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Tizer
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09/02/2010
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10:40
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Postcard collecting is great fun because you can still get old cards very cheap and they have been published on just about every topic you can think of. Some people collect them simply because they like old postcards, others because the cards illustrate or enliven their hobby or family history. If you are lucky you might even find your ancestors shown on a card, or a picture of the house they lived in or the ship they emigrated on. People often collect cards of their home town, or of subjects such as ships, aeroplanes, music hall entertainers or those cheeky seaside ones by people like McGill (husband eyeing two pretty girls on Blackpool pier: "Aye, the view's good from here!"). Some even collect brand new cards.
You can buy them on Ebay but it's more fun to go to a postcard fair and look through hundreds of cards, talk to the sellers and meet other enthusiasts. Watch out too for old photographs often sold by the same people, or business letterheads and the like (I bought a Robert Stephenson Locomotive Works one for a few pounds recently).
The big event coming up in the north is the annual Stockport postcard fair at the Town Hall on Saturday, 13th February. It's organised by Ken Hassell, KSG promotions, Glossop, and you can get details from him on telephone number 01723-363665. There are smaller fairs held quite often. (The Town Hall's web page shows: Admission: £2.00, Adults and Concessions £1.50,
10am - 4pm, Secure car parking at 50p per car.)
The hobby's magazine is `Picture Postcard Monthly' which you can buy for £2.60 in WH Smiths or ask your newsagant to get it for you (or subscribe). Each issue has loads of postcard pictures and interesting stories and you can't beat that for £2.60! I know I mention the magazine often but it really is good (and no, I'm not linked to it in any way other than reading it!).
Start collecting postcards now and brighten up your life!
Coincidentally, this postcard was the first picture I put on OGFB (back in 2007) and it was sent by my Uncle George to my Grandma during the Second World War...
Edited by - Tizer on 09/02/2010 20:20:53
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 06/01/2011 : 06:33
Nice to see you popping in Mel. Have a good new year!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk  |
Tizer
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Posted - 27/02/2011 : 11:19
We spent Friday at the Shepton Mallet `Festival of Cards' postcard fair, always a `good do' and are now recovering from our attempt to check out 140 dealers' cards! Besides postcards we look for other items such as postal history, postal stationery, postmarks, first day covers, old photos and that which comes under the name `ephemera'. We noticed a lot more of the ephemera this year, particularly old invoices, contracts, letters and other documents. If you've got lots of old invoices stashed away in your loft dig it out - you could be selling them on Ebay!
We enjoy not only finding and buying items but viewing so many things, chatting to dealers, overhearing conversations ("Ow much!") and meeting many very pleasant and interesting people.
There's one coming up for you folk in the north of England:
York International Postcard Fair
100+ dealers
(To be held at York Racecourse)
Friday, 1st April 2011, 11am - 7pm
Saturday, 2nd April 2011, 10am - 5pm
Telephone 01347 822722 or 01268 743222
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melteaser
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Posted - 01/03/2011 : 08:26
I didn't manage to make it to the fairs I had on my calendar. I've not given up hope of visiting one though!
Mel
http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk |
Tizer
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Posted - 01/03/2011 : 09:41
If you go to one of the big fairs Mel, make sure you set aside a full day! And take a sturdy bag to protect your purchases. A stiff card-backed A4 envelope is useful in case you buy any A4 sized items such as documents. We take sandwiches to the Shepton Mallet fair because the cafe is busy, although we buy cups of tea to keep us going too. I don't know what the other fairs are like but our one complaint about the Shepton one is the shortage of seats for a rest. some of the dealers have a couple of plastic chairs for customers but there may not be many other places to sit. Wear sensible shoes!
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frankwilk
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Posted - 01/03/2011 : 12:25
In the Auction tomorrow there are quite a lot of cards "Aberdeenshire" I will try to note what they go for and let you know.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
Tizer
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Posted - 01/03/2011 : 16:27
I always spend time at the Postcard Fairs looking through the `50p boxes'. These have cards which are of little interest to the normal postcard collector - very common or damaged cards, blank ones without pictures or images of fluffy bunnies (bunnies as in animals not girls!) and the like. For collectors of postmarks and postal materials the boxes are an Aladdin's Cave offering lots of cheap material.
