03/08/2024
REAL pen palling is dying. I have been doing my little postal pen pal club and magazine since 1994. Back then there were hundreds like me. I am one of about 5 left like it and have been around longer than anyone out there. But I recently joined a new Facebook "pen pal" group to where I am in hundreds and don't ever advertise but I do include my pass around in all my outgoing mail. Not interested, pass it on, and I got kicked out! Because newsletters and clubs like mine are so RARE I guess now a days and with the internet and all I see where I can come off as some type of scammer as NO ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHAT a pen pal club is! The internet is killing the real pen pal community. Those that have been around since the FIRST FB... I remember my first pen pal newsletter it was Pen Pals ETC. It motivated me to do PFI. There are some real good ones that have closed their doors in the past 2 years. Its so sad. These people that do these Facebook groups are in some kind of fantasy land in that nothing you do there is genuine pen palling. You would have to write a letter to someone to do that. And pass around your FBs, FSS, etc. I believe this is the beginning of the end of PFI and any other ones left in the world like me and why not? You can get most of what is in the magazine from the internet. Including pen pals. However, ours is one that does free contests, card swaps, games and we are all our own "community." And it is a safe and loving one. Anymore I don't make any money on PFI and quite frankly spend too much of my own on it but I do it for those that love PFI and that have been loyal for 20+ years. I also wouldn't know how not to do it. Say a prayer guys and support any pen pal newsletter/club/magazine you see out there that is still NOT online. PFI is not nor will ever be a digital magazine.
