Acceptable condition

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Brianz
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:06 pm

Acceptable condition

Post by Brianz »

I'd be interested in learning the general condition/grade of most cards in collections of list members here. Also what grade (however subjective) most expect to find and/or accept when purchasing postcards.

I realize there will be different criteria for different types of postcard collections but I think that would make for an even more instructive and interesting discussion.
Last edited by Brianz on Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Moonraker
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:23 pm

Re: Acceptable condition

Post by Moonraker »

The quality of cards in my collection is very variable; if I see a tatty card that I know to be rare and the price is reasonable then I'll buy it. I've got a scruffy pair of very early aviation cards from a village photographer that I've never seen anywhere else or reproduced in a book.

I've just returned from the Reading PC fair where I bought a card showing King Alfred's Statue in Pewsey, Wiltshire, with a couple of square inches of damage. But it was posted by an identifiable soldier attached to the Central Flying School outside nearby Upavon; because the CFS was always a secure site I've very little relevant material in my collection. Looking at it now, I think that I should have haggled with the dealer over the £2 price as a card in fine condition can't be worth more than £7-8.


Moonraker

Colin
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:11 pm

Re: Acceptable condition

Post by Colin »

I collect views of London c. 1890-1950. With modest funds available for my collecting, I generally stick to items going for $10 (£5) or less, though I have paid as much as $20 (£10) for a card. My sources are online auctions and sales, flea markets, and shows (mainly the Metropolitan Post Card Club, which is the largest postcard club for the New York City area and has two large “international” shows yearly).

Like all collectors I look for the best quality I can find, but as Moonraker mentioned, quality is not the only criterion. A court card in my collection, mailed from London to France in 1898, has an ink stain running diagonally across the entire message side of the card. The stain does not obscure the charming message, in French, and in fact seems to me to enhance the appeal of the card. The message, apparently written by an older to a younger person, in a fine, very legible hand, is so touching that I fantasize that the stain occurred when the recipient shed a tear on reading it. Artists go to great pains today to achieve a similar “accidental” effect.

Another card, not a picture postcard but a half penny preprinted-stamp postcard from the 1870s, has everything crossed out, can I say angrily, with a heavily dipped pen, except the name of the receiving city and the printed name of the sender, a business of some sort. The haste and impetuousness of the obliteration are further evidenced by a smearing of the ink. Not only that, the card has been folded in half as though somebody decided spontaneously to save this unusual specimen from the waste basket and shoved it in a pocket. I love this card for the riddles it poses. Who obliterated most of the information, and why? And why was this virtual piece of waste paper saved for posterity?

I keep a spreadsheet (on which are recorded so far about 1900 of my 2500+ views of London) that includes two columns indicating “Condition of Card” and “Quality of Original.” Each column gets a number 1 (worst) to 5 (best). At the extremes would be a card in mint condition but displaying a poor out-of-focus image (Condition = 5, Quality of Original = 1) and a sharp, interesting real photo in very bad condition (Condition = 1, Quality of Original = 5). These numbers become meaningful if, for example, I am assembling cards for a slideshow. A card in poor condition might still yield a presentable scan. On the other hand if I was selling a card in good condition but with a so-so image, I could at least advertise the card’s good condition and let the buyer decide if the image was satisfactory.

Hope these remarks are helpful or at least entertaining. Colin
Last edited by Colin on Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

Andrew
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:26 pm
Location: Gillingham, Kent

Re: Acceptable condition

Post by Andrew »

I'd never thought of grading my cards by condition, or by the quality of the picture - the latter being possibly being more of personal opinion.

I get "WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THAT?" comments regularly, but then, when I've stopped to watch others make their purchases, I feel like making the same response.

I guess it's the same with any interest. My wife enjoys producing hand-made cards, and buys countless bits and pieces at craft shops. I enjoy making jam (slightly different to collecting postcards) during the summer months.

We probably all have our favourite postcard, which to others, may seem dull and boring. It's not always the perfect quality picture, the most expensive, the most valuable, or in "A1" condition.

I feel it is always a personal opinion as to what condition is considered acceptable. A scrappy postcard of a particular view is in my opinion, better than not having that view at all.

Brianz
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:06 pm

Re: Acceptable condition

Post by Brianz »

I've enjoyed the responses to my question and hope others will chime-in.

It's difficult for those of us with limited access to shows and fairs to obtain an accurate overview of the general condition of available cards "out there". My main sources these days are Ebay and other online vendors but, as everyone knows, an online photo reveals only so much. I've had cards that appeared to have minor faults in a photo, arrive in a condition that would have given me greater pause had I known the actual extent of damage.

But I agree that condition isn't everything. I will buy a card I can find nowhere else or one that simply appeals to me even if it's not in the best shape. I do try and buy best of type but there are so many variables involved in our "specialties" that can render this impossibe. I like to think I'm collecting with an eye towards the preservation of these treasures for the future. But I appreciate what a gamble that is and how little control I have over the fate of my collection in the long run.

So, like the respondents above, I make sure what I buy first and foremost gives me pleasure. Only after that do I engage the analytic process.

Moonraker
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:23 pm

Re: Acceptable condition

Post by Moonraker »

I too have occasionally received PCs through eBay and felt the condition was not accurately described. But then I've bought PCs at fairs and on getting home wished I had examined them outside their plastic covers, which can mask some minor damage.

Brianz
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:06 pm

Re: Acceptable condition

Post by Brianz »

Moonraker, that is an interesting observation about postcard sleeves hiding possible faults. Do you ever run into problems with vendors when removing cards from their sleeves? I can imagine some objecting to finger oils, etc. Or do you bring gloves with you?

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