Collecting Places

WHY COLLECTING PLACES?

Collecting Places is for people who collect paper memorabilia geographically - the town, county or state they live in, grew up in, or vacation in.  Finding material can be a problem.  You can prowl antique shops, estate sales, and attend auctions of such material, but it can take years of searching to build a decent collection.  Internet auctions have made it possible to stay at home and access a wide range of material, but even so it may consume countless hours.

If you're a long-time, experienced collector, there may not be many great finds in the material offered here, but if you're just beginning or already have a small collection, you're likely to find a wealth of enjoyment.  You'll find postmarks from post offices that disappeared years ago, maybe some post card views of places you remember as a child, maybe some correspondence from a family or business you once knew. There is no duplication of material within a county Lot.

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  • BUYING ON THIS WEBSITE

    Collect by County is not an auction (where basically you get what you bid on if you pay a higher price than anyone else is willing to offer). We offer our collectibles grouped into County Lots at a set price. We have tried to find that "sweet spot" in pricing, low enough that buyers get their money's worth, but not so low that dealers can buy and resell at great profit. Note that the price includes the cost of shipping the order to you anywhere in the U.S.

  • WHAT IF MY COUNTY IS NOT LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE?

    There are approximately 3100 counties in the United States. We can't post Lots from all 3100 counties at once, but we strive to add material as fast as time allows. Also, there are many counties that are sparsely settled and have little in the way of scenic attractions or historic events, so we may not have enough materials to post a Lot for those counties. If you don't find what you are looking for, please let us know what States you are interested in.

  • POSTCARDS

    Postcard collecting, or deltiology, is also a popular collecting topic with its own jargon. Postcards came into popularity about 1900, and the period 1900-20 is known as the Postcard Era.   Manufacturing methods changed over time, from printed hand-colored cards, to cards printed on linen paper, and later the shiny cards, which are known as "chromes."  In general the earlier cards are worth more, but the subject of the view, the quality of reproduction and the condition of the card are also important factors.  

  • POSTMARKS

    Postmark collecting has become a sophisticated hobby, with a number of different collecting societies and a large library of reference work.  Richard W. Helbock published a series of dates-only books by region, and most states have a publication(s) with more detailed information.  Mr. Helbock also published perhaps the best guide to understanding the various types of postmarks in his Postmarks on Postcards.

    Certain types of postmarks have a strong following, such as flag cancels or if the county or name of the postmaster is included in the postmark.  Personally, we like the old 4-bars best, but add a number in the bars and it becomes a Doane cancel, sought by so many they have their own collecting society.

  • ABOUT COLLECTING

    Collecting everything you can about an area provides you with an array of information and an appreciation of how the world we live in today developed to become that way.  The more you know about a place, the more interesting it becomes.

    Collectors of old paper would like everything to be perfect, no nicks, tears or blemishes, no rubber-band marks or coffee cup stains.  There are such items out there, but many items can be expected to show their age from being handled. Mostly we have to accept what we can find and treasure such items despite any defects. In Collecting Places we have noted any serious flaws (sometimes just by noting it is "poor").

    We offer material geographically, but many people collect by topic -- Steamboats or Motels or Famous Homes, or even truly obscure material like "Cows standing in water."  There is such material in Collecting Places.

  • Abbreviations

    To make the listings more concise, certain abbreviations have been used.  If you don’t understand a description, please contact us!

     

    B: Postal Branch

    c.: Circa (approximate date)

    cds: Circular Date Stamp - the postmark

    csc Cover-sized card

    FD: First day of post office, or of the stamp

    Flag: Flag Cancel

    LD: Last day of post office

    PC: Postcard

    PM: Postmaster

    RB: Rural branch post office

    Rec.: Receiving postal marking

    Reg.: Registered

    Sta. or S: Postal Station