Post Card Collecting is a Hot Trend

Collecting old post cards can not only be a fun adventure, but it allows us to take a few steps back in time. One can't help smiling when you view humor and style from the past.

There's a scientific name for postcard collecting - "deltiology," from the Greek word delton, meaning a "small picture." Deltiology is catching on big, if the rising prices of cards are any indication. They've doubled, quadrupled, and gone up a thousand percent since the 1970s.

A serious post card collector may have more fun with a five dollar bill than most collectors of antiques and other items, because modern technology allows copies to be made, mounted on thin cardboard, and resold by the dozens to interested parties looking for a peek into their past.

On a rare occasion, you may find a translucent panel post card. When you hold it up to the light you see a surprise view, such as flowers. You may also find milk glass post cards, but because they are breakable, they are harder to find. Remember, the mail was hand-delivered a century ago, making them more succeptible be being broken.

A post card from a local county is obviously worth more in that county than elsewhere. However, if the card was made by a famous card maker, such as Tuck, or the card has a cross-collectible interest involving a horse, milk wagons or any era-specific feature, then the card becomes more valuable out of the county.

You can easily dive into post card lore and collecting. You'll learn that the first post card copyrighted in the United States was by John P. Charlton of Philadelphia, in 1861. "Pioneer" cards in collections today date from the 1890s. The U.S. Post Office didn't allow messages on the backs of privately printed cards until 1907, because it didn't want competition with its own pre-stamped postal cards. Until the start of World War I, a great many cards were printed in Europe, with some especially nice lithographic work by German printers.

It helps to know these tidbits, but all that scholarly knowledge isn't necessary. In fact, the best advice is to collect some cards you enjoy, and when you have a shoe box full, go through it to see what really catches your interest. Then collect those kinds of cards.

There is a wonderfully diverse array of categories that collectors go for, including special holiday cards, humor cards, horse and wagon, business cards, and even travel cards. Novelty cards with miniature fans and hidden movable parts are rare. However, cards by the art-noveau painter Mucha are only within the realm of serious collectors, with prices beginning at $85, depending on condition and subject.

Post cards are a snapshot from our past, and it can be fun involving the whole family in collecting them and "antique shop shopping." It's lots of fun, and a good investment for collectors.