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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: krickard on April 18, 2010, 06:19:48 AM
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Hello everyone! Went digging in my parents basement ans found a box of old postcards. These are from the early 1900's. There are probably 150 of them. Some very ornate, for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Christmas and others from various locations around the US. So, I have a collector coming over this morning and my question is...should I sell these individually or as a group. I think I would make more individually but wow that would take a lot more work. But if I sell them as a group I have know idea what to charge for the lot. Any suggestions? I know it's hard to guess since y'all can't see them.
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I have a small collection of early 1900's postcards that I've been slowly collecting. Some are worth more than others depending on what's on the card and what year they were printed. I usually pay $5 or less (each card) with free shipping on ebay. I'd say the holiday ones are worth a bit more. I absolutely wouldn't take less than $150 for them, that'd be a great deal for a buyer. Going through them individually may take longer but you could get a lot more money. You could even put them in small groups of 10 or so and sell them that way. A Christmas group, a cityscapes group, the public park ones etc. Postcards are really collectible, great little pieces of history!
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Krickard I also have old postcards and have been researching, One I have just sold on ebay by someone for $26.00 so I think they are worth the time of selling one by one, Halloween seem to go high.
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I would have to agree with the others about selling them individuals. Unless you really don't want to spend the time and go through them, then I would start by asking 2 bucks a piece. as a set, I'm sure you could get that on Ebay with little effort as a group. I think if you did go through them and sell them individual on ebay you will get between $300.00 to $500.00. These are very collectiable, and they are really easy to sell on ebay, and shipping them is even easier.
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I am familiar with real photo postcards and, depending on the scene and age, some can bring quite a bit of money. Train depot ones are especially sought after. I would pull those out from the lot and ask a higher average per card for real photos. $10 each would be my guess. I am with everyone else on this...you would make more money selling them individually or in small groups than in selling the whole lot to one person. It all depends on how much time you want to put in it. At some point, one has to fish or cut bait.
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Hey, since several of you have collections, it would be fun to see some photos of your favorites!
I remember an Antiques Roadshow episode from a few years ago where they had a lady who had several valuable postcards that things like Teddy Roosevelt with the "Teddy Bear". Iconic moments in history, that made them valuable also. There are other things like Kewpie postcards that collectors like.
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FYI, vintage postcards are a very popular and money worthy collectible item - especially since they were only worth pennies in their time.
Those of greater value are those that are actual photographs of famous persons, Handpainted and Black Americana. In addition to the artwork being valuable. Those that bear credence to the happenings of the times (historical events) and written on by famous persons are also $$$$$.
Well worth your research (if you have the time and inclination) time and value!
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Tales here are a few I could get my hands on Halloween are my favorite, some I do not approve of the content ( but I do collect black memorabilia and find it fascinating) I do not wish to offend anyone , they are part of history and I feel should not be ignored or forgotten.
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Hi Krickard-
Good valid comments by all. Interesting reading.Yes it would be fun to start a thread to showcase these treasures.
I also collect old postcards and think there great. Wendy177 makes a point I think is true about the popularity of Halloween postcards especially the ones with witches.
The answer to your question lies in do you want and have the time to make the money on these yourself or will you pass that opportunity on to somebody else.
From my understanding, if you list them yourself on eBay it shouldn't cost you anything for the 1st 100 each month if you start the biddding at .99 or less so I don't see how you could lose outside of your time,effort,and selling fees.
If you wish to take a hit on the price but make it easier on yourself you can also sell them as a lot on eBay and pass the money making and fun of it all on.
Listing individually would be good and enjoyable experience to learn about these artifacts IMO. Maybe along the way you'll become hooked.
I would suggest that if you decide to list them individually, you include if they are artist signed and if so include artist name, country of origin,subject matter,photo of front and back (sometimes the back has strong selling points),and style (jugenstil,nouveau,deco,ect..) as this is how many of the cards I'm looking for are found.
Even though all your cards will not sell I'd think you'll still be way further ahead money,enjoyment,and education wise if you list individually yourself.JMO
Here's a link from the many who buy these as a lot then turn around and reap the benefits from selling them individually.
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/postcards_Postcards_W0QQucatZ914QQuqtZg
Good luck whatever you decide.
