Rinker on Collectibles

RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1778

A Guide to Disposing of Old Postcards

Two recent queries are typical of the many questions I received concerning old postcards. JH from Burton, OH, wrote: “We found my grandfather-in-law’s (1889-1973) third wife’s (1878-1963) collection of old postcards that has been wrote on, to her. She put them all in a binder. Is there a market for used postcards?” SD from Montgomery County, PA, inquired about a collection of postcards from Florida, a postcard booklet entitled “Route 55 Through New Mexico…to the Grand Canyon,” and some 1946 European postcards.

Although the frequency of finding an old postcard album(s) or a collection of postcards in an estate, attic, basement, cabinet, or other storage place is diminishing, accumulations of postcards still enter the market on a regular basis.

Postcard collecting and saving (far more common than collecting) dates back to the late 19th century. As the 19th century ended, individuals became involved in postcard exchanges – you send me some postcards / I will send you some postcards. This is why many postcard albums contain postcards with no postage or writing on the back.

Manufacturers created albums specifically designed to store postcards. Pages had slots into which the postcards could be place. This approach preserved the information on the back as well as the image on the front. Albums with postcards pasted in them are a disaster. It is almost impossible to remove the postcards without damaging the back.

When encountering a postcard album, a decision has to be made whether to remove the postcards and dispose of them individually or keep the album intact. The fact that the album reflects the taste and interest of its owner is the main argument for keeping the album together as a unit. The album postcards are most likely a diverse collection of holiday, humor, and scenic cards (a mix of local views and big city views). When sold intact, the final sale of a postcard album achieves a price of between fifty cents and one dollar a card, of course, depending on the type and time of the cards included in the album.

When purchasing a postcard album, collectors want the postcard album to be full. The removal of cards by the seller leads to the obvious conclusion that the seller removed the high-end cards to sell separately. Removal of any cards impacts the perceived value of a postcard album by fifty percent or more.

When faced with a stack of postcards, the best approach is to divide the stack into a series of piles using a general and then a series of sub-sorting criteria.

[Author’s Aside #1: Years ago, I acquired several boxes of postcards containing somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 postcards. Two years ago, I started sorting them into categories. I am using the same approach that follows.]

The first sort is to divide the postcards by era – Pile 1 (1898-1906 – full image picture postcards with undivided backs); Pile 2 (1907-1915 – full image picture postcards with divided backs); Pile 3 (1915-1930 – postcards with white borders); Pile 4 (1920-1950 – postcards with a linen-feel to their surface); and Pile 5 (Photo-chrome postcards – 1940s to the present).

I add two other piles in my initial sort. The first is real photo postcards. In the first half of the 20th century, it was possible to have your photographs printed on postcard stock. The images ranged from portraits to town views. These postcards were produced in limited quantities. Although head and shoulder “dead relative” postcards usually have little value outside the family, there can be items in the photograph such as jewelry or a pet that attract collector interest.

Postcard booklets, drop down albums featuring six to a dozen double-sided views, are the second extra pile in my initial sort. I have watched collector interest in postcard booklets grow over time.

The second sort takes each pile and subdivides it into more specific groups. The first group contains American city, landscape, and scenic views. Rather than do a third subdivide later, I create three separate groups – local views, big city views, and landscapes. The second group consists of foreign cards. The group contains any non-United States card. In this instance, I create one big pile rather than trying to separate them into a specific country. If the resulting group is large, I sometimes decide to do another sort by country. The third focuses on holiday cards. Again, I limit the sort to one pile with a further division by holiday to be done later. The fourth group has humorous (fun) postcards. Other thematic piles include ethnic, sports, and transportation. The final pile contains non-postcard items often found in postcard collections. Penny arcade cards are an example.

During the first and second sort, pay attention to condition. Discard postcards that are damaged, torn, and will not display well. Collectors want postcards in mint (like new), near mint (one or two very minor flaws), excellent (no tears or wear) and very good (mailed and written upon) condition. Postcards were printed in the high hundreds to the tens of thousands. With the exception of real photo postcards, there is limited scarcity even for most small-town views.

Because of the large quantity of available postcards, collectors specialize. Local view collectors are the most prevalent. Christmas and Santa Claus postcards, chronological (especially pre-1915 cards), and theme collectors focusing on animals, art work, ethnic, hotels and motels, humor, illustrators, military, transportation (cars, planes, ships, and trains), and waterfalls follow. The thematic list is endless. I have a collection of what I call “pistol” postcards, images of a young boy or occasionally an older male spelling out a message in the snow using a particular body excretion.

Forget any hopes that the value of the stamp on the back of the postcard has value. Postcard stamps are among the most common secondary market stamps. However, an unusual cancelation may add value. Flag cancellations are common. The best chance for added value is the postmark. If the postcard is for a post office that no longer exists, this is a value-added factor. Check out the Postmark Collectors Club for more information.

When the sorting is finished, it is time to develop a sales strategy. If you are lucky enough to find a postcard show or paper ephemera show (which usually contains several postcard dealers), visit it and talk to the postcard dealers. Selling the collection as a whole greatly reduces the disposal time and effort. Pay attention to the large inventory postcard dealers maintain. Most will attempt to “cherry pick” a large collection rather than buy it intact. Resist this if possible.

Some local auctioneers feature “paper” in a specialized auction once or twice a year. Contact the auctioneers in your area and investigate their services. The are some national auction houses that specialize in postcard sales. Warwick & Warwick is an example.

Postcards are a strong seller on internet auction sites, especially local views, real photo scenic cards, and other higher priced postcards. They are easy to ship in a standard envelope. The process is time consuming, especially if the final sale is only a few dollars. With this in mind, creating larger lots that include postcards focused on a specific theme, such as a local town or holiday like Halloween, is an excellent method to obtain a higher selling price. When selling on the internet, it is critical not to overestimate the condition of the cards. It is better to understate than overstate condition.

Finally, as with all collections, chances are that 80 percent of the value of the collection rests in less than five percent of the objects in the collection. A valid disposal approach is to sell off the high-end material individually and then donate the balance of the collection to a local charity auction or give them to a child for play and to broaden his/her horizons.

[Author’s Aside #2: I buy old Valentine “love” theme postcards to use as surprise gifts for Linda. There are dozens of “Thinking of You” themed cards. She has never minded the fact that she is not the first recipient of the card.]

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Selected letters will be answered in this column. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Point Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker@aol.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

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