Jim Eagles: Collect cards post-haste

Don't toss out that box of old postcards sent by family members on their travels around the world - they might bring you some money on TradeMe, or could be the foundation of your own postcard collection.

Not only do many people still enjoy sending and receiving postcards but, it turns out, collecting them is on the rise, too.

And a New Zealand Postcard Society, founded in 1983, has about 200 members scattered around the country.

Its president, Doug South, says there has been increased interest in postcard collecting in recent times and the society's membership has jumped.

"We're up by about 30 members in the last year and that's only because postcard collecting is on the up at present."

Postcard collecting had its heyday in the early part of the 20th century when it became an international craze.

Then, says South, the craze died away until by the 50s, 60s and 70s hardly anyone was interested in postcards.

"But more recently there's been quite a revival," he says. "I think it's partly because there's more good postcards coming out. The internet has helped too because it's made it easier to trade postcards, and people have suddenly realised that they have a value.

"But I also think it's because more people have tried collecting postcards and found how interesting it can be, and the message has spread."

South is a recent convert to postcards after previously being more of a stamp collector.

"I collect Chatham Islands, the Buller River and birds of the world," he says, "and I've got a few.

"But my wife Evie is the real postcard collector.

"She's being doing it for years, collecting postcards of the Marlborough Sounds.

"She's got nearly 1000, which may sound quite a lot, but we know there's a lot more we haven't got."

Most postcard collectors specialise in specific topics, particular locations, or even individual photographers.

South says there is real excitement from coming across a postcard from your area of interest that you haven't got.

They can be found in all sorts of places - junk shops, family members, swaps between collectors, auctions - and can cost "anything from $1 to $200 or $300, depending on the scarcity and how many people want them."

The most valuable New Zealand cards are usually those that were produced in limited quantities, such as postcards from small towns, in particular those from the 50s, 60s and 70s when most were thrown out because no one was collecting.

"They're still being thrown out by people who don't know their value," says South, "but that's where the internet comes in and is helping.

"There's a lot going on TradeMe.

"At times the prices have got a bit ridiculous, but at least it's resulted in people bringing out postcards that previously they wouldn't have thought of selling."

* The Postcard Society can be contacted at PO Box 20, Wakefield, Nelson, ph (03) 541 8980 or tuiville@xtra.co.nz