Who is sending me these mysterious postcards?
April 17, 2012 8:36 AM Subscribe
Who is sending me these mysterious postcards?
Over the past two months, I have received four anonymous postcards with the text 'Greetings from the Ridiculous Postcard Club!' (or some slight variant- 'The Las Vegas Chapter of the RPC loves you! xoxox the Ridiculous Postcard Club'). They have been postmarked from Florida, California, Nevada, and Maryland, and the handwriting is different on each card.
I don't know anyone in any of the postmark cities, and all of my friends and family deny responsibility. I have a feeling that the Ridiculous Postcard Club has a list someone put my name on, but googling the club's name brings up no results. To add to the mystery, I have only been in my current apartment for about a year and a half, and my address is not listed in the phone book. I do occasionally buy things from internet sellers, so perhaps a stranger is behind this.
Has anyone heard of the Ridiculous Postcard Club? Help me solve this fun mystery!
Over the past two months, I have received four anonymous postcards with the text 'Greetings from the Ridiculous Postcard Club!' (or some slight variant- 'The Las Vegas Chapter of the RPC loves you! xoxox the Ridiculous Postcard Club'). They have been postmarked from Florida, California, Nevada, and Maryland, and the handwriting is different on each card.
I don't know anyone in any of the postmark cities, and all of my friends and family deny responsibility. I have a feeling that the Ridiculous Postcard Club has a list someone put my name on, but googling the club's name brings up no results. To add to the mystery, I have only been in my current apartment for about a year and a half, and my address is not listed in the phone book. I do occasionally buy things from internet sellers, so perhaps a stranger is behind this.
Has anyone heard of the Ridiculous Postcard Club? Help me solve this fun mystery!
Do you have a friend who works for an airline, or otherwise travels a lot? I know someone who works as an airline stewardess, who buys pictures of Jesus wherever she goes (as a joke, she's not religious) and sends them to her sister. Her coup de grace was a postcard of the huge statue of Jesus from Rio de Janiero, btw.
I'd be looking askance at anyone you know who travels a lot for work.
posted by LN at 8:39 AM on April 17, 2012
I'd be looking askance at anyone you know who travels a lot for work.
posted by LN at 8:39 AM on April 17, 2012
I have a friend who is a letter carrier, and he does this quite a bit. Do you know any letter carriers?
posted by Danf at 8:40 AM on April 17, 2012
posted by Danf at 8:40 AM on April 17, 2012
Do you know anyone with the initials RPC? Were you in the Peace Corps?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:42 AM on April 17, 2012
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:42 AM on April 17, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the brainstorming! To answer questions posed so far: I am referenced by name in the address, so they are indeed intended specifically for me. I don't have any friends in the travel industry/who do a lot of international travel or who are letter carriers. I also don't know anyone with the initials RPC, and I have never been in the Peace Corps or a similar group.
posted by bowbeacon at 8:46 AM on April 17, 2012
posted by bowbeacon at 8:46 AM on April 17, 2012
Are you a regular member of any online communities, or have you participated in any gift exchanges? Some do random-acts-of-kindness-type exchanges, though generally you have to choose to participate and actually give someone your address.
Or: do you have any old friends, maybe with whom you've fallen out of touch, who are a little goofy-fun and either travel a lot or happen to know a lot of people across the country?
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:52 AM on April 17, 2012
Or: do you have any old friends, maybe with whom you've fallen out of touch, who are a little goofy-fun and either travel a lot or happen to know a lot of people across the country?
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:52 AM on April 17, 2012
Something similar happened to me! About two years ago I started to get weird postcards from all over - some from Europe, even - with little "have a happy day!" messages on them, in different handwriting.
It turned out to be a sibling, who had enlisted some of his friends to send me postcards. The ceasefire went out about nine months ago, when I finally got my brother to confess, but I still receive the occasional postcard.
So, never underestimate your loved ones' abilities to deceive you for years just to be funny and weird.
posted by punchtothehead at 8:57 AM on April 17, 2012 [11 favorites]
It turned out to be a sibling, who had enlisted some of his friends to send me postcards. The ceasefire went out about nine months ago, when I finally got my brother to confess, but I still receive the occasional postcard.
So, never underestimate your loved ones' abilities to deceive you for years just to be funny and weird.
posted by punchtothehead at 8:57 AM on April 17, 2012 [11 favorites]
I'm guessing someone who knows you is getting some help sending you these things. If you know someone who has friends all over, that's who I'd suspect of setting this up.
posted by xingcat at 9:12 AM on April 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by xingcat at 9:12 AM on April 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Make a list of everyone who knows your name and address. Start with friends and family. Then companies you've ordered from. Neighbors.
Cross out the ones who couldn't have done it. Don't exclude the possibility that someone else is sending them on the real sender's behalf.
Whoever's left, however improbable...
posted by tel3path at 9:18 AM on April 17, 2012
Cross out the ones who couldn't have done it. Don't exclude the possibility that someone else is sending them on the real sender's behalf.
Whoever's left, however improbable...
posted by tel3path at 9:18 AM on April 17, 2012
I don't know anyone in any of the postmark cities, and all of my friends and family deny responsibility.
Guess what? One of them is probably lying!
