Remember when you were a kid and you got something in the mail addressed just to you? What an exciting feeling!
Now that we’re adults, there’s still something intimate about receiving a physical card or letter.
If you’re considering sending someone something this Valentine’s Day and want to put a special touch on it, you can get a one-of-a-kind stamp from Loveland, Colorado, the “Sweetheart City.”
The town has been offering its Valentine re-mailing program for 77 years, becoming a tradition that’s so well known, cards and letters are sent in from 50 states and 110 countries, according to the Loveland Chamber of Commerce.
Each year, the town averages more than 100,000 cards, each of which a team of volunteers unpacks and hand stamps before mailing it to the intended recipient.
Last year’s seal was something simple and sweet: “Let’s unite our hearts this Valentine’s Day. Our Sweetheart City will lead the way.”
This year, the message inside is: “From the City of Loveland, right to your door, a card full of love, and a little bit more. To you and your loved ones, good wishes and smiles, from the Sweetheart City, across the miles.”
There is also a Valentine’s cachet that shows a mailbox with hearts on their way somewhere. You can see it here.
All that being said, here’s how you can get a piece of mail to your loved one with the special stamps:
The letter should be pre-stamped and pre-addressed before being sent in a larger first-class envelope to:
Postmaster -- Attention Valentines
446 E. 29th St.
Loveland, CO 80538-9998
The smaller envelope will be taken out of the larger one and stamped.
All non-local U.S. mail must be received in Loveland by Feb. 7, and all international mail must be received by Feb. 2.
Click here to learn more.
This story was first published in 2020. It has since been updated.