Article Portal!

Archive for the ‘Post Card’ Category

While the vast majority of all postcards made are not very valuable some are considered to be rare and desirable by collectors and these can be worth quite a bit of money.

For rare examples prices can go into the low thousands of dollars and it is certainly not all that uncommon to find a $50 postcard hiding in a pile of ordinary cards. Combing through 175 cards it would not be surprising to find one or two that are worth $5 to $10 or even more.

The classic postcard era was from 1898 to 1918 and the cards that fall in this time frame are the most collectible to collectors as a rule. It is usually the topic or the image or the artist who created the image that establishes its value. Serious postcard collectors are interested in a wide variety of subjects.

The information about Post Card presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Post Card or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

Holiday cards are very popular. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter and Valentine’s Day postcards are rather common, but cards sent for Halloween, Labor Day, and Ground Hog Day aren’t. Halloween cards are particularly popular right now and some of the most desired ones were created by artist Ellen Clapsaddle. Three of her mechanical Halloween cards with moving parts sold for a little less than $1,500. Artist-signed cards are another focus of strong collector interest. Pieces signed by Rose O’Neil (particularly her Kewpie cards), Philip Boileau, Arpad Basch (in the Art Nouveau style), Grace Drayton, Raphael Kirchner, Alphonse Mucha (look for his card advertising “Waverly Cycles”), Louis Wain (cats and paper dolls) and Florence Upton, to name just a few, are extremely popular.

We said earlier that Christmas cards were common but there are certain types of Christmas cards that are valuable. There are vast quantities featuring a white Santa Claus in a red suit but find a Santa in a different color of suit or come across a black Santa and you have something of a treasure. Find one in purple robes and the value might shoot up to around $200. One in blue robes trimmed in brown fur and the value can top $400. Postcard collectors look for what they call hold-to-light cards which have elements such as windows and fireplaces that seem to light up when the back of the card is held to a light. A New Year’s hold-to-light card might be worth between $75 and $100 while a regular New Year’s card might be worth very little.

Other cards to look for include the real photo cards of small towns or actual events. These can be rather expensive because there may have been only a few specimens of each view printed. Real photo cards that collectors find interesting can go up to the $5,000 dollars and such images as golfers playing a famous course can bring $350 or more.
To be valuable, postcards must be in good condition with no creases or folds. They should not have corners that are dog eared. Fronts that are not written on is the best (backs are ok) and no discoloration. Keep hunting for your treasured postcard and who’s to say yours won’t be worth a pretty penny.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Tinselling

Tinselling of postcards was a common practice and one frequently used by dealers to enhance the sales of slow-moving stock. The lines on the view selected for highlighting were drawn on with a steel pen dispensing a special tinselling glue. Tinsel, mica, diamond dust, small transparent beads or finely ground glitter was taken from a special jewelling outfit, shaken on the postcard and the residue blown away. In 1907 the Canadian Post Office Department briefly prohibited their transmission in the mail because of the damage they were causing to electric stamping machines in use at city post offices.

Vignette

Vignette is the name given to the style of finish in which the background of the image or a portion of it appears to fade away gradually into the paper.

Bookmark

The Rotary Photographic Co. of London, England established in 1901, was a huge publisher of real photo postcards. One of their unique novelty postcards was a 1 3/4″ x 5 1/2″ photo series of bookmark cards. Most seem to have been posted in the 1903-04 period. Pugh Manufacturing Co. and Rumsey & Co., both of Toronto, published in 1910-11 a similar novelty postcard, 1 1/4″ x 5 1/2″, with the name Book Post Card. The cards were printed in England, probably by Rotary Photographic. Rumsey & Co. published a number of Hamilton subjects. To date no Hamilton subjects by Pugh Manufacturing have been seen.

Deckle Edge

The deckle edge postcard was die-cut to give a wavy or uneven edge. Most of the examples seen are chrome postcards of relatively recent date.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Post Card experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Post Card.

