Old postcards, state by state

Why postcards are collected by place

During the golden age of postcards, roughly 1905 to 1915, Americans mailed billions of cards, and most of them showed a place: a main street, a depot, a courthouse, a factory, a beach, a hotel. Today, the largest group of postcard collectors are people who collect the places they care about. Some collect a whole state. Many collect a single county or town, often the one their family came from. Others collect a subject, such as railroad depots or lighthouses, across every state.

That's why the state and town a card shows matter so much to its value. A real photo of a busy main street in a small town that was photographed only a few times can attract strong interest from collectors of that town, while a printed view of a famous landmark that was sold by the thousand is usually common.

Real photos versus printed views

In every state, the same pattern holds. Publishers printed views of big cities, famous landmarks, resorts and tourist sights in large numbers, and those cards survive in quantity. Local photographers made real photo postcards of small towns, workplaces, farms, mines, camps and events, usually in small numbers. Most of the value in a typical state collection is in those real photos. See real photo postcards for how to recognize them.

What each state page covers

Each state page below explains the subjects collectors look for in that state, the places worth watching for, which cards are common and the questions people ask most about selling old postcards from that state. The pages are written for people who have a collection in hand, often inherited, and want to understand it before selling.

Mixed collections are normal

Most collections aren't neatly sorted by state. A family album may hold cards from a hometown, from every place relatives traveled and from friends across the country. That's normal and fine. I buy complete collections, mixed or sorted, from every state, and I look at every card. There's no need to sort a collection by state before asking for a quote; just describe it as it is, and add photos if you can. See how to sell old postcards.

How the quote works

Tell me about the collection on the sell your collection page, with photos if possible. I review it and send a free quote. If you accept, I send a prepaid shipping label, the cards come to me insured, I confirm the count and condition, and I pay the agreed amount. If anything doesn't match and you decide not to sell, I ship the whole collection back at my expense. See how it works for each step.

Postcards from outside the United States

Collections often include cards from Canada, Europe and elsewhere, mailed by travelers or relatives. I buy those too, as part of a complete collection. See foreign postcards for what to expect.

What makes a state view stand out

Across all 50 states, a few things consistently make a view card more interesting to collectors:

• A small place. Towns, villages and camps that were photographed only a few times.
• People and activity. Crowds, workers, wagons, parades and businesses with signs.
• Work and industry. Mines, mills, logging, farms, canneries and factories.
• Events. Floods, fires, tornadoes, wrecks, celebrations and fairs, especially with a date.
• Things that are gone. Depots, hotels, trolley lines, amusement parks and stores that no longer exist.
• A readable postmark or caption that ties the card to a place and time.

Regions at a glance

The states below are grouped into four regions. In the Northeast, mill towns, fishing ports and village centers dominate. In the South, look for cotton and tobacco towns, mill villages, coal camps and river landings. The Midwest is the land of prairie towns, grain elevators, interurbans and lumber camps. The West brings mining camps, boom towns, logging, ranches, rodeos and early national parks. Every region also has its share of common tourist views, so the subject and the type of card always matter more than the state alone.

Common state questions

Are postcards from my state worth more than others? Not by state alone. What matters is the place, the subject, the type of card and the condition. Every state has both common and scarce cards.

Should I separate my cards by state before selling? No. Describe the collection as it is. Sorting isn't needed for a quote.

What if most of my cards are tourist views? That's common. Mention any real photos or small-town views you notice, and I'll look at everything.

Do you buy collections that are all from one state? Yes. Single-state collections, often assembled by a local collector over many years, are welcome, as are collections of a single town or county.