Personally, I have something like a “don’t send” list on my profile, but it’s mostly inappropriate stuff (erotic pictures, drugs) and then things I’m just not interested in. Though, if I’d get a postcard that I wouldn’t like I would still register it, ya know, I just found a profile of a person, that was like “I won’t even read the message if you send me a postcard with this and that on” a few days ago and I got really confused… I don’t understand why are people so mean.
Also… I’m a new postcrosser, but I think it’s better to look at the “don’t send” list first. Like… Before the “prefference” list. Because I think it’s better to receive a postcard I don’t necesarilly like than a postcard I simply dislike.
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Here’s an idea. I recently came across profile requesting “a food packaging postcard“ so what I did was cut out a postcard size portion of a cereal box, put a stamp on it and sent it. I thought that was pretty cool.
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For me is all about the person and her/his personal details in a profile. Often I already have a postcard in mind to send just by reading the information. The list of items of interest can be handy as a gesture what to send…but still, for me it is not an obligation to follow.
Sometimes I send a total different postcard for what reason that will be - in the end for me it is all about sending someone a postcard by mail, write a lovely text and make someone happy!
Postcrossers should also understand that not for everybody it is so easy to buy or get “great” postcards or have all the choices in the world. I started with a small amount of postcards and buy some postcards when I’m on holiday or visit an other place in my country or for now I have found a nice internet shop who makes postcards from my city and surroundings…
So, don’t feel unsure about your postcards, because your intention is to send a postcard. Be creative with your text and meet the person in that way to satisfy! For me personally I like it a lot to have full written postcards…
H🙃ppy Postcrossing to you❣
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I did so. And the the result looked better than some real postcards are.
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I’ve only been Postcrossing for less than a year, and it never even occurred to me to send a list of things I do not want. I too, stress a bit when I get someone with a long “do not send” list. It’s a bit of a turn off, really, isn’t it? Let’s just be happy that someone is taking the time to write a postcard from a distant place, looking to connect. Any picture on the postcard will do, but it’s the writing from heart that matters to me most.
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Did the person get it ok? Did they register it?
Yes they did!
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Sometimes I have the feeling a few people see it as a “trade” of goods and not an exchange of feelings/intentions behind the card. So maybe there is the thought “I spent money and sent a card so I’m entitled to receive the exact theme I want”. As if it a purchase with a sent card as coin, maybe?
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No. Don’t worry. Like it was Said “Phobia” and alike i would understand as NOT AT ALL.
There are so many different ways Out there how people Set therr profile. I am Sure some mean it as you understood …
But often it is Just to make it easier…( For you to choose to get The Most happness Out of it for Them which should Then mean For you too…)
I have a list with “
” and also a few lines of “
i am Not interested”… That sentence i changed a Lot. I used better/friendlier words. But some people don’t sprach english Well and i Got those that i really didn’t prefer…so when that happenend i worded it different…
(I participate in a Lot of Round Robins (=card-swap-groups) where it is exactly about The profile. There “don’t” means “don’t”)
There are a Lot of types of cards that are Not and also not . my Listing simply States i will be superextra Happy If you send such cards and Well, i am sorry you won’t get a Long Superhappy thank you when i get those. ( But Always thank you) All between i will probably Like too.
I agree: The Message counts a Lot
You will do fine 
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I have a short “Prefer not to receive” list, but all things mentioned have their reasons. I am not member of Postcrossing, because I want to get proselytized. I already got Jehovas Witnesses brochures in envelopes (even without a postcard included), or postcards with bible verses that clearly were made to do missionary work. I already got a postcard with a drawing from the camasutra book showing the intercourse of a man and a woman and the sender asked me if I didn’t want to try out this. As a lesbian, I was very angry to receive such a card, while the sender just wanted to be funny, as he told me, when I wrote an angry message to him. He thought I would have a good laugh about the card and he couldn’t imagine my reaction would be so angry. (But I guess he only wanted to avoid me reporting to Postcrossing). Once I also receiced a postcard showing a Swastika (Hakenkreuz) and the sender greeted me with “Hail”. I’m an anti-fascist and remembering how gay people were put to concentration camps, this kind of cards are not at all funny for me. Therefore, my “Prefer not to receive list” is not because I’m picky, but because it has a background of who I am and how people can show disrespect when sending a postcard.
PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE:
cards/leaflets with bible verses, and proselytizing in general
cards with naked men or cards showing sexual intercourse
cards showing dead, suffering or caged animals
cards dealing with war or military, and Nazi stuff
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Things may be different in the US but I have not found it hard to get cards. I just ordered some off Ebay this week. Although I prefer to get them in local stores, the internet offers many sources from Amazon to museums to ebay.
Girl send whatever you want people aren’t allowed to demand what they want and what they don’t want that literally goes against the rules…just don’t send nothing offensive….I remember during American Independence Day, I sent out 4th of July postcards and one user in UK I sent to received it and told me they found it offensive to them:thinking:
….anyways, but yea make sure to only send beautiful ones I mean who doesn’t like cute cats right??!!
To the OP. True send what you have. No need to worry. One thing about requesting addresses is that they are given to you once. If I remember correctly, You will never be rematched with that person again.
It’s all on the sender. I try to send something that will make the person happy. However a lot of members are in the category of send whatever because they like receiving mail and it doesn’t matter to them because they like participating in the project.
Basically there are no rules. Just two maybe 3
- When you request an address, send the card.
- Use the correct postage don’t scam your postal service
- Have fun. Decorate the card, don’t decorate it. Write a lot, write a little. Whatever you do, have fun send your cards so they can be registered and when they do, you got return and then you start your collection.
Hi!
I just mentioned in my profile that I don’t appreciate e.g. reused cards (I did get it once and didn’t like it.)
Sorry to hear that 
I think you could’ve reported it, because:
“Postcrossing is a postcard exchange community, so each exchange that you make must include at least one postcard. It can be a postcard you bought in a store or a handmade postcard, as long as it hasn’t been previously used.”
Used postcards aren’t the idea of postcrossing.
Maybe it would be good idea to still report that, if they send used cards to people, it’s useful to know if it happens more than once.
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Thank you. I didn’t report it so far.
I just want to “avoid” that another reused card by someone else is send to me.
That’s awful. Sad that you would even have to tell people not to send stuff like that. They should know better.
Yes, the team will definititely tell you not to register such cards! I did report it once and the sender sent me another (new) card.
I always find the “dont” lists very sad because this is a hobby to share happiness and part of it is the surprise. Especially when the “dont” topics are very common and the wishlist is something not so common. Luckily I have a good variety of different themes but that’s not the case for everyone and that’s my those profiles give me a bad taste, even thought I want to see positive in everything.
However, I do understand some don’t lists when the topics are sensitive, like war, nudity or phobias.
In my profile I’ve asked people not to send butterfly or moth cards because I have a bad phobia of them. I wouldn’t ask it otherwise. Of course if the person only has butterfly cards I don’t expect them to buy a new one just for me. But it’s the thought that matters.
Also I’ve been told that maybe listing the phobia topic is bad because it might get mixed in people’s heads or if your English isn’t perfect, that you would think that I want those cards. But butterflies are very common card topics and most people understand perfectly so that is why I put it there. If my phobia was less common card theme I probably wouldn’t put it.
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I’ve seen some people who admit to not registering postcards if they don’t like them, so that’s something that happens, unfortunately