Embossed Printing

In embossed printing, the letters or illustrations in part or in whole are in prominence. Heavily embossed cards because of the indentation on the back caused problems. The problems this caused when addressing the card or writing the message required a separate backing.

Felt Pennant Applique

The pennant postcard was a stock card carried by a publisher which could be imprinted with a town or city name on request. In this case felt fabric has been cut in a pennant shape and printed with the city name then glued to the postcard. A number of felt pennant applique postcards were published by K.&T., an American firm. Later to come there was an even more elaborate design combining the felt pennant with a photo insert then embossing and airbrushing.

Foil Pennant Applique

One of the more elaborate mail novelties seen was produced by Valentine and Sons’ Publishing Co. about 1917. It has an applique pennant of ribbed blue foil printed with the city name over which a circular real photo view has been attached.

Gelatine Film

Some postcards were treated with a film of gelatin which is a varnish-like coating that produced a glossy surface. Unfortunately the coating was brittle and the surface had a tendency to crack. The cards also tended to curl and the gelatine coating peeled back at the corners.

When word gets around about your command of Post Card facts, others who need to know about Post Card will start to actively seek you out.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still having the Free Adsense Templates available for instant download

DIVIDED BACK ERA (1907-1915)

As of March 1, 1907, the divided back postcard came into circulation. They quickly became more popular because they allowed senders to write the address and the message on the back of the card. The address had to be written on the right side of the back of the postcard while the left side was reserved for writing messages. Postcards from this period are most collectible when they do not have writing on the front. At this time in American history the postcard hobby became a huge public addiction. Publishers printed millions of cards in this era. Most postcards were printed in Germany which was the world leader in lithographic processes. At the height of the countrywide postcard hunger, WWI caused a crash in the hobby. The advent of WWI caused the supply of postcards from Germany to end. Poorer quality postcards came from English and U.S. publishers. The lower quality of printed postcards, recurrent influenza epidemics, and WWI war shortages killed the American postcard hobby. During the war years, the telephone replaced the postcard as a fast, reliable, means to keep in touch.

WHITE BORDER ERA (1915-1930)

When imports from Germany ceased in the first World War, the U.S. began printing postcards to fill the void. Unfortunately, this also ended the “Golden Age” of postcards. After WWI, the German publishing industry was never rebuilt. Other European publishers were forced out of the U.S. market by high tariff rates. Most locally available postcards were printed by U.S. publishers during this period. On view postcards, to save ink, a white border was left around the view, and that is why we call them “White Border” postcards. The higher costs of post-war publishing combined with inexperienced labor caused production of poorer quality cards. Movies, as they were, replaced postcards as a visual experience. Higher competition in a rapidly narrowing market caused many publishers to go out of business. On the other hand, real photo postcard publishers enjoyed great success. Various types of rotary drum negative imprints allowed runs of thousands of postcards of a particular image. Roadside postcard racks contained a great variety of these images.

LINEN ERA (1930-1945)

The information about Post Card presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Post Card or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

In the 1930s, postcard printing in the United States improved. Publishers began using linen-like paper with a high rag content. These types of cards are very popular with collectors today. Of particular interest are Roadside America, Blacks, Comics and Advertising genres.

New American printing processes allowed printing on postcards with a high rag content. This was a marked improvement over the White Border postcard. The rag content also gave these postcards a textured feel to them. They were also cheaper to produce and allowed the use of bright dyes for image coloring. They proved to be extremely popular with raodside establishments seeking cheap advertising. Linen postcards document every step along the way of the building of America’s highway infra-structure. Most notable among the early linen publishers was the firm of Curt Teich. The majority of linen postcard production ended around 1939 with the advent of the color chrome postcard. However, a few linen firms, mainly southern, published well into the late 1950s. Real photo publishers of black & white images continued to have success.

