Postcard Collector :: The Marketplace for Postcard and Paper Collectibles

	The many starring roles of Shirley Temple Black Geets Vincent Whether in the movies or in real life, she charms the world. On April 23, the child prodigy who helped displace cares and concerns during the Great Depression will celebrate her 80th birthday. read more...
	Presidential Dads Roy Nuhn He may be “Mr. President” to the rest of the nation and a feared and respected world leader abroad, but at home around the White House, he’s just plain old “Dad,” “Pop,” or “Daddy,” to his kids. Father’s Day has often been a holiday celebrated at the nation’s executive mansion. Most of our 43 presidents were contented family men. read more...
	30th Annual Michiana Regional Postcard Show Hedwig Hall in South Bend, Ind., was the scene of the 30th annual Michiana Regional postcard show. Dealers were pleased at the size of the crowd; shoppers lined the tables, often leaving standing room only! read more...
	Living the Postcard Life: To bay ... or not to bay Lew Baer To buy or not to buy would be more accurate. Puns aplenty, but the fun for many seems to be waning. The World Wide Web’s immensely popular and awesomely immense 24/7 flea-and-everything-else market has initiated changes to its SOP that some addicts claim as all messed up. Yes, it’s eBay about which I’m driveling. read more...
	Animal wonderland on postcards Barbara Andrews No one will ever have a postcard collection picturing all 1.8 million life forms. In fact, only a few rare collectors ever accumulate more than a million different postcards, let alone a million plant and animal cards, but the scope of this scientific project can serve as an inspiration to nature lovers/collectors. read more...
	Pursuing the Marvelous: Spring is coming, and so is baseball Susan Brown Nicholson I have always been attracted to the comic baseball postcards that take the baseball terminology and apply it to other things such as lovers. A Base Hit for example. read more...
	Linens and Beyond: Postcards from the “Societe Anonyme” Don Preziosi A number of years ago, while searching through a postcard dealer’s stock, I came across a group of postcards reproducing many works of art, some by the most significant artists of the 20th century. Normally that wouldn’t be a very remarkable find, except that the cards had an imprint of a little-recognized art organization based in New York. read more...
	What's in the Mail: Postage, pizza and politics Jennifer Henderson Here we go again: On May 12, the United States Postal Service will increase the cost of postage. This mailing-cost “shift” is destined to become an annual occurrence due to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act signed by George W. Bush at the end of 2006, which allows postage to stay on track with inflation (but don’t look for the rates to ever decrease). read more...
	Remembering Helen Keller Susan Eberman Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Ala. Her parents were Captain Arthur Keller, a former Confederate Army officer, and his wife, Kate, who was a cousin to Robert E. Lee. At 19 months of age, Helen was an energetic toddler in a loving family when a high fever – possibly from scarlet fever or menengitis – ravished her body, leaving her deaf and blind. read more...
	Don’t throw these hats into the ring Suzanne Meredith Ever wonder what a “mad hatter” could be? Or a plumassier? They are both components in the language of the hat. And, someone thought enough of chapeaus to put several varieties on postcards … often to poke fun at fashion. read more...
	Collector Spotlight: Six degrees of postcards Ray Hahn John Guare’s concept of “Six Degrees of Separation” confounds me. Using the principles of such a theory, I should be able to make connections with each person I mention on this page, but I can’t and I wish I could. read more...
	Chocolate – delicious, delectable, soothing and collectible Sandra Sparks Chocolate has been used as medicine, an aphrodisiac and currency. read more...
	Eastern Illustrated meets historical society Bob Bogdan Recently I discovered that most of the glass plate negatives produced by the Eastern Illustrated and Publishing Company photographers were acquired by the Penobscot Marine Museum (www.glassplateimages.com). read more...
	Postcard collecting is alive and well Sandra Sparks Postcard collecting is alive and well! That was the feeling I got at the 30th annual Michiana Regional Postcard Show on March 15 in South Bend, Ind. The doors opened at 9 a.m., and by the time I got there about 10:15, and the aisles were already crowded with shoppers. read more...
	Book Review: Coming Up Dry In an era when shanty towns thrived and wages were meager, people often turned to alcohol for escape at the end of the day. “Demon Rum” and his brethren became the enemy to temperance workers who dealt with the consequences of alcohol abuse. read more...
	Leading ladies of the laboratories — pharmaceutical tour guides Don Preziosi Over the years I’ve come across a number of postcards of a bunch of women in identical outfits arranged in classic group poses – lined up, fanned out, and stepped arrangements. Given enough time, in this case 50 or so years from their initial distribution, these things hold a certain fascination. read more...
