A questions that I get asked very frequently is ‘what old postcards are worth money’? When you receive a collection of old postcards passed down to you through the family then you may ask what is the value of this inheritance? Many people will think they are worth more in sentimental value than actual pounds and pence. Others will deem them worthless and consider just throwing them away or finding a suitable place for them in the attic.
Value of old postcards depends on so many factors. The subject matter, age, condition, rarity and if they are something that collectors want right now all have a bearing. If you have an album of mainly Blackpool Tower and Promenade printed postcards then their value is more historical. Postcards of this nature were produced in the millions and many have survived. I know this for sure because I am one of the unfortunate people who has to sift through boxes of them at fairs.
But the lower end, common printed postcards of Blackpool have some interest because you can see the old buildings, transport, fashion and other interesting aspects. Even through financially they are worth very little, maybe a few pence each you can derive some great please by looking at them. This to me is value.
On the other end of the Blackpool scale you have real photographic postcards of the back streets from publisher like Sankey of Barrow. These are highly sought after along with Blackpool Aviation Meetings, Punch and Judy Entertainers and the Sand Express that used to run down the Golden Mile. They are still postcards and still Blackpool but were produced in lower numbers. The real photographic examples allow you to see all the detail as opposed to the cheaper to buy printed examples which are just thousands of coloured dots joined together.
If you have two postcards of the same view, one printed and one real photographic then the value is always with the real photographic example. You can tell real photographic postcards because they look like a photograph with the glossy surface. If you have inherited an old album then you may see both examples. The printed postcards will normally outnumber the real photographic because they was cheaper to buy, half the price in fact.
There is a lot of common sense surrounding postcard values. Always consider scarcity. Postcards of a small village (not a tourist destination) would have produced postcards in very few numbers. This makes them scarce and valuable. A city centre would produce postcards in their millions. This makes them more common and not so valuable. If you have two postcards, both real photographic. One postcard of an animated village scene and another of an animated city centre then the village scene could be worth at least 2-3 times the value and maybe more!
I hope this have given you an idea of postcard value. This of course is the tip of the iceberg regarding postcard valuation though it will give you a general idea of value and why. I will cover this topic in more detail in some more articles on this subject. If you have postcards to sell then please take some photos on your mobile and send them to us via WhatsApp which is a free service. Use the Contact Us page for the details. You can find British Topographical Postcards For Sale on the main website.