"Ridiculous Post Card Club" is the sort of thing someone would make up because they think it sounds "wacky."
A variation of this prank was featured in "Amelie," except that instead of postcards, the father was sent pictures of his stolen garden gnome in different famous places Amelie's friend traveled to.
posted by deanc at 9:33 AM on April 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
Guess what? One of them is probably lying!
"Ridiculous Post Card Club" is the sort of thing someone would make up because they think it sounds "wacky."
A variation of this prank was featured in "Amelie," except that instead of postcards, the father was sent pictures of his stolen garden gnome in different famous places Amelie's friend traveled to.
posted by deanc at 9:33 AM on April 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
My vote goes to your significant other, your best friend, or your sibling - the one closest to you of these is it. They are near you physically and crack up inside each time a new postcard arrives.
posted by Dragonness at 9:57 AM on April 17, 2012
posted by Dragonness at 9:57 AM on April 17, 2012
Did you search for your address on the net? I have seen forum posts of people saying essentially: "XY is having a birthday/wedding/whatever everyone who reads this, send them a postcard! This is their address: "The username could give you a clue.
Other than that, smile whenever you get a postcard!
posted by travelwithcats at 10:03 AM on April 17, 2012
Other than that, smile whenever you get a postcard!
posted by travelwithcats at 10:03 AM on April 17, 2012
Maybe this could be helpful? http://www.gadling.com/2009/07/06/postcards-from-strangers/
posted by blaneyphoto at 11:04 AM on April 17, 2012
posted by blaneyphoto at 11:04 AM on April 17, 2012
I definitely think someone in your family is lying, but I also think this is great fun.
For years I've been sending my best friend postcards in the "Dear Mum" style of the Psychograms from Liquid Television. I'd love to try this, but now she'll never believe it's not me. Hoist by my own petard!
posted by i feel possessed at 11:19 AM on April 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
For years I've been sending my best friend postcards in the "Dear Mum" style of the Psychograms from Liquid Television. I'd love to try this, but now she'll never believe it's not me. Hoist by my own petard!
posted by i feel possessed at 11:19 AM on April 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Soooo easy to do. Remail services! I've used them before for just this type of prank, but I promise I'm not the one sending them to you.
posted by raisingsand at 12:29 PM on April 17, 2012
posted by raisingsand at 12:29 PM on April 17, 2012
Yes, there are many ways to get mail to someone with a faraway postmark! For instance, you might give the postcard to someone you know who is traveling to the faraway place (Vegas! California!) or mail it to someone you know in the faraway place and have them mail it (Maryland!). You can also have an acquaintance write out the address and greeting (have done this!) to disguise your handwriting.
It is lovely that someone loves you so much. I think I will start doing this.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 12:57 PM on April 17, 2012 [4 favorites]
It is lovely that someone loves you so much. I think I will start doing this.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 12:57 PM on April 17, 2012 [4 favorites]
Ridiculous Postcard Club google search, #1 result is this thread, so I don't think its some random thing. Its a friend or family member.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:31 PM on April 17, 2012
posted by Ironmouth at 2:31 PM on April 17, 2012
It could also be a total stranger, who decided to do it just for fun.
posted by belladonna at 6:43 PM on April 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by belladonna at 6:43 PM on April 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
Did you figure out who it is? I do this often, and I'm betting it is someone you know. I send things to people I've known for years, and still they are mystified, sometimes even when I tell them it is coming. It's hilarious. But fun.
posted by cashman at 10:15 AM on April 19, 2012
posted by cashman at 10:15 AM on April 19, 2012
Response by poster: Still haven't cracked the case, but thanks to everyone for the theories and links! It's a fun mystery to have, and I will keep enjoying the mail and sleuthing.
posted by bowbeacon at 1:47 PM on April 19, 2012
posted by bowbeacon at 1:47 PM on April 19, 2012
Response by poster: Just wanted to let anyone who is still interested know that the case was cracked!
After receiving 15 postcards from everywhere from Vegas to the UK, my family confessed to a group effort. They asked friends-of-friends to mail them, and never actually wrote or sent one themselves- making both the handwritings and the locales impossible to connect to them. While my siblings hoped they would be able to keep this going for years (I was told that the plan was to maybe tell me on my 30th birthday...which is 4 years from now), my parents got worried I might get creeped out by the whole thing and decided to send one a final postcard from my hometown.
Obviously, an impressive and hilarious scheme. I hope others are inspired to enlist their friends in the RPC!
posted by bowbeacon at 1:52 PM on July 9, 2012 [5 favorites]
After receiving 15 postcards from everywhere from Vegas to the UK, my family confessed to a group effort. They asked friends-of-friends to mail them, and never actually wrote or sent one themselves- making both the handwritings and the locales impossible to connect to them. While my siblings hoped they would be able to keep this going for years (I was told that the plan was to maybe tell me on my 30th birthday...which is 4 years from now), my parents got worried I might get creeped out by the whole thing and decided to send one a final postcard from my hometown.
Obviously, an impressive and hilarious scheme. I hope others are inspired to enlist their friends in the RPC!
posted by bowbeacon at 1:52 PM on July 9, 2012 [5 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Katine at 8:39 AM on April 17, 2012