Step 1: Leave it the way you found it
Before anything else, resist the urge to sort. Albums, boxes and stacks should stay exactly as they are. The order an album was assembled in tells a buyer where and when it was put together, and the cards that look plainest are often the most valuable. Pulling out the colorful ones, or letting friends and relatives take a few, almost always removes the wrong cards and lowers the value of what is left.
Step 2: Get a rough count
You do not need an exact number. Count the cards on one typical album page and multiply by the number of pages, or estimate a full shoebox of loose cards at roughly eight hundred to a thousand. An inch of stacked postcards is about a hundred cards. Write the estimate down along with how the collection is stored.
Step 3: Notice what kinds of cards are there
Flip through and look for a few things, without removing anything:
- Real photographs. Smooth gray or sepia images with no printing dots under a magnifier. These are usually the most valuable cards. See real photo postcards.
- Small towns and main streets, especially with people, wagons or early cars.
- Holiday cards, Halloween above all.
- Subjects: trains and depots, work and workers, disasters, fairs and expositions.
- Era clues: backs with no dividing line (before 1907), white borders, textured linen, glossy chrome. The dating guide explains them.
If most of what you see is glossy chrome tourist cards from the 1950s onward, it is worth knowing early: those have little resale value on their own.
Step 4: Take four kinds of photos
A phone in daylight near a window is all you need. Turn off the flash, which washes out old photographs.
- The whole collection together.
- Two or three album pages opened at random and shot straight down.
- Ten or so of the cards you think are best.
- The backs of three or four cards.
Those four shots let any experienced buyer see both the standouts and the bulk.
Step 5: Get a quote on the whole collection
A quote tells you what the collection is worth to a buyer as it stands, without any work on your part. Even if you plan to sell cards individually, knowing the whole-collection number is useful: it is the floor you are trying to beat by doing the work yourself. Mine is free and comes by email from the quote form.
Step 6: Decide how to sell
With a number in hand, the choice is clearer. The where to sell guide compares the options, but it comes down to this:
- Sell the whole collection if you want one payment, no listing work and a home for the common cards too.
- List cards individually if you have the time, enjoy the process, and the collection holds enough good cards to justify it.
There is no wrong answer. It depends on your time and your patience.
Step 7: Pack and ship safely
If you sell by mail, pack the collection so nothing can move: albums closed and laid flat, loose cards standing upright in bundles held by paper bands (rubber bands stain), gaps filled with crumpled paper, everything in a plastic bag if rain is possible, and every seam of the box taped. When you sell to me, the shipping label is prepaid and insured, so the box is covered from your door.
Mistakes to avoid
- Cleaning cards. Erasers, damp cloths and cleaning sprays damage surfaces and remove the sheen collectors look for.
- Trimming or flattening. Cut edges and pressed creases are permanent and lower value.
- Removing glued cards. If cards are glued into an album, leave them. A buyer can value them in place.
- Selling in pieces before you know the whole. The best cards are rarely the ones that look best at a glance.
- Throwing away the ordinary cards. Common cards still have value in quantity, and they are part of what a collection buyer pays for.
How long it takes
Selling a collection whole usually takes a week or two from first email to payment: a quote within a couple of business days, a few days for shipping, and payment within two business days of arrival. Listing a large collection individually can take months.
Questions people ask
Do I need to know what my postcards are worth before selling?
No. A rough idea helps you judge offers, which is why a free quote is a sensible first step, but you do not need to research individual cards. Buyers of whole collections do that work.
Should I sell my postcards one at a time or all together?
One at a time can bring more per card for the best cards, but it takes far more time and leaves the common cards unsold. All together brings one payment for everything with no work. Many people find the time saved is worth more than the difference.
What if my collection is mostly common cards?
Common cards still have value in quantity, and a collection buyer pays for them as part of the lot. If a collection is almost entirely modern chrome tourist cards, though, the honest answer is that it is worth little, and a good buyer will tell you so before you ship anything.
Do I need to remove the postcards from the album?
No. Leave them in place, especially if they are glued or held by old photo corners. Removing them can cause damage, and an intact album is easier to value.
Can I sell a postcard collection if I am handling an estate?
Yes. Executors and family members sell collections all the time. A written quote and payment by check or electronic transfer give you a clear record for the estate file.
A note on timing
There is no best season to sell old postcards. Collectors buy year round, and a collection kept dry and out of the sun will not lose value while you decide. The only real deadline is usually a house sale or an estate closing, so if one is coming, get the quote early and keep the collection out of any estate sale until you have decided.
Sources and further reading
Ready to sell? Compare where to sell old postcards.