25/06/2017
THE BLUES MONSTERS
Published by
Produktion & Vertrieb: Fun-Tasia, Koln
Ref: Art. Nr.: SPK 3064-B
1998 Children’s Television Workshop
Sesamstrase Muppets
Sesame Street is very popular in Germany and as a result there are a wide range of postcards produced in the country which depict the characters from this well-known children’s series. Interestingly, many are unique designs only available in Germany, although thanks to dealers and collectors more and more of them are turning up at postcard fairs in modern dealer’s stock. For me any card that includes the cookie monster is a must as he is my favourite character.
25/06/2017
UNTITLED RABBIT POSTCARD
Published by
EDGAR MEDIEN AG
Ref: #9.265
Illustration by
Andrea Luhr
Originally a free card at source, classed as a ‘free rack card’, this cost me 25p from a dealer and I think it was worth every penny.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
Simple, but effect reverse layout
25/06/2017
CAIRNGORM MOUNTAIN RAILWAY
Published by
ANDY GRAY DIGITAL
NATURAL RETREATS
CAIRNGORM MOUNTAIN
Smashing postcard depicting the Cairngorm Mountain Railway train which my wife’s aunt and uncle rode on the 15th June up to the top. They very kindly sent us this postcard after discovering that there was a post box up there and that all cards posted received a special cachet – see below. The stamp has been cancelled with a date stamp for the 16th, so the mail took a day to make its way down.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
Special cachet applied
Cairngorm Mountain
UK’s Highest Post Box
1097m
This was nice to receive as I did not have a copy of this cachet in my collection
MOUNTAIN RAILWAY TICKETS
They also kindly saved the tickets for me as well as these are a nice addition to a collection and sit nicely beside the card in my album
25/06/2017
GLITTER BOMB
DISNEY IN DRAG
CHICARGO’S BASILDON
Non-postcard item
I picked this up today in Basildon in a restaurant. It is a double-sided advert card, so not a real postcard, although it is the same size as issued postcards. There are thousands of these sized advert cards produced and used as advert items all over the country every few weeks. Most are thrown away after the date of the event has arrived, but occasionally one comes along which hits a collectors theme straight on – this one will go into my Disney collection as a card oddity – but as it was free who cares that it is not a real postcard.
24/06/2017
OTHER SIDE OF ROAD ½ MILE
Cartoon by
Grizelda Grizlingham
Published by
CATH TATE CARDS
Ref: CT145
Smashing comic postcard which is not often seen these days – worth every penny of the 75p this cost me recently at a postcard fair
24/06/2017
COUNTRY HOUSES
By
JOHN BAINBRIDGE
From a London Transport Poster of 1957
Published by
London Transport
Ref: 85 (472/091RP/1M)
Another of the older London Transport Posters from the series which I have been putting on the webpage this year.
I have been in London all day today and have visited the British Museum, The Clink Museum and a selection of shops and locations. I have picked up a nice range of postcards and have been posting images of postcard racks and other postcard related items on the webpage facebook page (if you are interested in modern postcards and older postcards then go to the facebook page and like it and then keep up with news and other items of information which appear on it.
Many of the postcards picked up today will appear on the webpage over the coming days and weeks.
23/06/2017
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
AT WORLD’S END
‘THE GAME HAS ARRIVED’
Published by
BOOMERANG (MEDIA CARDS)
As I am typing this I am actually watching the film ‘Pirates of The Caribbean – At World’s End’, which was the third film in the series. The first and original film was by far the best, although I have not seen the most recent release which is said to be quite good. The second and third films, which I have recently watched in a bit of a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film fest, were nowhere near as good as the first, but they are never less than interesting to watch, with this third instalment being possibly even more confusing story wise than the second film was. But, this postcard relates to the computer game that was issued in respect of this film. Not being interested in computer games I have no idea if it was any good, but this postcard was.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
This is one of those postcards which is almost as interesting on the back as the front. I have mentioned before my love of postcards which have been issued with pictures and reverse layouts which make the cards much more interesting.
23/06/2017
Untitled Card, but which depicts
GOOFY
Published by
SUSY CARD
A very simple but delightful and eye-catching design which would have appeal for any Disney collector. This copy here was posted from Germany to the UK in 1990. It is another postcard which was sent to Craig Shergold who was trying to enter the Guinness book of records for the largest postcard collection. I have mentioned his interesting story before.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
Used with a nice Germany (Federal Republic) stamp that was issued in 1990 and which celebrated the 125th Anniversary of German Lifeboat Institution (SG 2312). The stamp has been cancelled with a TELEMATICA 90 special exhibition advertising hand stamp from Stuttgart.
