12 Postcards Every Postcrosser Dreams Of. Have You Managed to Get Even One?
Over time, almost every Postcrosser begins to create their own list of dream postcards. They are not always the most expensive ones. Their value often comes from their history, place of origin, limited availability or the heart put into preparing them.
Here are 12 exceptional types of postcards that delight Postcrossers from all over the world.
1. Gotochi Cards
If you ask experienced Postcrossers about the most distinctive postcards from Japan, you will quickly hear one name: Gotochi Cards.
These unique cards feature symbols associated with specific regions of Japan. They may be shaped like Mount Fuji, a train, a castle, a local delicacy, an animal or a flower. Their appearance alone makes them difficult to confuse with any other postcard. They cannot always be purchased in an ordinary souvenir shop. Individual designs may only be available in certain regions or selected post offices. Some series are discontinued, while older designs become true collectors’ treasures.
2. Meeting Cards
Postcrossing is not only about sending postcards to strangers. Postcrosser meetups take place all over the world – from small local gatherings to large international events for which special Meeting Cards are created. They usually include the date, the name of the city, an illustration referring to the event, participants’ signatures or a commemorative postmark. Once the meeting is over, obtaining such a postcard can be very difficult, which is why Meeting Cards have not only collectible value, but also enormous sentimental value. They are keepsakes of meetings, conversations and writing postcards together.
3. Postcards from places that are difficult to reach
Some postcards can only be purchased…at the top of a mountain, in a small mountain shelter, on a remote island, in a museum…or during a local festival lasting only a few days.
The more difficult a postcard is to obtain, the more fascinating its story becomes. A postcard from a shelter located high in the mountains is not merely a beautiful view. It is also a reminder of the journey, the weather and the effort someone made to send it to us.
4. Scandinavian illustrations
Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland have held a special place in the hearts of Postcrossers for many years. This is because their postcards often look completely different from traditional tourist cards. They are peaceful, minimalist and filled with light, nature and distinctive Scandinavian design. They feature the Northern Lights, reindeer, vast forests, wooden cottages, snowy landscapes and wild animals. Postcards from Finland are particularly popular – a country where traditional correspondence, design and Postcrossing have formed an exceptionally successful combination for many years.
5. Postcards from American national parks
- Yellowstone
- Grand Canyon
- Yosemite
- Bryce Canyon
- Glacier
The names alone sound like an invitation to travel.
Postcards from American national parks have appeared on collectors’ wish lists for many years. They impress with their monumental landscapes, wildlife and distinctive style, sometimes inspired by vintage travel posters. Cards available directly from park shops or visitor centres are especially valued. A postcard sent from the very place it depicts has an entirely different atmosphere. Add a matching stamp and a clear dated postmark…and you have a genuine souvenir from a journey across America.
6. Maximum Cards
On a perfectly prepared Maximum Card:
- the postcard illustration,
- the postage stamp,
- and the commemorative postmark all refer to the same theme.
It may be a monument, a famous person, a work of art, an animal or an important event. The best Maximum Cards look as though all their elements were designed together from the very beginning. Preparing them requires knowledge, patience and perfect timing. It is no surprise that they fascinate both Postcrossers and philately enthusiasts.
7. Map Cards
Maps consistently remain among the most sought-after themes in Postcrossing. Illustrated maps featuring local landmarks, animals, plants, regional dishes or major tourist attractions attract the greatest interest. A single postcard can capture the character of an entire city, region, island or country. You can look at them again and again, discovering something new each time.
8. Postcards with original illustrations
Not all exceptional postcards feature photographs. More and more Postcrossers are searching for works created by illustrators:
- watercolours,
- linocuts,
- collages,
- fineliner drawings,
- modern graphics.
Each artist tells the story of a place or event in their own way. As a result, even a familiar subject – the Warsaw Mermaid, the Wawel Dragon or a Wrocław dwarf – can be presented in a completely different way. These postcards do not merely document the world, they interpret it.
9. Retro and vintage postcards
Retro postcards have something that is difficult to find in contemporary photographs. They show a world that no longer exists. Sometimes they are newly produced cards styled to resemble old editions. At other times, they are authentic postcards from several decades or even more than a hundred years ago:
- old trams,
- steam locomotives,
- historic cities,
- vintage advertisements,
- Art Nouveau illustrations.
Old city views can be particularly fascinating. They show buildings that no longer exist, former streets, pre-war spa towns or places that look completely different today. This is no longer just a postcard, but a small historical document.
10. Postcards sent from rare locations
Sometimes the picture itself is not the most important thing. What matters most is the place from which the postcard was sent:
- Antarctica,
- Greenland,
- the Faroe Islands,
- Svalbard,
- the Åland Islands,
- the Vatican.
Small islands, remote research stations and regions from which correspondence appears very rarely generate enormous excitement among collectors. Such a postcard may not have an elaborate illustration, but it has something far more valuable - an extraordinary travel story. For many Postcrossers, it is the best proof that postcards really can make the world feel a little smaller.
11. Holiday postcards showing local traditions
November and December are a true celebration for lovers of traditional correspondence. This is when mailboxes fill with postcards from all over the world. The most exceptional cards are not always those covered with the most glitter. They often feature local customs and festive characters. Thanks to them, we can discover how people celebrate in Finland, Japan, Australia, Germany, the United States or Brazil. One postcard features snow and reindeer, another shows the summer sun, while the next presents traditional dishes, costumes or regional decorations. Each one tells a slightly different story.
12. Postcards that cannot be purchased in a shop
We have saved the most personal category for last. These are postcards created by Postcrossers themselves:
- their own photographs,
- original illustrations,
- small private print runs,
- cards prepared to commemorate an important event, journey, meeting or anniversary.
Sometimes only a dozen or so copies are produced. They are not supported by major advertising campaigns and do not reach thousands of shops. Nevertheless, they can become the greatest treasures in a collection. Not because they are expensive. But because someone created them with an idea in mind. Wrote a few words and sent one of them specifically to us.
What does it look like in Poland?
Do you have to travel to Japan, Finland or the United States to find postcards capable of delighting collectors? Definitely not.
Poland also has many exceptional postcards, including local editions available only in particular towns, cards from small museums, mountain shelters and spa resorts, original series, illustrated maps, reproductions of historic views and limited-edition releases. Many of them are created by small publishers and artists who present Poland differently from a typical tourist postcard. Sometimes the most interesting card can be found not in a popular holiday resort, but in a small shop, kiosk or museum in a town we previously knew very little about.
This is exactly why it is worth visiting local shops. Asking about older designs, looking for small publishers and exploring places that do not appear on the first pages of guidebooks. You never know what you might find "just around the corner".
Remember, however, that there is no single perfect list of postcards. Sometimes a card that seems ordinary to one person may be a dream come true for someone else. Even more often, the greatest value lies not in the design itself, but in the message written on the back. A few sincere sentences, the story of an ordinary day, a different perspective, a small drawing or a beautifully chosen stamp. A trace of someone living thousands of kilometres away.
Have you ever received a postcard that was exactly what you had been hoping for?
Or perhaps you have been searching for a particular card for a long time and still have not managed to find it? - Be sure to tell us about it in the comments. Perhaps very soon it will begin its journey straight to your mailbox.
*All illustrations are from the House of Postcards archive.