The Postcard Price Guide, 4th Ed., A Comprehensive Reference (Paperback)

by J. L. Mashburn (Author) "It has been over three years since the Third Edition of The Postcard Price Guide was released..." (more)
Key Phrases: early chromolithographs, various color robes, real photos, Raphael Tuck Series, New York, Ullman Mfg (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The new book by Mashburn is simply one of his best". -- Ralph Roberts, Alexander Press Magazine, Feb. 15, 2001

Product Description
This 4th Edition of "The Postcard Price Guide," is the 10th postcard price guide by author J.L. Mashburn. It is a very Comprehensive Reference and is completely updated with new values and listings in all chapters. The book now contains 592 exciting pages (80 more than 3rd edition)and 900 photos of which over 95% have not appeared in the previous editions. It was compiled specifically for collectors and dealers, or any novice who has a collection or accumulation of old postcards and has the desire to know something about their history, age, and approximate value. Mashburn's books are sold and used worldwide and are known to be one of the leaders in the field.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Colonial House; 4 edition (February 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885940084
• ISBN-13: 978-1885940087
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #328,609 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm a beginning postcard collector., January 14, 2005

By	VicAriel (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This book gives you a good feel for the value of postcards. Beginners will definitely get their money's worth from this guide before buying from a dealer or an online auction.

Keep in mind that Mashburn is a dealer as well as a collector and author. He devotes way too much space to the categories he collects and sells...origional art. I estimate that he devotes a measley 25% of the book to photographic postcards.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, January 13, 2005

By	Gary Sprandel (Frankfort, Kentucky) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This guide provides prices for over 10,000 cards and will be useful for collectors, dealers, and novices. The book highlights the most collected categories, and the artist-signed chapter covers over 250 pages. The 900 postcard images, though reduced and in black and white, are useful; my favorites included the Krampus cards, Alligator border card, and the Halloween cards are a real treat. Mashburn provides short biographies of some of the artists and publishers (and even an introduction to Krampus). Although Mashburn does present some useful guidelines on topical, views, and roadside America I thought those chapters were too short in light of the vast number of cards available. Mashburn also includes references for more specific topics also.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Dated Now, May 8, 2008

By	MooseMan - See all my reviews

It's been over 7 years since this has been updated, and a lot has happened in the world of postcards. I'd say that the vast majority of prices quoted in this book are much higher than prices realized at traditional and online auctions, and many retail sales. So, if you just found a shoebox of postcards in your grandmother's attic and are planning on selling them, don't expect to realize prices anywhere near most of the prices you see in this book. That said, there are exceptions - and condition really does play an important part in pricing, but as the Internet opens up dealers to a worldwide audence it appears that many cards that were in demand 10 years ago are no longer that scarce.