Collectibles for Life

Did you have a stamp collection as a child? A rock collection? Or, wait, was it a coin collection? All your collections are probably still with you, or maybe they're stored in your basement somewhere. You understand the joy of running across this collection later in life and reliving your joyful moments with the collection as a child.
Now, you're the parent. What types of things do you want to help your child begin collecting? Some of the things to consider when helping your child begin a collection are the feasibility, the durability, and the lovability of the collection.
Feasibility is your first step when considering beginning a collection. Collecting pieces from ancient Egyptian ruins is probably not a very feasible collection to convince your child to begin. Number one it's illegal, as well as hard to find.
Other collections such as doll or furniture collections can begin to take up more room than you have available; thus, these are not very feasible either. Determine the amount of space you can dedicate to the collection as well as the costs that will be entailed before helping your child choose a collection.
The durability of a collection is also a consideration. The great thing about collecting stamps, rocks, or coins is that these things can last a long time when stored properly. My rock collection is still in the carton that I used to store it as a child.
Figurines and porcelain dolls are other examples of lasting collectibles. One of the greatest joys involved in a collection are the memories brought back when you revisit that collection as an adult.
Finally, the lovability of the collection is important. You are helping your child begin their first collection, and you want it to be something they will love and cherish when they look back on it in the future.
These are the times that you want them to be able to look back and remember about your relationship, so make these times special. For example, if you were to collect postcards, take special postcard collecting road trips. You will get to visit unique places while increasing your child's collection.
Most importantly, always support your child's hopes, dreams, and choices. Although collecting some types of artifacts is not very feasible, lead your child in a direction that will also peak their interest and support their dreams. Finally, enjoy your child as you help them create a wonderful collection to last a lifetime!







Janet Montie, quilter and author, contributes to FS Collectibles [http://fscollectibles.com] offering free information and resources for collectors. Articles by Janet can also be viewed at The Quilt Box and First Class Fabric

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
.
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

Postcards, Postcards Everywhere, Yet Not One Drop Of Ink

It is difficult to talk about postcard collecting in anything other than generic terms unless we get specific. This is not because postcard collecting is a vague subject. It is because it is a VAST subject.

There are literally thousands of niche subjects to choose from. Then there are the niches within niches.

Where postcards are concerned, what you decide to immerse yourself in is very much a matter of personality and personal interests. Forinstance, you may decide that you are interested in collecting "Railway" postcards. Or you may think that "Signed Artist" postcards is the way to go. Ah yes. But which railway postcard era?

Which artist or artists?

Sooner or latter you just have to make a decision and leap in. That is the beauty of postcard collecting. Although it covers an awful lot of acreage, once you decide to knuckle down to a particular subject (or two), you will become very focused.

I started by collecting old photograph postcards. Any old photo postcards, just because they were real photo's and they were old. But as time went on, I became more selective and chose only cards between the two World Wars. Photo postcards containing people in their normal walks of life. But you can choose anything you like and you are not limited to just one subject or niche.

I know someone who collects seaside postcards. No, not those naughty ones. Not that there is anything wrong about collecting naughty seaside postcards, but the person I am talking about collects only seaside postcards that have a pier in them. So you see just how focused you can become if you wish.

There can be no doubt that whatever you choose to collect, you will find this hobby thoroughly absorbing and you will be amazed at how knowledgable you can become in your chosen subject.

Another advantage of this hobby, and not one to be dismissed in these days of financial downturn, is the very reasonable prices you need pay. You can easily add to your collection for ?1 per card. Often a lot less. It will depend on your sources and of course, the condition of a card will play its part. The better the condition, the more you pay, is the general rule. Some people not only don't mind a card with writing on the reverse - they actually prefer it. And why not? 'Whatever turns you on', is the name of this game. But personally I like them with not one drop of ink - when I can get them, that is.

I should mention that this is also a great hobby for children on a limited income. Yes, I know that they have computer games and all the rest of it, but unless I am very much mistaken, children can find this hobby very absorbing no-matter what technological age we are living in. This is especially true when a parent will share the interest with a child.

So go ahead and plunge in. There is a universe of interesting discoveries to be made.