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Neat postcards Wendy! Love the Halloween one and the other holidays are cool too! I know what you mean about preserving Black Americana and other ethnic items in the spirit of "lest we forget" and simply because such things will likely never be produced again. I have an old Victrola record with a song called "Oh Sing-a-Loo" on it that is about a Chinese man who to the dismay of his sweetheart, has cut off his long pigtail. The song is full of all kinds of ethnic slurs, but I've always kind of felt like I should hang onto it.
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Since I normally go completely crazy with whatever collection I start, I absolutely promised myself I had to stick to one subject with the postcards. Kind of a "mental" contract I signed in my head. ;)
Now I see all of these holiday and black ones and I really shouldn't have looked!
All of mine are from my home city (Tacoma, WA). Here's a few of them. I am totally confused about the church tower one. It reads, " 148-Oldest Church Tower in America,Tacoma, Wash." This picture was taken in 1914. But Tacoma wasn't even settled until the 1850's. So, the oldest church tower in America was 60 years old? I find that hard to believe. Unless I'm missing something in the history department? Sorry to hijack the post, it's just been bothering me!
Oh, and just a side note. If you're having trouble dating a card, it helps a little bit to know the history of postage rates in the US. At least it narrows down the date a bit.
http://www.akdart.com/postrate.html
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The backs also date cards...divided back, undivided back, etc. here's a site that helps and also has the rates like hosman mentioned. http://www.thewebfooters.com/html/postcard_dating.html
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We have some cards that were collected by family members when they traveled. Many from Europe, many from the US. Back before it was easy to take photographs people would buy postcards as souvenirs of their travels. I hope you all enjoy.(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/023-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/024-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/025-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/026-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/027-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/028-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/029-1.jpg)
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Ok this looks like entirely too much fun. I think I feel the itch for a new collection!
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It really is fun. We are accidental collectors I guess you could say. These cards were inherited but I think they are great. We have probably somewhere between 600 -700 altogether all in albums.
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Talesof, this is one collection that is fun and adventurous without costing an arm and a leg!
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I love them too. They are inexpensive little pieces of history. Most of them are really artistic and the photographs are so cool. Makes me wish I lived back then. :)
It's fun collecting ones from your home town or the city you live in. It's strange seeing the streets back then and the way they have transformed into what I see today.
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I was actually looking at some of my tiny little town and showing them to Hubby the other night. I hadn't thought about doing a collection of them though. That would be a fun one. Also there are a lot of them from the old park where I spent years riding my horse when I was growing up. It was a really interesting mineral water spa/retreat kind of place back in the 1800's. Both would be fun to collect.
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Good seeing these old cards syl,wendy177,& hosman321 and thanks to krickard for getting this subject going.
Here's a couple more.
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2 that I can't figure out who would send something like this.
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The huntchback and colosseum (named last prayer) postcards have great details.
It amazes me that some of these are only seen when looked at under a magnifying glass.
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TOT7S-
Collecting from your town would be awesome.What a great photo reference to have for a then and now scenario.
Wendy177- I love the way the cat is hitching a ride on your Haloween card.lol
Hosman321- I don't think there could be a better rendering of a painted moonlight sky.The Pacific Ave. card is very appealing.Any idea what decade it represents?30's or 40's???
Syl-Quite a collection and well displayed.Very cool to see your own family's history in it. At least you know instead of having to wonder and imagine about who sent the great collectibles.
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Dean,
The Pac Ave card is one of my favorites, the scan doesn't bring out it's true colors. I think it may be from the 20's-30's. When I look closely, the dresses and hats on the ladies seem to be from that period. And just the style of the signs and the trolley cars. Not sure though. :-\
Your cards are amazing, my husband and I are really into medieval times, roman times and ancient history. I've never seen any like those!
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The artwork & history on all your cards is amazing!!!! Most of mine are silly & fun but I love the more serious pieces of art you all have!! A few more fun ones.
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Oh the cats are adorable! They remind me of a book I had as a kid!
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Got me wanting to dig around for a small pile of cards I got from my grandmother, proabably not impressive stuff, but this thread has got me curious now.