	Living the Postcard Life: Travelin' On Lew Baer The new year caught me quite unaware. ’Ought seven ended with a visit to the Dickens Fair, the Edwardian era folderol that fills the four San Francisco weekends before Christmas. It has two postcard connections: read more...
	Don’t laugh – it’s paid for Steven Bryan Bieler According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of people who own their own homes in this country has risen almost every year since 1960. Today, more than two-thirds of Americans are the king or queen of their castle. And yet we worry that houses cost too much or that we’ll never be able to pay off our mortgage. read more...
	Book Review: Yorktown's history told through postcards Nestled in Westchester County, Yorktown is a city of rich history and a strong community. Over the years, postcards have helped tell the story of Yorktown’s past, from its predominant railroad days to today’s booming city. read more...
	Real Photo Postcards: The beauty of imperfection Bob Bogdan Collectors of real photo postcards are concerned with condition. The term “mint” is applied to a perfect card, a card that is just like it was when it was produced. At the other end of the continuum are cards with stains, creases, rips, damaged corners and pin holes, or those that have been trimmed and/or have other disfigurations. read more...
	Coney Island Suzanne Meredith Long before Walt Disney created mega entertainment locations, there was a place known throughout the world as the premier amusement destination – Coney Island. read more...
	Book Review: Long Island City on postcards Between the 1890s and the 1930s, new bridges and trains made access to Long Island City quicker and easier than ever before. The community grew as people and industry moved into the neighborhood. These changes were captured in postcard images that served as an inexpensive, mass-produced means of communication. read more...
	Pursuing the Marvelous: Gospel wagons Susan Brown Nicholson Dwight L. Moody was one of the great evangelists of the 19th century. Moody started the Bible-Work Institute of the Chicago Evangelization Society (renamed Moody Bible Institute shortly before his death), one of the first in the Bible school movement. read more...
	Collector Spotlight: Holiday Inn collection keeps growing George Cosentini The beauty of collecting is that it is so individual and so personal. You pick an area and off you go. As is every collector, I’m always looking for one more, enjoying the challenge of the chase. read more...
	Collector Spotlight: Postcards show a tiny town celebrating Joan Roberson My name is Joan Roberson. I collect postcards from a tiny town in south-central Pennsylvania. In 1908 Schellsburg celebrated its centennial and recorded the event on – you guessed it – postcards. My collection includes eight different views, though I know more exist. read more...
	From Twin Peaks to the Grand Canyon, it's all in the mail Jennifer Henderson Thanks to K-Tea van Geel for sharing a copy of the “More on the Map” 2008 calendar from her new home in western Massachusetts. Each month, this calendar from Florence Savings Bank features antique postcards of local communities like South Deerfield, Hatfield, Williamsburg, Hadley, Amherst, Belchertown, and Granby enlarged and placed over sepia-colored map backgrounds. read more...
	Postcard Album: Recycling for the ages Barbara Andrews If our family had a crest, the motto would be: I might need it some day. When we closed my father’s drug store, the basement – with its low ceiling and dark, spooky recesses – was packed with artifacts: old display cases, outdated medicines, bottles, soda fountain dishes and things that defied classification. read more...
	Living the Postcard Life: On The Road Again Lew Baer It had been more than five years since Janet and I were on the long distance postcard trail, and we were itching to see old friends and new-to-us cards. Wichita! Why not? read more...
	Pursuing the Marvelous: Crossing America Susan Brown Nicholson During the postcard era we can see the progression of American transportation from horse and buggy to jet planes. But the early days of automobile transportation is the most fun to collect. read more...
	Linens and Beyond: Top 10 New Year's Resolutions Don Preziosi It ís that time of the year when people make New Year’s resolutions and publications make all sorts of lists: best, worst, favorites and so on, usually consisting of ten items. Why not combine the two and explore the postcard possibilities of illustrating them? read more...
	Happy Birthday, Abe Susan Eberman When my grandson, Donnie Rand, was born nine years ago, I started a postcard collection of presidents and first ladies for him. ... Since he lives in Kentucky, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, I’ve assembled his Lincoln album in time for the year long bicentennial celebration of Lincoln’s birth which begins in February 2008. read more...
	Vintage Leap Year Postcards Roy Nuhn Bachelors have long been the butt of much humor – some of it burlesque, some of it dark. To help alleviate their condition and allow them to escape the fate traditionally assigned to lonely, single men, legend and folklore give maidens the right to pop the question themselves once every four years. read more...
