Why Postcards Are the Ultimate Collectible

Why Postcards Are the Ultimate Collectible

This is the second in a two-part series on postcard collecting. Laet issue covered history, photo, art, comic and novelty cards.

Postcards sold new today are what collectors call "chrome" cards, the glossy-finished multi-colore creations. They first appeared in 1939.

Chromes were preceded by "linen" finish cards, which were generally available from 1930 to 1945. Their surface finish had a woven appearance to the paper, hence the name.

Earlier cards, from World War I through 1930, were generally printed with a white border to save ink. These cards, often inferior in quality to later and earlier cards, are less collected than those from other eras.

The years from 1907 through 1917 are considered a golden era for postcards, known as the “divided back” era – cards printed right to the edge with the back divided in half for both correspondence and address. Before 1907 postcards had an “undivided back” on which only the address could be placed – messages had to be on the front.

The early gems of postcards from before World War I are most numerous due to the great age of letter writing stimulated by well-printed cards, fast mail transport, and one-cent postcard postage.

With so much subject variety, historical significance, good availability, and low cost, postcards present the right combination to make a popular collectible.

Printed with permission. West Suburban Living magazine July/August 2006

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