Faster reproducing equipment and lowering costs led to an explosion of real photo mass produced postcards. Once again a war interfered with the postcard industry (WWII). During the war, shortages and a need for military personnel forced many postcard companies to reprint older views when printing material was available.

Is there really any information about Post Card that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still having the Free Adsense Templates available for instant download

The tradition to send Easter postcards to relatives and friends developed in the end of the 19th century. During the year 1898 there were only a few Easter cards sent but the amount of sent Easter cards raised in the following years worldwide. Soon it was courteous and polite to send Easter postcards. In the beginning, monochrome as well as colored cards were printed. Most of the time in the center of the cards was an oversized colored egg. In the first years of the Easter postcards often a part of the front side was empty. This was the space for the greetings of the sender because the post-order only allowed the address and the stamp on the back side. Because of that, the artist creativity was hindered and precious illustrations were deformed. In 1905 the post in Austria and Germany separated the back side of the cards in two halves. The right half served as before for the address and the stamp and the other one was the new space for the message. 1906 this was officially allowed by the world-post-congress in Rome.

In the years around 1910 on the cards were mainly monochrome pictures which were sometimes colored with children in the context with lambs, chickens, ducks and eggs. Young girls were a symbol for luck and hope. The Easter bunny which was a personified symbol of fruitfulness was often portrayed with eggs. German publishers were leading in the production of Easter postcards before the first world war.

So far, we’ve uncovered some interesting facts about Post Card. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

During the time of the first world war the children were replaced through soldiers and a military appearance of the Easter bunny was quite common. After the first world war, photos were not the foundation for Easter postcards anymore but drawn colorful Easter sketches. At this time a very popular motive was Jesus in the open countryside surrounded by sheep. Also cards with flowers were sent very often too such as the Easter lily. In the time of prosperity during 1898 and 1918 the basis of the cards was chromolithography. There reveal very impressive cards with silver, gold and relief-stamping.

A huge reduction of sent Easter postcards occurred through the second world war. After the war, the amount of sent cards raised slowly but in the last ten years it fell rapidly because of the competition with telephony and e-mail. Easter postcards are still sent today but not with the fervor of the greeting card. The collection of the Easter postcard is quite collectible and not so easy to find.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing–the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just joined this Free Website Traffic generation site

For ancestors who lived during the 20th century, postcards are a delightful way to learn more about their lives and communities. Picture postcards were very popular worldwide by the dawn of the 20th century due to their novelty and the fact that postage was cheap. From automobiles to street scenes and hairstyles to people, postcards provide intriguing glimpses into the past.

If you are lucky enough to have postcards sent or received by your ancestors you may learn unknown information about the family, gain handwriting samples and even find addresses to help you track family movements and history. Even if you aren’t fortunate enough to have access to a family postcard collection, you can often find postcards depicting your ancestor’s hometown, clothing styles of the time period, types of employment etc. A good place to start is with the local historical society or library in the area in which your ancestor lived or at local antique stores. Many postcard collections are also beginning to spring up on the internet. Look to postcards as a wonderful alternative to photographs for illuminating the lives of your ancestors and of days gone by.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Turning yesterdays mail Into genealogy treasures is becoming a sought after collection!
How awesome would it be to find a hand written letter from a grandparent forty years after they have passed away. Think about the anticipation at your family reunion when you and all your relatives open the letters your ancestors wrote one hundred years earlier. That would be incredible information and exciting too. Did your ancestor write down and pass on stories that were otherwise lost or distorted by failing memories and word-of-mouth recollections? The written word survives long beyond man’s ability to recall. Imagine the enjoyment you will get learning thoughts and wisdom of someone you never got the chance to know as a child. Heart warming to say the least. Your ancestors words are the most precious gift of all especially for a surviving loved one or generations yet to come.

