The common grades
There is no single official grading standard for postcards, but collectors and dealers broadly use these terms:
| Grade | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Mint | As made: no wear, sharp corners, no writing or postmark |
| Near mint | Nearly perfect, perhaps the faintest handling or a clean postmark |
| Excellent | Light wear, very slight corner touches, clean picture |
| Very good | Some corner wear, light soiling or toning, still an attractive card |
| Good | Noticeable wear, soft corners, light creases, minor stains |
| Fair | Heavy wear, creases or stains that affect the picture |
| Poor | Major damage: tears, missing pieces, heavy staining |
Most old postcards from collections fall in the very good to good range, and that is normal for cards a century old.
What counts as damage
Creases. A crease across the picture is the most common serious fault. A light corner bend matters less than a fold through the image.
Corners. Rounded or blunted corners are expected; torn or missing corners are a significant fault.
Stains and toning. Even age toning is normal. Water stains, foxing (brown spots), coffee rings and dark album stains lower value.
Mold. Fuzzy or spotted mold damages cards and can spread. Keep moldy cards apart from the rest.
Album and scrapbook residue. Glue, paper remnants and tape on the back reduce value, and on the front they reduce it much more.
Trimming. Cards cut down to fit an album or frame lose most of their value to collectors.
Surface loss. Scuffs, rubbed embossing and flaking on the picture side, and silvering on real photographs.
What usually does not count against a card
- A handwritten message on the back.
- A postmark and stamp.
- Light, even age toning.
- Slight softening of the corners.
- Writing on the front of undivided-back cards from before 1907, where it was required.
How condition affects value
Condition works as a multiplier on the card's underlying desirability. A rare real photo card in fair condition can still be worth more than a common card in mint condition, because subject and scarcity come first. Among copies of the same card, though, a sharp, clean example can be worth several times a creased or stained one.
How to describe condition when selling
Describe what you see in plain words: "light corner wear", "crease through upper left", "water stain at bottom", "glue on back from album". Honest descriptions build trust and prevent disputes. When you request a quote from me, you do not need to grade anything; the photos show condition well enough, and I allow for normal age in every quote.
Protecting condition from now on
- Do not clean, erase, trim, flatten or repair cards.
- Handle cards by the edges with clean, dry hands.
- Keep them dry, out of sunlight, and away from attics and basements.
- Avoid rubber bands, paper clips and tape.
The storage guide covers the details.
Condition and different kinds of cards
Condition matters more for some kinds of cards than others. For printed holiday cards, where many examples of each design survive, collectors can be choosy and pay a real premium for clean, bright copies with sharp embossing. For real photo cards of small towns, where a particular view might survive in only a few copies, collectors are more forgiving: a scarce view in good condition can still be very desirable, because there may be no better copy to wait for.
The same logic applies to whole collections. A collection of common cards in poor condition has little value, because there are plenty of better copies of the same cards. A collection with scarce real photos is still valuable even if some cards show wear.
Common causes of damage, and how to stop them
- Damp storage causes stains, curling and mold. Move cards out of basements, garages and outbuildings.
- Heat and light fade color and make paper brittle. Keep albums away from windows, attics and radiators.
- Rubber bands stain and dent cards over time. Replace them with paper bands or simply stand cards in a box.
- Tape and glue cause permanent stains. Never use them for repairs.
- Stacking heavy objects on albums cracks spines and crushes embossing.
Most damage happens slowly in storage. Moving a collection somewhere dry and stable is the single best thing you can do for its condition.
Condition in your photos
You do not need to inspect each card under a lamp before asking for a quote. Daylight photos show most of what matters: creases catch the light, stains and foxing show as discoloration, and missing corners are obvious. If you notice serious problems, such as water damage across many cards or a box that smells musty, mention it in your description so the quote reflects it from the start rather than changing later.
A word about restoration
Some people ask whether cards can be professionally restored. For paper ephemera like postcards, restoration is rarely worthwhile: it costs more than most cards are worth, and collectors generally prefer honest, unrestored cards with visible age to cards that have been cleaned, retouched or repaired. If you have a card you believe is exceptionally rare, get an expert opinion before anyone touches it.
Questions people ask
Does a postmark lower a postcard's grade?
Generally no for collectors of views and real photos. Some holiday and topical collectors prefer unused cards.
Can I flatten a curled or bent postcard?
Not safely at home. Flattening attempts often crack the surface or leave marks. Leave it as it is.
Is foxing serious?
Light foxing is common and only modestly affects value; heavy foxing across the picture matters more.
What about real photos that look silvery?
Silvering is a metallic sheen in dark areas of old photographs. Light silvering is common; heavy silvering obscuring the image lowers value.
Sources and further reading
- Library of Congress: care, handling and storage of works on paper
- Library of Congress: care, handling and storage of photographs
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