Ten years ago, on 10th March 2016, Postcardsmarket began as a small, personal project. I, Mihnea Raducu, together with my good Postcrossing friend George Nazareanu, decided to dive into the world of postcards and created an online shop that already offered a few flags of the world.
What started with a simple wish - to find a Romania flag postcard - soon became a much bigger adventure. After creating one for Romania, then Germany, then the Netherlands, we realized that collectors around the world were looking for the same kinds of cards. That’s how the Flags of the World (FOTW) series, the Maps of the World (MOTW) series, and later the Titina & Friends series were born - each designed to be both beautiful and meaningful.
A business built on real needs
Postcardsmarket has always focused on solving real problems for collectors and postcard‑lovers. The idea is simple: offer postcards that truly fulfill the needs of the people who buy them.
This means:
- Reading Postcrossing profiles and seeing what people are asking for.
- Turning repeated requests into new designs, so that if many collectors want the same kind of card, it becomes part of the catalogue.
Because the shop is built on this feedback‑driven approach, many of the best‑selling designs are not just pretty pictures - they are useful, specific, and tailored to what people actually need when they write and send postcards around the world.
A personal style inspired by learning
As a collector myself, I have a strong preference for educational, informative postcards - cards that teach you something about each country: flags, capitals, maps, and interesting facts.
This passion for knowledge shows in series like the Maps of the World or Amazing Places, where each card invites the receiver to discover something new. For me, a postcard is not only a greeting; it is also a small piece of culture, geography, and storytelling.
Decisions guided by heart and data
Running Postcardsmarket means balancing intuition and information. I use both data and customer feedback to decide what to print more of, what to improve, and what new themes might work well.
At the same time, because I have the freedom to choose, I also follow my heart. Sometimes I create a series simply because I would love to receive that card myself, or because it feels like it adds something special to the collection. This combination of heart and data is what keeps the shop evolving while staying true to its original spirit.
A global community
One of the most striking aspects of Postcardsmarket is that most of its customers are outside Romania. The shop is built for collectors worldwide with a fascination for sending and receiving real, handwritten messages/ postcards from around the world.
The postcards are printed in Romania, in a local printing company in Bucharest, while the shop itself runs on a global e‑commerce platform, making it easy for collectors from Europe, North America, and beyond to browse, order, and receive cards directly at home.
Marking 10 years of friendship
Ten years is not just about numbers; it’s about postcards received, friendships formed, and stories written in ink instead of pixels. In 2020, the pandemic challenged many habits, but together with you - the readers and collectors worldwide - we kept the postcard spirit alive.
In April 2023, George stepped back, and I continued alone, still guided by the same idea: to create the kind of postcards I would like to receive as a collector. New series, new ideas, and constant improvements have kept the shop moving forward, always with the collector’s needs at the center.
Now, in 2026, we are celebrating 10 years of Postcardsmarket. To all of you who have ever bought a card, sent a greeting, or simply smiled at a postcard from this corner of the world: THANK YOU!
Here’s to another decade of flags, maps, stories, and real mail in an increasingly digital world! Let's bring sunshine to every mailbox!
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