Through the years, I’ve received a few folded cards, cut to become a postcard. However, I keep them with the same nice feelings as if they were real postcards. Not sure if it’s about me as non-native english speaker, that I can understand that maybe in certain languages card and postcard could means the same. But at the same time, I know that’s not something I would send in Postcrossing to another postcrosser.
I found more complicated to digest when I have received an envelope, with a postcard, a printed message and a piece of newspaper. It happened to me a few times now, from different accounts. Not sure if are the same person with multiple accounts. Because even if this person have sent a postcard, there is no sense of personal involving in the process to send the same printed message to several postcrossers.
I still have a few that says “IKEA Kort” and “IKEA Kortebo”.
Last time I went to my nearest Ikea, I found some lovely prints called Yllevad, that shares names with some photo frames.
For me every piece of Postcrossing mail sent is a little gift of the sender. It is nice if someone meets your interests, but more so I enjoy the writing on the back more then the criteria of the definition of “a real postcard”.
Keep also in mind that not every Postcrosser is able to meet all the definitions and demands, especially what you quite often see in the profile of Postcrossers, for many reasons…
So be kind and most of all happy that someone in the world has taken the time and effort to send you a postcard❣
Hi. I didn’t read every one of your replies, so this may be said already.
This isn’t ‘pointed’ at you Saouri. I just want to point out to people reading that where I live it is almost impossible to still find postcards to buy. They simply are not in shops any more. There are few postcards to purchase in NA online, none that are postcards I like. I know Europe has plenty!!! but the middle of Canada (In fact, even when I travelled to huge cities, I still can’t find many) does NOT.
For that reason I make my own. I have a good, expensive camera and take photos that are just as good as most of those bought ones (after all…they are just someone’s photo). I have a subscription to a graphics program and I have them professionally printed so they stand the mail well.
So, I consider my created postcards ‘real’.
I think people who are doing Postcrossing for investment purposes (postcards that may have monetary value some day) have missed the mark of what the club is best at…spreading global good-will, community, cultural information and spreading joy.
Yes, I know this is a bit of a rant…but I am really getting tired of the ‘real’ thing. I have been doing this since 2013 and have gotten about 5 postcards that were actual photos, paper copies or whatever.
Honestly just send whatever type of thing you can that can be mailed…I mailed regular photographs I taken with my phone and had it developed at Walmart and I buy a bunch of real copper postcards and even real cactus seeds in a postcard …I honestly wouldn’t mind getting sent none postcard things I would get very exited and id even register it for making my day
I think, that real postcards are cards what you can send by post. It doesn’t matter if there is or isn’t printed text, lines etc. in the back. It doesn’t matter where you bought it or is it handmade. Some peoples just think it ‘has to be’ certain size or tourist cards are only ‘real’ cards etc. I send cards what I have and I try to match peoples interests.
About envelopes I have to say, that for example in Finland, it’s recommended that handmade cards are sent in envelope to protect the card in case glued parts fall of or stickers got stuck somewhere etc. I think that card is card even you use envelope.
Cards made and send by third part are bit boring to me. Actual stamps and and handwriting makes the card complete. But at the same time I understand peoples who may have problems to get cards from stores or do handwriting.
Although I am a plant enthusiast and I personally would find it very cool to receive the seeds, a packet of seeds is not a postcard and people who come here for postcards might be disappointed. There are also various policies on importing plant material in different countries and it may get destroyed at the border I really like the idea nonetheless!
Sorry but this is a bad advise.
We are not obliged to register what ever items someone sends, so sending something that is not a postcard is waste of money.
I don’t know what goes on in the heads of people who join postcard swapping community, but aren’t willing to send postcards
I always look up those rules before sending anything…from what I’ve only read is that actual living grown plants with soil in it are not allowed but seeds are allowed and should be labeled what it is…I’ve only sent 3 before and they arrived to their destination perfectly fine
I agree that a packet of seed is not a postcard but she sent Postcard Seed Pack. And I think it’s okay. Postcard doesn’t have to be a paper. There are wood postcard, line postcard, metal postcard, etc. Even there are chocolate and coffee postcard.
I sent this coffee postcard. the backside has writing side to put message, line of addresses and small box to put stamp. It was produced by a local coffee shop in cooperation with Indonesian post office.
As I said, I personally would enjoy such things. However, I don’t think anything is a postcard just because it was marketed as a type of postcard. To me a postcard in its truest form is a card (paper to be on the safe side). And I believe that is what people who want only real postcards mean. My point is I wouldn’t send such things to people who state that they are only interested in “real postcards”.
I found this idea very fun. Sounds Dada to my ear. Like a kind of art experiment you would see in a museum. I would be very happy to receive such a “postcard” that pokes fun about our inside-the-box thinking. It’s even more impressive that the postman actually delivered the item, lol. This could be a super cool opener in the Postcrossing gatherings.
Good to know that there is someone out there that doesn’t mind Ikea cards I like them myself. I send them from time to time (rare, i guess, in relation to how many total I’ve sent in my time here) but only once did I get a hurrah message where the receiver seemed a bit upset receiving one
I am glad to see the Ikea cards discussed here. I have some of these cards too, but have not sent any because I did not know if other members would welcome them because they are from Ikea, and because of the size too.
Since the size of cards has been discussed here as well, I’m sharing a photo that includes the Ikea card with a variety of other postcards. Postcards do not have to be a standard size. The Ikea card is next to a card from the Japanese Garden here in my city, the size is almost identical, but they are both larger than a typical tourist card (directly above in photo). Plus other postcards in different sizes for comparison.
I get profiles who ask you to only send “real” postcards, in my experience its usually older people. Reading this thread, I’m even more confused as to what most people typically mean when they say “real” postcards I live in a really “in the middle of nowhere” town and have to drive over an hour to get to the nearest big city, so I don’t have access to your typical tourist type of postcards too often. Most of mine are bought from etsy from artists and are postcards I would be totally fine receiving.
For me, I think it’s awesome to receive stuff from the mail. So postcard for me is pretty broad. I live in large US city (Chicago) , so there are many postcards to buy. At the same time, lots of designs seem like they haven’t been updated since 2000 and made with old version of Microsoft PowerPoint in Windows XP (though, I do find them charming) . So I am working to take my own pictures as it’s how I perceive the city right now. I have been having a lot of fun, checking out new parts of the city I would never go before, being my own tourist. Excited to get them printed. I keep the store bought city view for people who insist on real postcards (??). But for me most things are postcards.
I really like the idea nonetheless!
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I like them myself. I send them from time to time (rare, i guess, in relation to how many total I’ve sent in my time here) but only once did I get a hurrah message where the receiver seemed a bit upset receiving one 
I live in a really “in the middle of nowhere” town and have to drive over an hour to get to the nearest big city, so I don’t have access to your typical tourist type of postcards too often. Most of mine are bought from etsy from artists and are postcards I would be totally fine receiving.