| Antique postcards are a wonderful way to learn | | | | message, and the back left for the address. These |
| about the past. Often the only way to see pictures | | | | cards could be mailed once they had a stamp. |
| of old buildings, street cars, expositions, or sports and | | | | Companies quickly realized that printing messages or |
| other pastimes, is on a postcard. A collector of | | | | pictures on the backs of "advertising cards" was an |
| postcards usually specializes in a theme: perhaps a | | | | inexpensive way to advertise their products. The US |
| particular location or mode of transportation, or a | | | | government issued its first postal card in 1873. These |
| sport or pastime, or in advertising cards. Trains and | | | | were mostly used for advertising. |
| old sports stadiums are very popular, and fetch high | | | | It was the Chicago World's Fair that started a frenzy |
| prices. Postcard collectors are often referred to as | | | | of sending picture postcards. |
| deltiologists (from the Greek meaning a collector of | | | | The pioneer era of picture postcards was from the |
| small pictures or writings). | | | | 1893 Columbian Exposition to 1898. At that time US |
| At the turn of the 20th century, postcards were | | | | Post Office cards could be mailed for one cent, but |
| extremely popular. It is said that visitors to New | | | | privately printed cards cost 2 cents to mail. Postal |
| York's Coney Island mailed 200,000 postcards in a | | | | cards were government issued and had pre-printed |
| single day in 1906. At the height of their popularity, | | | | postage, but postcards were privately printed and |
| over a billion cards were sold every year. | | | | required stamps. The backs of cards were "undivided |
| Vintage postcards can be found in several places. Flea | | | | backs" and intended only for writing the name and |
| markets, antique shows, or ephemera (paper) shows | | | | address. Many of these cards have writing on the |
| often have tables. Auctions are a good place to look | | | | front below or along with the picture. These cards |
| for postcards. In the United States there are many | | | | are often called souvenir cards or mail cards. Charles |
| postcard clubs which often have public shows | | | | Goldsmith, using government postal stock printed |
| The same dealers often move from show to show. | | | | several sets of official souvenir postcards for the |
| Some dealers will bargain with you, and others won't. | | | | Columbian Expositions and these were extremely |
| Most dealers give a discount for large purchases. You | | | | popular. Pre-1900 postcards are rare though. |
| might want to shop around when you are at a show, | | | | The Golden Age of Postcards was from 1898-1915. |
| because prices of the same postcard might vary with | | | | The printing and coloring on these cards were high |
| different dealers. There is a wide range of prices of | | | | quality. The passage of the Private Mailing Card Act |
| postcards, from as low as a few dollars to more | | | | of 1989 allowed private postcards to be mailed for |
| than 50 dollars; the price of the postcard depends on | | | | one cent. The back was still undivided, until 1907 |
| the subject, condition, and scarcity of the postcard. | | | | when the requirement for undivided backs was |
| You may choose to overlook the condition of a card | | | | dropped, and the left side could be used for a |
| if it is scarce or you need it to add to a collection. | | | | message. In 1915 World War 1 brought an end to the |
| You may or may not be interested in the stamp on | | | | golden age of postcards. |
| the postcard. Most postcards are printed on | | | | Many postcards from this era were printed in Europe, |
| cardboard, but materials such as leather, wood, and | | | | especially Germany, which allowed good printing |
| even metal have also been used. There is a incredible | | | | quality. The cards were hand colored, and sometimes |
| variety of topics depicted on postcards. There is | | | | the colorer used his imagination. Sometimes a printer |
| everything from disasters to greetings (not just | | | | would add or subtract an object to make the picture |
| holiday greetings but also greetings from a particular | | | | look better. It is not uncommon to find two cards |
| place). German "Gruss Aus" cards are very popular. | | | | with the same scene except for some object is |
| There have been several artists that have made | | | | missing in one of them. For this reason collectors |
| their living creating pictures specifically produced for | | | | must not assume that old postcards show historically |
| postcards. Popular "signed" artists include Ellen | | | | correct images. |
| Clapsaddle (1865-1934) whose cards show delightful | | | | Antique postcards are a wonderful peek into the |
| children, and Frances Brundage (1854-1937) among | | | | past. Although images are often not historically |
| others. | | | | correct, they give us a picture of what has been (of |
| The idea of sending postcards became popular in | | | | what people wore, and what they did, and where |
| 1861 when H.L. Lipman from Philadelphia began to | | | | they did it, and what was important to them) that |
| privately print cards with the front left blank for a | | | | we often can't get anywhere else. |