Letter Writers Alliance

Christmas Seals

Christmas seals, a form of cinderella stamp, were first used as fund-raising item for a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1907. From the American Lung Association website:

"The tiny Delaware sanatorium would have to close its doors if $300 could not be raised to save it. One of its doctors explained the plight to his cousin, a Red Cross volunteer named Emily Bissell. Bissell was a veteran fundraiser, and she soon came up with a plan based on one that had worked in Denmark*: She would design and print special holiday seals and sell them at the post office for a penny each.

By the end of her holiday campaign (and after an endorsement by President Roosevelt), she and a large group of committed volunteers had raised ten times the goal and the American Lung Association Christmas Seals were born."

Anyone can issue a seal at Christmas time (some were even issued by the Nazis, according to the oh-so-credible Wikipedia), but are not technically classed as "Christmas Seals" unless they were originally sold to combat tubercolosis and, later, other respiratory diseases. If you find yourself needing some, there's an exhaustive website available for you!

I often find the postage stamp-like seals inside the random collections I purchase on eBay. As a child, I remember finding them in the depths of my Grandfather's enormous desk, stuck together, but still vibrant and colorful. I will always be a sucker for anything perforated. I still miss the sheet of "stamps" that would come in the Publishers Clearinghouse packets. Anyone else remember those?

 

PS - Some Danish seals on GrainEdit with a design sense I enjoy greatly.

PPS - This article was first published on our blog in 2010! I updated it just a little for this posting.

The Most Famous Christmas Letter

In case you've never seen it, here is the original query letter sent to the editor of The Sun by eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon. Here's also a transcript from Newseum in case you don't want to bother deciphering handwriting or old newsprint.

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O’HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

---

Holiday Card Etiquette

If you're looking to have your "i"s properly iced and your cards addressed to a "t", then A. Favorite has a nice blog post for you on the etiquette of holiday cards. I'm still working on mine; so it's still relevant for me, okay? And by relevant, I mean "interesting" because the ordering of names based on gender hierarchy is a bit last patriarchy to me. Imma do what I want. Typically, I put the name of the person I've known longer first. Or sometimes it's how it sounds or visually looks that determines that for me. I might not be proper, but I still sent you a card! If  you  want  to  correct  me,  feel  free  to  write  me  a   letter.

P.S. I love A. Favorite cards. All of them. 

The Traveling Christmas Card

The Irish Times has a sweet article about two friends who have passed the same Christmas card between one another for the past 63 years. Faithfully, since 1956, the two friends, Eunice Baily and Clare Brazil, have given each other the card on alternating years. “Isn’t it a credit to the post office that it’s never been lost,” Eunice said. Why yes, Eunice, it is! And it's a credit to you and Clare that you've kept with it all these years. The Irish Times has all the details and more pictures of the "famous" card. I love how they've added pages to it over the years. This is quality, heart-warming holiday content.

Snow & Ice Removal Reminder

For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, we'd like to remind you that you need to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, stairs and mailboxes, to help letter carriers deliver the mail.

From the U.S.P.S. themselves: “Snow and ice make delivery dangerous and slow,” said postal spokesperson Tim Norman. “Maintaining a clear path to the mail box – including steps, porches, walkways and street approach – will help letter carriers maintain consistent delivery service.

Customers receiving door delivery should make sure their sidewalks, steps and porches are clear. Customers receiving curbside delivery should remove snow piles left by snow plows to keep access to their mailboxes clear for letter carriers.

Delivery service may be delayed or curtailed whenever streets or walkways present hazardous conditions for letter carriers or when snow is plowed against mailboxes. “The Postal Service curtails delivery only after careful consideration, and only as a last resort,” says Norman. “Any curtailed mail is attempted the next delivery day.”

Blue collection boxes also need to be kept clear for customers to deposit their mail and for the Postal Service to collect the mail for delivery. Residents and businesses with collection boxes near their property are asked to keep them clear of snow and ice. Adopt your local box! Keep it clear for your carrier and you may notice that your mail service improves.

Postal Gift Wrapping

Of course, there's the classic brown paper tied up with string, but if you can get your hands on a press sheet of low value postage, why not use that as wrapping paper!? The genius behind this is Suzanne of Art Stamped. Are you working postal pieces into your gift wrapping this year?

Package Tips from the U.S.P.S.

The U.S.P.S. blog has a nice list of handy tips for sending out holiday gift packages:

Select a durable box to protect the contents. Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes are free at local Post Offices.

*Do NOT reuse boxes — they weaken in the shipping process.

Properly address packages. Include both “to” and “from” information and only on one side.

Print addresses clearly and include all address elements, such as apartment numbers and directional information (ex: 123 S Main St. Apt. 2B).