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Wendy177,
Nice to see your additional contributions.Funny for sure. My favorite is the dentist visit. Who can't relate to this situation and at least it brings humor to something not funny to most.
Are these done by the same artist? Cool to see a 'same theme' grouping like this. I wonder how many were in this series.
Thanks for sharing them and the laughs.
Ironlord- I'd be intrested to see your cards. Sometimes it's amazing to look at what cards sold for then wonder why. I've seen ones go for $40 -50 and couldn't imagine why so I guess what is uninteresting to some may be intriguing to others.
Like Tales said she is after a specific type that would be desireable to her for her own reasons but maybe the seller thinks it has no value because he can't relate to it in any way.
Krickard- How did you make out with your situation?If you didn't give them up and will be photographing these anyway I'd love to see a sample of the ones you feel are special or appealing.
I see your thread is gaining momentum.What a great topic.
Best to all.
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I have a few more interesting ones. One shows you how to kiss the Blarney Stone, the one of the church has a wheel you can turn
to see different saints in the little windows at the top, three views of Pompei showing an artist concept of the original city and what it looks like now, or back in the 1930s I guess, and a card from Mt. Ranier that you can fill out according to what you did there.(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/001-3.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/003-1.jpg)(http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac71/johnnuss/004-2.jpg)
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Nice cards syl.
The Blarney stone is something I never heard of so I looked it up.Here's one of many links that were found.
http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/ireland/blarney_stone.html
With my luck I'd be thinking to try the new way over the old in this situation at least.
The church card is awesome IMO with many good things going for it like great detailing,architecture,saints,a angel with a sword and shield (very cool),and even a spinning device that I've never seen before.
Looks like the type of card that has lots going on.Very nice.
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Thanks Dean. I didn't really know much about the Blarney Stone either but that link you gave was very informative. And everyone is right about collecting cards because you can find them at every antique mall around and they aren't expensive. But there is a lot of history there.
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Dean a little info on the Humorous Dressed Cats - The cards were most popular from the 1940's through the 1960's and it is possible to date them by the imprinting on the backs, or sometime by the appearance of the image itself. The original cards were brilliantly colored and finished with a deckled edge (an uneven scalloped cut) . While the postcards are commonly known as Mainzer dressed cats, they are named after the publisher, not the artist. The artist was a European graphic artist by the name of Eugen Hartung (or Hurtong) who lived from 1897 - 1973. His signature logo was a little heart with a loop or "tongue" in the center. That symbol should appear in one of the bottom corners on the front of the postcards. The cats were, by far the most popular and most plentiful cards. The smaller series of dressed animals included dressed dogs, dressed mice and dressed hedgehogs.
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I just wanted to tell somethin' funny about my postcards really quick. About that one I posted earlier in this thread, "The Oldest Church Tower in America." Well, I have since purchased several more of that same post card, in several different colors and from different companies. It wasn't exactly the oldest church tower in America. It was simply a 300 year-old tree that they cut the top off of and put a bell on! That's cheating! I was wondering how it could be the oldest church tower in this country but the church was only 30 years old! Slick, eh?
http://oldstpeters.org/About_Old_St_Peters
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I'm curious how much you guys typically spend when buying a postcard. I suspect finding them in boxes at flea markets is the way to get them cheap, but it would take a whole lot of searching to find ones that are interesting or significant to your area. Looking on Ebay,
I do see ones of my town I live in that are interesting, prices have ranged from about $4 to $39. There is one guy who is buying up the originals and selling reprints of them as "art prints", which is an interesting concept. I wonder how many of these he actually sells?
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I'll buy photographic 'post-cards' , typically European , when researching artworks (if the photograph is of the original artwork) & I'll pay up to $50.00 USD for a pristine one (if there is no other 'accurate' option) .
I use them for photo comparison/ authentication purposes ; I've uncovered some very good copies & fakes of original art using this (& other) methods .
Every few years , I buy a box full of old postcards , and usually look for around 50 to 100-ish cards for around $25 to $50 .... have a friend who collects & I just turn them over to her for what I paid .
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I also have old postcards, but I will keep them and give them to my child. I consider my postcards as a treasure.
http://www.antiquescanr.com
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I consider my postcards as a treasure.