These postcards and letters also provide wonderful factual information that is helpful to your genealogy research. You won’t have to go into the daunting task blindsighted. On the items it’s possible to find dates and places of important events, names of other family members, and of course addresses. Postcards play an important part in everyone’s genealogy if only from the standpoint of America or the immigration of our ancestors. There is a place in all of us that wants to know our roots so to speak and postcard genealogy is one of the many ways to bring our ancestors back to life.

There’s no doubt that the topic of Post Card can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Post Card, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this URL Shortening Service, working exactly like TinyURL.com!

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Post Card is certainly no exception.

Are we there yet? Everyone remembers those long family vacations which inadvertently someone asked that question. Family after family has stumbled across the unexpected treasures and comical gems that comprise America’s tourist traps. Decade after decade families have used souvenir postcards to share their discoveries with friends and family. Destinations like national parks, world’s fairs and scenic wonders, along with side attractions from Indian teepees to alligator farms. They have all been commemorated on postcards now beloved by collectors.

Many of the cards reflect on travel and tourism in this country and are especially intriguing if the travelers who bought them had a flexible schedule and allowed themselves to be drawn off the road to see something special.
The attraction could have been a cave, a wood carver, a dinosaur park or maple syrup farm where they have the opportunity to watch the making of the sap to the syrup.

Or maybe it was cars driving through tunnels cut in big trees in the West Coast forests. These postcards may indicate an environmental unawareness on the part of the average motorist of the time but some of them give a glimpse into the evolution of American cars. They show the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s models going through the same tree. The earliest card is dated 1915.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Of course states, towns and cities have long used postcards to advertise themselves. A lot of the time in the most creative, colorful and amusing ways. An entire genre of cards featuring gigantic produce, fish and animals to boast of a region’s greatness has augmented the nations store of folk humor since the beginning of the century.
Years ago, magazines and newspapers used few illustrations and small town publications did not use any before about 1915. There was no radio or TV and few telephones so postcards filled that void. The album of postcards was the mainstay of the parlor. A great find for any collector today would be to uncover someone’s grandma’s postcard album in a trunk up in the attic.

Major disasters such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake were popular subjects for postcards. Tourists collected and sent them to the folks back home to let them know what had happened.

While traveling it was easy for you to get a card and a one-cent stamp and then write a note to your family to let them know you had arrived safely and that would put your loved ones at ease. A picture was worth the a thousand words and postcards were popular with people who were not particularly literate. The diversity of the postcards found along the journey proves traveling the roads of America was quite an adventure which still brings much delight today to the beginner and most advid collectors.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, the creator of Auto Blog Feeder, an automatic blogging solution for Wordpress

When you think about Post Card, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Post Card are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

In 1894, British publishers were given permission by the Royal Mail to manufacture and distribute picture postcards which could be sent through the mail. Early postcards were pictures of famous landmarks, scenic views, photographs, lighthouses, animals or drawings of celebrities and so on. With steam locomotives providing fast and affordable travel the seaside became a popular tourist destination. The steam locomotives generated its own souvenir industry. The picture postcard was, and is, an essential staple of this industry.

In the early 1930’s cartoon style saucy postcards became widespread and at the peak of their popularity the sale of saucy postcards reached a massive 16 million a year. They were often tacky in nature making use of innuendo and traditionally featured stereotypical characters such as priests, large ladies and put-upon husbands in the same vein as the Carry On films. In the early 1950’s, the newly elected Conservative government were concerned at the apparent deterioration of morals in Britain and decided on a crackdown on these postcards. The main target on their hit list was the renowned postcard artist Donald McGill. In the more liberal 1960’s the saucy postcard was revived and became to be considered, by some, as an art form. This helped its popularity and once again they became an institution.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Post Card, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

However, during the 1970’s and 1980’s, the quality of the artwork and humor started to deteriorate with changing attitudes towards the cards content. The demise of the saucy postcard occurred due to the moral climate and lack of consumer purchase. Original postcards are now highly sought after and rare examples can command very high prices at auction. The best known saucy seaside postcards were created by a publishing company called Bamforths, based in the town of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England.