22/06/2017
“I’M SURE YOU’LL BE AS IMPRESSED AS I AM”
SUE BARKER
Advertising Postage Pre-Paid Card
When I was in the hospital this past weekend I was there for 14 hours in a single waiting area. I inevitably ended up flicking through the magazines left out for people to read. Amongst the mainly female orientated selection was a couple of ‘SAGA’ issued magazines. In one of these I found, attached by a bit of that clear sticky gel like substance which they use to stick things inside and to the cover of magazines etc, this unusual squarish shaped card. My interest lay in the fact that it depicts Sue Barker as she is the presenter on the television programme ‘A Question of Sport’. This makes this a very unusual postcard for my television collection. It would also be of interest to a sports collector as well as Sue was a tennis player.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
Here you can see the pre-printed 1st class postage mark top right, and that it has a pre-printed address. This type of card is very common and is mostly classed amongst the type of stuff which people call ‘Junk Mail’. They are often overlooked and thrown away and to be fair most of these thin card adverts are worth nothing and probably deserve to be binned, but, every so often one turns up which is worth keeping. This is such a card in my opinion.
22/06/2017
DECORATED TRAM CAR, SOUTHEND ON SEA
Published by
Unknown Local Published – Printer
I have previously posted a postcard depicting this decorated local tram. The tram was decked out to resemble a battleship for the 1909 Fleet Visit to Southend. I have seen several photographs of this tram and an image of it even appeared in the newspaper at the time. I think images of it must have been popular as I have three different postcards that show it.
These two postcards shown here were produced by the same company and are, except for the position of the cuts, the same image. But, and here is the interesting thing to me, they are from separate print runs. The top card is printed in a clear black and white issue. The postcard at the bottom is printed with a brown colouring, one which is well known to collectors of old postcards as it is a common colouring format found on postcards from the early years of the 1900’s. In this circumstance here, I believe the card sold out in one print run, I am going to say probably the brown one as this was the most popular printing format of the time, and then the company (unknown, but it can be suggested that it was a local company) needed to print more and this time they were produced in a different ink batch (possibly the black one). The image used means that this postcard would have a number of interested parties who would like it. Firstly, the local history collector, then the Transport collector and then also anyone interest in the Royal Navy as there is a direct connection. The card itself is probably worth around £7 to £10 depending on condition of the edges and surface.
22/06/2017
HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE VISIT TO
MANCHESTER
Published on behalf of
MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL
GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
I found it hard to take in the events around the tragic incident in Manchester on the 22nd May when a suicide bomber caused so much death and injury at a music concert. It was an incident I did not refer to on my webpage as I could not see a way of representing it in the proper respective way. But now, a month later, Manchester remains strong and the city continues. When going through a box of older postcards yesterday I came across this postcard, originally a free promotional postcard for the city, which I think captures the lighter side of Manchester and its people. So, I post this here today in celebration of Manchester and how the city should be seen and remembered.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
21/06/2017
“CARNIVAL QUEEN AND COURT”
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
1938
Published by Unknown Local Publisher/Printer
This is the type of postcard that would mainly appeal, obviously, to collectors like me who live or have lived in the Southend area and collect local history via postcards. With some work at the local library it would probably be possible to find the name of this Carnival Queen and when I retire I would have probably have tried to spend some time looking up these details – but then the internet is an amazing tool, and with a few minutes searching I find that the 1938 Carnival Queen was a Miss Margaret Sewell.
21/06/2017
BRIAN CANT ….. RIP
12th July 1933 – 19th June 2017
Television actor, presenter and voice artist
CAMBERWICK GREEN
DISASTER AT THE POST OFFICE
Published by
DIXON PRODUCTION
Ref: (L6/8409)
Series No. BBC16
For me Brian Cant will always be remembered for his narration of the puppet series’ CAMBERWICK GREEN, TRUMPTON and CHIGLEY and of course his appearances on Play School and Play Away.
He was definitely a childhood hero of mine and in remembrance of his work I post here four cards from a series of postcards issued during the 1970’s by DIXON.
CAMBERWICK GREEN
P.C. McGARRY LOOKS AT Mr. DAGENHAM’S SPORTS-CAR OUTSIDE Mr. CROCKETT’S GARAGE
Published by
DIXON PRODUCTION
Ref: (L6/8413)
Series No. BBC20
Mrs. COBBITT, THE FLOWERSELLER, TALKS TO Miss. LOVELACE, WATCHED BY DAPHNE, MITZI AND LULU
Published by
DIXON PRODUCTION
Ref: (L6/8418)
Series No. BBC25
Trumpton was always my favourite of the programmes and as a child I was always happiest when the figure that came up out of the box was from Trumpton.
