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Posted By: davidcycleback

As per intent of issue, I like a nice handwritten note on a postcard, but wouldn't want to to be all over the place or messy or the ink bleeding to the front. How is writing graded, anyway? For neatness and penmanship and tone of ink?

Grading a postcard is subjective-- taste in what one wants is subjective. If I like writing and postmark on a postcard, I'm not about to fault someone who prefers an unused one. In fact, a collector can reasonably like both kinds equally.

The grading should be sane and consistent and methods known, if there is grading. From there, the buyer decides whether or not the handwriting and postmark is desirable.

Not everthing in this world is a baseball card and should judged and graded as if it's a baseball card. A Topps and a postcard are a lot alike and can be judged for physical condition, but they were made for different purposes. A postcard was made and expected to have writing and stamps on it, a Topps was not. The presence of a postal stamp on a Topps card is judged differently than a stamp on a postcard. Just as the presence of dirt stains on a Topps and a game used Yankees jersey are judged differently. Can you believe it that the game used jersey collector finds authentic dirt stains to be desirable and will pay more for them?

I've mused about the professional grading of cards and determining of a grade is subjective. Does the presence of a postmark and stamp lower the grade? Depends on how you look at it. Does the presence of neat handwriting raise or lower the condition? Depends on how you look at it. These questions can't be answered objectively. One's answer involves aesthetics, personal taste, upbringing, what one collects (Document collectors want historical letters and signatures and postal documentations, so don't want a blank postcard). Some will consider writing as a positive and some and some a detriment to condition and quality and, guess what, neither is right or wrong. At sale, describing the physical condition and picturing the writing and stamps (or lack thereof) is important and a good way to portray the card and it's condition. Someone saying "Card is Near Mint but (or and) has a note and stamp" is a reasonable way to describe state. Describing a postcard's as grade of 3 or 10 or A or B or Hexon is almost silly.

Now, as already noted, if you know how a graded grades than you know the bias in the system. If a company lowers the grade by 3 points if there is writing, then you know the grade was lowered by 3 points due to the writing.