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Show HN: Simple Postcard – Send a photo postcard from a text message

145 points| jastr | 10 years ago |thesimplepostcard.com | reply

85 comments

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[+] rm_-rf_slash|10 years ago|reply
I have noticed a mild resurgence in postcards now that we are all officially sick and tired of text and email, and it's far more personal than asking someone to look at your Facebook photo album.

But...

Why do we send postcards? Is it for the pretty image? Is it for the message? Yes, but ultimately it's because you want to share an experience with someone that matters to you, and you want them to know that you are thinking of them as more than just a fleeting thought. Otherwise, a text message with an image or video suffices.

Bottom line: Simple Postcard would be a lot more interesting if we could physically write in them before they are sent. Just don't take this as a suggestion to use AI to put pen to paper and mimic our handwriting from samples, because that's plain creepy.

[+] Splines|10 years ago|reply
A postcard sends an expression of how much you value that relationship. The postcard itself represents time spent by you finding a postcard, writing in it and sending it off during your vacation.

A picture posted to social media has none of this meta-cost and is "cheap".

I think in the early days of texting and social media, the act of using these tools was also high cost. Sending a message costs money, signing up for a social media account, bringing along your cell phone and uploading a picture wasn't always easy or cheap.

Decades ago, I think a long distance phone call was treated similarly for the same reasons. International calls even more so.

[+] Tloewald|10 years ago|reply
How about if they hire people with nice handwriting to write your postcards for you (and compose the message for a little extra) — kind of like the main character's job in Her.
[+] tonyblundell|10 years ago|reply
> Why do we send postcards?

Because our mothers are scared of smart-phones :-)

[+] stevecalifornia|10 years ago|reply
I just came back from a 10 day solo vacation to Europe. Rather than post updates on Facebook I sent postcards to close friends and family each day. It was a lot of fun taking time out of every day to go find a few nice postcards and send a handwritten note. I think the recipients really enjoyed it as well. I'm surprised postcards are around still-- but maybe they'll make a resurgence as people seek to rebuild stronger connections than social media facilitates.
[+] foobarrio|10 years ago|reply
I make my own post cards by printing out a photo that I took on the trip. This lets me practice my local language skills trying to find a printshop and getting a photo printed and mailed. It is definitely loads of fun.
[+] Swizec|10 years ago|reply
I did this on an 8000km roadtrip around Europe. Every couple if days, I sent out 20 to 30 postcards.

Two years later, I still see them on people's walls.

The instagrams lay forgotten only dredged up by facebooks memory algorithms. Sometimes. Maybe. Even then only for me.

Postcards >>> social media.

[+] Tloewald|10 years ago|reply
The downside of the idea here is that the postcards will presumably be sent from where-ever they are (e.g. some place in the US) and not from where you are (e.g. some place in Italy) so no stamp, postmarks, etc. as well as no handwritten note.

Perhaps on the plus side: a photograph you took vs. a professionally shot postcard.

[+] jkmcf|10 years ago|reply
Can I send a GIF? We don't have the technology to print GIFs yet. We have some interns working on it.

Hilarious!

[+] Tloewald|10 years ago|reply
Funny how this is a faux question with a faux answer from people who don't realize GIFs were first and foremost _still_ images.
[+] mxuribe|10 years ago|reply
I don't know what it is, but there's something about this that i like. Maybe its the "do one thing, and do it right" aspect. (Though it remains to be seen if they do it right.) But I for one wish these guys good luck!
[+] chakalakasp|10 years ago|reply
I hope you have some human doing image QC or I envision a long conversation with Postal Inspectors regarding all the dick pic postcards that you're sending.

BTW, that said, this reminds me a little bit of rather elegant app developed by Bill Atikinson, "Photo Card", which aims to convert photos in iOS to postcards on demand.

[+] grahamburger|10 years ago|reply
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that 'Jeff' is at least glancing at each photo before sending it out. (In between complaining about the name and the lack of an app, at least.)

Or maybe they're having the interns do it.

EDIT: That or they're using an algorithm. Lol love the dry copy.

[+] chipperyman573|10 years ago|reply
>Postal Inspectors

Those exist? I thought that nobody (including the government) was supposed to look at, touch, or investigate mail (except from prisons IIRC)

[+] lsb|10 years ago|reply
I really enjoy the US Postal Service's $0.39 stamped postcards. There's a blank front, which makes it convenient to sketch what I'm seeing when I'm writing the message. (A few parks, like Yosemite, will frank the stamp from "Yosemite National Park", which is an even more special treat for the recipient.)