Mark Sonderby runs the Postcard-Post website where you can find his postcards being auctioned on eBay.

The Joy of Collecting Postcards

Postcard collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. The Internet makes it easy to track down favorite artists, postcards from your childhood, or beautiful pictures of the world around you. Whether you're a serious collector or just some who likes the pictures, postcard collecting is an amazing and exciting hobby.

When I was a little kid, my Dad would travel a lot for his job. No matter where he was he would find me a postcard and send it. I held onto them for years. He traveled all over the United States and Europe. I got postcards from Georgia, California, Norway, and Turkey. I loved them because I loved my dad but they were all incredible looking too. I still have most of them and every once in awhile I take them out and reminisce.

Serious collectors may choose to limit their collections to cards to specific publishers and artists or by time and location or by type of postcard. Antique postcards date back to the first postcards printed during the civil war by J.P., Carlton. He transfered the copyright to H.L. Lipman and Lipman Postal Cards were sold until 1873 when the U.S. Government got into the business. Nine years later European countries were also producing postcards. Antique postcards have gained popularity in the past few years because many kinds of messages and layouts have almost disappeared. Most collectors see to it that they store and display their collection in the best possible way.

Historical societies are major collectors of Real Photo postcards because of their importance in research about how a city looked at a particular time or what people were doing. Real photo postcards show many slices of historical life such as town streets, families, and buildings that are no longer there. With a large enough collection you can get a very good sense of the development of a town or city. Postcards provide an incomparable glimpse into the society during the period they were used.

Worldwide, delitology is the third largest hobby. If you are starting a postcard collection, go after the ones that you have an interest in. Part of the joy of postcard collecting is knowing a single acquisition found in a unexpected place may begin a journey to unknown destinations.

Jay Corbin runs the Great Postcard Auctions website where you can find many Real Photo
Georgia postcards and other postcards for your collection.

Popular War Postcard

Postcards have long been an important part of our society. From sending endearing messages to love ones to being use in drawing in new customers, these humble cards have almost became a staple in communication. But before the modern postcardsbecame popular and widespread, there is one type of post card that became widely popular during World War I--the embroidered silk post cards.

Originally, embroidered silk postcards were made in the 1900 for the Paris Exposition. But it was only during World War I that these post cards became utterly popular. The Belgian and French nuns were the first to produce these cards and sold them to soldiers to be sent to their loved ones back home. The first post cards were initially made from strips of silk mesh woven by the hand. Once completed, the strips were cut and mounted to the post card.

But as the cards became popular, the demand for it raised that creating them by hand was no longer appropriate. Eventually, machine operated looms were created to hasten the process. This machine is able to use 6 colors of thread allowing for creating post cards in colorful ensemble. That time, embroidered cards were s lucrative that people would do everything to invest in a machine just to manufacture post cards.

These embroidered silk post cards basically come in two formats:

1. Panel style -- in this type of format, an embroidered mesh in rectangular form is fastened to the card.

2. Envelope style -- the card has a panel where when opened reveals a card insert.

Back then, many subjects were highlighted in the post cards. In fact, the design of these embroidered cards came in 3 phases:

Phase 1. Hearts and flowers. The first design of post cards was simple. These were basically the pre-war designs so most of them were focused on colorful and lively hearts and flowers. These days, many post cards still have flowers as postcard templates. Well, who would not want an enchanting post card of bluebirds or pansies placed on top of your desk? They would surely be refreshing to look at.

Phase 2. Patriotic post cards. These cards basically emerged during the war. Most of the designs had patriotic messages embroidered in them to show loyalty and pride to the nation. With the patriotic cards and the pre-war cards, the card format mostly had flaps where the message is inserted. The common patrons of these cards were soldiers. Many of the card design have the same sentiments, only the flag of the soldiers were changed.

Phase 3. Regimental Badge Cards. This type of design was very popular during the war. But because they are personalized, they are somewhat pricey. Even today, these types of post cards are less common, and you need to pay high price if you want to get one for your collection.

When the war ended, the embroidered silk cards became less popular, perhaps because they evoked unpleasant feeling to the soldiers and their families. With war only a part of the past, tourism took off, making people want for views of landscapes and places much better than war cards. This caused many post card makers to go out of business. But those who continued shifted from post card making to producing strips of embroidered clothing and linen.

