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With postcard collecting there is usually not a lot of socializing going on since this is normally a hobby you do alone. Although you can come into contact with other collectors at fairs it is often difficult to get much further than just saying hello and it takes a while for faces to become familiar. After all everyone is looking for that special card for their collection and chatting can waste valuable hunting time!

This can mean that collecting postcards is a rather solitary hobby and although it gets you out of the house it doesn’t make you many friends. However this need not be the case. Many areas have their own postcard club and this offers you an ideal opportunity to not only learn more about the hobby but also to make some new friends.

I know the idea of going somewhere for the first time can be rather daunting, especially if you think everyone knows everyone else, and this is why choosing a meeting close to a holiday is a good idea. Generally the holiday meetings of any club will have some kind of festive theme even if it’s only store bought cookies in the interval. If there is not a club in your area consider starting one. You could advertise it in your church bulletin or local paper and you just might be surprised to find out how many share your love for postcards.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Post Card is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Post Card.

Most club meetings will have one or two dealers whose stock you can look through at a far more leisurely pace than at a fair, where there are so many stalls to get round in a very limited time. Teas and coffees are also on offer and this allows plenty of time for a chat, this could mean the chance of meeting someone who shares your collecting interest and maybe the possibility of sharing information or even swapping cards.

The main event of the evening is generally a talk on a postcard related theme that is illustrated with cards from the speakers own card collection. Some clubs have other events such as auctions, short talks given by members, quiz nights and outings. They usually produce a newsletter that will be posted to you in advance of the next meeting letting you know about the forthcoming talk and which dealers have agreed to come. It is useful to remember that most collectors are as isolated in their collecting as you are and would also benefit from making new contacts. Most clubs welcome new members so take a deep breath and go and have some fun!

Remember you all have something in common postcard collecting!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Post Card is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Post Card.

With Netpost Services of the United States Postal Service you can create and mail your own postcards. Cards can be sent from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world.

Although stock card designs are offered, the real advantage of using the Netpost Service is the ability to use your own photos and designs. The applications are limited only by your creativity. Anything that can be captured in a JPEG digital image can be put on a postcard.

Premium Postcards can be ordered for 84¢ each which includes postage and mailing. The Premium Postcards are 4.25 inches by 6 inches, are printed in full-color on thick cardstock and have a glossy scuff resistant coating. When ordering you simply upload or choose an image for the front of the card then write a message online for the back. The back of the card can also have an image in place of the text.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Post Card, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

To get started go to the www.usps.com website and sign in. Look for a link for Netpost Services or sending cards. You may need to have an account before you can access all the instructions needed to create your cards. Since the instructions may change this will just give some basic information about what is required.

You will need a digital image in JPEG format and some sort of photo-editing software to conform to the image requirements. Your image should be sized to print at 5.50 inches by 3.75 inches with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (maximum 600 dpi). Actually this is the ideal….larger images will be resized proportionally and you can probably get by with any resolution over 200 dpi. You can include type in the image you upload or add it during the online creation process. The online feature for adding text to the image is very limited in choice of fonts and positioning, so it is best to add the text before you upload the image.

A really fun project in creating postcards is a project you can do with small kids. It is quite simple and they will have a blast doing it. All is needed is a photo, index card and some glue. Just glue you picture to the index card and let your child create his or her own message. Be creative with your postcards and not limit yourself to just the pictures. Have your child color a small picture for the grandparents or add some holiday glitter. Another idea is to use cloth to create your own postcards. Start stamping, painting, adding other fabrics, beads, yarn, hand or machine sewing. Whatever you think you need to create a wonderful postcard. The ideas are limitless in creating your own postcards so stretch your imagination and makes someone’s day special.

When word gets around about your command of Post Card facts, others who need to know about Post Card will start to actively seek you out.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

This article explains a few things about Post Card, and if you’re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don’t know.

Always remember first, because old post card collecting is such an expansive subject, there are few experts. That puts you in the middle of the runners before you’ve even started the race. Secondly, remember there are millions of cards out there on virtually every subject. Many have been priced in a hurry and without knowledge. They show up at all the same flea markets, garage sales, shops and auctions you go to. You can have fun collecting old post cards perhaps even make money in the hobby. Begin by understanding because there’s such a wide variety of postcards that they are collected and valued by category. Here’s a few postcard categories much sought after by collectors. It’s easy to understand why. Price averages are for early cards in good condition.