Me too.
TOT7S- Regarding how much is typically spend when buying a postcard.
Guess you have to take into consideration rarity and if you'll ever get another chance to purchase the same card again.
On the other hand if it's a common card and it will come back around then you can afford to wait for the best possible price.
The more you look at the for sale area your buying in, the better you'll be aware what is a good deal and what is truly a rarity.
IMO 5-20 dollars would be a price that I wouldn't hesitate on if I was really into the image but I have gotten some for as low as $0.15 that I would have paid over $20 for.
Also let me tell you these small amounts add up really quick if you can't stop yourself (I'm addicted and try to stop).lol
I agree with Regularjoe that if it's a card that is tough and the art moves me I might possibly go to $50 but not with thinking I could make that money back.
I'm not quite as concerned with prestine condition though as much as rarity.Comic book collecting has really turned me off to condition collecting when it becomes about collecting condition rather than about the significance of the item.
To each their own though and it's probably only human to want the best.
Generally I see a lot of great cards selling in the 3-10 dollar range but every now and then you can make a great score for under that.
Obviously,like anything art oriented, what appeals to one will not appeal to all.But this is an affordable and fun area of collecting if you don't go overboard.
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I just wanted to tell somethin' funny about my postcards really quick. About that one I posted earlier in this thread, "The Oldest Church Tower in America." Well, I have since purchased several more of that same post card, in several different colors and from different companies. It wasn't exactly the oldest church tower in America. It was simply a 300 year-old tree that they cut the top off of and put a bell on! That's cheating! I was wondering how it could be the oldest church tower in this country but the church was only 30 years old! Slick, eh?
http://oldstpeters.org/About_Old_St_Peters
I know what you mean Hosman321 about deceipt.
You would think that over the years and years of being conned with BS from politicians,media,some school teachers,'special offers',sales promotions,guarantees,even religion at high levels we would all be more cynical and should be experts at catching this sort of thing immediately but as long as government stands to make a red cent on a sale anything goes so long as Uncle Sam gets his even at the cost of total degradation of our society.Blame the game not the players IMO.
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A intresting card just in.How about Satan's feet. :o
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Yes Dean , strange feet indeed .
Kinda makes Hell look like more fun than I suspected !
Who'da thunk there's free goat rides !?!?
I think I see some of my friends !
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That's an intresting take on it Fancypants.
I love getting different interpretations on art and feel it's very mind expanding and opens up new trains of thoughts.
I looked at this card and saw Satan thriving with joy at seeing the mortal sins of witchcraft alive and well on this earth.
Almost like he's thinking have a good time now because your a-- is mine in the after life.
Thanks for adding your take and concepts.
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Wow for sure a intresting Card for sure. Looks like who ever the artist is was not in the main stream of religion for sure. Really cool card.
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Dean , about your lastest-posted post card ;
It's a depiction of "Walpurgis' Night" ...
Brocken was/has been/is considered the center for 'revelry' for witches on Walpurgisnacht (April 30th) , a tradition that still happens there .
Goethe , in his "Faust" (1808) -
"Now to the Brocken the witches ride ;
The stubble is gold and the corn is green
There is the carnival crew to be seen ,
And Squire Urianus will come to preside ,
So over the valleys our company floats ,
With witches a-farting on old stinking goats "
The main structure in the image (in your card) was destroyed by allied bombing during WW2 .
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Thanks Ironlord & Regularjoe2 for the excellent input and info.I'm still getting a laugh out of Fancypants seeing a few of her freinds in the mix.lol.
I didn't even think about the building in the background till it was mentioned.Any idea what the building was?
I thought it was just an artist concept.Good eye.
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Here's a 1904 image of the hotel @ Brocken .
This historic mountain-top locale has had many things atop it , including an East German Stasi/Soviet cold-war era listening post .
Also an image of Brocken today .
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Whoa! Interesting card!
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Thanks everyone for the help in turning this into a factual card. Before it was just a visual.Nice to understand the story behind it now.
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You will find many cards of the "darker side" WWI to WWII era that refer to ally and enemy undertones and often the "enemy" is paired with Satan. Humor and subliminals to help aid in supporting the US troops/European troops. You can even find rarer ones in Germany/Russia/Japan!
