1) How do you determine the price of a postcard?

A. As with any product the price is determined by supply and demand. The scarcer a postcard and the more sought after it is, the higher the price. With literally millions of different cards there is no way to set a definitive price guide. Most sellers rely on experience and judgment to set individual prices.

2) Is a card more or less valuable if it has been used?

A. Generally, if a card is in good condition, the price will not be affected much by whether or not the card is used. That said, some people prefer their card in mint pristine condition and thus will pay a premium for such, at the same time some people prefer a card
that has been postmarked, especially historically significant cards, and they will pay a premium for used cards.

3) What size is a standard postcard?

A. The standard size for a postcard is 3.5" X 5.5". However cards have been printed in various sizes from miniature to jumbo. Today's modern postcards have a standard size of 4"X6" and are called 'continentals'.

4) How do I sell the collection I inherited?

A. The easiest way to sell a collection is to find a local postcard dealer. You can find a list of dealers in your state by checking with the International Federation of Postcard Dealers, IFPD.
If you have the time and the inclination, you could sell your cards off individually through an online auction service.

5). How do I tell how old a particular card is?

A. Cards can generally be dated by their backs, by the paper they are printed on and by their subjects. A look at our "Brief History of Postcards" gives you a breakdown on U.S. postcard eras. Paper quality and type is a good indicator of age, but it takes hands on experience to get a feel for the differences. Of course linen era and modern chrome era cards are easy to spot.
Then too, one can look at the subject. Cars, clothing, and structures can date a postcard.

6). I've been accumulating postcards for a while and would like to seriously collect them, any advise?

A. It's easy to accumulate cards, but to be a collector one has to define their collections. For example one could decide to collect "dogs", however there are millions of dog cards. A serious collector would decide if they wanted to collect by breed, artist, publisher, comic or some other criteria. For example, I collect sitting cat postcards. That may be a bit too specific for many but you get the idea.

7) What sort of price range do postcards fall into?

A. Postcards vary from a few pennies each in bulk lots to tens of thousands of dollars for super rare cards. That said, the bulk of cards run between $1.00 and $60.00. Just a few years ago, that price range would have been .25 to $5.00. Prices have climbed considerably due to increased supply resulting in increased
demand. Used to be you had to go to postcard shows or antique stores to look for cards. Now you can easily search online from your own home.

8) Are postcards a good investment?

A. Postcards should be bought first and foremost for fun, education and beauty. That said, postcards have proven themselves time and time again to be good investments. You should attempt to buy cards that are in nice condition and that will appeal to a large number of collectors. Artist signed cards are the best for investments as they have generally been cataloged and their prices are somewhat established.

9) Why do you sell politically incorrect cards?

A. Postcards are a pictorial history and as such they represent the best and the worst of people. Some people are offended by some of the ethic cards but these cards represent a part of history that should be remembered and learned from, not hidden away and pretended they don't exist. Postcards depict all kinds of moral and social debatable subjects, from hangings to prohibition to woman suffrage.

10) How can I get an idea of what my postcards are currently worth?

A. The fastest easiest way to get a ballpark amount is to go online and search through some of the auction sites to see what cards like yours are selling for. Remember to look at the selling price, not the asking price.

If you have general type questions you'd like to see added to this FAQ list, please let us know.

Betsy Linhares and Sam Mudd, Deltiologist

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We auction collectable postcards and paper on eBay.

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Betsy Linhares and Sam Mudd, Deltiologist

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