Insurance protection for your postcards tries to put you in the same financial position after a loss as before a loss. The insurance carrier will try to pay you the money it would take to go out in the market place and buy similar postcards to what was lost. This article will only discuss replacement value for a postcard collector; postcard dealer replacement value is not discussed.

A postcard collector, and the insurance carrier who insures your postcards, should value your postcards at replacement value. By replacement value is meant what it would cost you the collector to go out in the market place today and buy similar postcards. By similar postcards is meant replacing a Santa Clause postcard collection with a similar type Halloween postcard collection of similar quality and quality of cards. Another example is the loss of a collection of picture postcards from the small New York state town of Valhalla, Westchester County (where Dan Walker grew up) with a collection of picture postcards from the medium size Maryland town of Westminster, Carroll County (where the Collectibles Insurance Agency office is located). The similar collection would contain similar quality and quantity of cards that were lost.

Note that replacement value does not mean the cost of an item for item replacement of individual cards lost. For postcard collections an item for item replacement would be impossible because not all items lost cards would be available in the market place. Even if a few replacement cards were available normally the quality of the replacement cards are different than the lost card. For this reason insurance carriers do not normally replace lost postcards, they provide the money for the collector to replace the lost postcard collection. Also an item for item replacement would tend to inflate the value of those cards that were available. Dealers would incur high costs to go searching and acquiring specific items for the collector rather than what is generally available in the market.

If an insurance carrier uses a valuation method other than replacement value you should consider finding another insurance carrier. Some of the other valuation methods that insurance carriers have used in the past follow.

Cost &endash; Cost is not a good basis for a collector to insure their postcards unless all or most of the postcards were purchased recently and the market price has not changed dramatically since purchase. Even under this specific situation, cost would probably not be a good basis for valuing on a long-term basis due to fluctuations in market value. Postcards usually go up in value over time so cost often undervalues your postcards. On the other hand there have been occasions when the value of cards decline due to the economy, a sudden new supply or just market supply and demand.

Depreciated Value &endash; At one time insurance companies assessed depreciation on postcards. This is fundamentally wrong since postcards do not wear out or naturally decline in economic value with age. If an insurance company discusses depreciation for your postcards find another insurance company.

Normally the easiest way to estimate replacement value for your postcards is to try and break your collection down into small parts and then estimate the replacement value of each small part. For instance if you have a collection of China, Valhalla NY, White Plains NY and Westminster MD cards, try estimating the value of each type card. Then estimate the average cost of recent cards in each collection and estimate the number of cards in each of the four collections. Do the multiplication for China, Valhalla, White Plains and Westminster and see if the results for each collection make sense. Do not be afraid of increasing or decreasing the cost of any of the collections based on your knowledge of the market for each type collection. For instance if china postcards are in strong demand, you might need to increase the value you calculated to account for the fact that more people in China are after Chinese postcards. On the other hand if two major collections of Westchester County, NY postcards (both Valhalla and White Plains are in Westchester county NY) have just come on the market because two collectors recently sold their collections, you may have to lower your value because sully is high and demand is down.

Unless you have a relatively small number of postcards, do not be too concerned with an exact value right to the penny. New acquisitions and changing market values make it unlikely that exact values will remain valid for a long period of time. Ballpark estimates are usually acceptable for initial insurance coverage. Our experience is that if you have been actively collecting for five years or more you probably have a lot more value in postcards than you realize. You will tend to underestimate the value of your cards unless you estimate value by breaking your collection into manageable segments as suggested above.

Value irreplaceable or unique cards by estimating what the item would bring in a public auction if the auction room were filled with specialist collectors and dealers for the type of postcards you collect. If you are not qualified to do this ask a knowledgeable postcard collector or dealer to help you. Most good postcard dealers will give you a verbal estimate of a few better items in a collection without getting into a formal appraisal.

Our experience is that of the two factors determining price for irreplaceable items and even ordinary items, demand is far more important a factor than supply. There are many types of collectibles (certain types of postcards or other collectibles) where irreplaceable or unique items exist but no one cares (demand is weak) and the irreplaceable or unique items do not sell or sell for very low prices.

Most insurance carriers require you to list (schedule your items in insurance talk) and value expensive items. The real question is what level is set for expensive items. A low level such as $100 or $250 is not appropriate for many postcard collectors as sooner or later some of the best items could appreciate to this level. If a loss occurred and you had not updated your scheduled items with your insurance carrier, claim payments would be limited. Our feeling is that $5,000 is a reasonable point where most collectors should have to start listing expensive postcards. This is the value we use at Collectibles Insurance Agency.

Note: Collectibles Insurance Agency (CIA) exclusively insures collectibles. We insure all kinds of collectibles from postcards to arrowheads to Teddy Bears to guns, knives and edged weapons. CIA has been insuring collectibles for 40 years and has used the same carrier since 1992, a carrier with an A+ rating by Best's and size XV (the largest). Contact us for postcard and other collectible insurance information. Toll free 1-888-837-9537, fax 410-876-9233, email: info@insurecollectibles.com, Website: www.collectinsure.com

DEL'S PAPER TREASURY

Real photo postcards, photography, printed postcards, posters, covers, broadsides.

All types of collectible paper goods. DEL's Paper Treasury will soon be offering an online auction of real photo postcards and photography. These auctions will be held online at their website delspapertreasury.com. Lyn Knight's 40 + years experience in building collections of U.S. currency and coins as well as 20 years in the auction business, helps make this a great opportunity to build your collection. Sales will be online, and catalogues will be available to subscribers. DON'T Miss This Opportunity.