1. Artist Signed – Just as you’d be proud to hang a signed painting by Howard Chandler Christy, Thomas Kinkade, Kate Greenaway or Frederick Remington, so we should with singed postcards. Less famous of course, but equally prized postcard artists signed by Rose O’Neil, Charles Twelvetrees and many others can be recognized by their talent. Appraise postcards as you appraise art.

2. Mechanical and Hold up to the Light- People love gadgets. Occasionally, an old postcard is found with moving parts or a special message revealed when held up to light or even heat. Other varieties of Novelty cards are also collected.

3. Advertising – These cards draw the collectors: Coca-Cola, S & H Green Stamps, International Harvester, Bell Telephone, Expo’s and Fairs, etc.. Interesting small business ads like, “Dr. Keating’s Wooden Legs,” are also coveted.

4. Pioneer – Rare early Souvenir, Mail or Correspondence Cards with US Postal markings dating from 1861 to May 19, 1898.

The information about Post Card presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Post Card or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

5. View Cards – A majority of cards published in the United States are view or picture cards. Most valued are pre W.W.I cards with real brown-shaded sepia photos.
Later to come would be the color photo prints. Interesting shots are much more valuable than boring ones but then again that is in the eye of the beholder. What kind of views are interesting? Famous people, early aviation, trains & depots, Indians, disaster scenes, occupational and bird’s-eye-views, etc..

6. Holiday Post Cards – Halloween, Thanksgiving, 4th of July and Saint Patrick’s Day cards were not produced in great numbers like Christmas Cards. Christmas Cards are still very valuable especially if the picture is of an old fashioned Saint Nick in a coat of green, blue, or white compared with what is common today.

7. Political Cards – Like advertising postcards, political cards bring a new category of collector into the market. One card featuring Uncle Sam scolding a baseball uniformed Teddy Roosevelt for having already batting twice would definitely attract collectors.

8. By Manufacturer – Rapheal Tuck and Sons are probably most famous. Early examples have a tiny easel in the corner on the picture side. Later cards will have Tuck’s name or that of his brands: Oilette, Charmette, Raphotype, Rapholette, and Aquarette.

There’s no doubt that the topic of Post Card can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Post Card, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

The tradition to send Easter postcards to relatives and friends developed in the end of the 19th century. During the year 1898 there were only a few Easter cards sent but the amount of sent Easter cards raised in the following years worldwide. Soon it was courteous and polite to send Easter postcards. In the beginning, monochrome as well as colored cards were printed. Most of the time in the center of the cards was an oversized colored egg. In the first years of the Easter postcards often a part of the front side was empty. This was the space for the greetings of the sender because the post-order only allowed the address and the stamp on the back side. Because of that, the artist creativity was hindered and precious illustrations were deformed. In 1905 the post in Austria and Germany separated the back side of the cards in two halves. The right half served as before for the address and the stamp and the other one was the new space for the message. 1906 this was officially allowed by the world-post-congress in Rome.

In the years around 1910 on the cards were mainly monochrome pictures which were sometimes colored with children in the context with lambs, chickens, ducks and eggs. Young girls were a symbol for luck and hope. The Easter bunny which was a personified symbol of fruitfulness was often portrayed with eggs. German publishers were leading in the production of Easter postcards before the first world war.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Post Card. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

During the time of the first world war the children were replaced through soldiers and a military appearance of the Easter bunny was quite common. After the first world war, photos were not the foundation for Easter postcards anymore but drawn colorful Easter sketches. At this time a very popular motive was Jesus in the open countryside surrounded by sheep. Also cards with flowers were sent very often too such as the Easter lily. In the time of prosperity during 1898 and 1918 the basis of the cards was chromolithography. There reveal very impressive cards with silver, gold and relief-stamping.

A huge reduction of sent Easter postcards occurred through the second world war. After the war, the amount of sent cards raised slowly but in the last ten years it fell rapidly because of the competition with telephony and e-mail. Easter postcards are still sent today but not with the fervor of the greeting card. The collection of the Easter postcard is quite collectible and not so easy to find.

Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Post Card. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

History of erotic postcards refers to the history of the art and process of taking pictures of unclothed subjects. In the United States all portraits from prior to January 1, 1923 have passed into the public domain. Most are in black-and-white, since they predate the 1953 invention of Kodachrome.

Early beginnings

Nude pictures prior to 1835 generally consisted of paintings and drawings. That year, Louis-Jacques-Mende’Deguerre’invented the first practical process of photography. Unlike earlier photographs, his daguerreotypes had stunning quality and did not fade with time. The new technology did not go unnoticed by artists eager for new ways to depict the undraped feminine form. Many of the surviving examples of daguerreotypes clearly have a sensuality that implies they were designed as erotic or pornographic images.