In one of these boxes Mrs Tiz found me a Cape of Good Hope pre-paid, one-penny, blank postcard with its image of Victoria at top right on the front but no picture, just plain brown card. Not very exciting for the average collector. The card has not been addressed and the printed stamp image not cancelled but the back is covered in writing and dated 2nd May 1900. Its story is unfinished and must have been continued on a sheet of paper and the whole sent in an envelope. Unfortunately the rest of it was not available. Once you start to read the tale on the back you realise it's from a soldier in the Boer War, back in Cape Town on 25th February from his adventures. He camped in Swartland to give the horses a rest before travelling to several places including Carnavon (North Cape) where they were `rebel hunting'. Then on to other locations followed by `leaving as escort to 100 wagons and 1600 bullocks' on route to Bloemfontein. That's what I call a wagon train!
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melteaser
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Posted - 03/03/2011 : 13:28
Thanks for the advice Tiz though I had to smile...I don't possess any shoes that are not sensible. I almost live in walking boots!
Mel
http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 04/03/2011 : 04:35
I have this image of the Old Woman who lived in a shoe....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
panbiker
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Posted - 04/03/2011 : 13:57
quote:
Stanley wrote:
I have this image of the Old Woman who lived in a shoe....Wait for it!
Ian |
melteaser
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Posted - 05/03/2011 : 09:14
Brilliant. Love it Stanley.
One thing I do have is a good sense of humour.
Mel
http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk |
Tizer
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Posted - 05/03/2011 : 12:15
Mel was it you who said on these forums that you had ancestors at Mells and Great Elm near Frome in Somerset? If so, you could find out the availability of old postcards of these villages by contacting Barrie Rollinson who organises the Festival of Cards Fair at Shepton Mallet. He is the leading light in postcard collecting in this area and he will either have cards or know who would have them. His email address is:
barrierollinsonpostcards (at) btinternet.com
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belle
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Posted - 05/03/2011 : 12:16
i was just wondering how you are, so it's nice to have you back on here!
Life is what you make it |
melteaser
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Posted - 10/03/2011 : 21:04
No Tizer, not me I'm afraid.
Hi Belle. I'm well, thanks for asking. I keep popping my head in from time to time. Hope all is well with you.
Mel
http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk |
Tizer
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Posted - 14/04/2011 : 10:04
Examples below of how collecting postcards and first day covers can be a very interesting but cheap hobby...(Click for larger images)
A lot of information on this first day cover (FDC) even though it cost me only 75p in a charity shop! A special envelope with the Festiniog Railway emblem and picture of engine. Festiniog Railway 1s3d stamp with picture of engine and with` Merddin Emrys' (Fairley's Patent)'. Festiniog Railway Co T.P.O. rubber stamp - TPO stands for Travelling Post Office. British Rail (LMR) Portmadoc stamp for 3 June 1970 and rubber stamped `To be posted at Shrewsbury on the Shrewsbury-York TPO'. Royal Mail 6d stamp (Machin design of Queen's head) and postmarked Shrewsbury-York T.P.O. Addressed to someone in Llandudno Junction, so went all round the houses to get there, but then FDC collectors like to have as much added to their envelope as possible!
Next a postcard FDC...and even cheaper (25p)! The front picture first:-
The identities of the engines are shown on the back of the card, illustrated below.
The back of the card identifies the engines and is rubber stamped to show the card is an FDC of 26 November 1979 celebrating the 150th anniversary of Swindon Post Office and `mail trains of the south west'. Interesting in its own right but look at the circular rubber stamp - `Air dropped at South Marston airfield Swindon by LXX Squadron RAF Lyneham 26 November 1979' (it might have been dropped from one of the same Hercules aircraft that fly over us often in Somerset). The destination of the card was Exeter. The Royal Mail 10p commemorative stamp is also appropriate - it was released in 1979 and marks the centenary of the death of Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879) who is widely regarded as the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp as we know it. He was responsible for the Penny Black and several other postage innovations. All that for 25p.
For very little money you can have an interesting hobby and learn a lot about the world and it's history!
Edited by - Tizer on 14/04/2011 10:08:11
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Postcard collecting