TRUMPTON
ACTIVITY OUTSIDE Miss LOVELACE’S SHOP
Published by
DIXON PRODUCTION
Ref: (L6/8419)
Series No. BBC26
PHOTOGRAPH
BRIAN CANT
19/06/2017
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
Wellbeing in the workplace
Know the Signs
Published by
AVANTCARD AUSTRALIA
Ref: #19700
Issued 2016
Novelty ‘Die-Cut’ Card
This is one of those unusual Avantcard issues which are not true postcards but which are the same shape and are issued by this postcard issuing company and has a reference number in their ongoing series. I like these unusual items and place them with my Avantcard collection.
This one is quite appropriate for me at the present as it relates to the world of Mental Health. Since January of this year my Mother-in-Law has been living with us. She has extreme dementia and over the past months her condition has deteriorated. Over this past weekend things came to a head and her behaviour became so extreme that it became clear that she required more help than we could give her at home. She is now getting more professional mental health care and is in a safe environment.
It is true what they say about how mental health is overlooked by many when, true-fully, in some way or other it affects everyone eventually.
This card here is a novelty item because the sign can be pressed out and removed from the card and with a separate small removable strip can be stood up by itself, a small sign for someone’s desk. I like the idea of this.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
You can see why some consider, probably with good reason, that this is not a true postcard item. It matters not to me as I am a very eclectic collector and unusual card items appeal to me.
17/06/2017
SONGBIRDS
Royal Mail Stamp Issue – 4th May 2017
PHQ STAMP CARDS
This is the most recent Stamp Card set that I have received (over a month old already though – but this because I have my sets on an order from a company that produces these with special first day of issue hand stamps on the front). This set features paintings of songbirds by Federico Gemma. There appears to be no specific anniversary or other reason for this issue, but then there does not need to be when the subject matter is as collectible as ‘Birds’ are. As a’ birdwatcher’ myself I loved this set.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (1) 5.17
GREAT TIT
Quite a common bird and lots of people get these in their gardens. I have these visit my bird feeder in my garden. This one is nice because the special hand stamp also pictures a Great Tit
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (2) 5.17
WREN
This is probably my favourite card image from this set and again, the special hand stamp also features the Wren. I just think the combination of card, stamp and hand stamp is just perfect here.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (3) 5.17
WILLOW WARBLER
Unfortunately, there was no ‘Willow Warbler’ special handstamp for this issue but the design is still nice
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (4) 5.17
GOLDCREST
This one did have a related special hand stamp and it fits nicely with the stamp (it is also the one pictured on the Willow Warbler card above)
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (5) 5.17
SKYLARK
The hand stamp used here is Skylark related but is not as attractive as the ones used on the cards above but it is a really ‘sharply’ defined hand stamp and one which dominates the image.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (6) 5.17
BLACKCAP
This is a bird I love to see and it is the male depicted here as the male has the black cap, females have a brown cap. If you see a pair together it is a really nice combination, and to honest, I don’t see too many of these either.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (7) 5.17
SONG THRUSH
If I did not love the Wren design so much this one would top my favourite list so it is interesting that it also has the Wren special hand stamp. I think that if I only had the mint cards then this one might have come out on top, but, the Wren combination of card, stamp and cancel just works so well. But, this Song Thrush is an attractive painting.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (8) 5.17
NIGHTINGALE
Heard, but not so often seen. This is a bird I still need to tick off of my list as I have still not seen one that I have properly recognised and confirmed as a Nightingale.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (9) 5.17
CUCKOO
Another really nice painting, but I think it is a shame that there was no specific Cuckoo themed hand stamp but this Nightingale one (as used on the above Nightingale card) is at least a bit more generic in its image.
SONGBIRDS
Issued by
ROYAL MAIL
PHQ STAMP CARD
Ref: PHQ 428 (10) 5.17
YELLOWHAMMER
When I was in Ireland last year I saw a gloriously coloured Yellowhammer on top of a hedge alongside the road close to where my mate lives, which is in the wilds outside the town of Borris, County Carlow, a lovely part of the country. It was a beautiful bird which was almost shinning a bright yellow as it was lit by the sun. It was one of those bird watching moments which are always remembered.
