The Hunter-Gatherer: Collecting Vintage Postcards

by Darin Lowery

Like any ephemera produced years ago- magazines, menus and movie stills- postcards tell tales of places and palaces long gone. The appeal then and now are the architectural elements of hotels and nightclubs; the surprisingly vivid colors of restaurants and movie theatres, and the wild décor and furnishings used to outfit venues where the social set met. Postcards were- and still are- a way to send a note back home which says, ‘See? I’m not busting my butt like you are!’

The first postcard was printed in Austria in 1869; the US followed four years later, but imported its bulk of cards from Germany, the premier producer. Early postcards were usually advertising or trade related and were somewhat pedestrian. By 1910, through expanded images and categories, 860 million cards were mailed worldwide. One was now able to choose a postcard to express love, joy and even holiday greetings, a novel concept at the time.

By the 1930’s tourism had skyrocketed and top printers like Linotone, Dexter and Curt Teich were producing dazzling picture postcards. Curt Teich in particular created the new ‘linen’ card which featured brighter colors and a more modern look. By the Fifties, ‘chrome’ cards were king, the color separations having improved greatly. These are obvious by their laminated look, and remain the sum of most cards purchased today.

The Teich cards are my favorite. They were based in Chicago, my hometown, and I used to find boxes of them as a kid. Colors could be garish and uneven and some of the shots were so airbrushed they bore no resemblance to reality. This didn’t bother me, because I loved seeing how people lived- where they drank, danced and dined. The street scenes with classic, streamlined cars, the brand new skyscrapers and neon signs, and beach shots of pretty girls and palm trees drove me crazy.

On average, prices run from two to seven dollars for a good card and go up from there. Bargains can be found, depending on where you look- many antiques malls have vendors who don’t necessarily specialize in postcards, but always seem to have a box tucked in a corner. Sometimes you’ll find a sleeper.

Feel free to comment on this article in the space below, or better yet, send me a postcard and sign it, ‘Having a wonderful time, wish you were here!’

To research further, check out postcardweb or emotionscards.