Keen To Start Postcard Collecting?

Postcard collecting is a fun hobby and passion, and one of the most interesting things to collect are fine art postcards. But that's just the beginning!

There's a pandora's box of postcard styles out there you can find yourself getting wowed by.

So how do you start collecting postcards?

The general hobbiest or enthusiast collects a range of bizarre and unusual things from wooden eggs and designer rugs as art.

To limited edition plates, Christmas ornaments and exquisite figurines!

Add fine art paintings and antique postcards to that list and you begin to see how expansive collecting can seem!

Starting Your Postcard Collection

When it comes to collecting postcards, the real joy is when you discover an artist whose works you not only appreciate, but makes you go wow.

You can also look at those sorts of postcards as potential long-term collectables too.

A fast way to get acquainted with this is by going to eBay and browsing for fine art postcards or antique postcards.

Collecting fine art postcards

Or whichever particular postcard collectors take your fancy!

There's actually a bunch of eBay postcard stores that offer everything from travel and modern postcards, oversized and unusual postcards, to selling old postcards.

All for a princely sum of course.

As a potential collector, it's your call on whether you want to hone in on one particular postcard artist (past or present), or...

Simply choose from the works of many artists.

On the other hand, you can allow yourself to collect fine art postcards or a postcard theme you enjoy, such as cigars, wild animals, or piano music!

One thing that makes card collecting so attractive is that you can start collecting at super low cost.

In comparison to paying hundreds for a top notch oil painting, you can start establishing your card collection for under $10.00.

One postcard at a time of course!

I noticed eBay actually has pages of postcard stores with some impressive antique postcards (and new-ish too) that range from a couple of dollars to under $100.00.

The quality looks pretty good, and the styles varied. Postcards are a good place to start your collection.

A selection of vintage postcards on eBay

Another option is to pop into your local art museum gift shop. Look around and you'll find excellent fine art postcards printed with some of their more notable acquisitions. Or even modern postcards (by up and coming artists) that are sold as high quality, glossy postcards.

These sorts of local museum gift stores often have postcards that would interest overseas buyers, or are good for postcard swapping.

Postcard Collectors On eBay

As we mentioned, eBay is a good source of art or postcard resources, or whatever type of art or collectible you fancy. In fact, if you are just starting out, the choices and options can be overwhelming!

Browse to your heart's content, and make bids on the particular postcards you like. (See the eBay postcard stores above and below for an example).

Other ideas for inexpensively collecting postcards are scouring flea markets, thrift shops, and local garage sales. You never know what treasure someone else may be getting rid of!

One nice thing about collecting postcards is that artists can be found in every part of the world. The collector of postcards should scout the local art shows, museums, and artist's hangouts to find out just what sort of talent can be had less expensively and close to home.

Because of the 'local' flavor of some collectibles, postcards make good travel souvenirs. Scratch the surface for 'local-based' artists who create art particularly for postcards.

And when you get a lucky find, send one to me!