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Published: October 3rd 2022
Very recently I traveled internationally for the first time since 2019. It felt wonderful to be traveling again because when the COVID virus virtually shut down the world, I lost my nearly life-long lust for travel. My friends were duly shocked when I told them in 2021 that I didn’t want to travel anymore, and at the time I sincerely meant it! I didn’t have COVID then, but I felt that some unknown malaise or ailment had incapacitated me in a most significant way and it seemed like the desire to travel had left me completely.
Since my friends and acquaintances from varied parts of the world had also stopped traveling during the 2020 – 2021 time period, I stopped receiving postcards from them. The near total absence of postcard surprises, those tiny paper rectangles of colorful snapshots arriving in my mailbox was a vivid reminder that life had surely changed. However, no longer hearing or seeing planes soar above on their way to and from the nearest major airport was probably the most stark reminder. I’m not forgetting that the inability to travel was a small enough burden to bear considering people were losing loved ones to that horrible
disease. Still, I really missed receiving postcards as well as the closely connected ability to travel to places near and far from which to send postcards to others. Like other people, trips planned for 2020, and 2021, and unfortunately even a late 2022 trip had to be cancelled.
As a child in grade school my favorite subjects were Art, World Geography, and History – in that order. Maybe during the study of World Geography was the time when the first tiny seedlings of my passion for travel and collecting postcards were planted. In those days just learning about ‘distant lands’ --- their location on the globe, their languages, historic sights, topography, agriculture, what goods they produced, and seeing their native costumes --- excited something in me. The thought of actually having the opportunity to visit them someday seemed incredibly far-fetched! So the receiving of and the collecting of postcards was a way to virtually experience travel to places I could only dream of seeing then, even in my own country. Happily, my early childhood did include a few trips to Canada by car and train to visit relatives and the last trip actually included a visit to “Expo 67”
in Montreal.
Where I bought my first postcard escapes my memory now (I think it could have been Williamsburg, Virginia), but
when I received my first few postcards does not --- a postcard from my Father when he briefly worked in a southern state, and a postcard from Florida from a beloved friend, my brother’s girlfriend, telling me she wished I was with her. I treasure these postcards.
No doubt, there was a lapse of many years when I didn’t think about collecting postcards and probably received none personally. But when I developed a consuming passion for travel, and made friends who shared the same passion, postcards were something I began to desire receiving again and collect more seriously. And many friends would send postcards from their travels -- what a beautiful way to stay connected!!
The type of postcard, and there are certainly a lot, that I like to collect continues to evolve and expand. I don’t devote time every day to my postcard collection. Rather, when the mood strikes or when I’ve received a postcard in the mail, I enjoy having a fresh look at those I’ve received from around the world --- I’m lucky
I have friends (you know who you are but … Ande, DAO, Margaret V N, and DSwede ) who regularly take the time and expense to send me a postcard from their very far flung travels. The most unusual and far flung are places such as Antarctica, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Easter Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Greenland, Iraq, Mauritania, Oman, Paraguay, Reunion Island, the Seychelle Islands, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Stan Republics, to name but a few! I’ve also received more than a few “Touch Note” postcards, most from my friend, Margaret, in the Netherlands.
My current goal is simply to receive a postcard sent from every country and territory in the world. Of course the number of countries and territories seems to change more often than one might think given the declaration of independence by several breakaway nations in recent years, especially those breakaways from the USSR/Russia. A quick look at varied online sites lists the total number of countries in the world at 195. However, for valid reasons the Travelers’ Century Club (TCC) recognizes 330 countries and territories as of January, 2022; that number is based on, I believe, the uniqueness of culture and terrain, and
other aspects and are "removed from their parent country." So those entities, states, territories or regions are unique unto themselves. Examples, Corsica, Hawaii, the Azores, Svalbard, etc. For more detail on TCC's requirement for status, see: https://travelerscenturyclub.org/countries-and-territories/territory-status.
So far, my travels have taken me to 71 countries on the TCC list! Had not the pandemic happened, I would have now been to 76 or more and would have qualified for provisional membership in the Travelers' Century Club!
Many of these new countries were once part of the former Yugoslavia, some are island nations, and some are perhaps disputed territories or places which may have declared independence but have not officially been recognized as yet. Had things worked out this year, I would have been visiting Armenia and Georgia with a stop in Qatar next month. Georgia and Armenia alone have at least 3 territories that are, or were ‘disputed’: Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, and the Republic of Artsakh (formerly or may still be called Nagorno Karabakh - location: Azerbaijan bordering Armenia) -- love to have postcards from those areas! (I do have one from Georgia, but not Armenia).
Another source lists the 5 newest countries
as:
1)
South Sudan — split from Sudan in 2011; 2)
Kosovo (partially recognized) — seceded from Serbia in 2008, not yet fully recognized by United Nations; 3)
Montenegro — separated from Serbia in 2006; 4)
East Timor — gained independence from Indonesia in 1975;
Serbia — separated from Montenegro in 2000; 5)
Palau ratified a constitution in 1993 which went into effect 1994 according to Wikipedia.
