition to your interest in First Day of Issue postmarks, you also collect other special markings on your postcards. What are some of your favorites?
First of all, I want to thank Trevor B for introducing me to First Day of Issue (FDOI) postmarks. I often send postcards with FDOI postmarks, and I recently began creating maximum cards. I also like creating collectible postcards with pictorial postmarks, and when I travel, I may add National Passport, Route 66 Passport, and Lighthouse Passport ink stamps to the written side of the postcards.
I'm glad you mentioned Trevor. We hope to feature him in a future newsletter, as he's played a significant role in our business growth as well.
That sounds like fun!
Washington, D.C.
You have an interesting story how you discovered our postcards. Please share with our readers.
I saw your advertisement on Postcrossing.com for your free postcard samples in late 2017 and filled out the request form. The samples arrived promptly with a handwritten note from you. My adult niece and I loved the beautiful images on the front of the postcards but were disappointed with the reverse side of the cards, and I didn't order any postcards (I'm so sorry!)
However, since you had written such a nice note, I kept my eye on the website and subscribed to your newsletter. In April 2018 you announced you were redesigning the back of the cards, so I put in my first order that spring and the rest is history!
Arches National Park, Utah
Do you have a favorite Christopher Arndt postcard?
Wow—it's difficult to choose just one postcard, so I'll mention my top four: USA State Postcards (Set of 57); Chicago Deep Dish Pizza; Custom Hometown Postcards; panorama postcards.
The "new" USA State postcards are gorgeous, and I love that you redesigned them with input from your customers. The Chicago postcard is a favorite because I'm from Chicago and love writing to Postcrossers about the way deep dish pizzas are layered "upside down."
You suggested a category on our website that some readers might not know about. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
Sure. That would be "Postcards by Stamp." I suggested the idea because I love sending matching postcards and stamps, and I assumed others would enjoy it too. The concept is simple: choose a stamp and see all the matching postcards available.
Thank you for helping us maintain this category by sharing all the USPS stamp changes.
My pleasure!
Bailiwick of Guernsey, Channel Islands
In 2024 you embarked on a fun little project. Tell us more.
I always enjoy when I come across your postcards on Postcrossing. So for 2024, I kept track of how many I saw. Interestingly, it was 499 postcards sent by 294 different Postcrossers.
Let your readers know: if they think they may be one of those 294 Postcrossers, please send me (SylviaM) an email through Postcrossing.
As we wrap up, what advice would you give someone just starting out with postcards and Postcrossing?
If you can, attend a Postcrossing meetup—it's a great way to connect and to learn a lot in a short period of time from nice people who want to help one another.
Thank you, Sylvia, for taking the time to chat with us. It's been a pleasure getting to know you better and share your passion for postcards with our readers. We're so grateful for your contributions to our community!
Thank you so much for asking me! It was a delight to share my love for postcards with your readers. I'm thrilled to be part of such a wonderful community. Thank you again for the opportunity!