Fooled By Fakes

Antique and Vintage Postcards

July 2, 2013

Postcards go far beyond being an inexpensive means of communication; they are pieces of history, miniature works of art, holiday celebrations, photographic records, and so much more. The focus of a collection can be anything from a particular holiday, to those created by a certain artist, to political cards. One friend of mine collects antique postcards showing the main streets of small U.S. towns, while another enjoys Victorian Santa cards. A collection can be as focused or as broad as the collector chooses.
United States postcards have a long, colorful history dating back to the mid-19th century. While the first known US postcard was mailed in the mid-1800s, it had no images and there were no regulations distinguishing cards from letters. By the late 1800s, government regulations were passed, size requirements were established, and in 1897, the first commercial picture postcards appeared as souvenirs for the World’s Columbian Expo in Chicago. (That’s an extremely abbreviated history!)
Many antique and vintage postcards have been reproduced throughout the years, and some of those reproductions were never meant to deceive collectors. On the other hand, more valuable postcards have been copied and misrepresented as authentically old examples. There are some clues to help distinguish the difference, or at the very least, to give buyers enough pause for further investigation.
You can start with a simple visual exam. Does the back of the postcard show any traces of another postcard’s image? When a valuable antique postcard is reproduced, the printer will most likely make multiple copies and try to sell them through different venues. Many times, the cards will be stacked before the fronts are completely dry, and colors or partial images of pictures or print can be seen on the backs. The different printing process of a hundred years ago made it impossible for images to transfer. Postcards were cut from sheets after the ink dried, eliminating the possibility of color or print transfer. Another mistake that can come from modern printing is misaligned stamp sections; you may only see a portion of the stamp area printed on the card.
Bright image colors are red flags. Antique postcards had muted tones and were not vivid, so bright colors would indicate a contemporary card. Another telltale sign is how the ink was applied; if you can erase the print off of a postcard, it’s not an antique. Old printing processes soaked ink into the paper, so an eraser wouldn’t be able to remove print the way it can with a card printed in modern times, where the print merely lies on the surface.
Should the particular postcard you’re looking at have a border? If it should and doesn’t, someone may have clipped the border off to eliminate a modern printer’s mark. If it doesn’t and should, it’s either a reproduction or has been altered, which will lower its value. Finally, take note as to whether the card you’re looking at should be embossed. Fakers generally print cards without embossing them, but some antique postcards had raised areas, particularly old Halloween cards, which can carry hefty price tags. A good reference book can help you with that determination.
When fraudsters create many copies of valuable postcards, they typically try to sell them through different venues, whether online or at flea markets, postcard shows, or in shops. However, there have been cases where one person has a number of identical reproduced “antique” postcards in such good condition that an unwary buyer may think he hit the jackpot. A story usually accompanies these too-good-to-be-true finds, most likely having to do with an incredible untouched stash found tucked away in boxes from an old general store or in great-grandpa’s attic. While some unique finds like this can very rarely happen, it’s best to treat such stories with caution and test the cards carefully. You may be able to find numbers of unused vintage postcards, particularly chrome and linen examples, because they were sold to dealers in large lots, but this wasn’t the case with true antiques.
Postcard backs can be even more helpful in recognizing a reproduction than the images on the front. Look for small print that may have the name of a contemporary printing company. The design of the postcard back is also important. They changed throughout the years, so the style should match the time period it’s purportedly from. Also, different printers used different print styles on the back, so if you have a group of cards that should be from different printers but they all have the exact same back, you have a batch of modern reproductions. The Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City (http://www.metropostcard.com) has a wonderful guide to printing techniques used through the years on their website.
Some old photo postcards (called Real Photo Postcards or RPPCs, which are photographic images of people and places) are being reproduced and sold as authentic pieces. You can tell modern reproductions because although they appear to be photographs at first glance, a magnifier will show the telltale dots of contemporary printing. The pictures on actual RPPCs are solid, with no dots. You’ll find a lot of these repros being sold online because it’s harder for buyers to see the dots unless the site has a good magnification tool.
Besides using reliable reference books, the best way to become knowledgeable in identifying reproduction postcards is to compare authentic pieces to repros side by side; the differences will pop, and you’ll start recognizing reproductions on their own. As with everything, there are exceptions to every rule, but these guidelines will help in the vast majority of cases. Join a postcard collecting club to network with fellow collectors and get some hands-on experience. There are many such societies and clubs from Hawaii to New York who welcome new members.
All photos are via Wikipedia.


At A Glance:

Signs of a Reproduction:

1. Print that comes off with an eraser.

2. Postcard backs with color or print “ghosts” from another card.

3. Bright or neon colors.

4. Misaligned or cut off portions of stamp areas.

5. RPPC with printing dots.

6. Purportedly antique postcards in mint condition should raise a flag of caution.


Reference books, websites, and collecting groups are the best ways to keep from being fooled by fakes. Here are a few: Postcard Collector (www.postcardcollector.org); “The Golden Age of Postcards,” by Benjamin H. Penniston; “Halloween Postcards,” by Gary and Louise Carpentier.

 

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