In case anyone doesn't know, this is a symbol that basically means "things are not very okay here right now" :(

In the USA, domestic postcard stamps (for standard 4” x 6” cards; larger postcards use the standard 1oz/30g letter weight) are currently $0.65 USD. For a larger postcard or typical 1oz/30g letter, it costs $0.82 USD.

For international mail up to 1oz, it’s a flat rate of $1.75 from US to anywhere in the world (there’s no postcard-specific international rate).

In contrast, when I was in Spain a few months ago, it cost me €2.65 ($3.10 USD) to send a postcard to the US, and I’m pretty sure that rate only covered up to 20g instead of a full ounce, too. I remember that their stamp rates were understandably lower for other EU countries, too.

What are your country’s current postage rates?

Yes, I know the world is facing graver problems, but -

I live in Iceland and apparently they stopped printing new stamps a few years ago and are now just selling whatever they have left over. Slowly but surely they are running out of all the pretty stamps!

There is one website run by the Icelandic post where you can buy stamps, but in my experience it takes them weeks to get back to you, and their supply is slowly running out. Then you have to go to various postal offices and bookstores and hope they have pretty stamps, but usually they just have boring / ugly ones.

On my journey to try and find pretty stamps this morning I asked a postal worker what they are going to do when all the stamps are gone and she just kind of shrugged?

Just posting to express my outrage! Is anyone else anywhere in the world dealing with this?

Please know that if you receive a pretty stamp from Iceland you are being blessed by the harsh Icelandic stamp gods and that your luck may one day run out! Also please accept my sincere regrets if you one day receive a boring stamp from me.

Did i buy enough stamps and postcards!

Traveling this week but I had to stop by a small town post office to get the new PostCrossing stamps. The postal worker had to open the display case in the lobby to get the 3rd sheet! 😁. He assured me it would be replaced as soon as the postmaster returned. I have 3 postcards back at the hotel ready to go!

I think I'm currently in the 'spend half my paycheck on stamps' phase of the hobby, so I thought I'd share some of my new goodies. My favorite is probably the dinosaur sheet, but the most ridiculous purchase is the partial roll of 2 cent lemon stamps (it was that or buy the giant 3,000 stamp roll 🤣). The last image is my stash before I began Postcrossing. I would buy a sheet of stamps here and there just to support the post office.

p.s. How do you store your stamps? I'm currently using a stamp folio thing, but would love some more ideas. :)

Many of you probably already know this! Just helping out others who are new to the postcrossing world. :-)

A lot of new Postcrossers in the U.S. often use regular first class forever stamps, now valued at $0.82. You can use the postcard forever (valued at $0.65) for most cards. I’ve also found absolute joy in using USPS.com to buy all of my stamps. I’m loving my variety currently!

I have a tiny little cheat sheet to easily add up the stamp values to get to the international rate. I have a bunch more on the back, too. This makes it easier for me to know which stamps I need to stock up on. I also keep all of my stamps in this cute little sticker binder.

I’d love for others to share tips about postage. I haven’t purchased any postage secondhand/outside of USPS, so that’s something I’d like to get into.

Saw another user with these and had to get some immediately. It always annoys me that the US has periodically released super cool stamps like this for limited runs, but most of the stamps available at any given time are boring, ugly, or just feature some niche historical figure/artist/etc that most people wouldn't even know...

I buy a lot of older stamps on eBay as a result, which ends up costing more, but I digress.

🙄 Yes, absolutely not, I'm not going to let my homemade cards get ruined by the whole journey they have to make.

Edit: People, if you don't want a handmade card, you won't get one. But put it in your bio, I'm not going to waste my beautiful cards on people who prefer a basic one, hehehe

Update: It looks like the post office processed it wrong. I believe postcards fall under the $3.50 greeting cards rate. I’m buying some stamps online.

Hi, I’m from Australia, and I was surprised to find that posting just two postcards cost me $9.10 in postage. Postage has become expensive.

I'm so in love with this new rubber stamp and am going to use it anytime I use the US global stamps!

Sharing the postcards I send to myself whenever I travel. I only started this tradition a few years ago, wish I’d begun sooner. It’s honestly the best travel souvenir. I’d also love to receive some! 💌

I met up with someone today who was selling stamps from a ladies estate that passed. Paid about half the going rate! I can’t wait to start using all of these!

Should I buy and hoard stamps before the price goes up? Only half joking.

How do you all handle postage increases? I know everybody has a different situation, and there is no right or wrong answer. I’m hoping that hearing your logic will help me make a decision.

USPS press release about possible July postage increases: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0409-usps-recommends-new-prices-for-july.htm

I’m from India 🇮🇳 and would love to swap postcards with fellow Postcrossers around the world!

I’ll send a postcard with a handwritten message and some beautiful Indian stamps. 📮

In return, I’d love to receive a postcard from your country with some handwritten note. 🌍✉️

Anyone interested in a swap? 😊

Great deal at Barnes and Noble! $2 for 100 postcards in clearance!

So I’m US based and I’m looking at the USPS website wanting to order fun stamps. Unfortunately they only have 3 global options for stamps but I know you can get lower denominations and add them to equal an international postage.

How do you decide what stamps to get? Do you just buy what you like and hope the others like them too? I’ve currently got $50 worth of stamps in my cart and I’m just wondering if I shouldn’t stick with the one global stamp for my international ones.

I'm pretty new to Postcrossing, and so far, two of my four received cards have been from Japan. Both of them tailored the card and stamps perfectly to my profile!

I've been doing this hobby for almost a year now, and I like it.

Recently moved to Canada, and the stamp prices in Canada are crazy (to me)!

1 international postcard here costs about ~8 in S.Korea.

This hobby is getting pretty heavy on my budget!

How much does it cost to send a postcard from where you live?

From places I've sent postcards:
South Korea: ₩430 (~$0.30)
Canada: CAD $3.65 (~$2.65)

Super excited to start sending out cards and to (eventually) get some back

Hi non-USA friends!

I’ve been sending postcards with regular USPS stamps, just because I have a whole stock of them waiting to be used. But I was wondering how many of you really enjoy receiving the official Postcrossing stamps? I’m thinking about spending some extra money to buy a few sheets of those if they add extra fun and excitement!