Despite the decline in popularity of postcards that are overtly saucy, postcards continue to be a significant economic and cultural aspect of British seaside tourism. Sold by newsagents and street vendors as well as by specialist souvenir shops. Modern seaside postcards often feature multiple depiction’s of the resort in unusually favorable weather conditions. These continuously draw tourist to the seaside. The use of saturated color and a general departure from realism have made the postcards of the later twentieth century become collected and desired by undiscriminating taste. Such cards are also respected as important documents of social history and have been influential on the work of Martin Parr.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site yet? This one is great if you need new fresh Free Adsense Sites

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

As your collection begins to increase in size the inevitable question of where and how to keep them crops up. The method you choose will ultimately depend on what you want from your collection. Do you, for instance, want it to look like an original Edwardian collection filled with Aunties cards from the attic? Then original albums with their decorated front covers are for you. Maybe you’d like to display your cards with a write up about them close at hand? In cases like this it would probably be best to make your own albums from ring files, cardboard sheets and photo corners, thus giving you the opportunity to include the write up with interleaving for added protection.

However, for the vast majority of collectors the main alternatives are either albums or postcard boxes. Old albums designed in the Edwardian era for the first collectors to keep their cards are certainly very attractive and will give your collection a period feel. They are often hard to find though and their pages so fragile that taking cards in and out tears the slots into which the corners of the postcard are fitted. This taking in and out can also damage the cards as well. Also another disadvantage of original albums is that the reverse of the card is not visible. Often the message is as interesting as the image and it is nice to be able to see it without having to remove the card. Luckily you need not be concerned as there are many types of modern albums available. These vary in size from two, four or six cards per page. The pages are plastic leaves and the cards slide into a pre-made slot. They are designed for either horizontal or vertical cards so check the make up of the album and your collection before you buy. Also make sure that the plastic used is acid free as there is some concern about the long term affects of keeping cards in albums where non acid-free plastic has been used. One of the many advantages of this type of album is that once it’s full additional pages can be purchased at a relatively small cost. In addition white cards could be added to adjoining pockets to display any write up you may wish. Your collection will look impressive to everyone you show it to without the need to handle the cards.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Post Card. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Another way to house your cards is either in a shoe box or a specially made postcard box which can hold between 400 and 500 cards. If you decide on this method of storage you should consider to use one of the many types of individual paper or plastic envelopes available so that each of your cards can be protected against damage and continual handling. Handling is after all one of the joys of postcards. Also, if your collection falls under different headings dividers can be used to separate them.
Finally, if you need to carry cards with you when you visit fairs etc. to show dealers the type of card you are looking for, small wallets are available that hold about twenty cards and fit into most pockets! Where do you buy all there various accessories? The answer couldn’t be simpler. You will find them on sale at most large postcard fairs or of course the internet.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site yet? This one is great if you need new fresh Free Adsense Sites

PHOTOCHROME ERA (1939 to present)

Photochromes (also known as Modern Chromes) first came into being in 1939. Their colors were particularly appealing to collectors. The famous movie, The Wizard of Oz, affirmed America’s love for color images. These “Chrome” postcards started to dominate the scene soon after they were launched by the Union Oil Company in their western service stations in 1939. They were easily produced, of high photo quality and most importantly, they were in color. Their spread was momentarily slowed down during WWII due to supply shortages, but they replaced both linen and black & white postcards by 1945 in the roadside postcard racks. Linen firms converted to photochrome postcards or went out of business. Black and white postcard firms merged with larger companies or disappeared completely.