17/06/2017
TWO HEARTS
2015
(Mixed Media)
Illustration by
Robyn Dansie
Published by
AVANTCARD AUSTRALIA
Ref: #19763
Issued 2016
This is another example of this company publishing an artist’s work for free. I have previously posted several of this type of card and it is a source of some very interesting images. This one appealed to me because of the outline of the character Casper the Ghost that appears on the right side of this weird piece. Casper the Ghost had a cartoon series on television so this card fits into my favourite theme.
16/06/2017
PAPAVER RHOEAS
COMMON POPPY
Published by
Moderngb.com
Ref: G201
Issued 2016
This is a privately produced postcard which was produced by a philatelic company especially for use with Poppy themed ‘Post & Go’ Poppy stamps. The Poppy stamp used here is the specially overprinted ‘The Battle of the Somme’ tank pictorial Autumn STAMPEX exclusive. This was the very first STAMPEX Post & Go print to be produced with an image, the tank. It is a very collectible stamp. The one applied here has been cancelled with a special ‘CENTENARY OF THE TANK – BOVINGTON, WAREHAM – 15/09/16’. This is a highly relevant cancel considering what is depicted on the stamp, but, it is not first day of issue as the stamp was available on the first day of the STAMPEX show which was the 14/09/16, although this is no way changes the value and real interest this kind of item would generate. These were originally sold for £5 but could now sell for anything up to £8 now, less than a year later. I loved this, I think it is a great combination.
15/06/2017
SNOWDON
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT
Film Poster Novelty Advertising Postcard
Published by
AVANTCARD AUSTRALIA
Ref: #20121
Issued 2016
This film was all about Snowdon and how he showed the world how people were being tracked, monitored and kept an eye on through their computers. One of the things that is mentioned is how computer users should place a plaster, sticker or other piece of tape over the camera viewer on their computer screen frames. This is explained through boxed text on the reverse side which reads “PROTECT YOURSELF -USE STICKER TO COVER YOUR LAPTOP CAMERA AND PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY”. The sticker they are referring to is the one on the front which resembles a sticky plaster, because, this is an actual sticker and can be removed, peeled off if you like, from the card. Because it has this sticker applied to the front it immediately becomes a novelty card. Interestingly I have a few of these cards and the plasters are not all in the exact same place, near enough but on others they move up a bit, covering more of the mouth and sometimes touching the bottom of his nose.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
14/06/2017
THE FALKLANDS ISLANDS
PARA MEMORIAL – GOOSE GREEN, 1982 LIBERATION MEMORIAL AND SECRETARIAT, RFA MEMORIAL – FITZROY, SAPPER HILL MEMORIAL
Printed by
WITLEY PRESS, HUNSTANTON, NORFOLK
Ref: 5712511
Posted in commemoration of the
Anniversary of the
LIBERATION OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS
14TH June 1982
This seemed an appropriate postcard to place on the webpage today as it depicts four of the monuments erected on the Islands in commemoration of various battle sites and in commemoration of the Liberation. This is a postcard which was only available, and produced especially for sale, on the Falkland Islands. Copies can therefore be quite hard to source unless you knew someone who visited the islands back in the 1990’s when I believe these postcards were produced (although they still be available, I don’t know).
14/06/2017
ROY BARRACLOUGH ….. RIP
12th July 1935 – 1ST June 2017
British actor best known for his portrayal of Alec Gilroy in the television soap series ‘Coronation Street’ and for his appearances in comic sketches with Les Dawson.
ALEC GILROY
Played by Roy Barraclough
CORONATION STREET
Published by
KARIZZMA ENTERPRISES 1990
Copyright registered to GRANADA PROMOTIONS LTD
Ref: KB36
Sadly, I did not notice the announcements that Roy Barraclough had passed away at the start of the month so I am late with this posting, which is a shame as I always enjoyed his sketches with Les Dawson, especially those when they played the grumpy old women called Cissie and Ada. So, this may be late but it is still worthy of posting.
14/06/2017
WHERE’S WATERSTONES?
“Thanks to Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski for our special Waterstones map”
Official Waterstones Postcard
Published to promote the sale of a book titled ‘MAPS’
This is not a new postcard as I found some in my local Waterstones shop over a year ago I think. I have shown here today because I again found copies on the counter of my local Waterstones this past weekend. I have no idea why they suddenly appeared again but It did mean that I managed to get a few more copies of what is a lovely map postcard with images that cover a whole range of themes; Royalty (Queen Elizabeth II), Transport (RED London bus, car), Wildlife (Red Kite, Red Deer, Red Fox and a Hedgehog – but not a red one!), Film (Charlie Chaplin), Literature (William Shakespeare), Music (The Beatles), Sport (loads – see top right), Food (again numerous – see middle right side), Science (Sir Isaac Newton) and loads of architecture and history. There is also the bonus, for me, of the inclusion of the Loch Ness Monster, which I collect on postcards.
