Repurposing greeting cards into postcards?

Postcards & Mail Postcard chat!
22

I might be one who Pinknoodle thinks as “postcard police” (which in my opinion does not sound very nice). But it’s just that for me it is very clear what a postcard is :laughing:. I joined postcrossing to swap postcards, so I hope to receive such. Very simple.

If you like to send cut out greeting cards, why not join a swap or tag, where everyone sends these, so every one most likely is hoping to get this kind of thing in return.

So I would wait until finding postcards again, and only then send official cards. Or send them to someones who write in their profile they are fine with postcard size piece of something, but of course you can’t know what address you get, so it would be safer to rather join that tag.

In your profile you write about “lovely postcards”, so if you still send these greeting card parts, I would change the profile a little :slight_smile:

Edit. Link to the start of the tag page.

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23

I’ve bought several postcards with a blank backside. So not all bought postcards do have the name of the illustrator or photgrapher or even the name of the distributor on it. I do agree with you that it is very important that if the name is known, it should be printed on the card.

@Applewasp I don’t have a problem getting a nicely cut greetingcard if it fits in my collection. I myself don’t do it but I’m lucky enough to have loads of postcards in stock. Many postcrossers have cards of a dutch artist in their favourites, but you can only get his cards as greetingcards. If I would get the adress as an official than I will choose a different card. If I send the card in an RR I would ask the person if they want to receive it as a greetingcard. These cards are quite expensive and I don’t want to risk the possibility to damage them by using my instable papercutter.

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24

I think it sounds fine to turn them into postcards! I joined Postcrossing to encourage personal connections, so I feel like whatever a person sends it tells me a bit of themselves. And I think each card has their own unique perspective.

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25

Yes, this is very true, but, is official postcrossing the place to send whatever? No.
It’s: " Send a postcard, receive a postcard ".
So if one can’t do that, there are the tags and other places to send other things :slight_smile:

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27

Mostly, I hate bringing up dictionary definitions, but I think it is useful occasionally as a starting point so that everyone is at least beginning with the same idea of a thing. There are slight variations from dictionary to dictionary but generally they go something like this:

A postcard is a piece of thin card, often with a picture on one side, which you can write on and send to people without using an envelope.

That’s it.

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28

How you think my comment was rude?

I just point, if one can’t send a postcard for some reason, they can join a tag for letter, for photos etc.

I don’t understand this part. Because you don’t pay, you don’t see it’s important to follow the rules?

I look that part completely differently. Because this is free, I respect that greatly, and play by the rules and guidelines.

Also, I think it’s not at all rude to guide members to join tags and other swaps. There they can get the same thing they like to send and meet more like minded people.

And, if you get a letter, you don’t have to register it. So, by sharing this, I save them from the money to send a (new) card, right?

But of course, if someone says in their profile, they like letter in addition to the postcard, or tea, or a coin, then it’s different. I have sent many many teabags, coins, small notes, but : “the only thing you have to send in Postcrossing is a postcard.”

So, I am just curious, why not follow that.

This again, not rudely meant of any part of my message, but just my curious nature trying to understand. And also, perhaps a “problem -> solution” -brain, trying to advice someone, if I think they might not know something.

(And also, English is not very very far from my mother tongue.)
Edit. English IS far from my mother tongue :rofl: I like this mistake!)

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29

I’ve seriously considered this idea myself. Do it!

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30

You can be happy with all those things, but Postcrossing is to send postcards. So I’m with @S_Tuulia in this, just because it’s free (is it?! I don’t think, because I spent a lot of money in this little hobby) you still need to follow the rules that says you need to send A postcard. (if the front of a greeting card is a postcard or not, I think I agree with others that said it has to be well done, but I still think I would prefer not to receive it).

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32

Personally I like folded/greeting cards just as much as postcards :slight_smile:
Maybe I should put it in my profile? But I feel like many profiles are a just long list of preferences what to send or what not to send, even though the rules told me that isn’t what the profile page is for…

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33

Maybe you can write you like all kinds of postcards, also greeting cards.

But, this came to my mind (when there was that if the greeting card image is perfect for someone wishes, to cut it) why not rather send the greeting card as it is, without cutting, along the postcard?
Then all is done by the rules, sender can send the image she/he thinks is perfect, but the receiver also gets the postcard.

34

I think it’s great to use greeting cards that you’ve cut neatly, and if you give credit to the original artist, even better. I make a lot of my own post cards, on blank postcards from an art supply store. I only send them if the recipient asks for handmade cards.

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35

Good morning from sunny South Africa :south_africa:

Before I decide which card I’m going to send I go into the recipient’s received cards from South Africa and see what cards he has already, in order to try and send a new image.

Then only do I read the preferences for cards. This way I try to send something as close to that as possible.

Now my next problem: Our small town do not sell postcards anywhere so whoever goes to a city or travel I ask very nicely please buy and I’ll reimburse them.

If I run out that’s where the fun starts. I make my own with pictures I like and “pretty them up”
Most of the times I prefer to do that even if I have cards, especially if someone says I don’t care what card you send, then I know for sure he will never receive the same as mine.

All comes out, pictures, glue, stickers, washy tape, stamps and what not. Try it you might just like it! My profile says-whatever you send even the ones you really don’t like, I am after the stamps, that’s what I like!

Main thing is enjoy what you’re doing!!

Kind regards

Elsie

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36

I do understand the debate but would just reiterate that many items sold as postcards wouldn’t be discernable from a cut greeting card.

I’ll refer to this seller from Etsy who is a Canadian artist that sells postcards in her store. This is a recommended site from various postcard fan pages. When I received the cards (which I thought were very nice), I was a bit surprised to find the backing is entirely blank. I’m not sure someone could determine if this were ‘cut cards’ or ‘legitimate’ postcards.

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37

To me, it sounds strange, when the artist doesn’t put their info on the card. Why is that? Is it their own work then? Or did they copy it somewhere, and by not writing their info, they are not claiming it’s “their” art. This is also why I like buying cards in person, so I can see if I like the material, the backside, the thickness etc (I also think web sellers should show the backside of the card, so buyers know if there’s room for message, any information, lines to write the address, and if so, which way it is :smile: )

38

@anon87497032 here it is :slight_smile:

39

Many of the postcards I purchase are blank on the back, so there would be no clear difference between postcards and other printed material.

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40

Totally blank, no artist info anywhere?
I’d be a bit suspicious they are just copying someone elses work. Of course some views for example are so “general”, that it doesn’t matter who took the photo, I suppose.

41

Oh, no. They have the artist information, just none of the typical postcard notations for address, etc. I frequently buy postcards directly from the artists, so I can support them more directly than a generic distributor.

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42

Oh yes, I buy many like that too, and many of the box card are blank like that as well, and even shop bought, like Marimekko cards at one point.

I thought blank meant no info at all of the print house or the artist.

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43

But if you repurpose it into a postcard, it becomes a postcard.

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