I'm one person, not a company, so every message and call reaches me directly. Because of that, I'm not always able to pick up the phone, and the fastest answers often come from this page itself. Below you'll find the best way to reach me for each kind of question, followed by answers to the questions people ask most.
The best way to reach me
About a card that's listed on eBay. Use the "Contact seller" or message button on the eBay listing. The message arrives with the listing attached, so I know exactly which card you mean, and there's a written record of the conversation for both of us. This is the best way to ask about condition, the back of a card, combined purchases or anything else to do with a specific listing.
About an order you've already placed. Message me through the order in your eBay account. That keeps everything about the order, including tracking and any problem, in one place where eBay can see it too.
About a card in the catalog on this site. Every card on this site has an item number, a short code like B003-042 that shows where it sits on my shelves. If the card is still for sale, its "See it on eBay" button takes you to the listing, where you can message me. If it has already sold, send me a note using the form at the top of this page and mention the item number.
Anything else. Use the note form at the top of this page, and I'll reply by email. If you'd rather talk, my number is below.
Phone
If I can't answer, please leave a message with your name, your number and what you're calling about. If your question is about a card, have the item number ready; it saves us both time.
Before you call: answers to common questions
Are your cards originals?
Yes. Every card I list as vintage is an original, printed or photographed in its own era. If you're ever unsure about a particular card, my guide on how to spot a reproduction postcard explains the clues, and I'm happy to tell you what I see on the card and why.
How do you date a card?
From the evidence printed on it: the design of the back, the paper maker's mark in the stamp box of a real photo, the publisher's code, the postage rate and the postmark. Each listing says which clue the date comes from, and when the evidence only supports a range, the listing gives the range. The full method is in my guide on how to date an old postcard.
What do your condition grades mean?
I grade every card on a five-step scale, excellent, very good, good, fair and poor, and then describe each flaw in plain words. The where to buy page has a table explaining exactly what each grade means. The scans always show the flaws too, so you can judge for yourself.
How are cards packed?
Every card ships in a protective sleeve, inside a rigid holder or a stiff mailer, so it can't bend in the mail. If a card ever arrives looking different from its listing, message me through the eBay order and I'll make it right.
What if something goes wrong with an order?
Message me through the eBay order first. Purchases on eBay are also covered by eBay's own buyer protection, so you're protected even beyond my own promise to put things right.
Can you find a card of a particular town?
I add new cards regularly, and each one is filed by state and town in the catalog on this site. The most reliable way to hear about a card from a particular place is to save a search for it on eBay, with the town and state, and turn on alerts. You'll be told the moment one is listed, whether it's mine or anyone else's.
Can you tell me what my own postcards are worth?
I'm not able to appraise cards over the phone or from photos. But my guide on what makes a postcard valuable walks through the factors that matter, scarcity, subject, condition and demand, and my guide on real photo postcards explains why some small-town photographs are worth much more than printed views. Checking completed sales on eBay for similar cards is the best way to see what they actually sell for.
I found a mistake in a description
Thank you. Postmarks are faint, captions are vague and places get misidentified, and I'd rather fix an error than leave it. Send me a note using the form at the top of this page, and mention the item number and what you noticed. I'll check the card and correct the description here and on eBay.
A card on your site shows my family's name or address
If you'd like the transcription hidden or the address blurred, let me know and I'll take care of it, no explanation needed. The privacy page explains how I handle names and messages on old cards. And if you're a descendant of someone named on a card, I'd be glad to hear from you.
Can I use the scans on your site for research?
You're welcome to view, zoom into and print the scans for personal research such as family history. If you're writing a local history or putting together an exhibit and want to use an image, please ask first.
Do you sell anywhere besides eBay?
Original cards are sold only through my eBay store, and this site is the catalog that goes with it. Separately, I'm preparing framed prints and digital scans of my best cards, clearly sold as reproductions, which will be available on Etsy. The where to buy page explains how my listings are organized, from single cards to mixed lots.
Writing a message that gets a quick answer
A clear first message usually means a single reply instead of several back and forth. A few things help:
- Name the card. The item number is best. Failing that, the listing title or the web address of the card's page.
- Ask one specific question. "Is there a crease under the stamp?" is easier to answer well than "Tell me about this card."
- Say what you're hoping to learn. If you're researching a family member, a building or a town, a sentence of background helps me point you to the right detail on the card.
- Mention any deadline. If a card is a gift for a particular date, say so, and I'll tell you honestly whether it can arrive in time.
Questions about the back of a card
The back of an old postcard often holds the most interesting details, and they can be hard to read in a scan. If you'd like a closer look at a postmark, a stamp, a publisher's code or a line of handwriting, ask through the eBay listing. I can look at the card under magnification and tell you what I can make out. When something can't be read, I'll say so rather than guess, because a confident wrong reading is worse than an honest "illegible."
Questions about shipping
Every order is packed by me, in a protective sleeve and a rigid holder or stiff mailer, and shipped with the tracking that eBay provides for the order. The tracking details appear on your eBay order as soon as the card is on its way, so that's the quickest place to check where a package is. Postcard-sized mailers sometimes take a day or two longer than larger parcels, especially around holidays. If tracking hasn't moved for several days, or the card arrives damaged, message me through the order and I'll sort it out with you.
Research and history questions
People sometimes write about the places and people on old cards: when a building burned, who ran a store, what became of a family. I'm glad to share anything the card itself shows, but I'm not a historical society or a genealogy service, and I can't research families or properties on request. Local historical societies, town libraries and county records offices are usually the best next step, and my post on postcards and genealogy explains how to use a card's names, postmarks and addresses as starting points.
Selling me your cards
If you have old postcards you'd like to sell, whether a whole collection or a small lot, the sell me your postcards page explains how it works and has a form where you can tell me about them and send photos. That's the quickest way to get an answer, because I can see the cards before we talk.
Learning more on your own
A lot of the questions I'm asked are about old postcards in general rather than my cards in particular. These pages answer most of them:
- How to date an old postcard: back designs, stamp boxes, publisher codes and postmarks.
- Real photo postcards, explained: how to tell a photograph from a printed card.
- How to read a postmark: the parts of a postmark and what they tell you.
- How to store old postcards: sleeves, boxes, light and humidity.
- Postcards and genealogy: using old cards for family history research.
- The collector's notes and the blog for everything else.
About me
I'm Mike, a vintage postcard collector. I buy, research, scan, describe and ship every card myself. You can read more about how I work, and why I scan the back of every card, on my about page.
Thank you for taking the time to read this far. If your question still isn't answered, I look forward to hearing from you.