I never knew about Lou Paper state postcards! I learned something new today, yay. I maybe received one in the past, but I didn’t know it was a thing!
I am so used to these postcards (see image below) that I guess I didn’t pay attention to the other amazing ones!
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I pick up cards when I travel for research or academic conferences (quite often before Covid)…I write why I’m now sending a Washington DC card from my home in Ohio for example, but usually only send if they have DC in a wish list or are needing a rare state such as North Dakota etc. Other times they want a cheese/mouse card and I may have one from Wisconsin…
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On the other hand, let’s be smart.
What’s the probability the recipient will know you sent that postcard from another state ?
From the postmark ? Only if still readable…
In my case, there’s only a few sorting centers in Switzerland. All my post gets sorted in another state and postmarked from there…
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True. The US usually prints a nasty near un-readable postmark unfortunately (or fortunately, in this case? 
). I guess Postcrossers can see your location (if it isn’t mentioned in your profile) in the little map provided on your profile and after they register the postcard.
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I already sent & received cards from different regions of the world, not identical with the senders nationality.
So if European people send Australian or New Zealand cards - why shouldn’t you send cards from different regions of your country? 
I would not do it though, if someone has the preference to receive from the senders place (if I can fulfill the wish).
Yes, I try to do that.
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As long as it’s from the country of origin, I don’t split hairs over such things. France has 34,965 communes. Should I care whether a postcard matches the sender’s commune?
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“country of origin” I find a strange, arbitrary thing. I suppose if one is from a small country requesting that seems to make sense. Most of my life had nothing to do with palm trees, deserts, tundra, sweeping plains, or soaring mountains. It takes several hours by airplane to cross my country, but it’s “one thing” according to some.
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I also have a national parks set, and everyone I’ve sent them to has seemed very happy to receive them, even though there is only one national park in Ohio. I’ve also sent cards from places I’ve visited, states I used to live in, and even places I don’t have much connection to (my mom will pick up postcards when traveling and give them to me sometimes). I also had some Grand Canyon cards and while I haven’t been yet, I’ll often mention the fact that we were supposed to visit in 2020 but COVID changed those plans…
As for myself, I am happy to receive cards from any state, whether or not they come from the state of origin. I’ve lived in 3 different states in my life, and travelled to quite a few others, so I’ve had cards from a number of different states in my possession at times. I wouldn’t expect anyone to not use cards they’ve acquired simply because they don’t match their current address.
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I live in Tennessee, but I have lived in many other states due to childhood moves, college moves, and job moves. I will send a card from another state if I have a personal connection to share with the receiver. For example, if I send a card of Virginia, I will talk about living in Stafford and having to deal with I-95 everyday. 
I think the personal story makes the difference and adds meaning to the card, whether you currently live in the area or not.
Also, when I go on vacations or travel for work, I don’t always have time to send cards while on trips so I bring them back home and send them with cute stories of my adventures (or misadventures!).
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I live in New Mexico and I’m notorious for sending postcards that depict other regions of the United States. Not that I don’t have postcards from where I live but if I get a box of postcards that depict the national parks then it’s expected that they’re not going to originate from where it shows on the front.
I personally don’t mind it when someone sends a card from a different region. It actually happens quite often and it doesn’t bother me as much as it would for some people. I think if you’re picky or very particular about your collection then it would probably matter more to them but not to me.
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I don’t mind much either way whether the sender lives in the state/city/town shown on the card. It is always cool though to see more obscure places on a card, so if someone lives in a small town I’d love to see it. Even if it’s ‘uninteresting’ to the sender, it’s still something new and different to the recipient. Shops, houses, roads, fields, even basic street furniture - they all vary around the world.
Thinking about it from another angle, in Australia we have six states and several territories. Mostly for officials I send Australia Post maxicards. They are normally sold only in sets and sometimes depict locations across the country. I seldom worry about whether the maxicard shows the state where I live. However, I only send tourist cards of places I’ve been or lived in. I am fortunate to live somewhere where I can buy a lot of nice viewcards already, so have no need to order from somewhere else. But I understand not everyone is in the same position.
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Oh wow… you learn something new everyday! I just bought a huge lot of postcards and it had several states mixed in. I didnt know this style had a name!
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If I were an impulsive person, I would stand on the table and shout “I WILL BE COMPLETELY ARBITRARY ABOUT MY CHOICE OF POSTCARD AND YOU WILL ACCEPT IT GRACEFULLY!!!”
However, I’m not that guy. If I send a card that seems a little strange (subject matter, location, etc.), I usually explain why. And frankly, I usually go to some effort to send people the kind of cards they like, If I can find them in my stock.
I will say, though, that Postcrossers who reject handmade cards in their profiles fill me with a powerful urge to get out my craft supplies. Sometimes I resist, sometimes not.
Cheers!
Mike
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Yes, I do this too! I think especially if you can make a personal connection to the place, it’s totally fine 
and if I’m less familiar with the place on my card, I like to look up a few facts about it lol. Especially if the profile states an interest in culture/travel/history, or whatever seems fitting. That way I get to learn something too! 
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Even if you don’t have a direct connection, I think it’s fine as you’re showcasing different parts of Canada, but I’ve been very lucky, both in my work & my personal travel, to have spent significant time in all provinces & 2 territories.
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Oh wow, that’s fantastic!!
And I agree, showcasing different parts of Canada is always a good idea
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I don’t mind as long as it is from the same country. I often send cards from sights other than NSW and have never had a complaint so far.
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The fact is I don’t even know which states are rare…
I know I may have lose some opportunities to have rare cards but I don’t care that much for now as I’m just beggining, I’ll see what I’ll do when it’s getting harder to find new cards 
If I ask for a card from state of origin, I have at least the certainty that the person has been once in the state.
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I love to run across a random topic that I find so interesting and can relate to! I’ve often wondered if other people worried as much as I do about sending a postcard that’s not where I’m from - and apparently they do! I agree with almost every comment. If the postcard has a different location, I explain why I selected it. Maybe the person said in their profile they like red, and I happen to have a card from Red Rock, Colorado (from a visit to my cousin there), then I’ll send it from Florida, where I live! But, really, I totally agree that the written message is so much more important to me than the picture!
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