Now Is the Time to Get Back Into Snail Mail
Welcome to 2020: telephone calls are all the rage, everyone you know is baking their own bread, and jigsaw puzzles have become a hot commodity. And the most exciting part of the day? Getting the mail, of course!
Once reserved almost exclusively for credit card bills, catalogs you never signed up for, and birthday cards from your aunt, snail mail is officially getting its groove back. "With so many of us working from home and spending even more time on phones and computers, sending mail in the post carries more meaning and impact than ever," says Taymoor Atighetchi, founder of U.K.-based stationery brand Papier. In the past few weeks, demand for of Papier's (extremely chic) notecards and and greeting cards have increased by a staggering 300 percent, per the brand, with sales of its letter-writing sets reaching an all-time high.
"We are all craving connection, and writing to each other is a great way to support, communicate and celebrate with loved ones," agrees Anna Bond, founder of Rifle Paper Co., which just announced a major expansion of its personalized stationery collection. (We're all about the mix-and-match pet portraits.) "There is always something special about receiving or sending a handwritten letter or card—I love the idea of becoming pen pals with someone right now!"
So how can you make your own missives even more special? When writing correspondence, Dixie Design Collective CEO and founder Jennifer Hunt suggests taking the "First Line Challenge," or skipping the usual "Dear So-and-So, thank you for X" or standard "Happy Birthday, hope you have a great day!" and instead finding a way to express the sentiment in a more creative way. ("It’s always fun to include a memory or fond thought about the note recipient," she adds.)
This is also the perfect time to get kids involved in their own letter writing. Dixie Design is also offering free printables like "Notes to Neighbors," which little ones can color in and then drop off in neighbors' mailboxes, and "Secret Pen Pals," short questionnaires that kids can fill out and send to friends anonymously.
And let's be honest: In addition to the whole business of bringing joy to loved ones, the other best part of handwritten correspondence is choosing the perfect set of personalized stationery. Take a look at a few of our current favorites—and get writing!
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