Post Card Exchange Guidelines

These are suggested guidelines for those wishing to start a post card exchange. These guidelines come from several discussions with others who have been involved in a number of exchanges. As stated above, these are not written in stone rules. These are suggested guidelines so that exchanges use similar guidelines and hopefully run smoothly.

• If you start an exchange, you are responsible for running it. Set the type (in or out of envelope) and the time frame the exchange will run. [I would like to continue to alternate in and out of envelope exchanges.] That also entails collecting snail male addresses, producing and distributing the mailing list.

• Sugested size is 25 participants, plus the Youngers (Harbour Lights) and Connie Small, the Lighthouse Lady. (The Youngers and Connie receive courtesy cards, they are not asked to send them.) So, you will need a total of 27 cards for each exchange: 24 + 2 to send out, 1 to keep for yourself.

• As hard as it is to believe, there can be too much of a good thing. I suggest that exchanges be kept to a total of 4 per year: 2 in envelope, 2 out of envelope.

• To help identify things, exchanges are numbered. Traditionally, even numered exchanges are "in envelope", odd numbered ones are "no envelope". Use previous post titles as a guideline. For example:
Post Card Exchange #9 (no envelope)
PC 8 In Envelope 1/1-4/30/2002

• I would suggest that exchanges be for 4 months, with 2 months off between exchanges. For example, Jan - Apr, off May & June; Jul - Oct, off Nov & Dec.

• If you sign up for an exchange, please follow the guidelines of the exchange. If the originator asks that you email them your address, please do. Please do not send your cards before the official start date (no matter how excited and anxious you are).

• Most of the post card threads reach 50 posts, at which time they are closed and a new one started. To keep from significantly slowing down the loading of the longer threads, please keep the use of animated gifs to a minimum, and only to small ones (as with pictures, animated gifs can slow down the display process).

• When you post in a thread, please keep on topic. Don't discuss PCE 39 in the thread for PCE 40. Things can be confusing enough already!

• If you find yourself unable to send out your cards on schedule, please notify your fellow exchange members. This can be in the form of an email to them to explain the situation, or perhaps a post asking for help. You will be surprised at the offers of help you get if you find yourself unable to obtain cards and up against a deadline. You would also be surprised how creative you can be in making your own post cards or substitutes.

• When you send your cards out, please post a note in the appropriate thread that they have been sent. That way, if one of the cards gets lost in the mail (and it does happen) someone can notify you by email of a missing card.

• You can choose whether to send out the same card to all, or to send a variety (hint: if you participate in many exchanges, the same card to all makes it a lot easier to remember what has already been sent.)

• There are on-line sources where you can purchase post cards if you don't happen to live close to lighthouses. You can also try many of the lighthouse gift shops as they all tend to carry some great cards. One of your connected collector friends may also be able to help.

The post card exchanges have been lots of fun, bringing cards from all over. And, surprisingly few duplicates in all of the exchanges I have been in.

You can save or display your cards in many ways. I keep mine in a binder, using pages purchased at a photo shop. Look for ones that will fit in a standard 3 ring binder. You will mostly need pages to hold 4" X 6" cards (the standard size), but I also keep some that will hold 5 X 7 oversize cards you sometimes receive.

For the "in envelope" exchanges, folks often send something along with the card. Sometimes a history of the light; sometimes a story about their experience at the light, or why it is important to them. We have also received recipies, book marks, photos, a state quarter, brochures from the lighthouse and other neat extras.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 05-10-2002).]

Several exchanges back, the question was asked "Can someone give me the gist of what to do?" to which I replied:

(1) sign up to participate (you have done this)
(2) Buy lighthouse postcards (enough for everyone in the exchange)
(3) Write a note to send with the postcard, but not on the postcard (this exchange is for "clean" cards that have not been written on or postmarked)
(4) Place card and note into an envelope
(5) Create address labels from the list that will be provided to you, or hand address the envelopes
(6) Seal the envelopes, affix postage, place into custody of the USPS
(7) Enjoy the cards you will receive over the course of the exchange, and all the notes that come with them
(8) Sign up for the next exchange, and possibly the "traditional" post card exchange

Same basic thing for the no envelope exchange, except you might include a brief message directly on each card.

