The hobby of collecting old picture postcards is finally starting to get some serious recognition as one of the most pleasurable pastimes you could partake in. It does not matter what age you are or what interests you have, you may find that the very same subject or interest you are passionate about was covered by the postcard publishers over 100 years ago.
Stamp collecting has been at the forefront of home based hobbies for decades and certainly kept postcard collecting out of the limelight. While some postcard collecting enthusiasts have been quietly building up their collections in the past by visiting antique fairs, car boot stalls and the specialist postcard fairs, the Internet and online auction web sites have by chance thrust the hobby well and truly into the limelight and finally it is now getting the recognition it deserves.
More and more people and acknowledging the fascinating postcard hobby as a means to collect something of real historic interest. Collecting postcards will probably never catch up the stamp business for popularity or for prices but this is to it's advantage for many reasons.
Where else can you pick up a genuine antique for less than the cost of a short bus ride. Many shrewd collectors have researched the postcard collecting market as a whole and have focused on specific areas they feel are seriously undervalued. In many cases their gamble has paid off handsomely with many collectors now selling the postcards they paid pennies for a few years ago through online auctions for massive profits.
Postcard collecting is not just about collecting for profit hoping that your investment will increase in value over a period. It's all about collecting a topic, subject or location you have a real bond with, something you are passionate about. This maybe subjects like Military, Shipping or it could be topographical and social history interest of your local town of village. In many instances postcards have found to be unique when they show areas and buildings that no longer exist or have changed over the years. They are a special day in history when the local photographer captured an image where time simply stood still.
There must be hundreds of subjects and topics you can collect old postcards in. My only advice is to ensure you have genuine interest in that choice for whatever reason. Maybe it was a regiment that a relation was serving in and you want to backtrack to find out the history. This is something you can do in detail with postcard collecting.
Some of the best places to find old postcards for sale is from specialist web sites. Some web sites provide a good subject selection while others focus on topographical. Online auctions are another good place to look for old postcards for sale. The antique fairs are still a good place to find postcard dealers along with the specialist postcard fairs that are to be found on every weekend of the year.
I hope you have a look at postcard collecting as a hobby choice. Once you get your first few postcards you may find that you are hooked and can't wait to continue finding those illusive cards that will build up your collection into something to be really proud of.
Vilma Ladaga has an interest in collecting old postcards and finds many cards for her collection online. You can find old postcards for sale
