COLLECTION #247: Vintage Minnesota Postcards

This collection consists of postcards from my own family. Most of them were sent to my Grandma Ward (who was from Owatonna, Minnesota) from her family and friends left behind, when she married and moved to Oregon, then Idaho. They are all from the years 1910-1914 or so.  I also have quite a number of real photo postcards from the same family, same era, but I'm only featuring the commercial, location postcards today. 

The most fun thing about these postcards, is the handwritten messages on the back. I wish I could post them all here, but I don't think they would be very interesting to most of you. But I'm including a couple of them here. 

You gotta love a postcard sent to say, "Why in the world don't you write?" This was written by my Great Uncle's wife Dorris, to my Grandma in 1912- shortly after my Mom's birth. I think that might have had something to do with why Grandma wasn't writing much!

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. 

COLLECTION #186: Vintage Foreign Postcards

Paris! Torino! Algiers! Baghdad! (Ok, University of Chicago via Iraq), Scotland! Romance! Mystery! Puppies! Just a few of my foreign postcards, most from circa World War II. My late Father-in-law Henry served during the war, and a few of these cards are from his files. The others I picked up through the years, I don't actively collect foreign postcards. If I did, I would have a heck of a lot more than seven, that's for sure!  My favorites are the two of Paris... the Eiffel Tower, and the lovely dancers of the Allied Officers Nightclub. Isn't it romantic?

Oui oui, je suis serieux! Regardez les chiennes!

This postcard shows the famous winged bull, representing my husband's Assyrian heritage.

Isn't this fabulous? 

A bonnie postcard if ever I did see one!

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?