Skip to content
I Buy PostcardsOne collector, buying by mail nationwide

Postcards by state · Virginia

Old Virginia postcards

Virginia's old postcards cover Richmond's tobacco factories and monuments, the navy and shipyards of Hampton Roads, the 1907 Jamestown Exposition, coal towns in the southwest, springs resorts in the mountains, and the courthouse towns and depots of the Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley.

By Mike Ferreira, postcard collector and buyer · Updated

What collectors want: real photo postcards of Virginia small towns and courthouse villages, coal mines and towns in the southwest, tobacco factories and markets, Hampton Roads shipyards, the navy and military camps, mountain springs resorts, the Shenandoah Valley, railroads and depots, and the Chesapeake shore. Cards from the 1907 Jamestown Exposition are collected by exposition specialists. Common printed views of Richmond monuments and historic sites are plentiful. I buy complete Virginia collections by mail.

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

Richmond

Richmond's Monument Avenue, the capitol, tobacco factories, the James River and city streets appear on many cards. Printed views of monuments and landmarks are common. Real photos of street life, factories and neighborhoods are more interesting, as are cards of businesses that have disappeared.

Hampton Roads

Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Hampton surround one of the great harbors of the world. The Newport News shipyard built warships and liners, the Norfolk Navy Yard and naval base grew rapidly, and the Great White Fleet departed from Hampton Roads in 1907. Real photos of ships, shipyards and sailors are popular with maritime and military collectors.

The Jamestown Exposition

The 1907 Jamestown Exposition, held near Norfolk to mark the 300th anniversary of Jamestown, produced many official cards, collected by exposition specialists. Unusual exhibits and real photos are more collectible than common official views.

Coal country

Southwest Virginia's coal fields, around Pocahontas, Big Stone Gap, Norton, Appalachia and Dante, supported mines and company towns. Real photos of tipples, miners and coal camps are historically significant and collected.

Tobacco

Tobacco factories in Richmond, Danville and Lynchburg and auction warehouses in Southside towns were central to Virginia's economy. Real photos of warehouses, sales and factory workers are collected.

Springs resorts

The mountains had famous springs resorts, including the Homestead at Hot Springs and many others where visitors took the waters. Early cards of these resorts, many now gone, are collected.

Places and subjects to look for

  • Richmond: tobacco factories, Monument Avenue and streets.
  • Hampton Roads: shipyards, the navy and the 1907 exposition.
  • Southwest Virginia: coal towns and mines.
  • Southside: Danville and tobacco markets.
  • The Shenandoah Valley: towns, caverns and farms.
  • The mountains: springs resorts and the Blue Ridge.
  • The Eastern Shore: fishing villages and Chincoteague.

Military camps

Camp Lee near Petersburg and other World War I camps, and Fort Monroe at Hampton, appear on cards. Real photos of camp life are collected by military collectors.

Caverns and the Valley

Luray Caverns and other caverns in the Shenandoah Valley were popular tourist attractions, and early views are collected. The valley's towns, farms and railroads appear on real photo cards.

Real photos versus printed views

Richmond monuments, Mount Vernon, Williamsburg and historic sites were printed in quantity. Real photos of coal towns, tobacco markets, small towns, shipyards and resorts carry most of the value in a Virginia collection.

What is common

Printed Richmond monuments, Mount Vernon, Arlington and later chrome Williamsburg and Skyline Drive cards are plentiful.

Why Virginia small-town cards matter

Virginia's courthouse villages, depots and crossroads communities were often photographed only by local photographers in short runs. Some of those places changed greatly as highways bypassed them and railroads closed. Real photos of their main streets, stores and depots may be the only early images that survive, which is why Virginia local historians and collectors pursue them.

Railroads

The Norfolk and Western, the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Southern and the Virginian railways crossed the state, hauling coal from the mountains to the ports at Hampton Roads. Roanoke grew as a railroad city around the Norfolk and Western's shops. Real photos of depots, trains, coal piers and railroad shops are collected by railroad enthusiasts.

Disasters and events

Virginia real photographers recorded floods, fires, train wrecks and storms, along with county fairs, parades and Confederate veterans' reunions. Event real photos from identified towns are prized.

Questions about Virginia postcards

Are Jamestown Exposition postcards valuable? Common official views are modest; unusual exhibits and real photos are more collectible.

Are Virginia coal town postcards collectible? Yes, real photos of mines, tipples and camps are collected.

Are Hampton Roads navy postcards worth anything? Real photos of named ships and shipyards are popular with maritime collectors.

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

Selling by mail

Selling a Virginia collection, start to finish

Step one

Describe the collection

Describe the collection on the quote form, wherever in Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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.

Read the guide →

World's fair and exposition postcards

Souvenir cards from American world's fairs, 1893 to 1939, and the ones collectors seek.

Read the guide →

What an old postcard album is worth

How old postcard albums are valued, and why the cards should stay exactly where they are.

Read the guide →

The most valuable kinds of postcards

The kinds of postcards collectors pay the most for, and what makes each one special.

Read the guide →

How to ship postcards safely

Packing one card or a whole collection so it arrives exactly as it left.

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.