Vintage postcards and paper ephemera are some of the most overlooked—and most profitable—categories in the collectible world. Millions of pieces were produced over the past 150 years, yet only a small percentage carry significant value today. The challenge for collectors is knowing how to separate common, low-value examples from the rare, desirable, and investment-worthy pieces that serious dealers pursue.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 56 provides a complete professional framework for identifying, evaluating, and pricing postcards and ephemera with confidence. Whether you’re sorting through a family collection, sourcing from estate sales, or selling online, this guide gives you the same expert tools used by appraisers, dealers, historians, and archivists to determine true value.
Inside, you’ll learn how experts:
Identify postcard eras, including Pioneer, Undivided Back, Divided Back, White Border, Linen, and Chrome
Distinguish real photo postcards (RPPCs) from printed or mass-produced cards
Decode stamp boxes, manufacturer marks, and photographic studio identifiers
Evaluate condition, creasing, toning, trimming, cancellations, and edge wear
Understand which subjects and themes consistently command high prices
Recognize historically significant images, local-town rarities, and socially important scenes
Appraise ephemera categories such as advertising brochures, letters, trade cards, tickets, programs, ledgers, and early printed materials
Research market values using comparables, sold listings, and documented rarity
Avoid common pitfalls such as reprints, modern reproductions, and artificially aged cards
Volume 56 is designed for collectors, resellers, estate managers, historians, and anyone who handles vintage paper. The principles in this guide will help you identify hidden gems, avoid costly mistakes, and appraise postcards and ephemera with professional-level accuracy.
Digital Download — $49 • PDF • 9 Pages • Instant Access
Vintage postcards and paper ephemera are some of the most overlooked—and most profitable—categories in the collectible world. Millions of pieces were produced over the past 150 years, yet only a small percentage carry significant value today. The challenge for collectors is knowing how to separate common, low-value examples from the rare, desirable, and investment-worthy pieces that serious dealers pursue.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 56 provides a complete professional framework for identifying, evaluating, and pricing postcards and ephemera with confidence. Whether you’re sorting through a family collection, sourcing from estate sales, or selling online, this guide gives you the same expert tools used by appraisers, dealers, historians, and archivists to determine true value.
Inside, you’ll learn how experts:
Identify postcard eras, including Pioneer, Undivided Back, Divided Back, White Border, Linen, and Chrome
Distinguish real photo postcards (RPPCs) from printed or mass-produced cards
Decode stamp boxes, manufacturer marks, and photographic studio identifiers
Evaluate condition, creasing, toning, trimming, cancellations, and edge wear
Understand which subjects and themes consistently command high prices
Recognize historically significant images, local-town rarities, and socially important scenes
Appraise ephemera categories such as advertising brochures, letters, trade cards, tickets, programs, ledgers, and early printed materials
Research market values using comparables, sold listings, and documented rarity
Avoid common pitfalls such as reprints, modern reproductions, and artificially aged cards
Volume 56 is designed for collectors, resellers, estate managers, historians, and anyone who handles vintage paper. The principles in this guide will help you identify hidden gems, avoid costly mistakes, and appraise postcards and ephemera with professional-level accuracy.
Digital Download — $49 • PDF • 9 Pages • Instant Access
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