They are quite a good value for the money if you are ever in the USA and wish to correspond with friends and are artistic. :)

[+] 27182818284|10 years ago|reply
There was a similar thing years ago on HN that was like $4 for a postcard with the image you uploaded. It went defunct, though. I really liked the idea and did try to use it, but it was already in the process of being shut down by its creator.
[+] nxzero|10 years ago|reply
Always wondered why postal services don't offer something like this for letters that a sender requires be sent by mail, but giving it to the carrier digitally is okay.

If it was in major cities, literally be possible to send a letter same day.

[+] tedmiston|10 years ago|reply
I'm kind of surprised Kinkos doesn't offer that.
[+] LeoPanthera|10 years ago|reply
The UK's postal service offered exactly this, way back in the late 90s. They discontinued it after just a year or so.
[+] IanCal|10 years ago|reply
Is there anything that falls into this category which couldn't be done with a fax?
[+] markbao|10 years ago|reply
Very fun – I've already sent 5. The cost is very impulse-purchase friendly, and it's a lot easier than the effort of going to the store to get cards printed out and putting stamps on and such, though less personal because of lack of handwriting. Is the current price introductory pricing or do you think it would be sustainable long-term? Seems low to me for on-demand printing, but I haven't seen the quality of the cards.
[+] thesimon|10 years ago|reply
Lob charges $0.70 per card, seems sustainable.

Edit: Stripe charges a hefty 2.8% + 30ct, so 35ct fees for that. 1ct for Twilio. $1.06 in costs, so a $0.94 margin. Seems ok for a (probably small maintenance side project)

[+] 20andup|10 years ago|reply
Wow. I really love this idea. Simple and impactful to the receiver. Really makes people reminisce the days before technology took over our lives.
[+] bryan11|10 years ago|reply
Excellent idea for parents and grandparents that may not be into computers and the internet. Even for those that are, having a physical photo and note show up in the mailbox would be a great thing to brighten their day.
[+] jastr|10 years ago|reply
I've received really nice feedback from mothers and girlfriends!
[+] yaiu|10 years ago|reply
There aren't any example shots of the post cards.. How do these things look? I've stayed away from similar products because they have logos and unwanted crap on them.
[+] jastr|10 years ago|reply
Good idea, I'll add some samples in a bit.

There's nothing on them except what you add.

[+] kenrick95|10 years ago|reply
OT: Who is Jeff from New York that is being quoted three times in the website?
[+] bornon5|10 years ago|reply
Given the tone of the site, I assume it's the creator's friend, or maybe the creator. Personally I think it's a hilarious change from the fake-looking testimonials you usually see on startup sites.

Edit: yup. :)

[+] jastr|10 years ago|reply
Just a friend and beta tester with lots of good ideas!
[+] JustSomeNobody|10 years ago|reply
Neat idea. I wonder if the scaling/cropping algorithm is smart enough to handle 4:3 images without chopping people's heads.
[+] m_t|10 years ago|reply
> Only in the US. We'll support international postcards soon.

I can't wait!

[+] ndespres|10 years ago|reply
I've been using Postagram (https://sincerely.com/postagram) for a few years to send a card to my grandmother regularly from my smartphone. The cards look great, cost $1, and have the image in a perforated square which can be punched out of the card, with the description on the back. They have a solid app with tracking and history. Hard to beat that, but maybe the feature that Simple Postcard has is fitting the image to a 4x6 area (full front of the card) rather than the smaller square (3x3", I think) on the Postagrams.
[+] lmcnish14|10 years ago|reply
I love this idea. My cousin and I have been sending each other postcards frequently for years. She's always good about sending them often while I'm only good at purchasing neat postcards with the intent to send them.
[+] ikawe|10 years ago|reply
I just sent a picture postcard to a friend for $2.

This was a really nice speedy flow.

For some reason I expect the sms interface to be more human and cheeky. I guess it's the weird AI chat bot trend.

[+] ben_pr|10 years ago|reply
What Payment Gateway are you using? If I'm not mistaken this qualifies as a micro payment (< $5) and the transactions fees can be rather high on a $2 purchase.