Vintage Illustrations on Postcards - The Old Still Appeal To The New

Vintage postcards are the thing nowadays. Illustrations that are vintage have been the most popular pictures and images used in many postcard printing projects. In fact, many have even made a collection of vintage postcards as a hobby.

One major factor of these vintage postcards being popular is that the vintage illustrations have helped the postcards to stimulate curiosity and interest of those who are not familiar with a certain era. Attraction have been generated for most people that made it easy for most vintage postcard printing design to catch the eyes of their target readers.

It's a proven fact though that people are most certainly attracted to things that are unfamiliar to them. Likewise, anything that speaks of, or illustrates an era gone by piques almost anyone's curiosity. What do people of a certain time have in fashion? Or what is the lifestyle during a particular time?

It seems that the less modern graphics are used, the more attention your project can get from your target readers.

But do you know how these vintage postcards came to be? When did they start becoming popular?

From 1939 to the present times, vintage postcard printing first came to being during the photochrome era. This is during the late 1930s. Also known as the Modern Chromes, the postcard printing pieces of that age were catching the eyes of many collectors mostly because of the colors applied. The colors appealed to a population that has embraced color images not only in their postcards, but most importantly in their movie industry. Hence, the popularity of The Wizard of Oz film.

The very first "Chrome" postcards were launched by the Union Oil Company in their service stations in the western part of the US. In 1939, they were the most widespread print material in the marketing industry. They were quickly reproduced, with high quality results, and most significantly, they were printed in color.

The spread of these vintage postcard printing pieces were momentarily subdued during WWII because of shortage in supply. But they were later revived and eventually replaced both linen and black-and-white postcards in 1945.

From 1900 to the present, there was also the vintage Real Photo Postcards that were produced from photos and developed onto photographic paper. It is very difficult to know their exact dates because most have lost their postmark or the photographer have not been able to indicate it in their postcards. Hence, there is much confusion in identifying them in the present time as there is nothing to indicate if they are reproductions or not.

Collectors of vintage postcards tell the real from the reel by looking at these postcard printing pieces with a magnifying glass. A real "Real Photo Postcard" has solid picture, while a reprinted one is made up of a lot of little dots.

Then there's the Art Deco Era (1910 to 1930s) that made popular the vintage postcards that have vibrant colors as their design. Art Deco subjects are usually of the past such as the ancient Greeks, Middle Eastern themes, and Egyptian artifacts, among others. The most common illustrations on Art Deco vintage postcards were ladies in fancy vogue style clothing; as well as the presence of sharp angles and straight lines.

Although vintage postcard printing has supposedly ended around the 1930s, it was during this era that the greatest volume of postcard printing pieces have been produced.

Lynne Saarte is a writer that hails from Texas. She has been in the Internet business for some years now, specializing in Internet marketing and other online business strategies.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Postcard Printing Company

Vintage Postcard - A Bit of Worthless Paper or eBay Best Seller?

Vintage postcards are among the most popular and profitable of all items selling on eBay where immense profits are possible especially to the experienced postcard seller. These tips will help you maximise profits for your postcards on eBay.

* Very often the message on the back of the postcard can tell a tale much more interesting than the picture itself. A good example was a postcard I sold recently on eBay, depicting a house and cottage, and the caption: 'Smalls, Salcombe'. It was an ordinary view and the stamp was missing yet cards like this can often make a few dollars on eBay But study the message and you'll sometimes find something to lift the value of your card, as on mine which said: 'The cottage on the other side was burnt down yesterday'. Great message, it means the view disappeared many years ago and also helps date the postcard for anyone inclined to do a little research. Not forgetting: the view that previously looked quite ordinary, is now a rarity, and can entice hot bidding on eBay.

* You should avoid ex-dealers' stock when buying postcards to resell on eBay, or elsewhere for that matter. If those postcards did not sell for another dealer, there's little chance of you selling them either. It can sometimes be difficult to recognise someone else's unsold stock, but a major giveaway of a dealer's cast off can be found on postcards priced on the back in pencil or inked on labels fixed to the item. The same applies to labels on plastic covers containing coins, stamps, philatelic covers. Check the writing very carefully. Similar writing throughout indicates a dealers' stock. A genuine collection would comprise items from lots of different dealers and lots of different handwriting styles on prices on postcards and covers.

