What You Should Know About Vintage Postcards

There are many people who like vintage postcards, and even more who tend to collect them; some of them are not avid collectors, but they tend to buy postcards from the places they visit and keep them forever. Those who are lucky enough to travel a lot end up with huge and very nice collections. Some of them can be very unique, especially when featuring places that do not exist anymore, or are not as they used to be.

There are though the professional vintage postcards collectors who follow auctions or search in antique and specialised retail shops for their pieces of art. There are though many scams and many traps related to postcards collection, so let's take a look at some of them. Here is what you should be aware of, when building a postcard collection.

Postcards sold in auctions need to be evaluated prior to buying. When it comes to the term old, opinions may vary. Some auctioneers tend to increase prices too much, justifying the high starting price with the age of the postcard. The opinion of other people is not to be trusted especially when you spend a small fortune to buy your cards.

As with all vintage items, such as classic records and musical instruments, there are cases and boxes specifically designed for vintage postcards. When buying an album you should be very careful because there might be some unexpected problems, especially when you are a beginner. Cut out hinges and sharp edges could prove to be really problematic. Corners of postcards tend to get cracked or creased with time, so you need to make sure that the album you buy can actually keep the postcards in perfect condition. If you are buying an already made album, you need to make sure that the postcards are in good condition and safely preserved, otherwise their value might drop significantly.

Sturat is article marketer, copywriter and enjoys writing on topics like Vintage Postcards and Classic Records. For more information on these topics , please visit us.

Postcard Collecting and Exchange

Postcards come in different sizes and there are so many types to collect. There are therefore different categories and some people choose to collect as many as possible while others prefer to limit their collection according to specific requirements.

There is a wide variety of card types: animal cards have pictures of animals on them, and view cards show scenery of cities and places. Other postcards include flower cards, paintings cards, limited edition, set or special event cards, public announcement cards, comic or cartoon cards, free advert cards, etc. It is up to you to choose whether or not you want to collect as many as you can get your hands on, or if you would like to collect one type of category that is closer to your field of interest.

Although some people collect purely for fun and for the sake of getting a hobby, postcard collection like any other item can also be a business-hobby. More than a handful of collectors have been lucky enough to obtain rare and invaluable postcards. Such examples include genuine vintage cards that were made decades or even centuries ago and cannot be replicated.

Other valuable cards include those that are considered limited-edition and are only available in certain events, like the Olympics of a specific year, or celebrating the turn of a millennium and cards from a country that has changed name, unified, etc. The condition of the postcard is also very important when determining its value. If it is in an excellent or mint condition, the seller can increase its price. Some buyers are interested in torn postcards or cards in bad condition as someone's trash may be another's treasure.

There are printed postcards, which are the most common. However, there are also laminated cards, glossy cards and photo cards. The most creative however are the handmade postcards and it is the most unique as artists carefully spend time ensuring that the quality and content of the card is worthy of selling
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Some collectors prefer unused and unwritten postcards. These are postcards that have been normally store-bought purely for the purpose of exchange and these are mainly for viewcard collectors who exchange cards with other collectors from different places and countries. However, there are many postcard collectors who prefer stamped and written cards, as they prefer the date, a piece of history and sentiment on the card.

Whatever a collector's preference, there are postcard categories for everyone and the types are practically unlimited. Postcards can be stored anywhere as long as there is not too much humidity and heat (as they are made using paper card in most cases). Have fun and enjoy postcard collecting!


Sabrina Sabino - Internet Enthusiast

The Joys and Profits of Deltiology (Collecting Post Cards)

I'vde always loved postcards. At first, I was interested in the messages. Postcards provide an incomparable glimpse into the society during the period they were used. Some messages were funny, some sad, and some just plain strange. One, showing a donkey on the front read, "When are going stop being an a** and write to me?" Another, "This is a photo of the town. The place I marked with an X is where a father and his two sons were killed when a train stuck their haywagon. We're holding a memorial service on Wednesday." The strangest one I ever read was: "Ellen thinks you're a lobster. I think you're cute. Doris." It sounds to me as if Doris had an interest in the recipient. What she meant about him being a lobster, I don't know.

I also loved the images. Postcards were in some cases minitaure photographs of a bygone era. Real photo postcards can be found showing town streets, families, motorcycles, circuses, deep-sea diving equipment, nudes and just about any other topic you can imagine, including lynchings. I once purchased a horrendous collection of six cards that showed scenes of the 1916 genocide of Armenians in Palestine, including one with soldiers showing off the heads of three of their victims. Fortunately, most cards deal with happier topics.

Non-real-photo cards abound and show can show just about anything.

Pretty women are a common topic and are very collectible. Some artists such as Beaulieu and F. Earle Christie, are extremely popular and can bring in the hundreds of dollars.

Holidays were by far the most popluar subjects and literally millions of Christmas postcards can still be found. Most are of little value, but Santa Clauses are always collectible. Find one in a yellow or green suit and you have a minor treasure. Ones that have been manufactured to light up when viewed are known as hold-to-light or HTLs. Most of these are very collectible and some are worth in the hundreds of dollars. If you ever find a HTL with Uncle Sam as Santa, you have one that is worth in the thousands of dollars. Easter is probably the least-favored topic. The most favored by far is Halloween.

Halloween cards were popular at the time they were sent. Collectors avidly put them aside, and for this reason, a large number of the cards are still available. Today, the creme de la creme of the Halloween card are the ones by the Winsch Brothers of Germany. The quality of the cards and beauty of the designs have always made them popular. Today, they are worth in the hundreds of dollars in top condition.

So far we haven't mentioned condition. As with all collectibles, condition is the main concern besides content. Tears, missing corners, creases, any of these can reduce a valuable card to next to nothing. I have seen more rare cards with these problems than I care to think of. Anyone interested in collecting cards must keep condition in mind at all times.

Fads can affect price, too. At one time, real photo postcards were considered so undesirable that a purchaser would pull them out and discard them as worthless. Now they are among the most valuable. In the early 1900s, cards showing flowers or woodland scenes were the desired one. They were also the most common. During the heyday of the postcard, more than a billion were delivered in a single year. Today, woodland scenes and flowers are worth next to nothing. The despised real photos showing main street will always bring at least five dollars in good condition. Long sets showing carnivals or circuses are worth in the thousands.

If you are starting a postcard collection, go after the ones that you have an interest in. If you live in a particular neighborhood in a city, you can usually find cards to collect. Nearly every important building in every city has been photographed and made into a card at one time or another. If you have a hobby, look for cards dealing with Chess or gardening, or whatever else your fancy. If you have no idea where to begin, eBay or a local postcard show are your best bets. You will get an idea of prices and what's available. Plus you'll meet some great people while you're at it.

Finally, in a single word: ENJOY!

John Anderson has sold collectibles for more than three decades. At present he is retired and is a full-time free-lance writer. His first novel, The Cellini Masterpiece, was published by iUniverse under the penname of Raymond John (ISBN 0595328059). John welcomes correspondence. If you have a question or would like to contact him, please log on to http"//http://www.cmasterpiece.com