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
I liked the little image in the stamp box area
13/06/2017
WE’VE GOT FRESH IDEAS
LABOUR PARTY
Circular Shaped, folded Postcard
Published by
London Cardguide Ltd
(Free Postcard)
Sorry to return to another political themed postcard so soon after recent postings around last week’s election, but this one is more of a ‘novelty’ postcard in my opinion. As can clearly be seen this is a Labour Party advertising postcard but it is its unusual shape, and the fact that it folds in the middle that appeals to me. It does have the required aspects of postcard design, a stamp box, address lines and it is printed on card, and, for that matter, issued by a postcard printing company. Some may disagree, but I like strange shaped cards.
REVERSE SIDE (or more properly the inside) OF ABOVE POSTCARD
This has the Labour Party ‘red rose’ logo which was first used in 1987 for that year’s election, although it was adopted for use in 1986. The London Cardguide Ltd were issuing their postcards during the 1990’s, which is when I believe this postcard was issued.
13/06/2017
P.C’s ARE TRUMPS
COLLECT A POSTCARD
Published by
ABBA POSTCARDS
A simple design issued by ABBA, a company that issued a number of unusual postcard collecting themed postcards during the 1980’s. ABBA was the name under which postcard dealer Alan Bower published postcards and they were often produced in quite low numbers and were made available by Alan from his fair stalls and via some other modern postcard dealers around at the time. Being privately produced they often have quite simplistic designs, not unusual for this type of postcard, at the time, but they hold an interesting place in modern UK postcard history. Alan is still a stalwart of the modern postcard scene and has a stall at the bi-annual Woking Postcard Fair on the Saturday Modern section – always worth a visit, both the fair and Alan’s stall.
13/06/2017
BERLIN - DIE MAUER
“BERLIN - THE WALL”
Published by
KUNST UND BILD
Ref: Nr. C3689
Photo by
Paul Swart
Since the wall came down in 1989 there has been a real interest in postcards which either depict the wall as it was before it came down, or cards which depict the scenes on the night the crowds commenced pulling it down and the following days when chunks started to be removed properly by the government. Postcards which were issued in 1989 and 1990 are the most valuable but other postcards, like this one here, which do depict the old scenes of the desolation of the no-man’s land between the walls are still popular. Scenes like this are now history, and I still find it hard to believe that it was 28 years ago now, nearly, when the wall started to come down. Do not be surprised to find these priced at £2+, with cards from 1989 depicting crowd scenes around the wall being £5+.
13/06/2017
1916 – 2016
100TH ANNIVERSARY
UPRISING IN IRELAND
Published by
CoIR CARDS
Ref: 2016.CR.193
Thanks to our friends Mick and Paula, who own a place in Ireland not too far from Dublin, Jo and I attended the celebrations for the 100th anniversary held in Dublin last Easter. It was a fantastic experience and one to remember. I managed to buy some interesting 100th anniversary postcards whilst in Dublin and these were posted across several postings on this webpage last year. Since then I have looked out for other postcards which are connected and at the last Woking Postcard Fair I came across this issue from CoIR Cards. I have posted other cards by this company recently and have mentioned before how they are a superb source of current affair and anniversary based designs. This is another cracker from the company and probably the only related anniversary postcard issued in England.
13/06/2017
TER HERINNERING AAN HET
TIEN – JARIG BESTAAN VAN DE
1926 – 1936
PHILATELISTENWEEK 24-31, OCT, ‘36
(Hand Stamp details below)
ROTTERDAM
“ROTTERDAMSCHE PHILATELISTEN – PHILATELISTENWEEK – ROTTERDAM”
28 OCT 1936
1926 – VEREENIGING – 1936
TO RECOMMEND IT
TEN – YEARS OF THE
1926 – 1936
PHILATELIST WEEK 24 – 31, OCT,’36
(Hand Stamp details below)
ROTTERDAM
“ROTTERDAMSCHE PHILATELIST – PHILATELIST WEEK – ROTTERDAM”
28th Oct 1936
1926 – REQUEST - 1936
Interesting philatelic card issued for the 10th annual ‘Philatelist Week’ event held in Rotterdam, Netherlands during the 24th and 31st October 1936. The card has received the special purple coloured hand stamp used for mail posted in relation to, and possibly at, the event. The hand stamp is dated the 28th October, so is for the fifth day of the event. A nice pre-WWII postal card.
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