Vintage postcards make great Holiday gifts!

I've noticed in the last few weeks a nice lift in online sales of vintage postcards. I believe many of them may end up as Christmas or Hanukkah gifts?

I've been getting lots of online requests for very specific postcards. They've ranged from hard to find Hold To Lights to postcards from obscure tiny towns. I think many recipients this season will be surprised to unwrap a gift of a hard to find postcard for their collection!

And what a thoughtful gift! To take the time to please that special someone in their life with something that cannot be picked up at the mall or bought with an everyday gift card!

Postcards make great gifts. Why not surprise the collector in your life with something special for their collection!

Happy Holidays from Kevin & Carrie at www.postcardguy.com

JJ Newberry Co In Asbury Park NJ

Every now and then you come across a postcard that brings back memories! Well I just picked up the postcard shown above at a recent postcard club auction. It shows the old J.J. Newberry Co. 5&10 in Asbury Park NJ. The store was located on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park, in the downtown shopping district.

After graduating high school I managed several different drug stores and department stores. Many of them were in typical downtown locations...Keyport, Long Branch, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and yes...this very Newberry's store in Asbury Park New Jersey back in the late 80s! I have fond memories of dressing those display windows in the front, from holiday decorations to the latest fashions! I remember the escalator, the candy counter, the luncheonette (and their famous fried chicken and patty melts!). It was hard work managing the store and employees, but also alot of fun.

I've always wanted one of these postcards showing my old store that I worked at, but up to this week I had never found one. The old 5 and 10 cent store is long gone, a victim of the new shopping malls, strip malls and the economy. But the building remains still today, as the site of a fitness gym!

But to me this storefront will always be a fond memory of my time spent in Asbury Park!

The 2010 Belmar Postcard Show

Just back from the 2010 Belmar Postcard show! As always a very fun show on the Jersey Shore. The weather was beautiful and lots of great dealers to peruse!

Traffic through the show was a bit light this year with around 150 through the door. For a while the tables were all busy but eventually throughout the day the crowd dwindled. Still all in all not a bad show, with several nice sales.

It was also a good buying show as usual with lots of great bargains to be had! I have plenty of fresh stock for my next show in Howell NJ in January 2011.

Thanks for stopping buy my tables!
Kevin

POCAX 2010 Postcard Show Coming Up!

The POCAX 2010 Postcard Show is coming up next weekend!

I'm getting ready for next Saturdays show in Mount Laurel NJ, not far from the Jersey Shore or Philadelphia.

It's a nice show filled with great local dealers. There will be postcards for every taste as well as vintage photographs, advertising and local memorabilia!

Drop me a line if I can bring anything special for you. Otherwise I'll concentrate on bringing only NJ postcards, NJ photos and other local memorabilia.

Hope to see everyone there!

Kevin

This Weekends Postcard Show

Just packing and getting ready for this weekends postcard show in Parsippany NJ. The Garden State show is always fun. It's good seeing the dealers we haven't seen in a while and meeting new friends.

Thanks for all the email requests. I've pulled lots of great old postcards in your collecting interests and will bring them to the show. Hope to see you there! Kevin

The Garden State Postcard Show

This show is always one of our favorites. One of the few local two day postcard shows, it is held in Parsippany NJ. It has easy access to Tri-State area collectors via the Garden State Parkway.

The show always have a great group of dealers from many states as well as from our home state of NJ (plus usually a dealer or two from outside the country!). Table after table of great vintage postcards, covering two large rooms of the PAL Center off Rt 46 in Parsippany.

Mark your calendar now! This is not the show to miss! Hope to see you there!

Vintage Stork Postcards

Wow! It's been a while since I've had a post. I've been getting ready for some upcoming shows in September, and the beginning of the Fall postcard show season! Be sure to stop by and see us at the Tuckerton NJ Antiques Show and the popular Garden State Postcard Show in Parsippany NJ (both in September).

I recently stumbled across a handful of postcards at the flea market and began to sort and sleeve them. While going through the lot I noticed a common theme. There were a bunch that all had storks on them!

I would imagine they were quite popular in the day, used to announce a new family arrival! Many have the traditional stork, delivering a baby in some way, shape or form. They range from artistic to comical. I've sold many in the past, often used to make a great vintage gift for the new mom, possibly framed for display in a babys room!

