postcard comps

[penelopepits]

Does anyone know cos its bugging me....if you enter postcard entry competitions which are essentially 'lucky dips' does it pay to use a picture postcard as opposed to a plain one?  What I mean is...do they really still pick postcards from a hat/tub whatever or are all the names put onto a computer and then picked at random from there?   Seems archaic that they'd still draw postcards and as I don't win this way wonder if I'm wasting my time.

[ursula62]

A few years ago I used to work for a  puzzle magazine. They used to put all the competiton entries into a big plastic bin and pick as many as needed.  If you pulled out a coloured envelope or picture postcard you picked again as it was assumed that people had used these to increase their chance of getting picked and therefore it was an unfair advantage.  It was fair because the rules did specify to send in a plain postcard or write on the back of a sealed white envelope.

[Marsh]

Ursula:  do you happen to know how much more the prizes were worth than the cost of all the stamps used on everyone's entries for them?  Or was it the other way round � and by how much?  I've always wondered.

[penelopepits]

It surprises me if it is procedure for all competition running co's to reject coloured postcards because competition magazines etc that you subscribe too to get comping advice actually tell you to use these to increase you chances of being picked out...I suppose it is an unfair advantage ...but are they really that strict...suppose it depends alot on what the criteria is....I assume if it says a plain postcard or back of an envelope then that is fair enough but what if it just says a postcard...surely then using a picture one in an attempt that itll get noticed and picked is allowed isnt it???  Either way Im surprised that this method is still used, I thought it was probable that all entries were logged onto a computer database and names then picked at random.