A century of postcard humor
Comic postcards were enormously popular during the golden age, when people sent cards for every occasion and wanted something to make the recipient laugh. Publishers hired cartoonists to produce series on themes such as courtship and marriage, the trials of travel, life in the big city, farm life, drinking, money troubles, and the arrival of new technology like automobiles, telephones and airships.
Comic cards continued through the white border years and boomed again in the linen era of the 1930s and 1940s, when bright colors and broad humor suited the style. World War II produced a wave of military comic cards. See military postcards.
Kinds of comic postcards
- Artist-signed comics by known cartoonists and illustrators.
- Series cards, often numbered, on a running theme.
- Topical humor about automobiles, aviation, sports, politics and technology.
- Mechanical and novelty comics with moving parts or unusual construction.
- Seaside and vacation humor, a large genre in Britain and in American resort towns.
- Linen comics of the 1930s and 1940s, often about tourists, fishermen, hillbillies and the military.
- Exaggeration cards, a particular kind of photographic humor. See exaggeration postcards.
What makes a comic card more valuable
- Known artists with collector followings. See artist-signed postcards.
- Popular topics that overlap with other collecting fields: early automobiles, aviation, baseball and other sports, suffrage and politics.
- Mechanical, die-cut and novelty construction.
- Complete series.
- Condition.
Common comic cards
Generic humor cards, especially later linen comics printed in large numbers, are common and sell for little individually. They still count in a collection but rarely carry its value.
Humor that has not aged well
Some comic postcards from the early twentieth century rely on ethnic, racial or gender stereotypes that are offensive today. They exist in many old collections. Collectors, historians and museums treat them as documents of their time, and they are part of the historical record, but they are not celebrated. If your collection includes them, they are simply part of the collection as found.
British seaside humor
British seaside comic postcards, famous for their saucy double meanings, were produced in huge numbers by publishers such as Bamforth and are widely collected in Britain. They sometimes turn up in American collections from travel or family abroad. Their strongest market is among British collectors. See foreign postcards.
Comic cards in a collection
Comic cards are common in family albums, often mixed with greetings. I count them as a group, with closer attention to artist-signed cards, popular topics and novelties.
Famous names in comic postcards
A number of illustrators and cartoonists drew comic postcards, some of whom became well known for newspaper comic strips or magazine illustration. Cards signed by recognized artists are collected by followers of those artists, and some command good prices in fine condition. If a comic card carries a signature, it is worth photographing it clearly for any buyer.
Suffrage and political humor
Postcards were part of the public debate over women's suffrage in the 1900s and 1910s, with cards produced both for and against the cause. Suffrage postcards, especially pro-suffrage cards, are widely collected by political and women's history collectors and can be among the more valuable comic and topical cards. Political humor about elections, candidates and issues of the day also has collectors.
Comic real photos
Not all postcard humor was drawn. Some photographers staged comic scenes, posed people in silly situations, or created trick photographs. These comic real photos are less common than printed comics and are popular with real photo collectors as well as comic collectors.
Questions people ask
Are old comic postcards valuable?
Most are worth a little; artist-signed cards, popular topics and novelties are worth more.
Are linen comic postcards worth anything?
Usually only a little individually, though some themes have collectors.
Are Bamforth postcards valuable?
Most are common; their main market is British collectors.
Do you buy comic postcards?
Yes, as part of a complete collection.
Courtship, marriage and modern life
The most common themes on early comic postcards were romance and marriage: shy suitors, scheming mothers-in-law, henpecked husbands and leap-year proposals. Close behind came the frustrations of modern life: runaway automobiles, telephones that never connected, crowded streetcars and new inventions that went wrong. These cards are a lighthearted record of how ordinary people experienced rapid change in the early twentieth century, and some collectors focus entirely on one theme.
Topical overlap adds value
A comic card about an early automobile will interest automobile collectors as well as comic collectors. One about baseball attracts sports collectors. One about women's suffrage interests political and women's history collectors. That overlap is the most reliable way a comic card rises above the common run, and it is worth noticing the subjects when you look through a collection.
Photographing comic cards for a quote
A single photo of a stack of comic cards fanned out is usually enough, plus close-ups of any signed cards, novelties or cards on automobiles, sports or politics.
Are suffrage postcards valuable? Many are, especially pro-suffrage designs in good condition, which are widely collected.
Are comic cards with writing worth less? Not much. As with other cards, damage to the picture side matters more than a message on the back.
What about comic postcards from the 1950s? Mostly common chromes, with a few themes such as early television and cars attracting some interest.
Should comic cards with offensive stereotypes be thrown away? No. They are historical documents. Leave them with the collection; they are part of what was found.
Are hand-drawn comic postcards collectible? One-of-a-kind hand-drawn cards are unusual and can be interesting, depending on the artistry and subject.
Ready to sell? Compare where to sell old postcards, or see how to sell old postcards step by step.