Visit this site to read more about postcards and postcard templates

How To Protect Vintage Paper Collectibles

If you either own or have inherited old paper materials such as postcards, brochures, letters, greeting cards, tickets, pamphlets, trade cards, tobacco cards, calendars or other related items, it is important to care for them properly. Even newer paper collectibles, such as all the really cute drawings your children do in school, need to be protected if you hope to turn them into treasured momentos that you can cherish for years to come.

In the antiques business, these items are referred to as “ephemera.” Ephemera is written material that was only designed to be temporary. For example, once a greeting card, letter or a postcard was received and read, it was expected that it would be discarded. Even though it was suppose to be transitory, people began to save such items as souvenirs or remembrances for sentimental reasons.

When someone passed away, these old reminders of special occasions or special events were handed down to the next generation as part of that person’s estate. After the passage of so many years, much of the artwork and many of the graphics that appear on some of these materials are now considered valuable.

Collecting vintage ephemera is very popular today but a lot of it is quite fragile so caution needs to be taken when either handling it or storing it. With proper care, hopefully it will be around for generations to come. Only true experts in this field have the extensive knowledge needed to successfully stop the aging process or to restore these materials. The basic recommendations listed below are a beginning and will go along way toward maintaining the present condition of any ephemera pieces you may have.

1. If you have postcards in albums, they should be removed. Cards should be separated with pieces of acid-free paper and they should be stored upright on their edges. Stacking them on top of each other could cause damage to cards that are embossed.

2. When postcards or other paper materials are stacked on their edges within a space, and they do not completely fill that space, be sure to use some sort of stabilizers or separators to keep the postcards and other paper materials in a straight up and down position. You do not want the materials to “slump” which can cause curling or bending.

3. Paper materials should be stored in a temperature of 75 degrees or less. Also, too much or too little humidity is not good.

4. Next to fire, sunlight is the biggest enemy of paper materials. It is best to keep your materials in a dark, dry and cool place such as a fireproof cabinet.

5. Do not eat or drink anywhere near your collection. Spillage of any kind could be devastating.

6. Dirt and dust can cause discoloration and even scratches so use a soft brush to dust materials.

7. Rodents and insects are attracted to some of the ingredients in paper. Even if they don’t eat away at the paper, although they probably will, droppings will leave permanent stains.

8. Try to handle your materials by holding the edges unless you wear gloves. If you handle the paper too much, the oils in your skin will slowly cause erosion.

9. If you must attach a piece of ephemera to something else only use linen or paper tape and never put the tape on the front.

If you are a dealer and are selling ephemera, you probably do not have any pieces in your possession long enough to warrant taking these steps but if you have your own personal collection, it could be worth your while.

Some of these suggestions may not sound all that important but following them over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years can have a dramatic effect on the longevity of these heirlooms. Remember you can never replace theses wonderful old collectibles – time is their enemy. Do what is necessary to protect them.

Anne Benedetto is a former auction house owner and former dealer in the antiques and collectibles business. She presently provides people with important details, behind the scenes information, helpful tips and first hand knowledge of the brick and mortar auction business. Visit Anne at http://AuctionHouseTalk.com which is an interactive site where interested people can talk about the ins and outs of auctions, antiques and collectibles.

What Are Postcards Worth ?

Top-of-the-range types include Art Nouveau, cards featuring the Titanic and the best examples of photographic social history. Transport is a popular theme - Railways, Shipping, Trams, Motoring and Motor Racing - and prices here can range from a few pounds to fifty or sixty.

Experience and the use of a good catalogue helps collectors sort out the most desirable items.

Examples of subjects you might come across on cards,
with likely prices you would expect to pay (in pounds sterling), include:

Edwardian actresses.......£1.00
Royalty.......£2.00
Ships.......£3.50
Photographic Dogs and Cats.......£1.50
Churches.......£2.50
Local Railway Stations (pre 1950).......£35.00
Embroidered Silks (WW1).......£4.00

A large number of enthusiasts look for 'Topo', postcards showing street scenes and social life in bygone days. Usually of their own locallity or perhaps places they have lived. Many people will collect any scenes which evoke fond memories of visits to that location. 

