Post Card Dealers

[obcbobd]

Has anyone had much luck buying baseball subjects (thinking mainly Exhibits) from postcard dealers? Went to a show the other day and a lot of dealers had Exhibits from the 50's in the $10-15 (price written in pencil on back) range. Cards that I'd usually pay $2-5 for. This seems to be the norm when I go to Flea Markets and the like. Perhaps you've been luckier?

thanks

Bob

[Joe Hunter]

Bob: I've been able to purchase a few RPPC's of baseball subjects, Red Belt Series PC's and a couple of other more obscure issues that postcard dealers might not be familiar with. I've also found that at most pc shows at least a couple of dealers will have some other baseball related items that they may sell at bargain rates. However, when it comes to exhibits, my experience is that they are usually priced higher than what you could get them for from a baseball card dealer or online. I actually enjoy going to pc shows, there just aren't many of them.

[slidekellyslide]

I go to postcard shows and know a lot of postcard dealers. They all seem to know that baseball subjects are generally good, and have priced them accordingly, but they also let a lot of stuff fall through the cracks because they just don't know much about baseball. I found a real photo postcard of a Superior, Nebraska team with Dazzy Vance on it for next to nothing at a local postcard/paper show a few years back. Then of course they will have common exhibit cards like you said priced at $10 to $15.

[BeanTown]

Ive never been to a postcard show. But one question I have for postcard dealers are why do they write the price of the postcard in pen or pencil on the back!!!

[egbeachley]

Originally Posted by BeanTown

Ive never been to a postcard show. But one question I have for postcard dealers are why do they write the price of the postcard in pen or pencil on the back!!!

I'm guessing its so you know how much they are asking.

[Exhibitman]

Hit and miss. I rarely find a baseball postcard on the cheap but when I do it is an absolute steal, so I keep trying.

And yes, the whole writing thing is bizarre. I can understand it on a cheap one but on one ticketed at hundreds of dollars...I guess they figure since most postcards have writing why not go ahead.

[Jeffrompa]

I've been involved with postcards most of my life can't tell you how many prices , identification marks I've erased from postcards that's been going on for at least 60 years .

[philliesfan]

When I was about 12 years old I picked up about 6 exhibits, 2 Mantles, 2 Mays, an Aaron and a Musial for about $10.00 at a flea market in New Hope, PA.
I knew they were valuable........................except they turned out to be reprints.

[swarmee]

Exactly; many dealers write prices directly on cards because condition isn't as critical as it is in other collecting genres. And because it's fairly easy for someone to change a priced sleeve from a $1 card to a $50 card because postcard dealers are generally very spread out and have tons of inventory to watch. So writing it directly on the card reduces the chance of fraud.

[slidekellyslide]

Postcard collectors, a group which I belong to, don't have the same mindset as sports card collectors. Collectors are not sending in their Oskaloosa post office postcard to be graded and I doubt that it will ever come to that. The condition does matter, but writing a price in pencil or even a location that can be erased is no big deal and never has been.

[swarmee]

I turned some $1 1964 Beatles postcards into $35 each by having them PSA graded.