Hello dear community 
I am with Postcrossing since 2013 and I often noticed, that some people dont like selfmade postcards. I cant understand why? For example, I am an artist and I like it to print my aquarelle-drawings as postcards, to share a bit of myself.
Or what is your exactly definition of “selfmade” cards? Is it so important, that the cards have been bought? I mean, I spend not just a pity of money for printing them, too…
Thanks for your impressions
I think people have different motivations for this hobby. Some love to receive original artwork and photography on the cards, while others are more about checking off locations or design series for their collections. Some people don’t even care much about the picture side and enjoy the message more than anything else.
Firstly I think it’s not true (so many hating selfmade cards).
Few mention not liking, but most don’t mention it. Many do like them
I think it’s like with any other style or topic. If you like to send them, just send them. Especially if these are printed, there’s no loss since you still have the original.
Someone may not like a card that is not self made.
I have 34 travelling, only one asks please no hand made. But then again, some asks for hand made
I would love handmade cards Sometimes I see in the profile that they don’t want self-made cards. But in my opinion, you can only request and not demand what cards people send you. If I was you, I would send the cards. If they’re not happy with it, it is their problem.
I don’t mention selfmade cards in my profile, but I have received my fair share of them. Some were fabulous (a beautifully handmade wedding card when my profile mentioned “I just got married” or another card with needlework showing that lines can make curves).
Others, not so much. Paper scraps, too thin to be a real postcard or cheaply printed photos with no backing, a professionally printed, but obviously mass produced card (text in German already printed, motif using the postcrossing logo without a reference).
Just those cards not passing the “mother-in-law test” (as in: “Would you send this to your slightly judgmental mother-in-law?”).
So, I have nothing against selfmade cards, but not all of the ones I’ve received would pass said test. I shrug, others won’t.
I love receiving handmade cards, as long as they are made with love and effort.
I think some don’t like handmade cards because there are some who send flimsy cards, thin cards, paper glued onto cardboard… Then again, there are also non-handmade cards which are thin and flimsy so…
The definition of handmade cards is also very subjective. If I print a card, it can also be considered handmade. But every card is handmade to a certain extent anyway.
Handmade cards are great because, very often, they are the only ones in the world. Messages at the back of the postcard are also more important to me.
There are too many discussions on this subject
I don’t! I wish I had received it
I, too, get discouraged when people say “no handmade cards.” I think it is actually rude. It’s fine to say what you like, but to specify NOT to send something goes against PC principles. But you can’t stop people from being people. I send handmade cards out sometimes because they fit better with the person’s interests. If they don’t like them, that’s OK.
They are afraid to get rubbish.
I asked your question on my profile some time ago and that was the main answer I got.
I love receiving handmade and self-taken photos 
These cards are unique and can’t be mass bought at stores 
I used to be open for that too (just like ad cards) but then I started to receive „postcards“ that I didn‘t enjoy that much … it wasn’t really rubbish but not a real postcard. More like a folded card.
So I didn‘t want to receive them anymore at all but I just recently changed it to „please no bad handmade cards and no folded cards“. Now I receive nice, self drawn postcards that I like.
One of my favourite postcards I have ever received was hand made and sent for my birthday. I am so grateful to have received it.
Maybe people once to received some handmade cards in low quality, soft and thin, when they reiceived them, the cards were broken? I guess.
I think that main problem is the quality of self made card, not the existence. Sometimes there’s a fine line between “self made card” and “it looks like a card? No? But this person loves handmade, I’ll send this paper”
Surely, there’re cards that are professionally printed in typography or really good handmade, like cute card with embroidery or great stamp collage, but usually I get bad self made cards: just a piece of photo paper with glued usual paper, cut outs from journals, sticked on cardboard or even cinema flyer also glued on cardboard.
I’d be honest: only 1 out of 10 self made card that I received was good enough to be called ‘postcard’.
I have some issues years ago when I received even not a postcard - it were paper cut outs from newspaper once, then also something unbelievably “non-postcards” and admins said something like “this person was trying and finally this person send it to you, we noticed them, but register it”, so I put a note at my profile not to send me this kind of stuff.
But if card is really good crafted, I love to swap them here on forum - but see before swap I already have 1 amazing embroidery card!
I was also sceptical about handmade cards. But I was always very “official is the only good thing” person.
Just recently I was arranging swap with someone and I didn’t realize that I am looking in her “hand made” folder. From all of her postcards, I choose this one (maybe I can post the picture if you want). It was my favorite topic and It was very nice. When I realized that I choose the hand made postcard, I was happy - it was more personal and kinda cute
After that I put a note in my profile that hand made cards are also very much appreciated.
They are more unique, you are more connected to the person (and this is exactly what postcrossing is about right?)
So if made with care, now I am convinced that hand made postcard is more interesting 
I’d say to keep an open mind is always a good thing.
I’ve had some… odd handmade cards. But I suspect they were in lockdown so couldn’t get out. Either way it was interesting.
I sent a card that I sketched from a friend’s house whom was maybe 20km from the bushfires that dominated (and destroyed) most of Australia in late 2019/early 2020.
It was (water) coloured accurately to show how freaky the full sunny day was dimmed in a bushfire lit sky. Hard to describe but half their house was colour the other half was shades of greys reds oranges and purples. You couldn’t find a postcard from within a bushfire zone so it was unique.
They never uploaded a picture or even sent a message on registering the card. Two days of my life and a lot of postage… should’ve given it to my friend instead.
I’ve not sent a handmade card since- unless explicitly listed. That’d be all of once.
For me, harsh as it might be, it depends on how good it is. I’ve received a “handmade card” which was just a piece of A5 coloured paper folded in half with a sticker stuck on the front, and a sentence of greetings scribbled inside. I wouldn’t even consider that a card, honestly.
But I’ve just received this clearly very thoughtful handmade card yesterday:
… which I was very glad to receive! But since the quality can differ so much and it is unnecessarily rude to specify that you want “good” handmade cards, I just mention that I prefer no handmade cards.