Here the value of a card is in direct proportion to its scarcity: city centre scenes can be worth pence, while village views, of which only a few copies were orignally published by a local photographer, rate much more highly.
Anything from 10 or 20p for common (usually printed views) of well visited locations ie cathedrals, holiday resorts, to several pounds for village and town street scenes. Particularly well animated 'real photographic' views which may fetch £20.00 upwards.

In fact, 90% of postcards, no matter how old, fall into a price bracket ranging from pence to five pounds.Cards that sell cheaply include the categories of relatively modern issues, art reproductions, deckle-edged greeetings cards, scenic views that have changed little and poorly printed comics.
Most collectors are searching for more interesting village, town or city scenes, or themes represented on cards. The excitement for them is in finding elusive cards that add to their collections.

Whether or not the card has passed through the post does not normally have any bearing on its value, but stamps and postmarks can add interest to a card. Good condition is a must however - creases and bent corners etc. render many cards worthless.

The bulk of surviving old postcards are from the 'Golden Age' period (1902-18) and may only be worth a few pence. Cards from pre 1902, often distinguishable by the lack of a 'divided back', are certainly rarer and are worth from a few pounds upwards but are not eagerly sought after by todays collectors, who in general are more interested in the picture content. Postally used cards from the early postcard years (1894 onwards) are quite collectable however.

One of the main attractions of the Postcard Collecting hobby is that the subject is so vast that you can gain expertise in your favourite category in a short space of time. Even relative beginners are capable of discovering extremely rare cards in their own chosen specialised field. The variety of subjects to collect is so immense that nobody could possibly become familiar with all of them, therefore it is fairly easy to become an expert in your own chosen speciality with a modest investment of time in research

Postcard Magic

No hobby quite compares with collecting postcards in the way it caters for all interests. Whether you're a football fan, mad about the royal family, keen on local history, a railway buff or a student of ornithology, picture postcards offer you a marvellous stimulus for your hobby. And for those merely nostalgic and interested in the events and fashions of the past century, the postcard encapsulates it all.

Postcards are fascinating and collectable in lots of different ways. Each example is a snapshot of the past: a moment, a slice of social history, frozen in time. Every postcard that has gone through the post tells you a little bit about its place in the bygone world. The picture, stamp, postmark, message and address are part of the life of two people - the sender and the recipient - in the past. Few collectors are lucky enough to find a postcard written by a famous person, but many writers referred to current events in their messages.

Postcards provide a panorama of the events of the twentieth century: coronations, sporting confrontations, horrific accidents, local fetes, great exhibitions, world wars. They show the development of rail, road, sea and air transport. They feature actresses, bishops, politicians, cricketers and pier divers - anyone who might be newsworthy and heroic. National firms like Raphael Tuck of London and Valentine of Dundee published cards of countrywide interest, while in every town and city were local photographers who recorded all the interesting events of the day and published them as picture postcards. So a photograph of the annual sports in a village could be mailed anywhere in Britain - or, indeed, the world - to friends and relatives. The local railway station, cinema, colliery, church or school, and every street in the place, would appear on a card - anything that was part of a community was a likely subject for publishers to use.

Some of the world's best-known serious and comic artists of the early 20th century had their work featured on postcards, including art nouveau exponents Alphonse Mucha and Raphael Kirchner. In Britain, Mabel Lucie Attwell's children, Alfred Quinton's landscapes, Louis Wain's cats, Tom Browne's ordinary people, and Donald McGill's henpecked husbands can all be found on cards.

With such a wide choice of subjects to collect, there really is plenty to suit anyone's pocket. Even some cards a century old can cost just pence, though the best street scenes attract prices in excess of £20. Special subject cards - Titanics, suffragettes and football teams - can rate over £100, while more mundane themes - flowers, churches and country views - can be bought cheaply. Age doesn't always provide an indication of expense, either, for a card from the 1970's may sell for more than one from the Edwardian era. Whatever their subject or price, however, postcards can be fascinating, stimulating, and educational - but they never fail to interest.