Postcard Sale To Make Old New Again

The Long Island Postcard Club’s annual show and sale is this Saturday at Christ Lutheran Church in East Northport. (Photos courtesy of Gordon Smith)

By Sophia Ricco
info@longislandergroup.com

Take a trip back in time and maybe stumble upon a new hobby this weekend at Long Island Postcard Club’s 41st annual show and sale in East Northport.

The show will feature around 15 vendors of postcards, trade cards, maps and other paper items. There is something for every collection, with a wide variety in subjects and eras for all collectibles, said coordinator Gordon Smith.

“If you name a topic, there’s been postcards printed on it,” Smith added.

The show will run 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday at Christ Lutheran Church (189 Burr Road, East Northport). Admission is $3, which includes food and refreshments.

In an effort to draw newcomers to the world of postcard collecting, members of the club will hand out starter packs to those who attend.

“We’re trying to pique that interest for the next generation of collectors,” Smith said, adding that members of the club have noticed those of the younger generation are not picking up the hobby. “People who have been collecting postcards and want to pass their collection onto their children find the interest is not there.”

Smith said the lack of interest comes from members of the younger generation no longer using postcards, but instead sending messages and cards electronically.

But that’s “never the same as getting a real postcard in the mail, at least not to us,” Smith said.

Smith said he is hopeful for the future of postcard collecting and selling given the perks of starting a collection, such as themes. Smith said some amass collections based on their hometown — collecting cards with historical buildings or events — while others may be interested in transportation, from planes to ships.

However, some are just interested in the visual appeal of a postcard.

Smith said, “I ask people: ‘What can I help you find?’ And they say, ‘I don’t know — when I see it and I like it, I buy it.’”

Smith and other club members will be on hand to aid attendees, whether experts or newcomers.

The club is also accepting new members. Smith said he’s noticed an increase in new members recently. One reason for it, he said, is because collectors are moving away from purchasing postcards online. Instead, many are turning back to buying from shows and sales, where they can see and feel the collectible before purchasing.

“When you photograph these things, there may be flaws, like a bend, a fold, or a crease, which don’t show up in a picture,” Smith said. “When you’re at a show and you have the card in your hand, you know exactly what you’re getting.”