The "broken mountain" was bombed by US Military which destroyed the the first hotel 04/17/45. A second hotel was built. After the construction of the Berlin Wall, The Nazi's headquartered there (due to it's accessibility/inaccessibility by all..being the largest mountain....it was great for intercepting radio communications all around). To restrict access it had a giant wall built around the base. It was also used by The Stasi ( German Secret Police) in 1985. The wall came down at the same time "The Wall" came down. It is now a national forest.
2 natural features (rock formations) on the summit are the Teufelskanzel (Devil's Pulpit) and the Hexenaltar (Witches' Altar)
which have lent to the legends and folklore on witchery.
Great piece of history and inferences on this card!!!!
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KC, was there an active Nazi party in Germany after the Berlin wall was built?
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Below is an image of the restored site/cabin (original 'Wolkenhauschen') "Clouds Cabin" , first built in 1736 by Count Christian Ernst ... the first building on the peak .
1st 'hotel/lodge' was built atop the Brocken in 1800 , but it burned down .
The hotel/lodge in Deans' postcard was built on top of the old one , in 1862 .
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Oops.........thanks for the catch Syl. Prior to....
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A new card for my collection.Hoping this is supposed to be Medusa(??) but am wondering why she'd be on the card at all.
Any guesses or comments?
Thanks
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You'll have to pardon my humor when I'm tired ;)
Elton John THE MEDUSA TOUR
Völkerschlachtdenkmal, Leipzig
June 30, 2000
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As flamboyant as Elton John is/was, one has to wonder why he did not have hair like Medusa on this tour? I could see him with a head full of writhing snakes but maybe it would have scared off most of his fans!
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Not being familiar with Greek mythology or many of the details of Germany's troubles, I'm wondering if these snippets might shed any light on the use of your Medusa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Battle_of_the_Nations
The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (German: Völkerschlachtdenkmal)
"There were Germans fighting on both sides, as Napoleon's troops included Germans from the French-occupied left bank of the Rhine as well as from the Confederation of the Rhine due to mandatory conscription. The monument commemorates Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig. This was a crucial step towards the end of hostilities, which was, in essence, a victory for the German people. Additionally, it mourns the dead from all the nations involved, not only the German soldiers."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa#Medusa
"In classical antiquity the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion."
In regards to flags and emblems.....
"The inclusion of Medusa in the center implies the protection of the goddess Athena, who wore the Gorgon's likeness on her aegis"
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The rendition of her on that card scares the crap out of me. Off to bed I go at 6:00am with that image in my head. :o
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all of them are very beautiful
I like them a lot
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Thanks everyone for the comments.
Sapphire, your links helped out a lot.Nice job.
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One that I was fortunate enough to recently find.
Dated 1923 with sweet script neatly and efficently placed.
I thought the artist did a amazing job on each subject's facial expression as well as projecting a message.
This one's size is larger than other postcards I have or have seen.
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The Medusa was most likely included on this card due to the nature of the card and it's historical significance of the Volker Battle National Monument. In 1813 it was the time of revolution and this was the fight against Napoleon (October 8, 1813) which was commemorated by a monument on the 100th anniversary of the event in Leipzig. This postcard represents a war victory but a country in socialistic crisis - thus Medusa. It was also used (the pairing of Medusa and this battle in orchestrations by Hans Werner Henze and Ernst Schnabel, Das Floss der Medusa.
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Great input KC. Your insight makes perfect sense.Thanks
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Posting one of my newest additions to keep a great thread going.Great detailed art IMO.
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Well, I've been collecting the Tacoma area cards over the last several months and I swear I have 99 percent of the ones made before 1920. It got really addicting! Just thought it'd be cool to show this plate that I just bought on ebay. It has all the exact same images from my postcards. I had to have it when I saw it. I have all the cards except the "Gateway to the City of Destiny" card. I see it on ebay often, maybe I should stop being lazy and actually get it. ;)
By the way, great card Dean. Very detailed, kind of takes you back in time for a moment. :)
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I often look on American Sites that have postcards from Europe for sale. (Being in the UK myself!)
