I look at what they send, under the theory that people send what they like. If they are really new and I can’t tell a lot, I try to guess from their avatar (e.g. a picture of a horse? I will send a horse card). If all of that doesn’t work, a nice tourist card and an explanation of what is on it.
Honestly, I do not understand intentionally sending people with no profile a crappy card. People with picky profiles, yes. But there are so many reasons someone may elect to have no profile. Language, curiosity (they just want to see what people will send them!) privacy…who knows? I don’t take an empty profile as an insult and try to do the best I can to send a clearly un-picky person something they might like!
I like both your approaches for sending to empty profiles @Kompis-Ninna and @ColorfulCourtney! But I’ll admit that I don’t want to spend an inordinate amount choosing the card and usually stick to a hopefully average nice card and message.
And wow @SailingBy about the brush-off! I’ll bear that in mind if I ever get another one. They are, after all, quite rare.
I have gotten a few addresses where it is stated that they would like unwritten postcards in an envelope. I don’t mind sending a postcard in an envelope (it doesn’t cost more in an envelope as long as it is not over 20 grams). But, I would write the ID and text on the postcard as I have no intention of providing anyone with postcards they could swap with others or trade in for more postcards (as was the impression I got from some profiles).
As for motives, I would try and send a postcard from the wishlist if I got one. If not, I sendt whatever I got. For “blank” profiles it is harder, but again, I send a card I got.
I check if the addressee is quite new on Postcrossing. If so, I send a nice view card from my area - for that is what I expected when I started with PC - and write about Postcrossing, about the card or about me.
If the addressee seems to be experienced then I suppose he does not really care about the card or the text very much - for otherwise he would have written something in his profile - so I might chose an advertisment card and write just “Hello XY, happy Postcrossing, Ralf” on it.
PS: Advertisment cards are not necessarily crappy, mine are not.
why do so many people have a problem with blank profiles? i don’t think they deserve everyone’s least favourite card and no words. personally i love it better when someone has some preferences so i’m sure they’ll be happy with my card, but i don’t mind blank profiles. i usually send some dutch related card (could be touristy but also illustrations or animals or anything) and just talk about it. i mostly get very nice hurray messages (and writing doesn’t cost anything anyway).
It seems to me that a card someone ‘wants to get rid of’ may be exactly the card which someone else wants, eagerly. I’ve more or less proved that with this thread:
wherein I disposed of nearly 100 cards which I didn’t want. That doesn’t make any of them “crappy”.
Well, it’s not that hard after all. She wants a simple single view card of your place, unwritten, in an envelope. You can add a short note with a few words.
And unpicky persons are mostly happy about every card and are actually really interested what you write … That was my discovery.
Super picky profiles are upsetting and steal joy in the game, at least for me. I can’t speak for someone else.
So please don’t forget it should be still fun.
I agree with this, I opened a lottery, altho much smaller than a hundred, to get rid of unrelated cards and many were interested.
And I was surprised when I asked about some old postcards, if they were wanted, becauae so many reached out saying yes.
What may not strike your fancy might really be someone else’s cup of tea.
I sometimes get an overly picky profile. I try and do what they ask within reason. If I don’t have a card they want, I send just something. A lot of us here on Postcrossing are people-pleasers, but my advice would be to just laugh it off if a request is too ridiculous.
I will usually try to fulfil profile requests as best I can, because I know people are doing the same for me too when they draw my address, and this is what I love about the Postcrossing community.
But I do get what you mean. I have drawn my fair share of profiles of Postcrossers who demand certain themes, and because I cannot fulfil these themes, I end up having to send them a generic touristy postcard. And I know they don’t like it, because the ‘thank you’ message is cold, if there is even one. And you would expect some of them to be more ‘polised’ or ‘experienced’ given how long they have been on Postcrossing, but nope.
But then, I move on, because this is like society in general. You will always meet the nasty ones, but I’ve just learnt to focus on the positive things and why I signed up for Postcrossing in the first place.
As you can see, many of the Postcrossers replying to this thread are united in the way we think, and that is the comforting factor.
And yes, I do send out postcards which I don’t like or don’t wish to keep myself too, but one man’s poison is another man’s treasure. For example, I have this Buddha postcard which I didn’t like, but a Postcrosser whose address I drew like Buddha postcards, so I sent it along and hope it will find a new home (it is still travelling).
Ijust send a postcard which I like. Easy.
would love that one.
If there was a Postcrossing members’ personality quiz, I’d bet that emerge as a top characteristic.