Most old postcards are worth approximately 25 cents to $2 each. Billions were printed in the early 1900s, when sending and collecting postcards was a national craze, and the common printed views of big cities, tourist sights, hotels and landscapes survive in enormous numbers. The postcards that carry real value are a smaller group: real photo postcards of small towns, main streets, local businesses, disasters and events, which often sell for $10-75 and sometimes more; early 1900s holiday cards, especially Halloween and Santa designs, at $5-100 or more; and some advertising, political, Black Americana and artist-signed cards. Subject is almost everything. Age matters less than most people expect, and a used card with a stamp is not automatically worth more.
Turning the card over tells you how old it is, whether it is a real photograph, and who printed it. The front tells you whether anyone wants it.
Quick answer
- Common printed views of cities, scenery and tourist sights: 25 cents to $2.
- Real photo postcards of small towns, people at work, disasters and events: often $10-75, rare ones more.
- Early Halloween, Santa, advertising and artist-signed holiday cards: $5-100 or more, depending on the design.
How to check yours, step by step
- Look at the back first. Check whether the back is undivided (only an address side) or divided by a vertical line into a message side and an address side. In the United States, an undivided back usually means before March 1907, when divided backs were first allowed.
- Read the stamp box. The small rectangle in the top right corner, where the stamp goes, often carries printing. On real photo postcards it names the photographic paper, such as AZO, Velox, Cyko, Kruxo or EKC, and the design of the box helps date the card.
- Decide if it is a real photograph. Look at the image under a magnifying glass or a phone camera on zoom. A real photo postcard shows a continuous photographic image with smooth tones and no dots. A printed card shows a pattern of tiny dots or a fine screen. Real photos often have a slight silvery sheen in dark areas, and handwritten captions scratched into the negative appear as white writing.
- Find the publisher. Look along the bottom or the left edge of the back for a publisher name and sometimes a number. Raphael Tuck, Detroit Publishing, Curt Teich, Valentine and many local publishers are common names.
- Read the front for the subject. Note the town, the street, the business, the event, the holiday and any people. A small town main street is worth more than a famous landmark.
- Check the postmark and stamp. Note the town and date on the cancel. A postmark from a small post office that no longer exists can add interest.
- Check condition. Look at the corners, the edges, creases, stains, writing on the front, album marks and fading.
What most postcards are worth
| Type of postcard | Typical examples | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Linen era printed views, 1930s to 1940s | Textured paper, bright colors, roadside and city views | $0.25-2 |
| Chrome era, 1940s onward | Glossy color photographs | $0.10-1 |
| White border printed views, about 1915 to 1930 | Printed scenes with a white margin | $0.25-2 |
| Early printed views of large cities and landmarks, 1900s to 1910s | New York, Niagara Falls, national parks | $0.50-3 |
| Greetings and flowers, 1900s to 1910s | Birthday, best wishes, common floral designs | $0.50-3 |
| Common Christmas and Easter cards of the 1900s to 1910s | Bells, flowers, angels, embossed designs | $1-5 |
| Album of mixed old postcards, 200 cards | Mostly views and greetings | $50-200 for the lot |
The postcards that carry real value
| Type of postcard | Why collectors want it | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Real photo postcard of a small town main street | Often the only images of that street | $10-75 |
| Real photo of a local business, storefront or workers | Signs, interiors, people at work | $15-100+ |
| Real photo of a disaster, wreck, flood or fire | Local history, dramatic subject | $15-100+ |
| Real photo of early cars, trains, depots or aviation | Transportation collectors | $15-150+ |
| Halloween cards, 1905 to 1915, by known publishers or artists | Strong collector demand | $10-150+ |
| Santa Claus cards, especially in non-red suits, embossed or hold-to-light | Scarce and colorful | $10-200+ |
| Advertising postcards for named products or stores | Crosses into advertising collecting | $5-100+ |
| Black Americana and other ethnic history cards | Historical interest, wide range of material | $10-200+ |
| Artist-signed cards (Ellen Clapsaddle, Frances Brundage, Winsch publishing designs, Art Nouveau artists) | Known artists and series | $5-200+ |
| Political, suffrage, labor and early sports cards | Historical and specialist demand | $15-200+ |
These are broad bands. A real photo of a crowded main street with readable signs is worth far more than a blurry view of the same town's church, and a rare Halloween design by a sought-after publisher can sell for several hundred dollars.
Reading the back to date a card
American postcard collectors use a well-known sequence of eras.