	Book Review: Jersey City: A Monumental History Jennifer Henderson Randall Gabrielan, the author of the Arcadia book Jersey City in Vintage Postcards has explored his hometown again in a big glossy volume from Schiffer Publishing. This latest venture combines recent and historic photographs with vintage postcards – and the majority of these 346 images are in color. Jersey City: A Monumental History could be the definitive book on this metropolitan area located across the Hudson River from New York City. read more...
	Book Review: Greetings from Indianapolis Jennifer Henderson From its Gruss Aus title, the postcard illustrations adorning both covers, and the back-cover blurb that proclaims, “Over 340 vintage, hand-tinted and sepia-toned postcards dating back to the turn of the 20th century showcase the nostalgic quality of the Hoosier city,” one might assume that Greetings from Indianapolis, by Robert Reed, is indeed a postcard book. read more...
	What's in the Mail? Giving thanks and telling secrets Jennifer Henderson Starting in January 2008, postcards of thanks received by artist Damaris Pierce will be posted on her Web site at www.IamThankful.com. Perhaps inspired by the success of PostSecret, Pierce decided that “Giving thanks is not just for Thanksgiving.” She invites everyone to express gratitude on a postcard (any design will do – printed or handmade). read more...
	Wheelchair Real Photo Postcards Robert Bogdan Real photo postcards document many aspects of history that are relatively absent in other forms of information. Postcard photographers lived in the communities they photographed and had access to the details of everyday life as common people experienced it. Objects that were overlooked by outsiders were part of the images local photographers created. Wheelchairs are a good example. read more...
	Postcard hobby alive and well at auction Susan Brown Nicholson The fall auction at the Lyn Knight gallery proved once again that the postcard hobby is alive and well. Bidding wars were fought for many fantastic postcards. Record prices were achieved on real photo postcards, as well as artist signed and Halloween. Large boxed lots were bought by eBay sellers and antique mall vendors. read more...
	Correction: Beverly Segars Ad Postcard Collector We would like to correct an error that appeared in the Nov/Dec issue of Postcard Collector. In Beverly Segars advertisement, it should have read: A lot of 12,000 postcards for $15,000, not 12,000 for $15 a piece. read more...
	Movie Stars Postcards When American movies began, there were no movie stars. In the early 1900s during the Nickelodeon era it was almost impossible to get stage actors and actresses to work in the movies. Salaries were a mere $5-$10 a day and there was no prestige. New York City financiers controlled the industry and they made huge profits casting unknown people who used stage names. read more...
	Turning the Tables: Deer Hunting Season Don Preziosi One of my great joys collecting postcards is realizing how many strange collecting categories it is possible to come up with. I have to admit that I never specifically looked or asked dealers for postcards of deer behaving like hunters! read more...
	Advertising Postcards In 1906, there was a trade publication that came out every month or two, sent to encourage businesses to sell postcards. The covers say “Appealing to the Stationery, Art & Souvenir Novelty Dealers.” You could buy the issues for ten cents or subscribe for $1 a year. The advertising in this publication gives us some insight into what certain novelty postcards were called at the time of issue. It confirms some of the biggest publishers of postcards during that era by the size of their ads. (Note: Post card is always used as two words in this 1906 publication.) read more...
	1967: The Summer of Love Don Preziosi 40 Years Ago the Counterculture Headed to San Francisco and the Hippie Haight: San Francisco Postcards read more...
	Hawaiian postcards say “Aloha” Hawaii became a unique tourist attraction early in the 20th century just as postcards were becoming firmly established as a means of colorful promotion and communication. read more...
	Living THE POSTCARD LIFE Lewis Baer ON THE BRINKley One of the great personalities of American postcardom is a ne’er-do-well egomaniacal character that has long fascinated me. I’ve collected and written about him for two decades. It has been a while since I mentioned his name in a column, but since I have made numerous finds and others have done reputable research. I’d like to bring the record more up to date. read more...
	Postcard Collector's 25th Anniversary This year is Postcard Collector’s 25th birthday. Here’s what our long-time columnists had to say when they looked back (or ahead). read more...
	Beth's Treasure: Part V Mary Gorman Beth's discovery of the discarded postcard collection sparked an interest not just in postcard, but in history as well. Reading the postcards sent home from the war gave Beth a new appreciation for the sacrifices made by both the troops and the families they left behind. read more...
	Beth's Treasure: Part IV Mary Gorman Beth’s discovery of the discarded postcard collection sparked an interest not just in postcard, but in history as well. Reading the postcards sent home from the war gave Beth a new appreciation for the sacrifices made by both the troops and the families they left behind. read more...
	Beth's Treasure: Part III Mary Gorman Beth’s discovery of the discarded postcard collection sparked an interest not just in postcard, but in history as well. Reading the postcards sent home from the war gave Beth a new appreciation for the sacrifices made by both the troops and the families they left behind. read more...