Never guess a ZIP Code. Look up a ZIP Code at usps.com under Quick Tools. NO ZIP is better than a WRONG ZIP.

Place a card inside the package with delivery and return addresses. This helps postal employees deliver the item should the mailing label become damaged or fall off.

Pay attention to batteries. In general, batteries should be securely packaged in the manufacturer’s original packaging. Items shipped with batteries installed that cause ticking, vibrations or other noises during transportation can be delayed due to security concerns.

Leave space for extra cushioning inside and stuff glass and fragile, hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage. When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.

It's all good, common sense stuff really, *but I do reuse boxes because I can use my judgement to determine if a box is sturdy enough for re-mailing. I bet you can too. Also, a reminder from me about new mail regulations, from the Postal Bulletin:

"There have been some changes made to how you can ship your packages this year. For safety reasons, as of October 1, the Postal Service will no longer accept stamped packages — which means using individual stamps as postage — that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weighing more than 10 ounces into blue collection boxes, building mail chutes, or Post Office mail slots. This restriction also applies to all other mailpieces, apart from packages, using individual stamps as postage that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weighing more than 10 ounces. Instead, you must go to a retail counter or use the self-service kiosk to purchase a postage label. If you opt to use the kiosk to buy a postage label, you can drop your package in the package slots, not the mail slots, at a Post Office. If a restricted package or mailpiece is found in a collection box, mail chute, or lobby mail slot after October 1, it will be returned to sender with a Customer Return Label attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return. Click-N-Ship customers are unaffected by this change"

When people ask why we stopped selling pigeons, well, the above is certainly part of it. We smelled this change coming when they started altering blue collection boxes to only open up a couple of inches, if they open at all. Some now just have a slot for postings. You can always take more inventive stamped mail to the counter, but, to me, that removes part of the fun. I loved being able to send odd things just through mail magic. Now, I have to plead my case to a postal worker who may or may not fully understand (or care) about my need to be creative within the boundaries of the postal system. Sad to say, I do send less surprises these days because of it.

P.S. Image found on the Postal Museum instagram.

Holiday Calligraphy

Lindsey at The Postman's Knock has tons of calligraphy tips, tricks, tools & tutorials. I love her seasonal offerings. Nearly every year she has a new holiday worksheet for sale and it is definitely worth your while. Her instructions are accessible to all levels, and she's always experimenting and sharing new things. She also kind enough to offer a sample holiday worksheet for free. What a perfect way to really fancy up those cards and letters! Plus, her whole website is a delight. Mail Art, anyone?

Inktober 2019 Rubber Stamps Pre Orders

In a show of sheer holiday insanity, I decided to make Halloweeny stationery stuff at Christmas time because, as we all know, everyday is Halloween. Every year, I try to participate in Inktober, a daily drawing challenge during the month of October. Without fail, spooky gets mixed up with mail and then magic happens. This year's crop of designs are quirky and clever and only a little bit creepy. Like the years before, these designs are limited in production. They will only be available for order until *Midnight CST Friday, December 20th*. They absolutely WILL NOT be delivered before Christmas, but I will ship them out as soon as I can. Order now or be sad later. I won't order these again. 

Oh, and this is just the beginning. There is also a limited edition stationery and sticker set which will go up as soon as I can finish and photograph them. Those are limited to 12 sets. Watch this space! Watch this other space! If you pre-order a stamp and then order stationery or something else, I'll combine the shipping and send you a refund. Happy Halloween! Wait, I mean MERRY CHRISTMAS!

P.S. It's Friday, the 13th, which means this is extra appropriate.

Postal Worker Gifting

Around the holidays, it is acceptable and encouraged to give your regular postal person, either your local carrier or the friendliest person at your P.O., a holiday gift. It needn't be fancy, and in fact, shouldn't be because of the ethical guidelines involved. From the USPS website:

"While many Postal Service customers have traditionally thanked their mail carrier with gifts of cash during the holiday season, this practice puts our employees at risk of violating federal law.  The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch ("Standards"), specifies that Postal Service employees may not accept gifts from outside sources (including Postal Service customers) or gifts given to them because of their official positions. Postal Service employees are also prohibited from soliciting gifts from outside sources.

There are a number of exceptions and exclusions to the general gifts rule. Postal Service employees may accept the following items:

• Snacks and beverages that are not offered as part of a meal.
• Items with little intrinsic value (i.e., greeting cards, plaques, pens, coffee mugs, etc.).
• Perishable items (i.e., flowers, chocolates, cookies, etc.); if the items are clearly worth more than $20, employees should share them with others in the Postal Service workplace.
• Items with a market (retail) value of $20 or less.

Postal Service employees may not accept cash  - in any amount or form (bills, checks, money orders, gift cards) - from an outside source.

Armed with that knowledge, you should be able to properly tip your postie. Go forth and give generously!