The individual swap will say rather the postcard will go used or unused. Most of the time you stick a stamp on it and stick it in the mailbox 'naked'.

Oh yeah... welcome to swap-bot :)

:) thanx Cheryl.

Welcome @JPGirl

I have participated on a few postcard swaps so far and all of them asked for the postcards to be sent 'naked' (stamped and with no envelope) which is a pity on my case because when the postcard comes from another continent it almost always reaches my place in quite a bad condition :(

I did get one from Japan in pristine condition, it looked like it never went through the postal service at all!

Have fun in your swaps!! :)

I get many postcards from Europe, Japan, and australia, and none has come thru in bad shape. I do have one I am sending that I might with modpoge before sending, just because it's a photo printed from my computer! I haven't decided yet...it maight make it thru just fine! susi

ps, welcome to swap bot!

I usually always send naked postcards, and I haven't had anyone say that the cards they got were damaged. Although if the card has lots of extra bits hanging off (handmade ones) I'll put them in an envelope.

If the swap doesn't state they need to be naked, you could do either...but if you do send them in an envelope, still write on the postcard. : )

When I do my first pcard swap, even if the swap says to send naked, I will still pm my partner to see if they want the pcard in an envie anyway as I will be sending from uk.

So what makes a piece of card a postcard? According to the OED, Merriam-Webster, Chambers and various other dictionaries, Wikipedia and Answers.com, it is a card for sending messages by post without an envelope. If it isn't sent 'naked', what makes it a postcard rather than just a piece of decorated card? Unlike ATCs, you can't even use the size to justify calling it a postcard as they can vary so widely in size.

Postcards I receive are often slightly damaged (usually strips torn off the surface on the message side), but that's just evidence that they have served their designated purpose - honourable battle scars. Yes, I'm apprehensive when I entrust a handmade postcard to the PO, but it is what it was made for, so I send it anyway.

I'm another one who much prefers my handmade postcard to arrive 'as is', send naked. The little smudges and worn places only add to their attractiveness to me.

If you are collaging them, just be sure to glue things very securely and if you like (even on painted/drawn cards) you can coat the whole thing with Modge-Podge or something similar. That's what I do, and I like the finish it gives, even on things not going through the mail.

I have mailed a number of homemade postcards, mostly fabric but some paper and stamped. They have all arrived and, as far as I know, in good shape. They seem to take a little longer but I think lots of people look at them so they get behind the dull ordinary bills. I'm for naked all the way.

BTW, has anyone ever checked at the post office to see if you can write on the side that typically has a picture?