* Old fashioned albums designed for inserting postcard corners into cut-out hinges can present a major and very unexpected problem for novice postcard buyers. The problem can be caused innocently by past owners or deliberately by recent sellers. Many years ago newly acquired postcards were often manoeuvred and sometimes manhandled as they were placed beneath hinges and corners often got cracked or creased in the process. So today hundreds of cards may look in spectacular condition in an album that has not been touched for decades but in fact many cracked corners lie hidden and sometimes torn beneath hinges. Today these very old albums are popular with resellers who pack an empty album with unwanted postcards, sometimes to increase the perceived value of high value cards, more often to make the album look to be original while in fact it is packed with worthless rubbish. Very often rogue sellers will used the album to house postcards with badly creased corners or no corners at all. Be very careful when buying vintage albums at auction but do not remove postcards to check the corners, that would result in corners breaking which were previously quite acceptable. Instead view postcards from the back of their appropriate album page where you will usually be able to better see the flaws.

Avril Harper is an eBay PowerSeller and author of BANK BIG PROFITS SELLING VINTAGE TOPOGRAPHICAL VIEW POSTCARDS ON EBAY which you can read about at: www.sellpostcardsonebay.com and MAKE MONEY TEARING UP OLD BOOKS AND MAGAZINES AND SELLING THEM ON EBAY which you can read about at: www.magstoriches.com. She has produced a free guide - 103 POWERSELLER TIPS - which you can download with other freely distributable reports and eBooks at www.avrilharper.com

What's Hot and What's Not in the World of Collectibles

Here is a list of some of the collectibles that people should be trying to acquire, at least right now. As long as the price is right, the buying and selling of these particular items should prove profitable, at least as profitable as anything can be in the present economy.

The "What's Hot" list is immediately followed by "What's Not," which are those items that have fallen out of favor for the time being. Just remember that anything in the antiques and collectibles business is possible so these items could turn around and be popular again at any moment.

What's Hot

1. Anything to do with Star Wars, especially items relating to the original movie. For the best prices, these items need to be in their original packaging.

2. Early Disney items, original packaging preferred but not necessary.

3. Sports cards from the 1950s, 1960s or earlier. The more famous the player the better. Condition is important. They are worth more if they have been graded. In some cases, autographs will also help their value.

4. Older first edition books in good to excellent condition. Signed copies are more valuable. The rarity of the book (the original print run) is important and will help determine what it is worth. Having one of a 500 print run is better than having one of a 5000 print run.

5. Old photography in good condition. If you can identify the subject matter and know where they were taken and when, the value is increased.

6. Vintage postcards in good condition. The most valuable continues to be town scenes, real photo postcards and holiday postcards. The most popular of the holiday postcards are Halloween and Christmas, especially those depicting Santa.

7. Old coins - coins that were minted before the silver and gold content were decreased. The better the condition, the better the price. Slabbed or graded coins bring the most money. Do not clean coins. Should you have any coins worth grading, they won't be worth it after you clean them. Coins that have a mint mark are worth more.

8. Sterling silver. The higher the price of silver goes, the more sterling silver is worth. This includes jewelry as well as holloware. During the last two years, sterling silver jewelry has been bringing good money at auction. In many cases, much more than spot.

9. Signed costume jewelry. Nice old pieces of costume jewelry from designers such as Trifari, Eisenberg, Weiss, Coro, etc. Pieces with missing stones won't bring as much. There is quite a bit of counterfeiting going on so be sure whatever pieces you have are not fake.

10. Very old comic books of famous heroes in good condition; especially those comic books that introduced a famous character for the first time. An example of this would be Action Comics #1, which was first published in 1938. It marked the first appearance of Superman and in near mint condition it recently sold for $1.5M. That's right, a cool $1.5 million dollars. Not bad for what was probably an initial investment of ten cents. Batman also made the million dollar club this year. The very first Batman comic brought an impressive one million and seventy-five thousand dollars.

