Murray On Travel

After over 100 years of being one of the cheapest souvenir, postcards are slowly disappearing from tourist-traps.  You may think that at the root of this vanishing act would  be the proliferation of cellphone cameras and email, along with online distribution services like Flickr.com.  But it isn't.

Industry statistics show that the decrease in use of postcards is  due to a move over to other souvenirs such as refrigerator magnets, key chains and spoons.  Many traveers now keep extensive collections of such items and look forward to enlarging their prized displays.

An industry postcard expert says another reason for the decrease in postcard usage is the loss of independent bookstores, and loss of small Mom & Pop stores in general.  Stocking the low profit margin post card is less appealing for large chain stores.

But it's interesting to learn that a statistics from the Greeting Card Association show that 90 percent of americans like to receive greeting cards and letters in the mail.  And 64 percent say they would rather get a handwritten letter than an email.

I think part of it is due to the convenience and ease of use of digital cameras which has cut into the postcards territory.  In the past postcards were often purchased for individual scrapbooks and never mailed.  Just check out eBay, you will find thousands of postcards that have never been postmarked.

Maybe it's because in a world flooded with scenic images supplied by cable networks like the Travel Channel and the internet's World Wide Web, the excitement of seeing an image from a distant destination may seem to the sender as less impactfull.  

Also SMS cellphone text messages along with email are a much easier way of communicating than taking the time to write a postcard, stamp it, and find a mailbox.

While the internet may have had something to do with the disappearing postcard, it has become part of it's future. Check out these websites: Quantity Postcards, Tacky Postcard Archive, Post Cards From America.

But in some cases the postcard still beats you digital camera.  Just try and get a sunny day photo of Seattle Washington with your personal camera, but you can always find a great postcard.