I have been amazed at how many cards from England turn up and my wife originating from an Island off the south coast called the Isle of Wight, we do watch out for any from there.
Amazingly we have seen some that are extremely common being offered for prices that were way too high and others that were extremely rare way too low.
Postcards do have the advantage that even when mailed overseas, they are relatively cheap to mail. For anyone considering selling any overseas cards I would strongly suggest looking in places like Ebay just to see what typical prices are like.
Just for an example, in a place called Bembridge there in a place called the Pilot Boat Inn. It's unusual in that the outside of this Inn was shaped like a boat. Postcards were made in their thousands and are extremely common. They rarely fetch much more than say $1.50. However, about a year ago someone advertised a postcard which had a picture of the Pilot Boat Inn before they made the outside into it's unique shape. Despite being pretty ugly as a building. This was so rare it fetched close to $100 on auction.
Phil
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Phil,
I agree that prices are all over the place for postcards. Sometimes I get lucky and find a card for $1.50 Buy It Now on ebay and other times they go for $20. Sometimes you've just got to catch them quick before anybody else snatches them up. I bought that Gateway to the City of Destiny card I was missing last night. I feel like I paid a fortune at $7.00 but I really wanted it, so it's worth it to me.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=370077436232&si=cwgtvqOmS7zeG7E%252Febp7koPohzs%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT
Every once in awhile I stroll over to the UK Ebay but not too often. I have never looked for postcards over there, you're right about shipping being cheap and easy. By the way, welcome to the forum! I'd love to hop over to your side of the pond someday, I really would love to see England or Ireland! Have you ever been to the states?
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Oo UK ebay does have this Nereides Baths ones I want pretty bad, haven't seen that particular one before.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USA-Washington-TACOMA-Nerides-Salt-Water-Baths-1909-PPC-/390015197144?pt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&hash=item5aceb79fd8
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Hi
Yes indeed, I've been very lucky in visiting the USA on a lot of occasions. For quite a while, I worked for an American Company in their UK office, so had to visit their various US offices from time to time. I also had the opportunity to attend various exhibitions and seminars which took me around. My eldest son married an American Lady and now lives near Philadelphia. She's a Hospital Doctor. My 2nd son did work for a number of years in California, but he got home sick and is now back in the UK.
You really must try and get over to the UK, I'm sure you'd love it. At least we speak notionally the same language, although we spell things a little differently sometimes.
I mainly collect antiquarian books, although it's mainly my wife that collects postcards of her home, originally on the Isle of Wight. She has many going right back to Victorian times. We also have some very early guide books as it has always been a popular tourist destination, even back then.
If you or anyone els needs any advice on either travel to the UK or on English Antiques I will always try and help if I can.
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Great - I feel good that you've spotted something there!
Phil
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Mindings, don't overlook ebay Canada.........lots of 'come from aways' here so there was plenty of correspondence back and forth between UK and here. ;)
http://collectibles.shop.ebay.ca/Postcards-/914/i.html?rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1&_nkw=isle%20of%20wight&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m283
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Hosman, you think $7 is bad? This one is what I would call "crazy expensive". I sometimes look for old postcards from the tiny mountain town I live in. This one has a price of $125/offer!!! *choke!*
http://cgi.ebay.com/1900s-Boulder-Creek-Band-CA-RPPC-Postcard-/110561688023?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bdfd79d7 (http://cgi.ebay.com/1900s-Boulder-Creek-Band-CA-RPPC-Postcard-/110561688023?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bdfd79d7)
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Tales... WOW! If they want $125 I think they need to track down a close relative of one of the band members... Even then...
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I'd be willing to pay something like $10 and donate it to the local museum. But $125 is way out of line.
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Old band photos such as that are fairly common. It seems every town had a band in the late 1890s and early 1900s. $125 is WAY out of it and I suspect the seller knows that. The seller is looking for that one fish to bite. I see some for my area priced at $99.99 with no takers. The sellers are not local so I think they are just fishing also. $7 for a good card is a good price and not high in my opinion. Real photo postcards of certain subjects seem to bring good prices. I have a nice colorized photo on cardstock of "The Battery" at St. John's NF that I picked locally for $3 at a garage sale. I had no idea where it was from until I did a lot of research with the internet and a loupe. Loupes are invaluable.
