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Old Post cards with postage vs Postcards w/o Postage

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:10 pm
by dcoleman246
Greetings All,
I am new at this but do have old cards, some with postage and others without.My question : How does the value differ.
Thanks for any help and am eagerly waiting for a reply.

Dave

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:50 pm
by MichaelDay
This depends on a few things..
For topographical cards (locations, town views etc.) and local events and social history.. a clear postmark showing the date is useful information for the collector that may add to the value of the item. Written messages also may refer to the picture/view and add further interest. For this type of card the important thing to collectors is the information the card offers about the location and it's history. So a used example would often attract a slightly higher price.

Collectors of themes or subject cards - such as the work of a particular artist. Will usually prefer these to be in as perfect a condition as possible, so a posted item would be less desirable than an unused card in mint condition.

Often cards will have been damaged by the postal service.. creased or blunted corners, unsightly postmark ink or indentations on the picture, these would usually decrease the value.

Certain postmarks can be worth money, sometimes more than the card itself, though these are not common. Stamps on postcards are rarely worth anything, usually being the most commonly used types of the period.

Hope this answers your question. Generally 'posted or not' doesn't make a huge difference.