Collection #266: Vintage Easter Postcards

Although my collector's blog is on permanent hiatus, I do plan to stop by from time to time to share the random collection I manage to accumulate while we're living in our small apartment in New Jersey.

For those of you unfamiliar with my blog, I featured my vast collections each week day from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012. On the weekends, I shared someone else's collections.  The plan was always to keep it going for a year, with the idea that I might return from time to time to add more things.  However, a few months after the blog ended, my husband Bruce and I moved to the East Coast of the US, leaving behind our big house, and moved into a small, one bedroom apartment. Of course, all of my 'treasures' couldn't join us. (Bruce was happy about that!) We had a large estate sale, and put the rest into storage.

One thing that there's always space for is ephemera... postcards, greeting cards, programs, brochures, letters, etc.

Today I'm going to share my collection of vintage Easter postcards with you!  Aren't they adorable? Most date from 1910-1920. You might notice that there aren't many Easter bunnies. I'm not sure why that is... but aren't the chicks, chickens and birds adorable? Lots of eggs too!

COLLECTION #196: Vintage Motel & Restaurant Postcards

Kittie Lee Hotel, Bishop, CA

I think I'll have to stop saying I don't collect postcards anymore, because I finally went out and bought an album to put them in. It's about 1/2 full, so that implies, 1. That I have half an album full of postcards, and 2. that somehow I plan on filling the book the rest of the way up.

Cafeterias were always a popular restaurant style. This one was in Bakersfield, CA

The Nevada Club was located in State Line, Lake Tahoe, NV

These fun and funky old postcards are from the 50s and 60s, and are mostly from obscure locations in California and Nevada. They are from the estate of my late Mother-in-Law, and probably belonged to her parents, who lived in the Sacramento area for many years.

Roger Maris examines his 61st homerun ball, which was presented to him by Sam Gordon, who paid $5000 for it in 1961, from the young man who caught it at the game. Sam's Original Ranch Wagon Restaurant was in Sacramento, CA

The one of Roger Maris might seen not to belong in this category, but that would be wrong. This postcard is from Sam's Restaurant in Sacramento. You can read the interesting story here: Roger Maris postcard.  It's unfortunate that my in-laws didn't bother to get Roger Maris' autograph. If they had, I could have sold this little gem for hundreds of dollars, instead of sticking it in my little postcard album. But it's cool anyway.

The Clos-In Motel in Reno, NV

A generic Howard-Johnson's card from the 1950s. Howard Johonsons was once a huge chain of motels and coffee shops across the US, designed for middle class travelers.

The Nixon's Restaurant in Whittier, CA was owned by Donald Nixon, President Richard Nixon's brother. You can read more about his misadventures here.

I love this postcard from the Tick Tock Restaurant in Toluca Lake, CA, in the San Fernando Valley. 

THE WEEKEND COLLECTOR: Postcard Collector

I found an awesome website for postcard collectors. It's amazingly called Postcard Collector! It's a great place for postcard collectors of all kinds to share their cards, discuss different types of cards and collections, and exchange information about sales and shows.  It's fascinating how many different types of postcards there are out there... not just souvenir postcards of different locations, but postcards made from real photos (surprisingly called 'real photo postcards'!), postcard comics, postcards made from wood or leather, naughty postcards, romantic postcards, holiday postcards, postcards about pickles, commercial postcards... there's really no end!

Here are a few images I snagged from their website, I hope you take a few minutes and check out all of the wonderful things you can find on the Postcard Collector!

A lovely collection of vintage ladies

Novelty postcards for every occasion!

A 'real photo' postcard with a mystery... who is that man?

COLLECTION #16: Rhode Island Postcards

Our family lived in Rhode Island for 4 years in the late 80s when I was working for Hasbro. Somehow I managed to accumulate a small group of Rhode Island postcards, most from Southern Rhode Island, near where we lived. (Click on any of these images for a closer view).

Rhode Island has beautiful scenery and fabulous architecture- especially the wonderful mansions, hotels and other old landmarks of Newport and Narragansett. Our home was just a few miles from Narragansett, so we often rode our bikes, or drove around, just taking in the historical atmosphere. It was like we were stepping into the past.