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$7 is a good price, not a fortune. But it's the highest I've ever paid for 1 postcard that isn't a RPPC (real photo postcard). I usually pay less than $5 with free shipping. I need to look at Canada ebay, too. Didn't even think of it!
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Yeah the seller probably got it in a box of stuff at the local flea market. Original photos show up all the time and I wouldn't think a postcard photograph would increase the value at all. It's interesting and worth a few bucks surely, but I agree, only a family member would shell out that kind of dough for it. Looks like a hostage situation to me!
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I'm glad to see this thread resurrected again.Thanks Hosman and all who contributed.
Hoping a few might enjoy a couple more additions as much as I have enjoyed yours.
I really think these collectibles have something for everyone.
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#2
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Wow, what is the text on the bottom of the last one? I felt so sorry for the poor woman (who appears she is about to be martyred) that I attempted a Bablefish translation, which will usually give me the general idea of what it says. No such luck with this one!
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Google translator is working well for me but I can't figure out what some of the letters are in those words so I gave up! Something about being disarmed and tied up at the bright hour in the night? :P
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Yeah I wasn't sure sometimes about "f" versus "s" and so on. Kinda thought it should have a caption like- "You think your day was bad?!!"
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Something about being disarmed and tied up at the bright hour in the night? :P
lol.Btw Hosman, that is a great looking high school on your plate and postcard.
TOT7S-
Wish I knew the exact translation,but don't. My guess is its a representation of Germania (being Germany) held powerless by jackals (being other nations).Maybe the light signifies hope.Also thought the rays of light looked somewhat like the outline of a eagle.. but probably tripping out :o
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It really is a gorgeous high school right on the bay and was recently restored. Personally, I loved it's charm and "patina" before the restoration but with buildings, I know that safety comes first. The movie "10 Things I Hate About You" was filmed there. The pool is underground and when you walk up to the school's front entrance, parts of the sidewalk are glass cubes so you can see below. It's pretty cool, I'll see if I can find pics. ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadium_High_School
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Wow, neat building with lots of history!
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Thanks Sapphire
You are right there are lots there - I don't know why I hadn't looked before.
Philip
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The script really is difficult to read .. I think I can also make out 'Steel hope' and then 'hour of redemption' .. so put all that together and we may get something.. or not
No clues on the back of the card?
I think I prefer TOTSS's caption!
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A few more.
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One for Christmas
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Where do you find most of your cards, Dean? I am not asking for a specific site but more general like antique shops, ephemera meets, online dealers, etc. Years ago I received Barr's Postcard news but it got so overwhelming and my focus was so narrow (antique fishing cards - real photo), I quit receiving it.
My pic is actually a crop of a real photo postcard. The whole boy and fish is below but cropped of extraneous studio surroundings.
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Wow cool Wayward.I assumed your avatar was you or your father as a child.lol.
Funny what we think is a reality without a second thought compared to what really is.
Guess everyone's world is just a preception right or wrong.
Back to the question... I get postcards mainly from online sources and lots of time searching eBay.
I know exactly what you mean by it becoming overwhelming as to get the one you want and like you have to view thousands of others.Countless hours wasted for sure.
If there's anything in particular that your after let me know and if I see it being offered I'll shoot you the link via pm.Just let me know the criteria, whether painted or photograph or from what time period or whatever.
BTW just looked on eBay and there seems to be lots of antique photo fishing cards.Maybe your after something very specific though.Heres on I found within seconds.
http://cgi.ebay.com/LIBERTY-NY-Fly-Fishing-Mongaup-c1905-Postcard-/330506294507?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf3b5d4eb
Do you have any more fishing ones in your collection and are they tough to come by?
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I have a few and they are not that hard to come by. I like postally used ones of an angler and his fish with the back telling what, where, who, etc. Any that show a good clear shot of the lure used is a plus and the cards must be before 1920s or so. I casually look at them now as I used to spend hours, like you said, looking at them. I am trying to scale back on all of my interests but it is very hard to get the brain on that same track. Advertising cards from fishing tackle manufacturers or toolmakers still pique my interest as they seem to be really scarce. I recently picked up a real photo of a wheelright holding a traveler standing in front of his shop flanked by two wagon wheels he made. His young daughter was also in the photo holding a small maul. A traveler is a wheeled device used to measure the circumference of a wheel to measure the strip of iron used to band the wheel. It was misidentified and I picked it up very cheap.