The daguerreotypes were not without drawbacks, however. The main difficulty was that they could only be reproduced by photographing the original picture. In addition, the earliest daguerreotypes had exposure times ranging from three to fifteen minutes making them somewhat impractical for portraiture. Since one picture could cost a week’s salary, the audience for nudes mostly consisted of artists and the upper class of society. Nude stereoscopy began in 1838 and became extremely popular. In 1841, William Fox Talbot patented the calotype process which was the first negative-positive process making possible multiple copies. The technology was immediately used to reproduce nude portraits.

French influence

The French pioneered erotic photography producing nude postcards that became the subject of an officers letter to President Abraham Lincoln after they were found in the possession of US troops according to An Underground Education by Richard Zacks. A Brief History of Postcards explains, “A majority of the French nude postcards were called postcards because of the size. They were never meant to be postally sent. It was illegal at that time.” Instead, nudes were marketed in a monthly magazine called the “La Beaute” that targeted artists looking for poses. Each issue contained 75 nude images which could be ordered by mail in the form of postcards hand-tinted or sepia toned. Street dealers, tobacco shops and a variety of other vendors bought the photographs for resale to American tourists.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Post Card, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Early 20th century

The early 1900s saw several important improvements in camera design, including the 1913 invention of the 35-mm or “candid” camera by Oskar Barnack of the Ernst Leitz company. The Ur-Leica was a compact camera based on the idea of reducing the format of negatives and enlarging them later after they had been exposed. This small portable device made nude photography in secluded parks and other semi-public places easier. It was a plus for amateur erotica. Artists were enamored with their new ability to take impromptu photos without carrying around a clunky apparatus.

Early 20th century artist E.J. Bollocq is best remembered for his down-to-earth pictures of French prostitutes in domestic settings in the red light district of New Orleans. In contrast to the usual pictures of women awkwardly posed amid drapery, veils, flowers, fruit, classical columns and oriental braziers, Bellocq’s sitters appear relaxed and comfortable.
Julian Mandel became known in the 1920s and 1930s for his exceptional photographs of the female form. Participating in the German “new age outdoor movement,” A John Hopkins University scholarship was named in his honor.
Another noteworthy nude photographer of the first two decades of the 20th century was Arundel Holmes Nicholls. His work, featured in the archives of the Kinsey Institute, is artistically composed often giving an iridescent glow to his figures. Following in Mandel’s footsteps, Nicholls favored outdoor shots.

Many photographs from this era are damaged; Bellocq, for instance, frequently scratched out the faces of his sitters to obscure their identities. Some of his other sitters were photographed wearing masks as well to hide who they were.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Post Card.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

Postcards are a handy and often inexpensive way to get your name out there and stay in touch. You can use them for a variety of things such as a first contact vehicle, announcing a move or a new service. Some folks like to use them as a leave behind or a follow up after a meeting.

You can use a postcard campaign as an introduction to prospects. Like adding to the old client roster. You can use oversized – 8.5″ x 5.5″ and printed full color on one side and black & white on the reverse side. The campaign consists of four postcards. It is good to trade services if you can. People love to barter their services especially a printer plus bartering can be a lot of fun. A barter deal like this might be just the ticket for you.

With the postcards all there is to do is gain some name recognition like top of mind awareness. Coming up with quirky catch phrases, slick picture or just a photo of something that expresses what you or your company is all about will make an image in the clients mind.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Post Card, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

A good thing to do is to gather your prospect contact info and mail out one card each week for four weeks. Timeing the mailing so they’ll receive them midweek. Mondays and Fridays are bad since folks are getting over the weekend or looking forward to it. During the fifth week it is good to make a phone call to follow up and ask for an appointment to see if there’s a fit for both of you.

The trick here is to first prequalify the prospects as best you can. You’ll do more qualifying when you follow up. Next, keep the mailing small for this type of campaign. Doing these in groups of twenty to twenty-five. Anymore than that can be overwhelming for follow up calls. Announcements and such can be larger, wide net mailings. For this type of campaign it’s important to remember that if you don’t follow up you’re potentially wasting your time and money.

This technique will work well for you if you work it. Even in todays high tech e-mail world the touch of a personal note is well received. It’s good to ask though if you can add them to your contact list for e-mailed news releases and little “infos” to send out periodically like links to articles, useful sites I find etc. just to stay in touch.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Post Card in the following paragraphs. If there’s at least one fact you didn’t know before, imagine the difference it might make.

