Pipes and Postcards

     In this post, I would like to share with you, dear reader, my collection of postcards relating to pipes and tobacco. Unless otherwise noted, the following images are from my own collection and were photographed by me. 

     In collecting pipe-related ephemera, there are many options. Advertisements, such as the Zippo ad above, and these vintage ads that I have hung in my home office. 

Additionally, one can collect tobacco tins, or illustrated tin inserts such as this one for Orlik's Golend Slices tobacco.

Another interesting avenue for some collectors is Tobacco Cards. These were similar to baseball cards and were packaged with pipe tobacco. A full set is illustrated below. 

Image Source:

Ehwa, Carl jr., 1974, The Book of Pipes and Tobacco.

     Some of the most common pipe related postcards are advertisements, for pipes, tobacco, and tobacconists. 

     Many postcards are found with what I call the "Pipedreams Valentine" theme. These cards were extremely common in the early Twentieth Century. 

     Another common type of card is the friendship card. 

      Humorous cards are also quite common...

     Some cards focus on particular nationalities, such as English, Dutch, or Irish.

     

     Of course Santa is to be found among the ranks of famous pipe smokers! 

     And at last, everyone's favorite pipe smoker, Pop! 

How To Get Started Collecting Postcards

     Collecting postcards is a fun and interesting hobby! But, where does one start? The first course of action is to write to your friends and family - in order to get mail you have to send mail. You can of course begin picking up postcards in your own travels and ask people who you know are going out of town to send you a card, or bring one back for you. 

     When you're out and about, stop in at antique or junk shops. Most will have piles of postcards stashed in odd nooks and crannies. Some shops will have dedicated postcard sections with organized boxes of cards, ads and other paper goods. There are also dedicated swap meets and sales for postcard collectors held on a regular basis.

     If you live in northern Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Montgomery County, or Waller County, join us on the third Saturday of every month at the Lonestar College Tomball Library for the regular meetings of the Tomball Postcard Club. Membership is free, and at every meeting there is the opportunity to buy, sell, or trade postcards, get to know the gang, and enjoy a presentation by one of the members about their collection. Contact Tracy Bradford for details. 

    As you begin collecting you may find yourself zeroing in on topics that particularly interest you. As for myself, I collect postcards relating to ocean liners between 1900 and 1971, US Navy vessels, anything tobacco pipe related, post offices, and mid-century motels, and of course anything received from friends or family. My wife collects holiday cards produced before 1920, cats, checklist postcards (illustrated below), and night scenes. Some other collectors focus on particular postcard illustrators, particular cities, countries, eras, or other topics. I know of one collector who has a card for every county courthouse in the United States. The field is wide open as postcards have been produced from the 1800s until today and cover almost any conceivable subject.

     

     You can also get into collecting postcards by joining Postcrossing and exchange cards with new friends around the world! 

     

     Some collectors of vintage postcards are very particular about acquiring cards that have never been used. I personally don't feel that this is important. You may find, as I do, that the messages written on the cards are as interesting as the images on the front! 

     New collectors should be aware that while the vast majority of cards are more than affordable (usually under $5.00, often $1.00 or less), there are a few categories that have become very desired by collectors - vintage Halloween cards, for example, and the prices on ebay and at dealers reflect this. 

Waiting for the mail to arrive...

Introduction

 I'm a native of Houston, where I live with with my wife, step daughter, and our tribe of friendly cats. I've traveled quite a lot, including backpacking through Central Europe as a young man, and have also lived in California and overseas - including over seven years in Moscow, Russia. I have been teaching since 1997 and currently teach high school World History and Sociology.

     I am working on a new degree in Computer Science (which in hindsight, I should have majored in in the first place!) at Lonestar College Cy-Fair.

     Outside of school and work, I enjoy reading, learning more about computers and various programming languages - and playing with my vintage Commodore system (my first computer!), watching old b and z grade horror and sci-fi movies, and spending time with my family and pets. I am also a dedicated tobacco pipe enthusiast, which you can read about on my occasionally updated blog, the Pipeman's Lodge! 

     In this blog I'll be discussing one of my favorite hobbies, collecting postcards. I have always loved receiving letters and postcards. There is something very special about finding a handwritten letter or card in your mailbox that can never be replicated by an email or text. In The Bantam Book of Correct Letter Writing (1958), Lillian Eichler Watson wrote, quite correctly, that "A letter is like a visit on paper. She went on to relate that "The late General Smedley D. Butler said, 'Give our fighting men bullets and biscuits and a letter from home and they'll lick the world!' He rated letters from home right up at the top with ammunition and food...the three most vital elements for a fighting man's well-being and morale."

     Of course, I have kept almost every piece of personal correspondence that I have ever received, and enjoy writing to family and friends near and far. However, in this blog I'll be covering the picture postcards that I actively seek out and collect and share them with you, dear reader. I will also be writing about how you can get involved in deltiology (the collecting of letters and postcards), and where you can find your own! 

    You can reach me through the contact link on this blog, or through Postcrossing, where I go under the user name jamesh.