1. Ebay, Ralph Bowman, thousands of listings, click on thepapergallery2 05.06
2. Playle, Ebay, Skurfan Postcards, state views by the thousands, click on /SKURFAN/ or seach seller id "skurfan" on ebay 05.06
3. Ebay, Hal Ottaway, Ebay , great postcards and other fabulous collectibles, click on taos 05.06
4. Ebay Ron from Holland, click on GLOBALHISTORY Views and Topicals Worldwide, every month 1000 plus cards in auction. Email EURODELTIOLOGY@wanadoo.nl 05.06
5. Ebay, sebagopaper great real photo postcards and other paper 05.06

Our friend Jim Mehrer conducts bimonthly Postal History Mail Bid Sales containing thousands of individually described covers and postcards. Jim also offers a wide selection of reference literature titles and storage supplies for collectors and dealers. To visit Jim Mehrer's Postal History, click HERE.

Dear Postcard Dealers and Collectors,I invite you to advertise in Postcard Collector, the best monthly publication, for 23 years, dedicated to your postcard business and collecting. I have all kinds of advertising options to fit your budget. Call or Email me at 1-800-482-7151 or Lenore.Howard@fwpubs.com , Postcard Collector

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 Are you looking for a postcard show or stamp show near you? Visit Jim Mehrer's Show Calendar for Collectors of Stamps, Postal History and Postcards by clicking HERE.

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Looking for a series of Santa Fe, New Mexico postcards made with woodcut printing technique and identified by Gustave Baumann on the reverse side of the postcard. Hal Ottaway, PO Box 780282, Wichita KS 67278. hottaway@cox.net ... 06.06

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I'm always buying better U.S. Postal History material. What do you have for sale? Email Jim Mehrer at mehrer@postal-history.com ... 06.06

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WANTED TO BUY: PRE-1950 VINITA OKLAHOMA POSTCARDS AND OTHER ITEMS. Jim, jmtaylor@ipa.net....05.06

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WANTED TO BUY: TEXANA, OLD EARLY TEXAS HISTORICAL ITEMS PHOTOS AND POSTCARDS. Wallace, rebltexn@comcast.net 05.06

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FOR SALE: Newsletter Classifieds, see below, or email for details Classifieds@CourthouseSquare.net, Newsletter is Free, Classifieds are inexpensive. 05.06

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WANTED TO BUY -  Veterinary Related Postcards & Trade Cards including the topics of animal freaks, animal welfare,  antivivisectionists, pet cemeteries, rendering, lice, insecticides, pesticides and parasitology.   Trenton Boyd:    BoydT@missouri.edu 07.06

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BUYER: We are always buying collections and accumulations, all state views and topical postcards, also travel, photos, brochures, movie, Hollywood, props, costumes, stills, call Ralph, Paper Gallery, 1-760-749-9737, ralph@papergallery.com 05.06

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WANTED "HALL PHOTO CO." CARDS

I am working on a book about the postcard photographer George E. Hall. He was in business from 1906-1918 and worked exclusively in Stone and Taney Counties, Missouri. He made approximately 900 real photo view cards of the Shepherd of the Hills area which includes the towns of Branson, Hollister, Galena and Reeds Spring. I am seeking examples of his work and would like to purchase what you have. If you have something and do not wish to sell then I would appreciate having a scan or a photocopy of the image. This would help document our checklist of his output. Contact: C. Trenton Boyd 09.06

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Classifed Ad Introductory Offer:

$15 for 12 issues,. Maximum: 30 words. Ads and announcements should be related to postcards and other collectibles. Text is subject to our approval. Paypal payment is preferred. Want ads, For sale ads, announcements, etc. We reserve the right to refund and/or refuse ads. Email your ad to Classifieds@courthousesquare.net. To pay by Paypal use "Pay Now" button, or mail to Classifieds@CourthouseSquare, PO Box 399, Neosho MO 64850. We will confirm your ad before placing it (via email.) It will then appear in next 12 issues of the free newsletter "Postcard News from Courthouse Square," both in the email text and on the web page.

 Show Listings, Introductory Offer

$15 for 12 issues or until show dates, which ever is first. Text is subject to our approval. Paypal payment preferred. We reserve right to refund and/r refuse ads. Email your ad to ShowListing@Courthousesquare.net. To pay by paypal use "Pay Now" button on website or mail payment to showlisting@CourthouseSquare, PO Box 399, Neosho MO 64850. We will confirm your listing before placement. It will then appear in next 12 issues of the free newsletter "Postcard News from Courthouse Square," both in the email text and on the web page.

Before reproducing or quoting from Postcard News from Courthouse Square, credit and permissions will be required. Email us at PostcardNews@courthouseSquare.net with request. Thanks, Jim

  

Jim Taylor

Courthouse Square Antique Cards

PO Box 399

Neosho MO 64850

Member APS IFPD

Specializing in Mail Approvals, Sales, and Shows, of Antique Postcards,

Historical Photographs Paper Americana and Archival Supplies

Visit the front page of our Web site at:

http://www.CourthouseSquare.net

email: Postcards@CourthouseSquare.net

Helping build great postcard collections is our speciality...

• Postcard/Paper Show Schedule
• Postcard News from Courthouse Square, the Newsletter
• Rick Geary Check List/Order Form
• Mail Approval Order Form
• Credit Card Charge Authorization
• Postcard Net Price Sale
• What We Want To Buy
• Reference Materials, Books, Price Guides
• Archival Postcard/Paper Supplies for Sale
• Some Helpful Postcard Collector Information 

Email: jmtaylor@ipa.net.

Jim Taylor

PO Box 399

Neosho MO 64850

Visit our pages at Jim Mehrer's 'deltiology.com' site just click here

 ©2001-2005 JMT Enterprises. REPRODUCTION OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE, IN PART OR WHOLE, IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.

This site was created and launched by Jim Taylor. For information email me at jmtaylor@ipa.net