Postcards
Picture postcards, mostly from 1900 to 1960 and usually offered as groups or albums: town views, photo cards, illustrated and themed cards from Europe and beyond.
Ship - Postcard (139) - 1900-1999
Tuck Postcards - Postcard (104) - 1900-1999
U.K. - Postcard (136) - 1900-1999
Italy - Rare set of 6 Iris postcards by Pietro Mascagni, 1899–1901 — Adolfo Hohenstein — Ricordi - Postcard album (6) - 1899-1901
U.K. - Postcard (102) - 1900-1999
Famous people - Postcard (85) - 1900-1999
Germany - Postcard (156) - 1900-1999
Germany - Postcard (154) - 1900-1999
Gerstenhauer - Postcard (113) - 1900-1999
Belgium - Liège City - Postcard (150) - 1900-1999
Italy - postcard - RR.Navi Campania and Basilicata 55/500 - Postcard (1) - 1914-1914
Portugal - Military, Europe, Politics, World - Postcard (10) - 1941-1941
Famous people - Postcard (86) - 1900-1999
Belgium - East Flanders - Postcard (133) - 1900-1999
Ship - Postcard (137) - 1900-1999
Belgium - Brussels-Capital Region - Postcard (129) - 1900-1999
Italy - Military, World War 1, Royalty, City & Landscape, Europe, Advertising - Postcard (60) - 1908-1935
Italy - Military - 13th Military CPA Ill. D’Ercoli and Ferrari - Postcard album (13) - 1920-1940
Belgium - Antwerp - Postcard (134) - 1900-1999
Italy - Dad - Postcard (44) - 1903-1903
Germany - Postcard (154) - 1900-1999
Indochine - City & Landscape, Ethnology (Ethnic / Ethnographic Postcards), Military, Women (Women at work, in the army, dressed like men, in penal colony,...), Portraits - Hanoi; Tonkin; Saigon; Hue; Cochinchina - Postcard (105) - 1898-1915
Bible Scenes - Postcard (97) - 1900-1999
France - Postcard (167) - 1900-1999
Italy - Postcard (153) - 1900-1999
Germany - Postcard (161) - 1900-1999
Germany - Postcard (158) - 1900-1999
France - Postcard (129) - 1900-1999
Congo - Postcard (56) - 1900-1999
Belgium - Namur Province - Postcard (151) - 1900-1999
China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka - Asia, Agriculture, Buddhism, City & Landscape, Castles & Monuments, Ethnology (Ethnic / Ethnographic Postcards), Landscape, Middle East, Fishing / Fishermen, Ships, Folklore - For sale: a collection of vintage postcards and photographs. - Postcard album (955) - 1900-1950
Italy - Postcard (179) - 1900-1999
Italy - Sports - cyclist Alfredo Binda - Postcard (3) - 1935-1940
Italy - Military - 12 military CPAs, Ill. Tafuri - Postcard album (12) - 1920-194
France - Postcard (2) - 1900-1901
Italy - Military - 17th Military CPA Ill. Vittorio Pisani - Postcard album (17) - 1920-1940
France - City & Landscape - Postcard (47) - 1900-1920
Ship - Postcard (147) - 1900-1999
Ship - Postcard (146) - 1900-1999
Belgium - Province of Limburg - Postcard (139) - 1900-1999
Ship - Postcard (142) - 1900-1999
Belgium - Brussels - Postcard (400) - 1905-1950
Beautiful set of 88 Ethnic Nude Postcards from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Portraits of Young Women, Scenes - Postcard (88) - 1901-1950
U.K. - Postcard (101) - 1900-1999
U.K. - Postcard (139) - 1900-1999
Germany - Postcard (156) - 1900-1999
World War I - Postcard (37) - 1900-1999
Postcard - 1891-1890
What is in Postcards
Most items here are groups of postcards rather than single cards, from a handful to more than a thousand, and nearly all date from 1900 to the mid-twentieth century. Topographical cards showing towns, villages, streets and landscapes are the largest group, especially from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy. There are also photo cards, albums, themed collections (ships, birds, romance, advertising, world exhibitions, military) and cards by illustrators such as Gino Boccasile.
Reading a listing
- Objects: the number of cards included.
- Postcard year: the earliest or main date of the cards.
- Origin and subject: the country and theme.
- Condition: usually fine or good; older cards may show corner wear, album marks or writing.
What collectors look for
Real photo cards of small villages and street scenes with people, shops or trams are usually more sought after than general views of well-known sights. Cards with an undivided back, where only the address could go on the reverse, generally date from before about 1905. Postally used cards carry a stamp and postmark that date them and can interest stamp collectors too. For a large group, look through the photos to judge the mix, and remember that a group is priced as a whole, not per card.
Prices
Most groups here are around EUR 400.
Frequently asked questions
What is a real photo postcard?
A real photo postcard is printed directly on photographic paper from a negative, rather than mass-printed in ink. Under a magnifier it shows continuous tone with no dot pattern. Many were made in small runs by local photographers, so real photo cards of villages and street scenes are often scarcer than printed views.
How can I date an old postcard?
Look at the back. Cards with an undivided back, where the whole reverse was kept for the address, generally date from before about 1905 in most European countries. A divided back with room for a message came in after that. A postmark and stamp give a firmer date, and the printer's name and card style also help.
Why are postcards usually offered in groups?
Individual common views are worth little on their own, so postcards are usually collected by place or theme. A group of cards from one town or region lets a collector fill a gap in one purchase. The price reflects the group as a whole, including any scarcer cards within it.