11. Any original antique in good condition. They have a way of bringing excellent money no matter what's going on in the market.

12. Modern Danish furniture. The really good stuff from Denmark, especially if it is signed. With the right buyer, these pieces can bring more money than some rare antiques.

13. Anything Chinese, as long as it is old and authentic. There is a frenzy for all things Chinese such as porcelain, artwork and furniture. Stay away from the less expensive knockoffs. We are only talking the real deal here but if you have a piece - Maui is a beautiful place for an early retirement.

14. Old postage stamps. Stamps are a very complicated business. There are replicas of some valuable old ones, such as Hitler, so you need to be careful. Before selling any old stamps, have them looked at by an expert. You could be sitting on some money.

What's Not

1. Pottery such as Roseville, Van Briggle, McCoy and the other well-known pottery companies. About 5 years ago, good pottery was bringing a lot of money but not today. If you have a collection, you might want to hang on to it to see if it bounces back.

2. Porcelain has suffered much the same fate as pottery, especially sets of china. At one time, sets of china were bringing excellent money on eBay but the people selling it didn't want to do all the labor intensive packing anymore - properly boxing a service for 12 can be quite daunting. Also, as the postal rates increased, buyers began to object to the very expensive shipping costs.

3. Furniture in general with a few exceptions. Nice vintage furniture such as mahogany and cherry pieces, Victorian and East Lake are bringing very low prices. For example, mahogany china cabinets and drop front desks that people were paying $900 to $1000 for ten years ago are selling for around $100 today. You can't buy the hardware for $100.

4. Record albums. There are of course exceptions to this but, for the most part, they are not bringing any money - at least not at auction. If you have any, before disposing of them, you should check them out just in case you have a rare one. The best place to look them up is probably on eBay. Sometimes the dust jacket or album cover is worth more than the record inside.

5. Newer porcelain dolls. Antique dolls still hold their own but the newer porcelain dolls, such as those sold on the shopping networks, drastically decrease in value as soon as they are purchased. They are great for the serious collector who plans to hold on to them. However, should there be a need to liquidate them, the owner is only looking at recouping maybe ten cents on the dollar. These are not a good investment.

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.

Enjoy a Hobby in Art Collectibles

Having been an avid collector of a number of different subjects for many years, I can honestly recommend collecting as a fun and very interesting hobby.
Collecting, no matter what the collected subject is will be a fun and highly enjoyable hobby, and I have found that one of the more interesting items to collect is art collectibles. There are many different items to be found, which once created or painted will become a work of art in their own right. This artwork then becomes an art collectible. Art enthusiasts will collect such things as items made from animal bone, and wooden novelty items, all of which will have been hand carved or had artwork painted on.
Many people have large collections of designer rugs which are seen as art. Other art collectibles are limited edition plates, thimbles, Christmas ornaments, and figurines produced by such companies as Franklin Mint. And then of course, a huge majority of art collectors are people who collect fine art paintings.
People who have art collectibles as their hobby will always find their own favourite artists whose works they enjoy and appreciate. They will often choose to collect art from one particular artist, either an old master or an artist from the present; Then again, other collectors will choose to have items from the works of a number of different artists. There are of course those who will fill their collection, with art and art objects which are based on a particular theme, such as landscape paintings, animal figures, or various types of sheet music. It is not uncommon for people to think of art collector's as being very rich; they think that they may have the ability to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on, lets say an original Monet. However people who do not have huge amounts of money at their disposal can also collect art.
I found that collecting postcards was a very good place to start. If you visit museums of art, you will find in their gift shops high quality items, these include glossy postcards which depict some of their art collections. If you purchase any of these cards, you will begin to really appreciate that anyone can build an art collection. A very good source of art collectibles is the online auction site eBay, no matter what type of art or collectible you wish to have. If you are just starting your collection, the choices and options available are quite overwhelming! You should also bear in mind that you can sell your own bits and pieces; this will help you to afford items for your own collection. Doing this on eBay would certainly help your budget. Other places you can find inexpensive items for your collection are, local flea markets, charity shops, and garage sales. You will be amazed at the treasures other people will be getting rid of.
A good thing when it comes to art collectibles is that you can find artists in every part of the world. When you become an art collector you should visit your local art shows, museums, and local galleries. Here you will be able to find out what inexpensive talent there is close to home. Because most pieces of art have a local theme, art collectibles make excellent travel souvenirs. For instance, the artist Heather Bagnoli specializes in oil paintings of landscapes and architecture most of which are found around her home in the Thames Valley. Of course, collectors of art will be able to find a local artist almost everywhere. Having an art collectible hobby will keep you interested in your surroundings and life in general. With an art collectible hobby you will have a beautiful home filled with wonderful art masterpieces. If having beautiful and interesting things around you is something you enjoy, then you really should consider starting an art collectible hobby today.







