RPPC's--Looking for some expertise--

[Michael B]

I do not think you got an absolute answer to your question though several, including Steve offered the correct opinion to a point. These are absolutely not RPPC's. It is a case of forest for the trees. You gave all of the correct information and no one fully addressed the issue. RPPC's and most standard postcards are 3½ x 5½ inches, period. They are also thicker than a photograph at about one-half a millimeter. A regular photo on non fiber paper is usually one-half to a little over one-half that thickness. Since RPPC's are on thicker paper, which is pretty much cardstock, they tend to curl a lot less. With many of the older ones the finish is matte not glossy,, though I do have one from 1908 with the glossy finish. The later one's which one person showed were printed on a glossy stock which was possibly RC (resin coated) paper. I have seen a few photos printed on the RPPC paper without the back markings. I also have a few photos that were printed on that paper with some of the back markings but are much smaller at about 3½ x 3½, but I believe they were done that way on purpose. Most true RPPC's will have some markings on the back to indicate it is a postcard. I believe the person who is selling those photos is full of dog excrement. He went to a lot of trouble to erase the extra wording on the back, while damaging them, to try to foist them off as RPPC's. The images below show RPPC's from 1920 and 1924 with margin and non-margin fronts and very simple and fuller RPPC backs. I did make statements that seem to be absolutes. There are exceptions, but I feel that what I said is a good overall guideline.