Does anyone collect postcards

At least in the pre-drone days. The type of card you select also said something about you. I always wanted the recipient to get a taste of where I was. It was something I wanted in postcards, so I figured it worked for them too. Some people came up with great choices while others seemed boring and plain.

That was the downsides of sending multiple cards. I usually bought one or two postcards while traveling, but I do have a couple of sets that stand out. It was almost as if they took the uglier cards and bunched them together with a nice one. For those that collected them, it was a better deal to get a set instead of buying individual ones. I used to collect cards to remember places and to give me inspiration.

Each new arrival brought a certain amount of wistfulness and longing to visit there. For the places I have visited, sending a postcard home allowed me to share my experience with friends and family back home. It was also a great way to keep those memories going when I got home. People who went there before me inspired me and gave me a visual of what to expect.

I honestly have no idea how I got them, but they intrigue me. When I think about it, they sell postcards everywhere. Do people actually buy them? I would assume that if they sell them, someone must buy them. But, does anyone send postcards anymore?

Do people buy them as keepsakes? Do they send them back home to loved ones? After all, that is what social media is all about. I take many photos so the idea of buying a postcard is just unfathomable. Or is it? Looking through my old postcards, I thought about the places I have been to in the last few years.

I might have enjoyed sending myself a memory written on a card. As everything else, are postcards making a comeback?

Does anyone send postcards anymore? Those that do, are very much still into sending them. Based on the comments on Twitter , it seems that a lot of people are very much committed to postcards! Some send them to relatives grandparents, parents, children, etc. There are even those that make their own! I might even start sending cards home when I travel. There is something exciting about it. How about you? Are you a postcard aficionado or is that a foreign concept to you?

Let me know! While adventures can be found in every part of the world, certain destinations offer more outdoor adventures than others. From natural landscapes ….

Travel becomes easier the more you do it. From time to time, the rules change, but the main concepts remain the same. I thought I would post one or two a day until everyone got tired of them.

I'll try to give a discription of some and some speak for themselves. Here goes. This is a college team taken in One of our CU members told me that it might be a team from California.

What makes this a little more rare and special is the it has a black player on the team. More tomorrow, enjoy. Last year, I ran some tests at a couple of big collectible shows. The learning curve is not that steep, but you still need to be cautious with eBay buys.

I'm curious as to the backs on the cards you showed. Are they postcard backs or advertisements? I really like the Brooklyn card with the players in street clothes! You wouldn't see that today!

Keep 'em coming! You really need to know your seller and if possible the provenance of postcards when you buy. That is why I suggest people really scan all the information available before making a big purchase.

I'm not convinced that the card grading companies can do a good job at authenticating postcards. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. The upside is that you can get nice stuff that is close to years old very reasonably. Postcard collectors aren't as uptight about condition either, so that is something to consider as well. Tom, Both are postcard backs. From now on I will scan the backs also. I have a very rare and special oversized political ad back with the White Sox team that I will post tomorrow.

A little info on the Brooklyn card. If you look at the names on the team you will find 8 or 9 players with a card in the T set. Pretty neat for me since I am collecting that set also. And, I did not mean to imply that "just because it looks old, it is fake. The targeted cards are usually only found in "good condition," so the fraudsters will hit you with "fines or better," and you will think you are getting a bargain. While relatively few folks feel that connection to sports-cards, hundreds of millions are connected to PCs due to "past travels.

Joe, Thanks for the info on the Brooklyn postcard. I'm always curious about the backs as well. Sounds like you have a great collection! Storm- You bring up a good point. If a card company probably SGC wants to get seriously into postcard authenticating, they will do it. It is probably too late now, but I think to do it right, the grading company would need to come up with a grading system that appeals to postcard collectors, not sportscard collectors.

I completely agree that the connection to the past is big with postcard collectors. Stamps and writing on the back that doesn't affect the image on the front is a plus to some collectors. I think the postcard as a collectable is very under valued for most cards. Some of them though, have a value that is compareable to trading cards. Used to be that you could got to an Antique shop and look through 's of post cards and pick out Baseball related cards for a quarter.

