Category: Postcards

Acquiring postcards is a lost art. Buying them can give you a brief history of yesteryear while creating a unique collection. Consider what you need in some quality postcards to help you separate yourself from the pack. Here are some tips to help collect postcards.

Find Out What Topics Interest You

You might be a new card collector, so more modern postcards interest you. However, you may have a taste for vintage postcards. Whether it’s sports, pop culture, or a historical event, you can choose different topics.

Find something that you genuinely enjoy to start your collection. It’ll keep things fun, and you can start branching out to different topics that fit your personality. You don’t want to be all about business or making money from the start.

Additionally, you can build an appreciation for adding some unique things to your scrapbook.

Research the Value Of Your Card

Next, start researching the value of your card. You might have to get it appraised a few times to find the true worth of your postcards. You might have some quality retro cards in your collection, but they don’t have much value in the marketplace.

However, you may have some less dynamic cards, but they’re worth a small fortune. Speak to people on forums or go to shops that sell postcards to help you develop a realistic value for your items. The more knowledge you have of different cards, the better you can negotiate prices.

Pick Good Storage Methods

Also, you want to keep your cards organized. You want to have quality scrapbooks to divide the topics and make it easy to find specific postcards. However, you need to take things a step further for your delicate and rare ones.

Consider getting a card cover to help preserve the condition and make it more viable for other collectors to buy what postcards you have to offer. Make sure you put the cards in dry and cool air to prevent damage to them.

Know Where to Purchase Postcards

Find good mailing cards at conventions, auctions, and even garage sales. You never know where you can get some intriguing postcards. Always keep your eyes open for people that might sell bundles to help you pick up some extra cars for a reasonable price.

Starting a postcard collection can be a fun hobby. Just make sure you’re enjoying the process instead of worrying about getting the rarest finds.

With the advent of computers and other information technology in the 20th century, mankind experienced an exponential and extraordinary change in the way we interact, communicate, and talk with each other. Old traditions transformed, such as the ubiquitous letters and mail sent, once by horseback or on foot, now sent instantly through computers. Modern changes in society spurred by the Covid pandemic brought this evolution into even closer focus, as we sought ways to connect with each other in a safer and more digital format.

Why Online Postcards are the Best Option

The story of humanity can largely be understood through the lens of communication, as we seek to understand, talk, and relate to each other in more significant ways. From the Roman Empire to the Pony Express, finding better and better ways to communicate has allowed us to transform ourselves and the societies we live in, promoting stronger ties between families, friends, and correspondents. 

One facet of this that is especially significant is the advent of websites that allow you to buy postcards online. Many benefits can be achieved through utilizing this form of technology, such as:

• Better selection and a wider variety
• Lower prices that are guaranteed to beat or match anything in person
• More convenient purchases that allow you to shop and check out from the comfort of your own home

Like all other businesses, the postcard industry has adapted and changed in many ways to facilitate growth in the modern world. Buying postcards online has no drawbacks and provides greater convenience than any store ever could. A postcard store will carry several thousand postcards at best, and it might be difficult to find the specific design or niche you are looking for. When shopping online, you can find access to millions of postcards, and any style, design, or type you are looking for.

What is Deltiology?

However, not everyone that buys postcards is intending to send them to others. Deltiology is the study and collection of postcards and is a niche hobby with many passionate members all over the world, similar to stamp or baseball collecting. If you’re looking to get into this hobby or are already a practicing collector, your main issue will likely be locating a strong and comprehensive source of material to collect.

If this is the case, it’s a good thing you’re reading this article. A valuable tip is to skip the large, commercial retailers – your “hallmarks” if you will. You’ll want to find a website run by someone as passionate, knowledgeable, and interested as you are. This will allow you to find a more diverse selection with some valuable and rare items or collectibles, which can sometimes be worth significant amounts of money. 

The collectors who start their own websites have gone to great lengths to procure content to offer, from scouring garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets, to being able to run a business they love curating and taking care of. These smaller, niche websites are a great bet if you are looking for highly specific and rare postcards, as only a fellow deltiologist will be able to provide the kind of selection you are looking for as a collector.

Types of Postcards

While most people are probably unfamiliar with the science of deltiology, it’s a specific and highly quantified field, with several distinct eras or types of postcards. The earliest postcards are known as “Lipman’s Postal Cards”, as these were some of the earliest postcards ever printed in the 1860s. From there, the field moves on to Government Postal Cards, which grew in popularity due to the increasing cost of privately printed cards. 

In 1907, a major change was introduced with “split back” postcards, when the government allowed messages to be written on them instead of just addresses, and around 1915, “White Border” postcards became popular, due to the shortage of ink from World War I. The next two major changes were “Linen” postcards, printed with a high fiber content around 1930, and finally, the “Photocrom” postcards in the ‘40s, which featured color prints and were essentially similar to the postcards we find today in travel stores and souvenir shops around the world. 

Symbols of a Deep Personal Connection

What leads people to develop such a deep fascination with something as seemingly simple and commonplace as postcards? While your average person has likely never heard of deltiology, many people find it to be a touching, sentimental, and evocative field that speaks to their innermost being on a deeply personal level. According to the New York Times, postcards represent the personal connection that many of us long for. Some may be searching for the fulfillment of longing for connection with others, while some may see them as a memento and reminder of a simpler time, with more human connection.

Whatever your personal motivation is, deltiology is an exciting and interesting field, and postcards can provide great investment opportunities. Find the right retailer with the right selection, and you will be well on your way to being a professional and accomplished deltiologist. 

You’ve got a collection of vintage postcards that you think are worth something. You may be correct, but evaluating the value of older objects can be difficult. There are various tools for determining the age and rarity of a postcard, including appraisers and websites, but you can sometimes tell the age and uniqueness just by looking at it.

Determining Postcard Worth

If you have vintage postcards, the first thing you’ll need to do is figure out how old they are. Based on the type of card, a 1907 postcard could be worth much more than one from just a decade or two ago.

Pioneer postcards, which were produced in the United States between 1873 and 1897, are among the most precious. The flipside of these cards is distinctive in that there is no message, only the address. Till the early 1900s, the postal office prevented people from writing remarks on the backs of postcards.

Researching Old Postcards

There are a number of websites that can assist you in determining the worth of a postcard. These sources can help you figure out how old a card is if it doesn’t have a postmark on it, as well as identify features that can make it unique. If a 1907 postcard was autographed by the artist or was part of a limited-edition printing, its value skyrocketed.

The scenery represented on a postcard is another feature that influences its value. Photographs of ocean liners and railroads are among the most costly postcards, as collectors want to add these unique photographs to their collections. Real Photo Postcards, which feature photographs of homes, families, and other personal situations from the early 1900s, are also prominent.

Protecting Vintage Postcards

Make sure you keep your vintage postcards safe until you can find a place to sell them. Plastic sleeves will keep debris and dirt out while also protecting the paper from yellowing over time. If your postcards are of a regular shape, you can purchase dedicated postcard albums made for them.

Don’t take any risks with the security of your most important postcards. Invest in a waterproof, fireproof safe for your house or keep them in a safe deposit box. The final thing you want is to lose your postcard to a burglar or a natural calamity while you’re waiting for them to appreciate or hunting for the right buyer.