Dennis Whelan also gave a nice explaination in this thread .

Dave

That was a lot of typing, Dave! I've turned in term papers (way back when) that were shorter than that (lol!).

Bob

Thank Cruise Director Dave for the guidelines. The last couple of PC Exchanges were starting to get a little out of control, so the guidance that you provided should return it to the way it was. Signup, get your addresses, mail your pcs, receive pcs, and enjoy. No wonder you're a Saint!
Bob

Dave, you done good!!

Bob,

There was a whole lot less to write about way back when you would have been writing term papers (tic). Now, you know that if we see a complete paragraph from you (3 or more sentences) we think that is kind of lengthy on your part. I seem to recall a post from Saint Tim......


I have been working on the guidelines for a while, and when I started typing them out, well I was just "on a roll" as they say. Hopefully they will help everyone to understand not only the fun part of the exchanges, but also the "behind the scenes" stuff that the originators are responsible for.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 05-11-2002).]

Dave,

I thought about this after I posted- that maybe I should have left it for you to do.

I tried to hit the main points without getting too specific.

I'm glad you thought it was OK.

Dennis

Fewer than five words?

Bob

Nice work Dave. And let's give credit to the originator of these Post Card Exchanges - Me! LOL.

I got the idea when Patricia Palmer-Ball asked people to send her Lighthouse Post Cards. The rest, as they say, is history!

Right now I owe two exchanges cards. I've got the cards, I've got the stamps, I think I've got the lists and I'll get these out this week.

I'm going to surface this thread every 3 months or so to give folks a chance to review the guidelines for Post Card Exchanges.

Dave

I have a suggestion regarding these exchanges.

While the first folks who receive a card from someone in an exchange might not name the card they received in order to not spoil the surprise for other recipients, it would be nice if someone at some point did. (This seems to usually happen but not always.)

Then, for future exchanges, a person can use the "search" function to see if a particular lighthouse has already been sent. Not that this would be foolproof. And of course in the case of the more popular lights there are certainly more than one postcard around.

But, for instance, say you did a seach for "Portland Head" and found that 2 people had already sent cards of this light in 2 different exchanges. You could then email either the sender or a receiver and ask them to describe the card. Then if you wanted to purchase a Portland Head card to use you would at least have an idea which cards not to buy.

This may be making a mountain out of a molehill but I know that if possible I'd like to try to avoid sending out duplicate cards without going to foreign lands to seek out unique cards!

Funny you should mention this, Mombo. I just went through all my postcards for the exchanges, and was pleased to find that I couldn't find a duplicate.(Could've missed one or two.) I mean by this, the exact same postcard. I was concerned that Kilauea Point, Hawaii that I brought back with me from Hawaii may have been done before. To my relief, it was sent out on two previous pc exchanges but not the same angle on the postcard. I know I've seen some participants who keep track of who they got cards from. Maybe they have a list of the lh pcs they got in each exchange? And could list them? But I also know some participants have not sent the same pc to everyone in one exchange.
Anyway, my main point is that I want to thank everyone for the great cards and information that has increased my interest and knowledge. I love the reaction I got when I bought 100+ lighthouse postcards in Montauk. When I explain the reason to each clerk that I buy from I always get a similar reaction. That's so cool! :p

I've kept track of all the cards I've received from exchanges 8 through 13, who sent them and when I received them.

However, in some of the postings I've read, I don't think everyone in the exchanges always gets the same card as everyone else does. At this point I cannot site specific examples but I'm pretty sure it's been done a few times here and there. So there is a possibility that my list will not be 100% identical to the lists of others. However, what I do have could be a good starting point for most. I'll post the list tonight since I do not have access to it at work.

shirin

I can't speak for anybody else, but I have not always sent the same card to everyone.

This was done in both the Envelope and Non-Envelope Exchages. I did not do it this way everytime, but i did it at least 3 times.

