If you have accumulated, inherited or someone has given you a postcard collection then you will no doubt want to know a true valuation. Once you know this valuation then you can make a calculated decision to sell or maybe keep them a little longer hoping they will appreciate in value over the years. While some postcard topics run on trends there are some solid types of postcard that will always bring the best prices. These are scarce or unusual postcards.
I remember when I first started out and didn’t really know what I was doing. I was buying just about every postcard I saw of my local area. It didn’t matter if it was a common printed view with little value. Even if I had this postcard 3 times I would always buy another example. In my mind I thought these duplicates would be good for exchanging with other collectors. But other collectors didn’t want them, because they were common and they already had them.
I took my duplicates to a country pub where every Tuesday they had an antique fair in the back room. A cosy, friendly fair and there was always 2 or 3 stalls that sold postcards. The same thing happened, they saw them as they was just common examples. They didn’t want to buy printed postcards, they were seeking the real photographic types which were much more in demand. An old man gave me some sound advice. Always buy quality, not quantity and that is what I have been doing since that night.
I put all my duplicates together and gradually put them through a local auction house which had specialist stamp, postcard, cigarette and ephemera sales. I dripped them through over time and they found a new home and used the money to buy quality. A valuable lesson learned.
When I receive a call or email from a seller and they have an old postcard album passed down then you know what you are going to get. A mixture of common seaside views, greetings and mundane views of churches, mountains and hills in the Lake District. But normally there are a few gems, maybe 5-10 out of 200 postcards and this is where the valuation of that album is. It’s nothing to do with numbers, just scarcity and postcards that are in demand.
Many postcard collection owners are very disappointed with the valuation, they generally think they are worth a lot more than what they are worth. I have seen a poor quality postcard album go under the hammer and reach many hundreds and I always wonder why? Who is buying these postcards for that money, not a dealer or collector for sure. This gives a distorted view of valuation to the viewer who thinks there postcards will sell for the same only to be disappointed.
When it comes to valuation you should trust the opinion of the collector, dealer or auction house. They know what something is worth and will provide you with an honest appraisal. If you want a second opinion then that’s fine but the valuations should not be that far apart.
If you have are searching for a postcard collection valuation please feel free to Contact Us. If they are no interest to us then we will gladly give you some free advice and options. Some postcard collections may be better suited to auction as opposed to a private sale. I suppose it’s like ‘The Real Deal’ television show where a dealer will make you a cash offer or you can choose to go to auction and take your chances with auction fees. It’s the same with selling a postcard collection.
If you would like to go a head with a free valuation of your postcards then send us an email or call us. Let us know what you have in general terms. If you would like a valuation then just take some photos on your mobile and send them to us via WhatsApp. This is a free app for sending images. We will take it from there. We hope to hear from you soon and you will be a lot wiser regarding the value of your postcard collection.