James McLean Bowie is an author and book dealer who resides in East Yorkshire England. He owns a number of websites, two of which are, http://bowiebiz.com and http://buddychum.info On his sites you will find a number of resources for collectors, writers, hobbyist and webmasters.

Collectibles - Now Earn A Fortune With Your Hobby

It is often said that one man's junk is another man's treasure. This statement is especially true for people who enjoy collector's items. Buying collectibles is a fun way to remember events and time periods that are long gone. It also has become a lucrative business for people who play their cards right.
Collecting items of personal value has always been a popular pastime. From stamps to postcards, books to magazine and comic books, many items increase in value over time, and so represent a financial investment. Original, mint condition comic books and sports memorabilia can be worth a fortune, as can items such as antique furniture or art that may not be in perfect condition. The key to selling such items is finding the right buyer.
Collectibles can be found at a variety of different locations. People who buy collectibles tend to frequent specialty stores for items such as comic book collectibles and sports memorabilia. Junk stores, such as thrift stores run by charities that are supported by donations, as well as estate sales often have surprising finds. Many collectors also frequently visit online and offline auctions.
Autographed baseballs, old jerseys, posters, and baseball cards are some examples of sports collectibles. With so many great athletes, sport themed collector's items are very popular. Small tokens are a way for people to remember the great athletes and great teams. Items autographed by a great athlete can turn out to be worth a lot of money. The commerce of sports memorabilia reflects the large part sports have in our culture.
Over the years, Coca-Cola items have become very popular collectibles. These items include glasses, old Coke bottles, figurines, ornaments, tins and posters. They often have a desirable 'retro' look to them. Early Coca-Cola items often showed women in striking outfits drinking their products. The more recent items feature the well-known Coca-Cola polar bear logo.
The saying is often true- one man's junk really is another man's treasure. As a result, there is now a thriving market for commemorative objects. We all have certain kinds of things that we'd like to buy and thus watch for on the market.







What is trash to one person may be a valued item to the next. This is a basic fact in the world of collectibles. The choices people make on what to collect are varied. Some folks collect sports memorabilia while other collects anything made by coca-cola. The field of coca cola memorabilia is very wide. Items collected include old Coke bottles, figures, ornaments, serving trays, and more. Older Coke items often include ladies dressed in very fancy period clothing. On more recent Coke products you might find a polar bear. These items are a way to reconnect with the past. Each person values something different.

A Few Fun Facts About Postcards and How Can They Be Useful to Your Business

Postcard sending may be one of the best ways to spend your spare change or to build up a hobby.
Although most of the postcards we get today are related to business or are commercial in nature, it's still nice to have postcards sent to you from all over the world. Postcards also serve as time monuments and postcards can really serve as 'time tellers', especially if you find some rare ones out there.
Postcards are around for almost a century and a half - the postcard was patented in 1861 by John P.
Since then the sending of postcards quickly rose to popularity and there were sent more and more of them each year. There were 677,777,798 American postcards sent in 1908, which means that every American sent roughly 7.64 postcards a year. Did you know that there is a science dedicated to collecting postcards? You do now. The study of postcards is called deltiology.
There are some postcards that are considered special, funny or even naughty in various ways. For example, Soviet-style old postcards are one of the most ironic ones. Their style is remarkably great, while their quality was one of the best in the world. Soviet postcards aren't too hard to acquire, though are considered to be rare by some deltiologists. Also, there have been rumors that the famous lolcats were invented by postcard senders. Now that's a cute postcard.
Postcards have had a great effect on the community, and it is common that most of the postcards you receive, are of commercial nature.
Postcard potential in advertising is really valuable, especially if you take your time to make an appealing one.
The devastating success of postcards has influenced and inspired a lot of new advertising types. One of the most successful followers of postcards which witness a tremendous amount of success, are flyers.