Dennis

Dennis,

Wonder why this suggestion came about? I did the same thing for one or two exchanges, but did try to keep a list of what I sent to each person. Man, what a challenge! Hoping that the suggestions above will help folks set themselves up from the start...

Dave

Dave,

Yes, I agree it would be a challenge.

It's especially tough since I did not consider that situation when I was choosing how to do the exchanges.

I like the idea of many different cards- it's hard to choose just one. I've tried to not duplicate things by choosing cards as I go along on a trip and sending them out after I return.

I've also used my children to obtain cards from earlier trups and sent them out.

These two exchanges will be from my trip that just ended to New England and the one i'll be taking in the Fall to Bermuda. That exchange will not have as much diversity, but that's life.

I do have one question for you though-

What's a wach person? Is that a military or "spook" term?

Dennis

Dennis, maybe a wach person is someone who takes trups? Just funnen with you guys(and me)!

I realize that some folks send out a variety of cards and that's one reason why no tracking system can be foolproof, especially when many fools participate!

I had already purchased my cards for PCE 13 when someone reported receiving the same card in another exchange. I contacted the sender who said they had only sent 3 of that card and couldn't remember to whom. I checked the last 2 exchanges that the sender participated in and compared the names with those who had signed up for 13. The one person who I know got 1 of the 3 cards wasn't on the 13 list, so I figured only 2 to find. Well there were so many of the same people on the 3 exchanges I decided, the heck with it, I'll just send it out and hope not to duplicate!

I know I was sure tempted by some really neat cards I saw in a shop in Maine. I'd grab a bunch and count but couldn't seem to find enough of any one card for an exchange. I considered getting some of one, some of another but decided to wait until I could find all of one kind. But the cards were so neat I bought one of each for myself!

Just one more suggestion. While most folks already do this, please note on the card, or somewhere else for the "in-envelope" exchanges just what exchange they're for, ie. PCE 13. In the past we've had an overlap of exchanges with some of the same people participating in each so noting the exchange # sure helps. Thanks.

If my suggested schedule is used, overlaps should not be an issue. Exchanges run 4 months (Jan - Apr and July - Oct) followed by 2 months off. That gives stragglers a chance to catch up, "reload" with cards and get ready. Hard as it is to believe, there is thought process in place relative to the rules.

Your suggestion of including an exchange number reference is applicable to both in and out of envelope exchanges, especially if the sender is also a straggler.

Dave

to surface this thread

Guess I didn't notice the "two months off" bit before. Do we really need this if the exchanges last four months? By now don't most folks who participate in these exchanges already have another batch ready to go? I know I do. If someone doesn't and doesn't anticipate that they can procure the cards in time to meet the deadline they just shouldn't sign up. Just my opinion.

I'm with mombo. I have 27 cards sitting on my desk, ready to go!

Count me in on the next exchange. I have many cards ready to go.

Are you running the next one, Sue?

Bob

Sue,

The months of November and December people tend to get wrapped up in other activities and other mailing events, this is part of the reason why the break. Comments I have received tend to agree with this thinking. Want people to be fired up to participate, but don;t want to burn them out.

Dave

I'm with Sue, I've got about 75 cards all ready and waiting!!

Same here, I've got two sets of 30 just waiting for the next two exchanges.

Stephanie

I am ready with cards also. Four months is a good time period that allows people plenty of downtime for when they are too busy to send out cards. It has worked out fairly well with cards spread out over the entire time period.

Suzanne

I can't handle the fast pace of the round robins, but I'll be ready for the next postcard exchange, whenever it begins.

Okay, so I am late to this discussion. I missed the months off too. If enough wanted to do one, can we?
Derith

If someone wants to start a new exchange there is no rule that you can not. The only requirement I will make is that it have (1) an identified responsible person (2) a defined start/finish date. I would prefer that the numbering scheme we use is adhered to. The next exchange will be #14 which dictates that it will be an in-envelope exchange.

Dave

If you are starting an in-envelope postcard exchange, I would love to join in. I've got my cards ready. Please keep me in mind when you start! Thanks!

I am going to close this thread as it has far removed itself from its topic - Guidelines. If someone wants to start a new exchange do so in a new thread.

Dave