Which postcards sell on eBay
Buyers on eBay search for specific things: a town name, a county, a railroad, a holiday, a topic. Cards sell when a searcher finds exactly what they were looking for. That is why the cards that do best are the specific ones:
- Real photo postcards with a readable caption, sign or postmark that identifies the place.
- Small-town main streets and depots, especially with people, wagons, trolleys or cars.
- Occupational and industrial scenes: mines, mills, lumber camps, shop interiors.
- Events: floods, fires, wrecks, parades, county fairs.
- Early holiday cards, especially Halloween, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving designs from about 1905 to 1915.
Generic scenes, famous landmarks and modern tourist cards struggle, because there are thousands of identical listings competing for a small number of buyers.
Photographing postcards for eBay
Scan or photograph the front and the back of every card. A flatbed scanner gives the cleanest results; a phone works if you shoot straight down in even daylight without flash. Show the whole card including the edges and corners, since buyers judge condition from them. Never crop out damage. Honest photos prevent returns.
Writing titles that get found
The title is where buyers search, so lead with what they type:
- Type: RPPC for real photo cards, or postcard for printed ones.
- Place: town and state, and the county if the town is small.
- Subject: main street, depot, general store, flood, Halloween.
- Era clue or postmark year if known.
A title like "RPPC Main Street Wagons Smithville Ohio Wayne County c1910" works far better than "Old Postcard Street Scene".
Pricing
Look up sold listings, not active ones. Asking prices tell you what sellers hope for; sold prices tell you what buyers pay. For common cards, there may be no sold examples at all, which is itself useful information. Many sellers group common cards into lots by state or topic rather than listing them singly.
Costs to expect
eBay charges a final value fee on each sale, with payment processing built in, and in collectibles categories the total commonly lands somewhere in the low-to-mid teens as a percentage of the sale, plus a small per-order amount. Add your supplies and postage, and the cost of your time. For a card that sells for five dollars, very little is left.
How to ship postcards safely
- Put each card in a clear sleeve.
- Sandwich it between two pieces of stiff cardboard, slightly larger than the card.
- Mail it in a rigid or padded envelope marked Do not bend.
- For valuable cards, use a trackable service.
A single loose postcard in a plain envelope can be bent by mail sorting machines, and bent corners are the most common complaint from buyers.
When eBay makes sense, and when it does not
eBay makes sense when you have a modest number of good cards, the time to list them carefully, and patience for slow sellers. It makes less sense for a large collection of mixed cards. Listing a thousand postcards properly can take weeks, and the common cards may never sell at all.
A middle path some people take: get a quote for the whole collection first, so you know what it is worth as a lot. If the number seems low next to what you could earn by listing, list. If listing hundreds of cards does not appeal, sell it whole. Note that my quotes are for complete collections as they are, so it is one route or the other rather than both. The where to sell guide compares all the options.
A word on condition and descriptions
Describe condition plainly: corner wear, creases, stains, writing, postmarks, album marks on the back. Buyers of old postcards expect age and do not mind honest wear, but they do mind surprises. Writing and postmarks are not faults; damage to the front is what matters most. The condition guide explains how collectors describe it.
Questions people ask
How much do old postcards sell for on eBay?
It varies enormously. Many common cards do not sell at all or sell for a dollar or two in lots. Good real photo cards of small towns often sell for several dollars to tens of dollars, and exceptional ones for much more. Always check sold listings, not asking prices.
Should I sell postcards individually or in lots on eBay?
Individually for cards that are clearly identifiable and desirable; in lots for common cards grouped by state or topic. Lots save time but bring less per card.
Do I need to scan both sides?
Yes. Buyers want to see the back for the era, publisher, postmark and condition, and listings without backs tend to sell for less.
What is the most common mistake?
Overpricing common cards based on asking prices, and underpricing real photo cards because they look plain. The second is the costlier mistake.
Before you list: three quick checks
- Is it a real photograph? Check under a magnifier for printing dots. Real photos are smooth. They are usually the cards worth listing singly.
- Can the place be identified? A caption, sign or postmark that names a town makes a card searchable. Anonymous scenes sell poorly.
- Is the front intact? Creases across the picture, missing corners and stains cut the price sharply. Writing on the back does not.
Cards that pass all three are the ones that justify individual listings. The rest are better sold in lots, or as part of the collection.
The more care you put into the first twenty listings, the faster you will learn what sells.
Sources and further reading
Ready to sell? Compare where to sell old postcards, or see how to sell old postcards step by step.