	Beth's Treasure: Part II Mary Gorman Beth’s discovery of the discarded postcard collection sparked an interest not just in postcard, but in history as well. Reading the postcards sent home from the war gave Beth a new appreciation for the sacrifices made by both the troops and the families they left behind. read more...
	Beth's Treasure: Part I Mary Gorman “A hard hearted person,” the antiques appraiser said gravely to my eleven-year-old daughter, “would look at this and say that it’s only worth a few hundred dollars, but really – this is priceless.” read more...
	Bazaars What could be more colorful than an Oriental bazaar? Today, modern marketplaces in many cases stand on ground that once was a caravan stop along the ancient Silk Roads. Long trains of camels with bells on their necks once brought goods to market that had come from the far reaches of Asia, Africa, and Arabia. read more...
	Lyndon Johnson Postcards Susan Eberman Collecting postcards of American Presidents, First Ladies and their homes offers an opportunity to relive or reflect upon major events in American history. It’s an affordable and fun way to learn about how our nation’s first families lived. read more...
	Back to School Fall is here and mothers everywhere are rushing to get their children off to school. It is very complicated these days with schools sending out long expensive lists of what is required by the first day. Life during the postcard era was much simpler. It required a pencil and a pair of shoes. read more...
	What’s in the Mail? Jennifer Henderson Are modern tourist postcards kaput? According to a recent article from the Miami Herald online edition, postcards are no longer on the itinerary read more...
	Halloween Postcards Halloween postcards seem to be a very stable commodity in the postcard world. For the last 30 years, I have seen the price grow from a couple of dollars a card to $1500 for some. While the prices for individual cards may fluctuate from time to time, there has never been a drastic drop, a true blue chip of the industry. Why might this be? read more...
	Dogs Made Some Delightful 20th Century Postcard Images Robert Reed There is the story of a presidential contender who encountered a former President of the United States. read more...
	Sleuthing through postcards George Nicholson Postcard collecting offers many types of challenges such as understanding the illustration, discovering the artist and identifying the publisher. Sometimes however other types of challenges occur, such as that offered by the two cards shown read more...
	Beth’s Treasure Mary Gorman “A hard hearted person,” the antiques appraiser said gravely to my eleven-year-old daughter, “would look at this and say that it’s only worth a few hundred dollars, but really – this is priceless.” read more...
	Nov/Dec 2006 Bulletin Board read more...
	Made in the U.S.A. - Thanksgiving Postcards read more...
	Last Minute News, Corrections, Updates read more...
	For the Love of Postcards - By Lew Baer read more...
	Rachael Robinson (Elmer) and her New York City Art Postcards read more...
	Sept/Oct 2006 Bulletin Board read more...
	Bulletin Board read more...
	One year later: Post-Katrina postcards found in New Orleans By Jennifer Henderson read more...
	Memorial Day Postcards – Sam Gabriel Co. & Frances Brundage By Roy Nuhn In the earliest years of the 20th century no holiday inspired a larger number or a more beguiling display of colorful, historic and patriotic postcards than did Memorial Day. Dozens of publishers, foreign and domestic, marketed hundreds of varieties to satisfy the huge demand by the public for them during the month of May every year. Today, both postcard and Americana collectors look upon these as wonderful, nostalgic relics of a fascinating era long gone. read more...
	San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, April 1906 By Lew Baer For us as postcard collectors the earthquake and fire that ravaged San Francisco in 1906 have special significance. Coming at the tail end of the undivided back era, the earthquake was the first major United States disaster to be extensively recorded on postcards. The Johnstown Flood was a few years too early; the Spanish-American War did not provoke widespread coverage; and in 1904, Russo-Japanese War postcards were not well known beyond the embattled nations. read more...
	Dressed Fish Postcards By Cap'n Fred Parks EDITOR'S NOTE: Cap'n Fred Parks died on March 24. See obituary in Bulletin Board in the NEWS link. Literally speaking, dressed fish is a market term to a fish monger – freshly caught fish that have been cleaned and are ready for cooking or further processing, often with their heads left on. To the postcard collector, they are humorous, anthropomorphic fish cards – that is, fish that are literally dressed up in clothing and drawn in behaviors that appear human. Many cards are French and celebrate 1er Avril or Poisson d’ Avril (April 1st and the fish of April, which is April Fools Day) but there are English versions of “dressed fish” as well – such as the 1909 weight-watcher card about the Anti-Fat Mr. SPRAT with plump and stout POOR MISS TROUT. read more...