As your collection begins to increase in size the inevitable question of where and how to keep them crops up. The method you choose will ultimately depend on what you want from your collection. Do you, for instance, want it to look like an original Edwardian collection filled with Aunties cards from the attic? Then original albums with their decorated front covers are for you. Maybe you’d like to display your cards with a write up about them close at hand? In cases like this it would probably be best to make your own albums from ring files, cardboard sheets and photo corners, thus giving you the opportunity to include the write up with interleaving for added protection.

However, for the vast majority of collectors the main alternatives are either albums or postcard boxes. Old albums designed in the Edwardian era for the first collectors to keep their cards are certainly very attractive and will give your collection a period feel. They are often hard to find though and their pages so fragile that taking cards in and out tears the slots into which the corners of the postcard are fitted. This taking in and out can also damage the cards as well. Also another disadvantage of original albums is that the reverse of the card is not visible. Often the message is as interesting as the image and it is nice to be able to see it without having to remove the card. Luckily you need not be concerned as there are many types of modern albums available. These vary in size from two, four or six cards per page. The pages are plastic leaves and the cards slide into a pre-made slot. They are designed for either horizontal or vertical cards so check the make up of the album and your collection before you buy. Also make sure that the plastic used is acid free as there is some concern about the long term affects of keeping cards in albums where non acid-free plastic has been used. One of the many advantages of this type of album is that once it’s full additional pages can be purchased at a relatively small cost. In addition white cards could be added to adjoining pockets to display any write up you may wish. Your collection will look impressive to everyone you show it to without the need to handle the cards.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Post Card, keep reading.

Another way to house your cards is either in a shoe box or a specially made postcard box which can hold between 400 and 500 cards. If you decide on this method of storage you should consider to use one of the many types of individual paper or plastic envelopes available so that each of your cards can be protected against damage and continual handling. Handling is after all one of the joys of postcards. Also, if your collection falls under different headings dividers can be used to separate them.
Finally, if you need to carry cards with you when you visit fairs etc. to show dealers the type of card you are looking for, small wallets are available that hold about twenty cards and fit into most pockets! Where do you buy all there various accessories? The answer couldn’t be simpler. You will find them on sale at most large postcard fairs or of course the internet.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Post Card, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Post Card.

In 1894, British publishers were given permission by the Royal Mail to manufacture and distribute picture postcards which could be sent through the mail. Early postcards were pictures of famous landmarks, scenic views, photographs, lighthouses, animals or drawings of celebrities and so on. With steam locomotives providing fast and affordable travel the seaside became a popular tourist destination. The steam locomotives generated its own souvenir industry. The picture postcard was, and is, an essential staple of this industry.

In the early 1930′s cartoon style saucy postcards became widespread and at the peak of their popularity the sale of saucy postcards reached a massive 16 million a year. They were often tacky in nature making use of innuendo and traditionally featured stereotypical characters such as priests, large ladies and put-upon husbands in the same vein as the Carry On films. In the early 1950′s, the newly elected Conservative government were concerned at the apparent deterioration of morals in Britain and decided on a crackdown on these postcards. The main target on their hit list was the renowned postcard artist Donald McGill. In the more liberal 1960′s the saucy postcard was revived and became to be considered, by some, as an art form. This helped its popularity and once again they became an institution.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Post Card? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

However, during the 1970′s and 1980′s, the quality of the artwork and humor started to deteriorate with changing attitudes towards the cards content. The demise of the saucy postcard occurred due to the moral climate and lack of consumer purchase. Original postcards are now highly sought after and rare examples can command very high prices at auction. The best known saucy seaside postcards were created by a publishing company called Bamforths, based in the town of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England.

Despite the decline in popularity of postcards that are overtly saucy, postcards continue to be a significant economic and cultural aspect of British seaside tourism. Sold by newsagents and street vendors as well as by specialist souvenir shops. Modern seaside postcards often feature multiple depiction’s of the resort in unusually favorable weather conditions. These continuously draw tourist to the seaside. The use of saturated color and a general departure from realism have made the postcards of the later twentieth century become collected and desired by undiscriminating taste. Such cards are also respected as important documents of social history and have been influential on the work of Martin Parr.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Post Card. Share your new understanding about Post Card with others. They’ll thank you for it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, owner of this site as well: Wealth Upgrade Club (click to claim your FREE membership)!

Post Card

Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with Post Card? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Post Card.