Not too often any longer as most shops no that any baseball related item sells for a premium. Oh well, that is just keeping pace with everything else in this hobby. More vintage postcards tomorrow. Perfect in 'as made' condition. Almost all old cards will have some wear evident, perhaps a knocked corner or even indentations from being kept in an album which would exclude them from this category. Minimal damage. The card may show very slight signs of wear such as 'album marks'.

Postally used cards could possibly be in this category if perfect in other respects Very Good VG. Noticeable faults.

Corners may be slightly blunted, other small marks may be evident. A large majority of collectable cards would fall into this category. Good G. This description is often used for cards which may be in less than collectable condition. Damage should really be described at this level though actual effect on the value would depend on the type of card.

Fair and beyond! Nobody selling a card is going to describe it as being in poor condition, however with cards of certain categories and where extreme rarity is a factor, a full description of the condition may be appropriate. If graded PCs take-off, the low grade stuff will have the same "low-status" that VG sports-cards have.

I prefer postally used cards, because I like to read the messages; I never buy anything that I consider as "damaged;" it is tempting to do so, but they are hard to dump if you get tired of them.

I want excellent or better, even in the "rare" stuff. BTW: Nobody has any really "good-for-sure" census data. We know that some cards are "scarce," but we do not know if most of their ilk were disposed of or are in somebody's basement. If the market takes off, a lot of stuff will be flushed into the open, and prices on some scarce stuff will fall.

The market will then go through a stabilization period and in years or so, you could see PCs become a major force in the collectibles game. Thanks for the scans and for all of the great advice I'm getting here.

I really appreciate it. I'm lovin' these old pieces of history. It helps to authenticate the piece, that's for sure! Keep the scans of the collections coming. These pictures just jump right out and grab your attention! After rereading the thread, I think it'd be a great idea to scan the fronts and backs of the postcards. That doubles the experience! Just my two-cents worth Here is a little store in Montana that is trying to educate its customers about the "joys of collecting PCs. I suspect some folks do not know much about PCs and probably can use a simple primer.

It's helpful to be able to date a postcard even if it has not been used, though this does not necessarily mean an earlier card will be worth more than a newer card. For example, postcards published during the 's and 's are becoming more popular and desirable as many middle aged people can identify with these images.

This same increase in popularity can also been seen in postcards of the Modern Chrome Era post Postcards have been published in several different printing eras from the 's until the present.

Each publishing period has its own peculiarities which can be used to identify the age of a postcard. Listed below are seven of the more prominent eras of postcard publishing. The Pioneer Era goes back to the s, but it officially began for many collectors when picture postcards were sold at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in May of Their great success ensured that postcard collecting, then and now, would become a viable hobby.

Pioneer Cards, and government issued Postals, are not too common. They can be identified by distinctive features such as undivided backs and a postage rate of 2 cents. The fact that the postage rate was the same as a letter did not offer any incentive for the use or publication of many Pioneer Cards. The postage rate was reduced to One-Cent as an experiment by the government to increase revenue and was extremely successful.

This was the beginning of the Golden Age of Postcards, circa Perhaps the most important reason for the popularity of postcards was that they became the least expensive and main form of communication throughout the world until the advent of the telephone and radio beginning with WWI. However, these cards continued to have undivided backs. The user was required to write the address on the back and the message on the front of the card.

For this reason many of these cards have blank areas, or open spaces, on the front for writing the message. The entire front side of the card could now be used for the image. This era saw an explosion of postcard publishing and postcards quickly became the most popular collectible in the world. There was competition between publishers to produce the finest and most collectible postcards possible.

Many of the best printers in the world were based in Europe, mostly from Germany. Publishers in the U. These cards are easily distinguished by the white border around the pictured area and the lower quality printing. Due in part to the poor printing quality, the White Border Era brought an end to the postcard craze.

Publishers began using a linen-like paper containing a high rag content and bright, colorful inks. Postcards published during this era are gaining in popularity and value since many middle aged people can identify with these views, most of which have changed in the intervening years. Publishers began producing cards with vibrant chrome colors which appealed to collectors. These cards are gaining in value and popularity since many "Baby Boomers" can identify with the images on these cards.

Most of these are not embossed like the originals and some will note that they are reproductions somewhere on the card. There's nothing wrong with enjoying reproductions if they fit your collecting style. Just be sure you're getting the real deal if you do decide to splurge on a rare card. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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