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Postcards by state · Pennsylvania

Old Pennsylvania postcards

Pennsylvania was among the most heavily photographed states of the postcard era, with anthracite and bituminous coal towns, Pittsburgh's steel mills, the birthplace of the oil industry, Philadelphia's neighborhoods, trolley lines everywhere and thousands of small towns.

By Mike Ferreira, postcard collector and buyer · Updated

What collectors want: real photo postcards of Pennsylvania coal mines, breakers and patch towns, steel mills and mill towns, oil country around Titusville and Oil City, trolley lines and stations, small-town main streets and depots, Pennsylvania Dutch farms, disasters and floods, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Common printed views of Philadelphia and Gettysburg landmarks are plentiful. I buy complete Pennsylvania collections by mail.

Have old Pennsylvania postcards to sell? Free quote by email, free insured label, and nothing ships until you agree. Get a free quote

Anthracite coal

Northeastern Pennsylvania's anthracite region, around Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Shamokin and Pottsville, was dominated by coal breakers, mines and patch towns. Breaker boys, miners, mules and colliery buildings appear on real photo cards that are collected by labor and industrial historians. Mine disasters and strikes were also photographed.

Bituminous coal and coke

Western Pennsylvania's bituminous fields supported thousands of mines and the beehive coke ovens of the Connellsville region. Patch towns built by coal companies, with rows of identical houses, appear on real photo cards. Many of these towns were photographed only a few times.

Steel

Pittsburgh and the towns along the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers, including Homestead, Braddock, McKeesport, Aliquippa and Johnstown, were the heart of the American steel industry. Real photos of mills, furnaces and workers are collected. Bethlehem, in the east, was home to Bethlehem Steel.

Oil country

The American oil industry began near Titusville in 1859, and the oil region around Oil City, Franklin and Bradford was crowded with derricks. Postcards show the oil fields, refineries and boom towns, including Pithole, which rose and vanished in a few years. Real photos of oil field scenes are popular.

Trolleys

Pennsylvania had a vast trolley network, with lines connecting cities and small towns and trolley parks at their ends. Real photos of trolley cars, stations and parks are collected by transportation enthusiasts.

Floods

The Johnstown flood of 1889, which killed more than 2,200 people, predates the postcard era, but later commemorative cards and views of the rebuilt town exist. The 1936 St. Patrick's Day flood hit Pittsburgh, Johnstown and many other towns, and real photos of it are collected.

Places and subjects to look for

  • The anthracite region: Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and patch towns.
  • Pittsburgh and the mill towns: Homestead, Braddock and McKeesport.
  • Oil country: Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Bradford.
  • Philadelphia: neighborhoods, street life and businesses.
  • Pennsylvania Dutch country: Lancaster County farms and towns.
  • Resorts: the Poconos, Eagles Mere and mountain hotels.
  • Small towns with main streets, depots and trolley stations.

Pennsylvania Dutch country

Lancaster County's farms, markets, covered bridges and towns appear on many cards. Early real photos of farm life and markets are collected; later chrome tourist cards of Amish subjects are common.

Real photos versus printed views

Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Valley Forge and resort areas were printed heavily. Real photos of coal towns, mills, oil fields, trolleys and small towns carry most of the value in a Pennsylvania collection.

What is common

Printed Philadelphia landmarks, Gettysburg monuments, Independence Hall and later chrome tourist cards are plentiful.

Why coal patch town cards matter

Coal patch towns were built by companies near their mines and were often abandoned or sold when the mines closed. Many disappeared entirely. Real photo postcards, made by local photographers for the miners and their families, are frequently the only images of these communities. Descendants of mining families from Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Wales, Ireland and elsewhere look for them, along with historians and collectors.

Railroads

The Pennsylvania Railroad, headquartered in Philadelphia, was among the largest corporations in the world, and its Horseshoe Curve near Altoona appears on many cards. The Reading, the Lehigh Valley and many short lines and logging railroads also served the state. Real photos of depots, trains and railroad shops in Altoona and elsewhere are collected by railroad enthusiasts.

