Last Sunday’s postage rate increase ($0.45 postage sheets now available on Zazzle) got me thinking about postage, letters, and the joy of opening mail. Like everyone else, I don’t like junk mail (alright, I do like tearing it up, awesome workout), but I love letters and cards from my friends and family. There’s something magical about opening a personal letter or card. Maybe it’s the extra time that someone takes to write a nice thank you card, birthday card, or congratulations card or maybe it’s just the smell of paper and ink that gets me going. Whatever it is, I always read letters from family (which is definitely not true for email). So what does this have to do with postage? In these times of increasingly impersonal communication, I think we should take the time to make our communications extra personal and custom postage is the perfect way to do this. With custom postage you can add a photo from a shared trip or just a favorite inside joke that will be loved by the receiver (empirical studies have shown that smiles increase 200% with custom postage mailings). So instead of impersonalizing your mailings, I say it’s time to personalize! Let’s send some love to our loved ones; because in the end, the real forever postage is that memory on custom postage that they save forever.
Who’s with me! What letters are you going to send to your loved ones?
January 24, 2012 at 6:10 pm |
When I get a paper letter or card, I hope that the sender won’t mind that they won’t get one back from me. Still, I know what you mean about the appeal of paper notes and cards. I’ve recently started using email stationery that actually works, as opposed to what’s offered by the likes of Yahoo, from MeebleMail, so now my emails have more of the appeal of paper communications.
January 25, 2012 at 8:08 am |
Sending postage letters and cards is something that I love doing; of course I love receiving them too. When you send a letter to someone and you look for stationery, envelope and postage it adds a message that says: You are special. Also for invitations and important events I prefer post mail. I can’t imagine receiving a wedding invitation in email for example.
January 25, 2012 at 8:14 am |
Although fast e-mail replies and document attachments are an essential part of business and life (and one I use a lot), nothing can replace a handwritten card when a person is gone. There’s something about holding a card or a piece of paper with a person’s unique handwriting that is more precious than a typed email. Zazzle’s selection of personal art and photos makes handwritten correspondence extra fun.
January 25, 2012 at 9:55 am |
My mom passed away last summer. She always wrote little meaningful encouraging notes throughout her life to me and my son and daughter during difficult times as well as happy times. When I joined Zazzle, and made my first postage, I sent her a note with my newly made postage. After she passed away, I saw she had cut out that postage, from the envelope, and saved it in a mix of pictures and cards I had sent her through the years. Whenever I sent mom a sample of a picture I made, she would put it on her wall. It turned into a gallery of pictures going up her stairway. Our world seems more impersonal now days, but I hope we will never change as human beings. The need to feel a connection to our family and friends can help come through for them by sending cards, postage, art prints, and paper items that people can touch and see. All the material possesions in the world cannot replace the idea you are thinking of someone and they are experiencing “the joy of opening mail”.
January 25, 2012 at 10:04 am |
Well said Lorrie! Thank you for sharing that wonderful story.
January 25, 2012 at 10:24 am |
Thank you, Patrick!
)
June 2, 2012 at 2:27 pm |
This is a great article on postage rate increases Patrick!