There’s more info in the FAQs page too, about postcard photos and other helpful details. Welcome to Postcrossing!
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Thank you so much 
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When I first started I photographed all of my outgoings and uploaded the photos. I did that because I wanted a record of what I sent. Eventually (around the 1800+ mark apparently) I stopped doing that as it felt like more work, and I didn’t really send the point. I also keep a log of all correspondence I’ve sent (it is just text in an Excel file).
I never scanned or photographed any of my incoming cards; didn’t see any reason to as I have them in my possession and can look through them at any time, which frankly, I’d find more satisfying than scrolling through photos of one side only on a computer.
So those are the things I did for myself. What I do for others is prepare a nice card and message for them and send it to them. That is all that postcrossing requires, and it is enough. In some ways, to me, this is a truer form of the hobby, which leans towards the analog in the first place.
I have occasionally seen bios which request I look through some sort of online gallery to ensure I don’t send a duplicate. I never do that, there are no duplicates, every card has two sides, and the message I send will be different than another card with the same image on the front. I don’t participate here to collect postcards, I participate to collect connections and experiences, but that’s just me. I recognize others are different.
I very rarely (never really) look at my own wall of postcards on this site. Early on, I used to look at the walls of others to get ideas of what sorts of postcards are out there, but I don’t really do that anymore either. I do occasionally look at the wall of favorites for the postcrosser whose address I draw, as that may give me some better insight as to what I might send that would please them, but even that I do pretty rarely at this point.
All that being said, there is a piece of this puzzle that I feel is missing from this discussion. I just registered two cars in a row. The first card had not had an image uploaded by the sender, the second one did have an image uploaded by the sender. After registering the first card I was offered an opportunity to upload an image of the card. If I do not do so, the experience ends there. But after registering the second card, i was offered the opportunity to click on a heart and make it a favorite with a comment. Bottom line: you can’t favorite a card that has no image associated with it.
Anecdotally, I would say that fewer of my cards have been “favorited” since I stopped uploading images as I sent them. That really makes no difference to me, but it is an implication of not uploading images of cards that might matter to some.
Thanks for posting this topic, interesting discussion!
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Not complainingg…just curious…i can easily photograph and upload. 90% would come already uploaded, now 10% come uploaded.
Anyone else experiencing that trend?
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I notice that less cards have their picture upload too
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I personally update the image before sending because some times it comes with some damage …
I even had one postcard come in a plastic slip and was torn into pieces where my address was almost not visible (due the missing pieces ) so I wrote on my profile if possible that they upload the image before hand …
Personally I don’t upload cards that I receive since I always find some kind a flaw like a scratch and something and I do feel bad for the card as well but I can’t do anything about it . But when there is really no problem with the card I do upload if the person who send it to me didn’t
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I am pretty new on postcrossing, so the first few cards I sent, I didn’t upload… Since I am aware of this procedure, I always upload the card prior to sending. And when I receive a card which hasn’t been uploaded, I will do so as well. It doesn’t bother me that it is damage, since that is part of the charm.
Actually one receiver deleted my uploaded image and replaced it with the image of the received (slightly damaged) card again. I didn’t quite understand this action, but that is life. Only the picture was loaded side-ways so you have to turn your head to see what is on the card and that bothers me a little, to be honest, if I make sense 
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i have to confess i am part of this problem, 
unfortunately i am not as tech. minded as some and i have difficulty convincing my computer to “talk” to my scanner. i really have tried but scanning, locating the file (that seems to go were ever it wants to in my files) cropping the photo size wise (so you can see it in the provided window vs. the thumbnail it turns into) choosing the newly cropped photo in the listed options then uploading it. (and deleting the incorrect one if i get it wrong) can turn into a 30 minute project per postcard i’m sending. and don’t get me started on trying to do it on my phone all the above listed problems on a screen 1/8 the size of my desktop computer screen. i do feel bad about this & i have even received some flack about it from a fellow Post Crosser at an event one time.
so i do apologize to everyone that this frustrates. I don’t do it to annoy or anger anyone, I’m just not smart with technology, and well … i figure if the other person on the other end is smarter about it & there heart desires it to be scanned, ill let them fight that fight.
Ps. if anyone is wondering, i am privileged enough to have space in my home to store the postcards i have received, i store them in binders & photo sleaves, i know that not everyone has that capability room wise and there for choose to store there’s digitally. I do wish i was better with the the computer to help them for that reason.
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I don’t see a trend like that at all. Unless the damage is severe, I add the picture as received if missing.
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Not everyone has the tech (scanner or phone or internet bandwidth) or the know how to do this eh? It’s also a question of time & energy too. Lots of people are overwhelmed & pretty stressed these days & short on time.
I used to scan received cards that weren’t uploaded but there are too many of them so I stopped. I just make sure the ones I send are uploaded before I send them.
And remember, uploading images is optional.
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@harleyq2btrue You don’t have to apologize. Scanning isn’t required. If someone really wants the postcard scanned, they can do it for themselves. I always scan ones I send, and ones I receive, if needed. But, it’s optional - so it doesn’t bother me if I have to do it myself.
I didn’t look at your profile, but I’ve seen some where they ask the sender to scan the postcard, because the receiver can’t. You might do that.
And always remember, have fun!
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Try using Google Photoscan on your iPhone if you have one. Super easy to use and to edit and rotate the photos.
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I don’t own a scanner, and I don’t really enjoy the process of taking a picture of a postcard, using my phone to log onto Postcrossing and uploading the picture of the card. I’d rather spend my time sending cards and writing thank you messages.
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I understand the reasons some people don’t upload in general but, in response to your specific question, I also have noticed less seem to be pre-uploaded lately. I would guess that for me it’s about 25% of cards I register have a photo already uploaded, whereas I feel it used to more like 50-75%.
This is interesting as I take the complete opposite approach — I always upload cards that haven’t been pre-uploaded but if there is already a photo and the card I have received is in significantly different condition, I am more likely to replace the photo with one that reflects the final card. If the received card looks just like the pre-uploaded photo, I usually leave the photo as is. But if it’s damaged or marked, I replace the image. I think it’s nice to see the reality of a card that’s been through the post.
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i upload everyone received too (if it hasn’t already been uploaded). the upload steps are easy using my phone.
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I always try to upload pictures of my sent cards. I know it’s not a requirement but I still feel it’s a nice thing to do. I always love scanning other people’s cards and giving them the occasional ‘like’.
I just use my phone to take a photo of the card and then crop the picture whenever it’s necessary. I don’t use a special app for that; my phone takes good pictures, so they’ll come out quite well.
There is only one thing that distressed me (only a few times, admittedly) but that is when recipients of my cards delete my uploaded picture. Why? Why would anyone do that?
Once someone who had deleted my card wrote she did this because she didn’t like the picture.
However, in general, I love to look at sent and received cards and give them a thumbs up if they’re especially lovely.
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I am new here waiting for first received card. I have a question. I know you can post pictures of the cards you receive. Do you all take pics of all the cards you send? Do you post them somewhere?
Thanks
I always take a picture of the card sent to upload. Lately, I’ve been posting in the recently sent/received thread, too.
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I scan or photograph all of them. Anything I receive I add to albums on my SmugMug account (sorted by of they’re official, tags, or ones from other projects). I am debating what to do with all my sent card photos. I may start albums for those, too.
I do the exact same thing indeed.
And i always take picture of the cards i send. Front and Back. Back, because when they answer anything in the hurray message i can see what i wrote them if i don’t remember. And i think it’s also nice that i can still see the decorations and message myself 
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