Vintage 50s Pulp Science Fiction Books

Just picked up today a huge collection of 1950s Science Fiction Pulp paperback books! These are really cool, especially the "far-out" covers with rocket ships, aliens, planets etc! It's neat to think that this was what they invisioned for us back in the 1950s and early 60s! Well over 125 in the collection and will be listing them soon on eBay in smaller lots.

Feel free to email any specific wants before they go up for bid! Thanks and happy collecting!

Costume Jewelry Collection

Just started listing pieces from a wonderful collection of old costume jewelry. Many come from an estate collection assembled back in the 1940s.

Pieces include ornate pins from such designers as Miriam Haskell, Trifari and others. Styles include beautiful glass bead necklaces, stick pins, Marcasite, Rhinestone and others. These are quite pretty, and collectors online have begun bidding on these great pieces all starting at low reserves. Why not check them out?

The Ocean Grove NJ Show Is Next Saturday!

It must be spring! The sun is finally out, the birds are chirping and the Ocean Grove Postcard, Paper and Memorabilia show is coming!

I'm busy sorting and pricing postcards and getting packed for the show. Have lots of new additions in all postcard collecting topics, states and other paper memorabilia. Drop me an email if I can bring anything special for you!

See the flyer attached for show details. Hope to see you there! Kevin

More Mainzer Cat Postcards

Just got back from the Belmar NJ postcard show. It was a beautiful day at the Jersey Shore and a perfect day for a show. The crowd was steady throughout the day and lots of great postcards to be found.

I was able to purchase a nice old collection of Mainzer dressed cat postcards, the older types printed in Switzerland and in Belgium. I have just added to them to my store today. Shop now for the best selection!

Getting ready for my next show coming up in Ocean Grove NJ...stay tuned for details!

Belmar Postcard Show 2010

Our local Belmar New Jersey postcard show is coming up! Join us on Saturday March 6th 2010 at the John Taylor Pavilion in Belmar for the 25th Annual Jersey Shore Postcard Show. Details are on the flyer to the left. This is definately not a show not to miss!

Hope to see all our friends there!

200 Year Old NYC Deeds / Maps !!!

I've recently taken in another nice lot of antiques on consignment. Included in that lot were two nice old documents, each pertaining to the very early days of New York City!

The first is an old NY map dated 1752 from Rockland Orange County New York. This is a super piece of early New York history, and over 250 years old! It is an original hand drawn deed map, measuring approx. 8" x 11". It is made on a pulp like paper. It details a piece of property in Rockland New York and Orange County. The map shows the property lines and description, all hand done with beautiful old handwriting. Lists specific distances, degrees, along a ditch, past a rock etc. It describes "New York And Orange County, A lot of land called Rockland, belonging to Jonathan Hazard and purchased of Mr Henry Ludlow, the 14 November 1752, Containing 17.9 acres of land....". Has some beautiful fancy caligraphy. The area that would become Rockland County was originally inhabited by Indians, and later settled by the Dutch. When the Duke of York (who became King James II of England) established the first twelve counties of New York in 1683, present-day Rockland County was part of Orange County NY. Rockland County was split from Orange County in 1798.

A second item comes in a primitive crude leather pouch. The pouch appears to be hand cut and sewn with an old button for a closure. Inside the pouch was found a large original hand drawn doccument, measuring approx. 16" x 26". It is made on a heavy pulp like paper. It details a piece of property in the eigth Ward of the City Of New York. The property owner who died is detailed as one David Mann. His executor here is deeding the property through his estate. It is all hand done with beautiful old handwriting. Along with the large indenture, there is also an attached tissue like paper showing property lots for this property. The early deed lists specific distances, degrees etc. At the bottom it has four old red wax seals with a kings portrait?
The indenture reads "This indenture made the tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twelve...a parcel of land, situate lying and being in the eighth Ward of the city of New York...located on the west side of Bowery Lane, or high road...and Whereas after the said David Mann had purchased this lot, piece or parcel of land, herein first above described, the street called Broadway was laid out or continued through the same, so that part therof now lies upon the easterly and part on the westerly side of the said street". Also talks about laying out lots along the new street called "Broadway" and speaks of a property auction at the Tontine Coffee House in New York City (The old Tontine Coffee House was located at the northwest corner of Wall and Water Streets and was where the NY Stock Exchange was first organized).

Both items are a cool look back at the early days of NYC!!!