With postcard collecting there is usually not a lot of socializing going on since this is normally a hobby you do alone. Although you can come into contact with other collectors at fairs it is often difficult to get much further than just saying hello and it takes a while for faces to become familiar. After all everyone is looking for that special card for their collection and chatting can waste valuable hunting time!

This can mean that collecting postcards is a rather solitary hobby and although it gets you out of the house it doesn’t make you many friends. However this need not be the case. Many areas have their own postcard club and this offers you an ideal opportunity to not only learn more about the hobby but also to make some new friends.

I know the idea of going somewhere for the first time can be rather daunting, especially if you think everyone knows everyone else, and this is why choosing a meeting close to a holiday is a good idea. Generally the holiday meetings of any club will have some kind of festive theme even if it’s only store bought cookies in the interval. If there is not a club in your area consider starting one. You could advertise it in your church bulletin or local paper and you just might be surprised to find out how many share your love for postcards.

See how much you can learn about Post Card when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

Most club meetings will have one or two dealers whose stock you can look through at a far more leisurely pace than at a fair, where there are so many stalls to get round in a very limited time. Teas and coffees are also on offer and this allows plenty of time for a chat, this could mean the chance of meeting someone who shares your collecting interest and maybe the possibility of sharing information or even swapping cards.

The main event of the evening is generally a talk on a postcard related theme that is illustrated with cards from the speakers own card collection. Some clubs have other events such as auctions, short talks given by members, quiz nights and outings. They usually produce a newsletter that will be posted to you in advance of the next meeting letting you know about the forthcoming talk and which dealers have agreed to come. It is useful to remember that most collectors are as isolated in their collecting as you are and would also benefit from making new contacts. Most clubs welcome new members so take a deep breath and go and have some fun!

Remember you all have something in common postcard collecting!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, owner of this excellent site: Product Profits Club (click to claim your FREE membership)

Post Card

The following article presents the very latest information on Post Card. If you have a particular interest in Post Card, then this informative article is required reading.

When the picture postcard fad hit America nearly a century ago, publishers found a ready market for special greeting cards for every holiday including New Year’s. The public eagerly purchased seasonal postcards to exchange with relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers. They were also lovingly saved in keepsake albums.
New Year’s Day items were especially attractive because of their superior artistic designs and the fascinating array of seasonal features found on them. Nearly every theme and topic associated with New Year throughout the centuries found its way onto the different postcards crafted by countless artists in the earliest years of the century which would be from 1900 to about 1916. Both domestic and imported cards featured grandfather clocks, watches, father time and lovely women and radiant angels.

Though they often relied on traditional symbols and motifs, American illustrators did drawings in a more modern style than did their counterparts in Europe. Holiday revelers in autos were heavily favored by International Art Pub. Co. (New York City). Funny scenes of tipsy gentlemen and other portrayals of holiday celebrating are characteristic of American made New Year’s Day postcards. Artists such as Ellen Clapsaddle, Frances Brundage, and H. B. Griggs (“HBG”) have always commanded a great amount of attention from collectors.

So intense was the competition that many companies resorted to adding extra attractions to their cards. Nearly all quality cards automatically came embossed and many were embellished with gelatin coatings, gold and silver etchings, and gold backgrounds. Tinsel was added and edges scalloped. Also marketed were blank check postcards in which the recipient received a “check” good for “a million joys in the coming year,” or something similarly whimsical attachment of every kind were applied. The list includes die-cuts of flowers, horseshoes, doves and little notes in tiny envelopes. A number of “magic light” varieties such as hold-to lights and transparencies enjoyed brisk sales.

If you don’t have accurate details regarding Post Card, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.

Quite often, especially after 1910, many publishers and distributors took old stocks of other postcard topics including scenes of animals, children and lovely ladies then overprinted them with all sorts of New Year’s greetings.
Among foreign publishers, none was more prolific or produced better cards than Raphael Tuck & Sons. The London firm exported huge numbers of holiday postcards to this country. Their artists favored charming children, beautiful women and Father Time. However, floral designs were also used extensively.

The modern day folded greeting card and envelope came into prominence in the 1920s and has remained the standard ever since. Very little modern activity has ever occurred in regard to New Year’s Day postcards.
Today’s collectors are very lucky in that a vast amount of New Year’s Day postcards is still available. Prices, except for about 10% of the very best and most beautiful cards tend to be a bit lower than those for other holidays. It is still possible to put together a very good collection of the New Year holiday.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Post Card