We are offering great flyer printing, and there are also a lot of different options if you want to print flyers for your business, parties and conventions.

Vintage Postcards - Basic Information For the New Collector Or Dealer

Anyone looking for a hobby or a way to supplement their income should consider vintage postcards as their product of choice. Why postcards, you ask? There is a huge supply of postcards available in the secondary marketplace and, if you are going to be a collector, they do not take up much room so they are easy to store and, if you are going to be a dealer, they are easy to ship.
The majority of vintage postcards have a low to mid-range value. If you can buy large lots of them at reasonable prices, you should be able to make some decent profit based on the volume. Unless each lot has been gone through by professional postcard dealers, you may come across one or two that are worth some pretty good money - possibly enough to pay for the entire lot.
Postcards are similar to stamps and coins - they are graded as to condition. The various grades are M for mint, NM for near mint, EX for excellent, VG for very good, G for good and FR for fair. The grades of mint and near mint can really be subjective. The definition of each of these two grades can be very hard to live up to in reality. Finding vintage postcards in close to perfect condition is very difficult.
When it comes to determining age, all vintage postcards fall into what are called eras. There are seven of them in all. The very first is referred to as the pioneer era and covers postcards produced between 1870 and 1898. The second only covers a four-year period, 1898 to 1901, and is called the private mailing card era.
The others are the undivided back era (1901-1907), divided back era (1907-1915), the white border era (1915-1930), the linen era (1930-1945) and the photochrome era (1939 - today).
Not technically considered an era, because they were produced almost from the very beginning, are the highly popular and collectible real photo postcards. Today they are referred to as RPPCs and many of them, depending on the scenes depicted, bring hundreds of dollars.
The well-known "golden age" of postcards ended around 1915. Prior to this time, most postcards were produced in Germany. With the start of World War I, production shifted to the United States. Not only was the quality of these new cards not as good as those produced by Germany, many of them were just reprints of previously issued postcards.
The value of postcards is not just determined by condition and age but also by subject matter. Some topics are not very collectible at all but some are so highly desirable that people will pay outrageous sums of money for them. Subject matter and themes can be complicated when determining value so it is recommended that anyone interested in either collecting or selling postcards invest in a good reference book about them, one that includes a price guide.
The list of different subject matters and themes are quite extensive. Holiday themes are hugely popular, especially postcards that depict scenes of Halloween or Santa Claus. Within each theme or subject matter, any card that is artist signed is automatically worth more than those that are unsigned. There were a number of very talented artists that created postcards back then and today their work is in much demand by serious collectors.
In the early days of postcard production, sets of postcards and postcard series were very popular. This was actually a very successful marketing tool that was used by several of the postcard manufacturers. Once someone had a postcard that was actually part of a set or a series, they most naturally wanted the other installments. Today, collectors will pay a substantial premium to secure the one card they might need to complete a set or series.
There are several other unique types of postcards that were quite popular back then that have added value today. The first is called a hold to light postcard. These cards have cutouts in the top layer with colored paper placed below. An example would be bright yellow paper showing through cutouts shaped like candle flames. Upon holding the postcard up to the light, the candles appear to be lit.
The other type is what is called a mechanical postcard. In this case, a card will have at least one moving part such as a wheel that is hidden beneath the top layer of the card. The wheel might contain the 12 months of the year allowing for a particular month to show through a small window. Mechanical postcards like this provided the opportunity for someone to actually personalize a postcard to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or an anniversary.
When dealing with vintage postcards, there is one more important thing to remember. Many earlier postcards were filled out and mailed. Used versus never used does have an effect on value but when it comes to a used card, the value may not lie with the actual postcard, but with the postage stamp affixed to it. Many old postage stamps are quite valuable. No one should get rid of what appears to be a worthless postcard without checking the stamp first.







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.