Vintage Holiday Postcards
Vintage postcard basics
Vintage holiday postcards are wonderful little pieces of art, nostalgia and history. Here's what you should look for.
Condition, condition, condition. As with all collectibles they are condition sensitive and paper is delicate. 4 sharp corners, unmarked, unused appearance are a premium. Holiday postcards are one of the more popular categories of postcards.
Strong demand keeps prices up. If you want to collect as any kind of an investment you should always acquire the best quality possible. If you want to collect for any other reason, mid-grade or less condition can bring you some inexpensive gems.
Germany. Until the beginning of the World War 1, the best postcards came from Germany. Germany had superior lithographic printing ability. Their early chromolithographic and embossed postcards are most sought after. Due to the war postcards after came from England or were American made.
Quick facts
Christmas or December
Obviously, Christmas or December is prime time for vintage postcards because cards are and were frequently sent at this time of year. The December holidays get the most action and as far as postcards go, they are highly collected. I also will throw in New Year's here. Not as common as a Christmas card, but within this time frame. Check out more Christmas Postcards here and Christmas greeting cards here!
Halloween
Among the vintage Holiday postcards, Halloween postcards are incredibly collectible and difficult to acquire. The more obscure the Holiday, the more rare and valuable they are. Not as many Groundhog Day, Labor Day or Arbor Day cards as there are Christmas, therefore, higher prices.
Easter
Gorgeous cards of Spring, bunnies, eggs, angels, religious and more! Check out more Easter cards from my personal collection here.
Thanksgiving
Patriotic
Valentines Day
Valentines Day cards are another favorite. To see Valentines Day cards from my personal collection, click HERE.
Resources
My favorite site about Vintage Christmas collecting is the Golden Glow of Christmas Past. Check them out.
Always a great resource for collectibles information is Collectors Weekly.
This site is a Guide for Post Card values.
A sample of Postcard illustrations.
