Collecting and sharing antique postcards is on the rise as a new generation discovers the pleasure of holding on to a memory or experience with a decorated token. Gifting the vintage cards, especially framed, is a growing trend as you can find one to cover most any occasion, pastime, locale, or idea—from birthdays to baseball.
Lightweight and easy to transport, antique postcards are the perfect souvenir. As with most hobbies, there’s even a fancy word for collecting them: deltiology. But words can’t describe the slice of life that unfolds as you read the intimate correspondence shared on these tiny parcels from the height of their popularity in the early 1900s.
Ken Wilson of the Capital of Texas Postcard Club in Austin says postcards were the social media of their day. “Just exactly the way email hit us in the 1990s, postcard use hit in about 1903 to 1905, right up until World War I,” says Ken. As with social media, parties were often planned and rehashed in postcards, children checked in with parents and grandparents, and all manner of courting took place.
Deltiologists can explain exactly what makes some more valuable than others, such as subject matter, rarity, and condition. But, as with any collection, Ken says you should buy what you like. He recommends keeping the cards in protective sleeves and encourages those interested to find clubs, shows, and websites. Enjoy the side with artwork or photographs, and be sure to read each note for a glimpse of life in a bygone era.
Find the Keepsakes story “Postcards from the Past” in our September 2021 issue.
Styling by Lily Simpson
Photography by John O’Hagan
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