In return, many East Germans would send an Ostpaket, often containing food, spirits, handicrafts, or confections, such as Stollen for Christmas.
[1] With limited opportunities for phone calls, letters and Westpaket were often the sole form of contact for families, and served as a pleasant improvement for daily life.
Beginning in the 1960s, East Germany was able to reliably provide basic necessities, but luxury and exotic products remained scarce.
Shipments were not permitted to contain money, such as West German Deutsche Marks; occasionally, currency was concealed inside the packaging.
[1] Packages were often prepared using high-quality materials, such as wrapping paper, which were frequently unavailable in the east, and could be saved and reused by the recipient.