REAL PHOTO POSTCARDS (1900 to present)

Real Photo Postcards were used as early as 1900. They can be particularly difficult to date unless they have a postmark or a date from the photographer. They must be carefully examined to ensure they are not reproductions which can be a problem.
There is much confusion on what “Real Photo” postcards are and how to identify them. Real Photo postcards are reproduced photographs developed onto photographic paper. With the size and weight of postcards with a postcard back. There are many postcards that reproduce photos by various printing methods that aren’t “real photos.” Instead are the same methods used to reproduce photos in magazines and newspapers. The best way to tell the difference is to look at the postcard with a magnifying glass. If the photo is printed you will see that it is made up of a lot of little dots, the same as a photo printed in a newspaper. A “real photo” postcard is solid, no dots.

If your Post Card facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Post Card information slip by you.

Helpful Hint: Most real photo postcards have identifying marks on the back usually in the stampbox corner, that identifies the manufacturer of the photographic paper. You can approximate the age of the Real Photo by knowing when the paper manufacturer was in business

ART DECO ERA (1910 to early ’30s)

Art Decos are known mainly for their vibrant colors. Art Deco is usually concerned with things of the past including pictures done by the ancient Greeks. Also copies with a twist of Middle Eastern subjects, variations on Egyptian artifacts, a natural extension of Art Nouveau and a whole variety of other influences not so directly related. They often depict pretty ladies in fancy clothes vogue style. Also of note are the sharp angles and straight lines. They have gained in popularity over the years and now have a very strong following.
The Art Deco period began around 1900 and ended around 1930. If in fact it ever did have an ending. At least however, this is the period during which the greatest volume of work was produced. What finally ended the movement? Most likely it suffered an untimely demise due to the financial crash of 1929 plus a worldwide depression. Then the second World War interrupted any recovery

About the Author
Check out Anders Eriksson’s latest creations: Online Marketing Succes and Make Money With Adsense

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

There are many varying factors in what makes postcards valuable. Some of them are age and condition, subject matter, photo vs. printed, and even the postmark. Postcards are collected for thousands of reasons. Some are topical like Christmas cards, cards featuring Santa, Valentines, Halloween, Black related, alligators, etc… and others are topographical which are regional images, state views, buildings, your hometown, etc… There are plenty of cards out there to fit any interest varying in price from ten cents to thousands of dollars.

Obviously the older cards are make them more desirable to a lot of postcard collectors but even cards printed as recently as yesterday are collected. The first known postcard from what I have found was used in Austria in 1869. Postcards made in the USA before 1907 had an un-divided back and the only thing that could be written on the backside of the card was the address. The front of the card usually had a smaller image or design which didn’t take up the entire card or left an end open for a short message. After 1907 the back of the card was divided into two sides, one for the address and the other side for the message. Real photo cards seem to be most common from around 1910 through the early 1950s. Linen postcards were introduced in the 1930s during the Depression and were still able to be used into the early 1950s. Chrome cards, sometimes called photochrome made their appearance in the late 1940s and are usually the type of card you would find today. A number of these somewhat “modern cards” showing diners, roadside attractions such as tourist camps, motels and tourist traps have become very popular in the last decade for collectors. If you live in a metropolitan area you might have the opportunity to pick up rack cards. These cards can also be purchased at a postcard show or from dealers and are usually, but not always, fairly inexpensive…

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Post Card. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

The better shape the card is in certainly affects its value. Creases, folds, tears, soiling dirt which is postmark bleed through and water damage can lower the value of a card. When dealing with a real photo postcard the sharpness, contrast, exposure under or over exposed can also effect the graded condition and overall value of the card.

Also certain types of subject matter are more desirable to many collectors. State Views ie Main Street Scenes, Interior Views, Occupational and Railroad images (trains, depots, etc..) are probably some of the more expensive to find and aquire. When it comes to the greetings postcards the most popular are Halloween, full sized Santas, July 4th and Art Nouveau. There are many others and of course everybody has different interest and likes. People collect all kinds of cards for all different reasons. Of course rarity always come into play with collectibles even postcards! Purchasing a postcard value book can come in very handy if you are serious about your collecting.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

About the Author
Check out Anders Eriksson’s latest creations: Free Adsense Sites and Make Money With Adsense