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Post by writingrav on Aug 15, 2015 16:11:49 GMT
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Post by sharmon202 on Aug 15, 2015 20:23:33 GMT
I am bit skeptical, possibly even a bit afraid of the credibility of mail lists. How would we know they are safe? I looked at some pen pal lists but the organizations requires a lot of personal info, that is good and bad I guess. I would like to write to a soldier but again, how can we both be safe?
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eunice
Crayons
Posts: 47
Looking for Penpals?: Yes. Global penpals welcome
Country I live in is: Wales
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Post by eunice on Aug 16, 2015 13:39:04 GMT
I bought a copy of the latest Letter Exchange magazine. It's interesting. There is a problem, from my point of view, in that most of the penpal ads don't state whether they are from a man or woman. And to send a first letter, you have to send it to the LE with stamps, or IRCs if you live outside the US. Then they pass them on. They make a big thing about privacy.
My biggest beef about these sites, where someone has "discovered" letter writing, is that they place great emphasis on the things they receive. Aren't ordinary letters good enough then? They post photos to instagram of stickers, stationery, bits and pieces they received. It sometimes fells as though if you don't pack the envelope with all sorts of rubbish, or cover the envelope in drawings and stickers, then you're really not good enough to call yourself a penpal. I just want letters! Nothing else, just letter! Ahem, I suppose I am just a very old-fashioned penpaller.
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Post by skye on Aug 16, 2015 14:52:50 GMT
Eunice - guess things have certainly changed since I was a member of IPF in my teenage years. They would post name, address, gender, age and a couple of interests in the roster and once a tear they would send you a huge printout of everyone listed. Letter writing isnt an especially expensive endeavour but having to add additional postage so that they could re-mail it would not make me want to send any first letters. Personally I feel that if you are concerned about your address then you should open a PO Box (I did that until I moved to Texas and the only reason I dont have a PO Bix now is that this is not a permanent addres for us).
There is nothing wrong with just sending a letter and I dont think the receiver should expect anything more than that. Thats not to say if one wants to send more than just a letter that one can't, but I dont feel as though people should be made to feel obliged to send something. In some letters I have send tuck-ins, usually based on some sort of shared interest or topic, but thats not in every letter. As for "discovering" letter writing, I just quietly snigger to myself.
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Post by Mia on Aug 16, 2015 18:23:13 GMT
PO Boxes in the UK are extortionately expensive. £252.00 for one year.
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Post by skye on Aug 16, 2015 18:35:48 GMT
PO Boxes in the UK are extortionately expensive. £252.00 for one year. wow, that is insane.
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eunice
Crayons
Posts: 47
Looking for Penpals?: Yes. Global penpals welcome
Country I live in is: Wales
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Post by eunice on Aug 17, 2015 13:33:24 GMT
That's true. I'd thought getting one as I'm also into zines in a mild way. But the cost of them is ridiculous!
Skye, that's wasn't the IPF I mentioned. I meant the "Letter Exchange" club/magazine thing. The IPF is still around. When they do now is, you pay so much and fill in a form stating which countries you're interested in. They send you a list of 12 addresses and then they add you to 14 other people's lists over the year. I've found that, despite having to pay, few people have ever written back to me from an IPF list. Out of 26 addresses, maybe three or four will actually stay writing for the year or more. Daft, eh? Else why pay the money. In the UK it's £20.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2015 14:09:39 GMT
PO Boxes in the UK are extortionately expensive. £252.00 for one year. Crikey!!! That would buy a lot of stamps and stationery
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