Why I Decided to Get All Medieval With My Handwritten Cards

August 30, 2016 / in How To / by Jason Terry

I’m always impressed when I get a hand written card in the mail. It could be someone thanking me for meeting them for coffee or for donating my time. Or as a way for someone to give me their business card.

No matter what the reason, it’s a nice touch that someone has spent a little extra time to send me a message the old fashioned way.

For me personally, I’ve wanted to do that more often, but I’ve struggled over the years making it happen. It’s just so much easier to type up a quick email or pick up the phone. (And I’m a lefty, so when I write in a card, I usually get ink on my left hand!)

But that’s kind of the point, right? It takes a minute. And the recipient knows that. And hopefully appreciates the extra time it took to say hello or thank you.

I needed something to make the process more fun… and I think I’ve finally found the solution.

Wax Seals

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of movies set in the age of castles and knights where letters and secret orders are sent by rider to their destination. These letters typically had a red wax seal with an emblem pressed into them. Often, this emblem was made by a signet ring worn by the sender that verified his or her identity. These seals were used by monarchs, bishops, and royal courts for use in issuing official decrees and authenticating documents.

In 2016, there are much better ways to send important documents securely. Dropbox, Google Apps, and even eFax to name a few. But for me, finishing a hand written note with a wax seal on the back has made the process a lot more fun and personal. And the responses I’ve gotten from the first few I’ve sent prove to me it’s worth the time.

The Process

You can buy all kinds of seals and wax on Amazon.com. The first seal I bought for a test run was one for my wife’s business, Curious Compass. It made a really nice impression shaped like a compass. I really liked the result, but using an open flame to melt wax in my home office was not an ideal solution.

I did some research and found that you can buy wax sticks that fit in a traditional low temperature glue gun. All you have to do is insert one of the wax sticks, turn on the glue gun, and 5 minutes later you are pouring wax on your envelope. Even better, the 5 minutes it takes for the glue gun to heat up is about all it takes to grab the card, write the note and address it.

Once you have the wax in a round-ish puddle on the back of an envelope, you put your seal in the middle of it and let it sit there for a couple of seconds. Then remove the seal and you are done!

One question I’ve gotten is what happens to the wax seal when it gets mailed and the United States Postal Service runs it through their mail sorting machines? It’s not a problem. Most of the sealing wax you can buy is labeled mailable. It’s formulated to be pliable and not brittle.

Custom Seals

I think it’s important to use your brand or logo whenever possible. I had a custom seal made by Nostalgic Impressions for about $45 shipped. And yes, I was able to pick the handle color, so of course it’s blue.

I also bought some of their Cobalt Blue wax that’s really close to our logo color. The logo and wax look awesome on the back of a card.

Costs?

A customized seal is $45. Standard seals are $10-$15 each. A wax stick is $2 and makes about 10 seals. A low temperature glue gun is $10.

For less than $100, you could be putting customized wax seals in just about any color on the back of your hand written letters for the next couple of years.

Conclusion

So far, I’m only doing one or two cards a week, but I’m enjoying the process and the response. If you want to make an impact or differentiate yourself in a competitive market, consider trying this out! Please let me know if you do… or if you have any other interesting ways to send notes to your friends and clients.

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