PostCard advice Marshland

Postcard Advice

What to collect

After a short period of accumulating postcards most collectors decide to specialise in their collection.

The most popular collection is topographical which is pictures of places.

It is common to narrow this down and collect one area.

Other collectors look for specific items such as flowers or dogs or maps or any number of such topics.

If you are undecided what to collect, it is a good idea to visit an auction site like E Bid and check on the categories that they list for postcards.

How to store your postcards

The two most popular methods of storage are albums and boxes.

Both involve the use of plastic sleeves so it is important to buy from reputable sources to ensure that the plastic is of the correct chemical constitution and does not damage the postcards.

The best albums have sheets of plastic with pockets for the postcards.

These albums allow for more sheets to be added as your collection expands.

The sheets allow both the front and reward of postcards to be seen.

Boxes should provide snug but not to tight a fit for the cards.

cards should be kept in individual plastic cases.

How to decide the age of a postcard

Whilst there are organisations such as the postcard traders association that try to promote postcards collection and encourage standards for postcard collectors there is no internationally or nationally standard for describing ages of postcards.

Postcards were first used in the UK in 1894 and on the continent a few years earlier so you have the first possible date.

If the postcard is used then look at the stamp as this will help date when the postcard was posted ie a postcard with an Elizabeth 2nd stamp will date the card as after 1953.

Check for the word nostalgia. If this word is present it will indicate that an original postcard or photograph has been restored and reproduced in comparatively modern times. If you are buying the postcard for personal pleasure nostalgia postcards are fine but they have much less value than will the originals.

Normally accepted age terms for postcards are
Modern - after 1960
Old - before 1960 with the standard size of postcard 140mm x 89mm
Early - before 1902 with the early size of postcard at 115mm x 89 mm
Undivided backs - this practice was common in carts until about 1907

Why is age important?
The enjoyment of a postcard is an individual thing and whatever the age can give pleasure.
Knowledge of correct age can be important for collectors to maintain their collections and family historians correctly identify.
The age is also often one the most important features in setting the value of the card. A knowledge of age with then help prevent the buyer paying over the odds for the card and helping to ensure a good resale value if the buyer decides to sell in the future.

Printed or real photographic postcards

In the early 1900's there was a big expansion of postcards leaving us a great records of those times.

There were two basic methods of production - Printed and real photographic (RP)

These terms are often used in relation to postcards.

Printed postcards were mass produced on printing presses usually by the large firms.

Real photographic cards as their name implies were real photographs which were usually taken by local photographers and then processed and sold locally.

Real photographic cards tend to be more expensive than printed and usually show much more detail.

Buying postcards from the Internet

Traders on auction sites like E-bid use many terms to describe the age of their cards some of which can initially be misleading to buyers and these terms wrongly used can lead to unfair comparisons.

When considering bidding for postcards the first and most important action is to carefully read the description as most sellers provide fairly specific information although strong points are highlighted and negative points are often in small print at the bottom of the description!

What are postcards worth?

There is no easy answer to this question as so much depends on the postcard.

Prices vary considerably according to the rarity, demand and condition.

A common card such as a 1920 printed card of a beachfront at a popular resort may be worth as little of 25 pence even if in good condition and similar modern card could be worth as little as 10 pence.

A 1920 real photographic card is a village street scene could be worth as much as Ł20 and a real photographic card of a fatal fire or other local disaster could be worth even more.

If the postcard is used it tends to have a little more value although the condition of the card is regarded as more important.

If a card is creased, bent , has damaged corners or is in other poor condition the value will plummet.

A good way to gauge prices is to visit a postcard fair and check out the prices.

Be wary of using auction sites to check prices as some dealers tend to be unrealistically dear and others rely on a volume trade by offering very cheap prices.