All this being said, these countries’ postcards have now been added to the list of those I hope to receive in the future along with those of long established countries that I have yet to acquire! To date, I have received postcards sent by friends and acquaintances from approximately 165 countries/territories (according to TCC's list, i.e. Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean which is administered by France)!!
Often finding stamps and postal boxes can be a headache due to location and time constraints. I’ve sent countless postcards to friends and family which never reached their intended destination and receiver – that is frustrating and embarrassing!! Postcards I mailed recently from a cruise ship docking in Rotterdam a month ago and which had the proper postage have yet to arrive to
some friends and family. I wouldn’t blame them if they thought I was being less than honest saying I sent them, but that isn’t true! However, that being said, I’ve received rather rapidly postcards from some very distant places such as Ghana which took only 9 days to reach me.
A few years ago I discovered a cache of postcards I had sent to my Mother which she had lovingly saved over a span of nearly 20 years. They ranged from various places including the islands of Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, and those closer to home such as the states of New Hampshire, Colorado, and more.
My postcard collection includes many from my own country and most of the states which I’ve visited to date. Some are quite old. But overwhelmingly my collection is comprised of cards I’ve bought while traveling abroad – in fact, postcards (and magnets) are one of my favorite travel souvenirs. Though they take considerable work to bring home in pristine shape, they are affordable and lightweight! I buy them as another source of documentation, education, and a palpable reminder of places I’ve visited. I never really tire of looking at them.
I
love collecting
vintage postcards from anywhere the world over. These vintage postcards are usually immediately recognizable to someone of my age and those considered true “Deltiologists”, the technical name for postcard collectors/enthusiasts. The age and subject matter, the thickness or lightness of paper weight, the edging, the paper texture, glossy vs. non-glossy, and coloring and tinting or lack thereof, are all clues to help distinguish vintage postcards. More specifically, many vintage cards had the amount or cost of postage which would have been required when printed on their backside – most I have indicate US 1¢ -- in 2022 the cost is US 44¢.
Vintage postcards cost from under a dollar to several dollars and even more depending on condition, age, rarity and perhaps subject matter and who sent and signed them. My current favorite vintage postcards are a pair of blank, color-tinted cards showing scenes from Royal Gorge, Colorado, with a Denver & Rio Grande Western train winding its way through the Gorge next to the Arkansas River; and, a pristine aqua blue mountain lake high up in the Rocky Mountain National Park close to Estes Park, Colorado. I have been to both places and I absolutely love
these 2 cards!
Another favorite vintage card is a scene of 3 towering side-by-side mountains of oyster shells with reflections on the nearby water inlet in my own hometown -- this was such an iconic local scene when I was growing up and will always remind me of my hometown. The cost to mail it at the time it was US 1¢. The amount I paid for the postcard when I bought it was US $1.
I love postcards which are like miniature American Works Progress (WPA) posters; they are a unique style of art most well known for being used for posters commissioned by the US National Parks which sought to promote these parks as travel destinations. The posters debuted in roughly 1938. I have seriously loved the artistic style of these posters for many years, so it naturally follows that I would the miniature version captured on postcards. I recently bought 4 cards which though do not exactly mimic the WPA posters, are reminiscent of that art style.
I often look for postcards in antique shops. Only a few years ago I attended my first ‘postcard show’ or ‘expo’. Although it was probably considered a
small show with maybe 25 vendors it still was a bit overwhelming to try to zero in on which ones to look at. I can’t imagine what a really large show would be like to peruse through. While at that first postcard show, I purchased a few fairly inexpensive vintage European postcards from countries I have visited which though nice really aren’t my favorites. Nonetheless, I do like them. I imagine they might also appeal to others who were born in those countries or at least have visited them.
But the show afforded me what might have been my greatest finds which were the several exquisitely designed FREE postcards which were actually advertisements for future postcard and photo shows! These postcards have become some of my absolute favorites! You may agree with me when you see them shown along with this blog!
Does anyone remember when New York City restaurants produced postcards promoting themselves and which were free for the taking?? How about those, also free, which were advertisements for plays or movies! Without even knowing it, you may develop several sub-categories of cards under the umbrella of your major collection.
Interested in developing a collection of
postcards? There are many online vendors to choose from, but the thrill of the hunt you might experience visiting antique shops, fairs, postcard shows & expos, and estate sales might be a lot more fun. Ask your family and friends to search their attics or send you postcards from their travels if they can. Send yourself postcards from your own travels. Traveling is my passion, and collecting postcards while traveling is a good reason to keep me traveling!
I’m happy to say that my love for and desire to travel has certainly been making a strong comeback this year thanks to reading and hearing about the most recent travel by friends. I sincerely hope that travel to some far flung place will once again be in my future plans!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
TCC Members
We are TCC members and will be traveling to Columbia in November. If you need a post card from there send me a private message and I'll send you one. I"ve enjoyed your blog and glad your interest in travel has returned.