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Collecting Postcards - Front to Back
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"Witch" Way to Collect?
One of the fascinating things about postcards is the difference between the front and the back. One side depicts an image – an object, place, or an idea. It may be a marketing piece advertising some place on earth. The reverse may include a letter from one friend to another or a vacation story between family members. The postcard connects the writer and the reader forever. There might be a postal mark cancelling a stamp with a readable date, city and country. The historian or genealogist focuses more on the back while the deltiologist usually cares more about the front. Together the two sides capture a moment in history.
Deltiologists collect postcards and they can be found everywhere from attics to flea markets, hotel lobbies to record stores. In office cubicles and on pegboards worldwide, they inspire us to work hard and travel “there” someday. Postcards have been around since the mid-1800s and they can depict anything. So, collectors can choose between items related to a career, another hobby, a place of interest or any interest really. They provide a wonderful learning opportunity too. The possibilities are endless and because of this, globally, the hobby is only surpassed by coins and stamps.
A collection can be started by requesting them from traveling friends and family. They can be purchased worldwide for pocket change. Philatelic shows often have dealers with large groups of them neatly organized by topical area or region. Or, you can find them in catalog files at local antique shops. There’s even software available for organization purposes.
Postcards don't take up a lot of space but it's important to preserve their condition for as long as possible so future generations can enjoy them too. Archival plastic holders, made of uPVC (unplasticized polyvinylchloride), are a great option as are albums with non-acidic pages. The collection should be stored in a cool and dry environment, away from sunlight and smoke, to protect the paper. Any of these elements can discolor and destroy the little pieces of art.
Please refer to the following hobby publications:
The Encyclopedia of Antique Postcards by Susan Brown Nicholson; Publisher - Wallace-Homestead Book Co
Postcard Price Guides (Various Topics) by J.L. Mashburn; Publisher - Colonial House
The Book of Postcard Collecting by Thomas E. Range; Publisher - E.P. Dutton