Questions about Pennsylvania postcards

Are Pennsylvania coal mining postcards valuable? Real photos of breakers, mines, miners and patch towns are among the most collectible Pennsylvania cards.

Are oil country postcards collectible? Yes, especially real photos of derricks and boom towns.

Are Pittsburgh steel mill postcards worth anything? Real photos of mills and workers are collected; common printed views are modest.

Do you buy Pennsylvania collections? Yes, complete collections from anywhere in the state, by mail.

Selling by mail

Selling a Pennsylvania collection, start to finish

Step one

Describe the collection

Describe the collection on the quote form, wherever in Pennsylvania it is: roughly how many cards, what kinds, and a few photos.

Step two

Get a written quote

I reply by email with an offer for the whole collection, usually within two business days, with a note on what drove it.

Step three

Ship it on my label

Accept, and I email prepaid, insured labels, one per box. Drop the boxes at any carrier location in Pennsylvania or schedule a pickup.

Step four

Get paid

Payment by PayPal, check, Zelle or Venmo within two business days of arrival, or a free return if a revised offer doesn't suit you.

Guides

Guides for anyone with old Pennsylvania postcards

Railroad and depot postcards

Depots, trains, wrecks and trolleys: why railroad postcards are among the most wanted views.

Read the guide →

Occupational postcards

Real photos of people at work, from mines and mills to shops and switchboards.

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Disaster postcards

Real photo cards of floods, fires, storms and wrecks, made within days of the event.

Read the guide →

Real photo postcard values

What real photo postcards are worth, and why two RPPCs that look alike can differ tenfold in value.

Read the guide →

Where to sell old postcards

eBay, Delcampe, dealers, shows, auctions, antique malls and collection buyers, compared honestly.

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How to sell old postcards, step by step

From the first look through the box to getting paid: a practical, step-by-step plan.

Read the guide →

Frequently asked questions

I am handling an estate. What should I do with the postcard collection?
Leave it as you found it, don't split it up or throw away plain-looking cards, and get a quote on the whole thing first. A written offer gives the estate a clear figure, and payment comes with a paper trail. The inherited collections page covers the details.
How does selling my postcard collection work?
You fill in the quote form with a description and, ideally, a few photos. I reply by email, usually within two business days, with an offer for the whole collection. If you accept, I email a prepaid, insured shipping label. When the box arrives I check the cards and pay you within two business days by PayPal, check, Zelle or Venmo.
What if I have no idea what I have?
That's a very common situation, and it's fine. Describe what you can see in plain words (albums or boxes, roughly how many, black and white photographs or colored prints) and add a few photos. I'll tell you what it is.
Are you a dealer or an appraiser?
I'm a collector and a buyer. I don't charge for looking at a collection, and my quote is what I'd pay. If you need a formal written appraisal for insurance or tax purposes, an independent appraiser is the right person.
What kinds of old postcards do you buy?
Real photo postcards above all, especially small-town streets, storefronts, occupations and transportation. Also town views, embossed holiday cards (Halloween especially), topicals such as railroads, early cars, advertising, disasters and expositions, and whole inherited or estate collections. See what I buy.
How can I tell a real photo postcard from a printed one?
Look at the picture under a magnifier. A printed card shows tiny dots or a screen pattern; a real photograph is smooth, continuous gray. Real photo cards often have a paper maker's name such as AZO or VELOX in the stamp box, and many have white hand-lettered captions on the picture.

Read all 29 questions and answers

You never pay to ship, and you never sell at a price you didn't agree to

Once you accept the quote, I email a prepaid, insured shipping label. When the postcards arrive I go through them and pay you within two business days.

If what arrives is different from the photos and my offer has to change, you can say no, and I ship everything back to you at my expense.

  • PayPal
  • Check by mail
  • Zelle
  • Venmo
Ready to hear what your postcards are worth to me?Describe them, add a few photos, and the quote comes by email. Free, and nothing ships until you agree.
Get a free quoteSee how it works

A question first?

Something here you want to ask about?

Send a question about a card, an album or a whole estate. You don't need to be ready to sell to ask.

Ready? Describe your collection

I reply by email, usually within two business days. Selling? The quote form lets you add photos.