I think it's truly magical... that we can drop off letters written with our personal hand writing at any given corner mail box and with amazing amount of trust and faith, they travel near and far... sometimes cross country. Sometimes it travels across sea which then gets passed onto the destination postal system until it is safely delivered.... How many hands the letter needs to be passed on to arrive to the destination.
I am thrilled that at Baum-kuchen we can share what inspires us at this moment - Mail it Forward. Uniquely curated vintage postage stamp collection in Baum-kuchen style.
Few months ago... as I brainstormed about sharing vintage postage at Baum-kuchen, the idea of "mailing it forward" came to my mind. Not just sending another mail..., but mailing something with hopes and dreams. I also thought of the connection with our kids following our foot steps. For the future generations to continue adoring the process of letter exchange which can be beautifully slow and delayed; thus, mailing it forward.
Few months ago... as I brainstormed about sharing vintage postage at Baum-kuchen, the idea of "mailing it forward" came to my mind. Not just sending another mail..., but mailing something with hopes and dreams. I also thought of the connection with our kids following our foot steps. For the future generations to continue adoring the process of letter exchange which can be beautifully slow and delayed; thus, mailing it forward.
We also decided to package individual sets (each collection includes 5 unique sets!) with labels that went through the process of actually being typewritten then turned into digital. (Thank you Eunice!!!) To make sure that every little detail is cohesive and analogue inspired... and adds to the special experience this little collection hopes to bring. We are imagining that these individually wrapped stamp sets might inspire kind gestures between senders and recipients of the letter. Maybe someone will decide to include one of the unused set in the letter she or he might be sending? So the chain of letter writing can continue its journey.
To celebrate the launch of this very close to the heart artifact at Baum-kuchen, I asked Eunice to share some of the Pen Pal etiquette tips (because letters she send out are gorgeous!). I hope these tips inspire you to pick up a pen and paper and start writing to someone who is in your mind right at this moment. Even it is a little note to say, "hello. i am thinking of you." I am sure the magic of letter will brighten up the person's moment!
Practicing Proper Pen Pal Etiquette – Quick tips
+ Start the letter with a happy greeting
+ If your pen pal has discussed topics with you or asked you questions in the letter they wrote you, address those first.
+ Follow up with any updates or fun events that are going on in your life at the moment.
+ Try to stay away from matters that may be controversial or make your pen pal feel uncomfortable. If you have to question whether a topic is controversial, it may be better not to include it in the letter.
+ Pace yourself with the amount of personal information you share in the beginning of your letter writing. You don’t want to scare away your new friend with “TMI” (too much information).
+ Try to keep the letter length so it could be read in one sitting. As you and your pen pal build a relationship over time you will have a feel for how your pen pal responds and how much information should be shared.
+ If your pen pal shares little handmade goodies or paper goods (i.e. postage stamps, stickers, washi tape samples) try to send them something similar in return. (maybe include "Mail it Forward" vintage postage set?)
+ Make sure your writing is legible. It wouldn’t be fun for pen pal to receive a letter from you only to find out they have no idea what you wrote them.
+ Try to respond in a timely manner or at the earliest convenience. Heartfelt letters do take time but you don’t want to take so long that your pen pal will forget about you.
+ End your letter with an encouraging thought or word.
Where you can be connected with a pen pal :
letterwriters.org
Additional interesting correspondence sources:
incowrimo.org
perfectstrangers.co
thepostalsociety.com
writeoncampaign.com
