How to Collect Vintage Postcards
Vintage postcards are symbolic of history and can reveal a lot about the culture of a given time period. While many people are drawn to collecting them, vintage postcards are rarely of great value. What's tempting about them to most collectors is the artwork, artist or theme. They can occasionally be bought and sold for a small amount of profit, but the condition must be good. In order to assess the condition of a postcard, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the vintage postcard-grading scale, which runs from "poor" to "mint." And you'll need to start building your collection.
Instructions
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Visit a flea market. Flea markets are areas where many sellers convene in one spot to sell used goods. Some are located indoors, while others are a gathering of people outdoors. You can find lots of old items at flea markets, including vintage postcards. Look for postcards that you're attracted to, and make sure they're in decent condition.
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2
Visit yard sales to sift through vintage postcards. You can even call the owner ahead of time (if you see the ad in the paper) and ask them if they have any vintage postcards. If they don't, save your gas money for a yard sale that has some postcards for you to look at.
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3
Check out an online auction site and search for vintage postcards that align with your interests. This is also a good opportunity to get an idea of the value of your postcards by looking at the completed listings. Here, you can see what vintage postcards have actually sold for, not just view the asking price.
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Look for older postcards that are real photos--otherwise known as RPPCs (real-photo postcards). These tend to be higher in value. You can determine if it's a real photo by looking at it under a magnifying glass. If you see lots of small dots, then it's a reprint. If it smoothly transitions from one tone to another, then it's a real photo.
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Store your vintage postcards in a photo album. This will allow you to keep them safe from damage as well as keep them organized. You can arrange them by theme, artist or time period.
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Look your postcards up in "The Postcard Price Guide" by J.L. Mashburn to find their worth. Remember, however, that this is only a guide, and the prices of postcards fluctuate based on supply and demand.
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Tips & Warnings
A postcard value is based on its age, its condition, whether it's an RPPC and its subject matter. Postcards that are old, in good condition, are real photos and depict something bizarre or unusual are typically worth the most amount of money.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
