Playa Post Office Services

[Pyramis]

A question about the services provided by BRC Post Office.

I'm doing a distributed art project on the playa this year where I give
away 200 postcard-size blank cards to artistic burners I meet during
the week on which they will draw and record an image of their Burning Man experience.

The hard part is recollecting all the cards from all the people so I can make
a big mosaic to display at Decompression '04 in San Francisco. I figured
the best way would be to place a drop box somewhere safe and central,
and print return instructions on the back of every card.

Q: Has the BRC PO ever offered a PO Box service? I don't want to
burden them with delivering all 200 cards back to me. Do you think
they'd let me leave a drop box inside which I could come and collect?

Or is there anyone here who has an easy-to-find theme camp willing to host a little blue box?

love,
pyr

[kiki]

since things happen on PT/playa time out there, and even the best intentions (making sure to get back to somewhere to drop something off) are often derailed by many things (the unamog, some blinky lights in the distance...), any way you could pre-stamp and pre-address the post cards to your civilian address off-playa? that way, burners could mail them to you even after they get home, prior to decompression (making your art project the gift that keeps on giving... you will get postcards for weeks after the burn!

just a thought. you could request that the impression art be done on-playa, but you would remove the burden of having to get it somewhere while in a sea of distractions (or at least provide an alternative)...

[Pyramis]

It's a great idea kiki.

Problem is there are 200 cards and the cost of all that postage (about $50)
is just too much for my budget. I am putting my address on them though,
hoping to receive those I don't get back at BM.

Thanks for the insight.


Pyr

[Pyramis]

Just got an email from Postmistress Renie at BRC Post Office saying they
will hold the cards for me there!

Now I have to figure out how to make these things legal postcards so the
remainders will travel safely by snail mail post-BM.

Pyr

[kiki]

oops. forgive me for not thinking of postage cost to you. it's a major expense. i think you'll do just fine w/addressed ones.... i think we'll all be happy to mail 'em from home using our own postage...

now, i'll just hope i'm lucky enough to receive one! it sounds like a great project... in any case, i'll see it at Decompression. i have a friend (my best one) who is unable to attend this year... i have a journal i'll be keeping for her called 'dispatches from the vault of heaven' - with impressions, words, art, etc. ... so i'm in the head space of 'impression art' right now.

glad to see someone else is suffering from pre-burn insomnia...! or maybe you are just nocturnal in nature!

[kiki]

there is a service called "Business Mail Entry" at the USPS in San Francisco, i believe you can fax them something at full size and they will call/fax you back to let you know whether or not it's legal for snail mail.

good luck!

[safetythird]

Ever got a flip-flop (thong type sandal) postcard from someone visiting Hawaii? It's amazing what passes for legitimate mail through the good ol USPS.


As long as one side is readable and the addresses fit the standard format you'll probably be good to go.



Safety Third!

[AntiM]

I mailed a cocoanut once. Just wrote the address right on the husk. I'm nit kidding. I want to try it with a big smooth rock, just to see if it works.