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Wow, the discussion today on patent medicines got me looking at Ebay for Victorian trade cards. All kinds of interesting stuff there! Here's a few samples:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/05/!B5WSPcgCWk~$(KGrHqR,!j!Eyd7(h3d0BMtQW+BFjg~~_3.JPG)
(http://i.ebayimg.com/24/!B9GEQDwBGk~$(KGrHqEOKjUEzSMNKgcQBM4yl6n3-w~~_3.JPG)
(http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!Bv3eqZgBWk~$(KGrHqEOKnIEvyFrw6PUBMGVNPH25w~~_3.JPG)
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Yes, Tales, you put that first one on your back as a plaster containing smartweed and you will forget all about your backache!
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I like the donkey pulling the kids in the shoe.Some of these old cards really give the 60's and 70's a run for the money.
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It's funny, but I recognized the artwork in the backache card from another one that I had seen. I wonder if they had to give the kids whiskey to get them to sleep after dosing them with these toothache drops?!!
(http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/34749-cocaine_toothache_drops.jpg)
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Cocaine toothache drops!!!??? Who needs drug dealers when you can buy those direct from your druggist?
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It was amazing what you could get back then. Victorian England was full of opium dens. In even earlier times children were given Porter to drink (A Mild Beer) as it was safer than water.
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Not just in the UK, we had opium dens here in the USA too, in most major cities in our Chinese communities. But the patrons were not just Chinese immigrants, our well-mannered Victorian ancestors were just as inclined to indulge themselves as our own generations have been. Brothels were also legal until fairly recent times, exactly when of course varies from state to state, but in general, the early 1900's saw and end to legalized prostitution, which although it helped to control the spread of venereal disease, it did have the effect of making living/working conditions far worse for the prostitutes themselves. Living in legalized houses of prostitution, although terribly exploited, women at least got a roof over their heads, enough food and clothing and were able to conduct business in a relatively safe environment. In an era when women had very few ways to make an "honest" living that could meet their needs for food and clothing. Education was regarded as a waste of money for a girl who would just marry and be a housewife anyway. There were very few options for any kind of independence. When brothels were closed down activity moved out into the streets where these women were put into more dangerous situations by being alone with their customers.
There is an excellent book about this called "The Lost Sisterhood - Prostitution in America 1900 - 1918" by Ruth Rosen.
http://books.google.com/books?id=rpTU7RwfaooC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+lost+sisterhood+rosen&source=bl&ots=2EfYcnXQ5y&sig=S8jlGv3xodKFazENU1Uo6vtkDW0&hl=en&ei=6qELTcaUAoSssAOrt9CSCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=rpTU7RwfaooC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+lost+sisterhood+rosen&source=bl&ots=2EfYcnXQ5y&sig=S8jlGv3xodKFazENU1Uo6vtkDW0&hl=en&ei=6qELTcaUAoSssAOrt9CSCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false)
And the Opium Museum has some fascinating photos of our Victorian ancestors getting hammered:
http://www.opiummuseum.com/index.pl?pics&67 (http://www.opiummuseum.com/index.pl?pics&67)
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Coca wine was another big seller back in the day. Albert Einstein was a big fan of Mariani's coca wine, which was one of the best sellers. Just by coincidence, someone is selling a very interesting crate of "Wine of Pepsin" which has the original paper caps intact and the contents still in the bottles on my local Craigslist this morning. I'm not sure what is in this particular brand. A lot of the alcohol from the 1920's during prohibition was rebranded as medicinal so that it could still be sold. I'm not sure if the "1899 Port" on the crate is a date or something else.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/atq/2117621468.html (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/atq/2117621468.html)
(http://images.craigslist.org/3nd3ma3pc5Y45T35Q3ach27ed952e32b81c92.jpg)(http://images.craigslist.org/3k13o63lf5Z45W15R1achfbd9a11013091489.jpg)