Private Mailing Card, 1898 to 1901. Privately printed cards had to carry the words "Private Mailing Card" until late 1901. Cards from this period are uncommon and often printed with a short message space on the front.
Undivided back, 1901 to 1907. After late 1901 the words "Post Card" were allowed, but the whole back was reserved for the address. Messages were written on the front, often across the picture. These are the earliest common postcards.
Divided back, 1907 to about 1915. From March 1, 1907 the back could be divided, with the message on the left and the address on the right. This was the peak of the postcard craze, and much of what survives comes from these years, many printed in Germany.
White border, about 1915 to 1930. Printed cards with a white margin around the image, made mostly in the United States after the First World War cut off German printing.
Linen, about 1930 to 1945. Cards printed on paper with a textured, cloth-like surface and bright inks. Curt Teich in Chicago was the leading publisher and printed codes that help date its cards.
Chrome, from about 1939. Glossy color photographic cards. These are the least valuable as a rule.
Real photo postcards. Real photo postcards were made throughout the century, often by local photographers or by anyone with a camera, printed directly onto postcard-backed photographic paper. The stamp box tells you the paper and helps date them: AZO stamp boxes with triangles in the corners, for example, were used in different arrangements over the decades, and collectors use those designs as dating guides.
Other countries followed similar steps on slightly different dates, with Britain allowing divided backs from 1902.
Holiday and artist-signed cards
Most holiday postcards from the golden age were printed in Germany with heavy embossing and rich colors, and the common designs survive in large numbers. Value rises with the subject and the maker. Halloween is the most collected holiday, followed by Santa, then Thanksgiving, July 4th and Valentine's Day. Look for a publisher or series name on the back and a signature in the corner of the image; cards by well-known illustrators or from known series sell above unsigned ones. Novelty cards such as hold-to-light, mechanical, silk and leather cards form their own market.
Postmarks, stamps and used versus unused
A used card is not automatically worth more or less than an unused one. Collectors of views and real photos usually care more about the image than the postal history, and a clean unused card often sells slightly better. Postal history collectors, on the other hand, pay extra for unusual cancels: postmarks from small towns and post offices that have closed (sometimes called DPOs, discontinued post offices), railway post office cancels, ship and expedition mail, early airmail and unusual stamps. The message on the back can also add value when it describes a local event or a historic moment.
The stamps themselves are almost always common one cent and two cent issues worth a few cents. Do not steam them off; the card is usually worth more intact. For stamps and albums found with postcards, see our guide to inherited stamp collections.
Condition
Postcard collectors grade condition closely. The best cards have sharp corners, no creases, clean surfaces and no writing on the image side. Rounded corners and light wear are acceptable on common cards. Creases, tears, heavy stains, glue or tape from albums, and trimmed edges all reduce value. For real photo postcards, fading and silvering in the dark areas lower value, though a rare subject still sells well with some wear. Black paper albums from the early 1900s often left glue marks on the backs of cards.
Common mistakes
- Assuming old means valuable. Most cards from 1905 to 1915 are common.
- Missing real photo cards mixed in with printed views. They look similar at a glance and are usually the valuable ones.
- Pricing a whole album from the best few cards.
- Removing cards from albums with force, which tears the backs. Gently release them or sell the album intact.
- Steaming off stamps or cutting out cancels.
- Overvaluing big city and landmark views, which were printed in the largest numbers.
- Ignoring messages and postmarks that record a local event.
What to photograph
- The front of each card, straight on, in good light.
- The back, showing the stamp box, publisher line, postmark and message.
- A close-up of the image surface with a phone zoom, to show whether it is a real photograph or printed.
- Any damage: creases, tears, stains and album marks.
- For an album: the cover, a few typical pages, and close-ups of real photo, holiday and advertising cards.
If postcards came from a box of family papers, our guides to old National Geographic magazines and old dollar bills cover other common finds from the same boxes.
When to get it looked at in person
A typical album of views and greetings does not need an appraiser; selling it as a lot is often the best route. In-person help is worth it for a group of real photo postcards of small towns or events, early Halloween and Santa cards, or a collection that was carefully assembled by a serious collector. Postcard dealers at postcard shows know their markets well and can sort a collection quickly; dealers usually pay 30 to 50 percent of retail for good material and less for common cards. Some auction houses handle postcard collections, especially regional real photo groups, and will review photos before taking them. Local historical societies and libraries are often interested in real photos of their town, and some buy or accept donations. A written appraisal, typically $50-150 per hour, is rarely needed except for estates or insurance.