Advertising Postcards: Published by businesses to promote products or services they sold. These postcards were not created to be sold, but either given away by hand or sent in mass mailings. Today, they are usually referred to as junk mail. This one advertised Palmer garments for spring and summer in 1914 for James Hart & Sons, MN.

Arcade Cards: Postcard-sized images dispensed from penny arcade vending machines. They were normally printed on one side only, and showed black and white or tinted portraits or action photos of film, western/sports stars, show girls, bathing beauties, fortune telling, etc. Some had coupons on the back that could be redeemed for things like watch fobs, magic tricks, photos, pocket pieces, etc.

Busy Person's Correspondence Postcards: A postcard, usually humorous, that saved the sender writing time. They included quick choices for the sender in the form of a checklist of sentiments and greetings.

Chrome (or Photochrome) Postcards: Any card after 1939 with a glossy, color, photo image. They were introduced by the Union Oil Co. and easily produced.

Copper Postcards: made from rolls of very thin copper, cut to size, and folded around a blank postcard. Images are stamped in black paint on the copper covered card, then lacquered. This type of postcard would have to be mailed in a protective envelope, as the postal machines would dent the copper and ruin the picture. Gregorian Inc. of South Dakota and Kopper Kard of Utah sell this type postcard.
* Picture courtesy of Curtis Gidding Stamp Store.

Copper Window Postcards: Flat printed view cards with copper metallic paint applied to the windows of the building, making them shine under reflected light. The results simulated hold-to light postcards.

Coupon Cards: Postcards published by a newspaper that could be acquired by redeeming coupons found in that same newspaper. They were usually published on a weekly basis as a promotional gimmick from 1904 to 1910.

Deek Postcards: A type of puzzle postcard that changed from one view to another simply by tilting the picture. This was sometimes achieved with a small paper tab across the bottom of the postcard.

Die-cut Postcards: A postcard (or part of one) cut by the publisher into a shape other than a rectangle. The edges on these postcards are fragile like lace and easily tear. The postcard to the left had the area around the trees and holly cut so the purple/snowy background showed thru. The resultant effect gives the postcard a look of depth.

Fade Away Postcards: A puzzle-type postcard where part of the image is missing. A person is required to imagine what the missing areas would look like. The postcard to the left was published by Stecher Lith. Co., series no. 506.

Government Postal (Postal Card): A postcard with a preprinted stamp on the back. A government post office produced/issued these postcards. Publishers used them to print designs and advertising messages. They were especially used before the Act of Congress 1898. The owner inherited the card pictured to the left from her great uncle's estate. It wasn't used until 1977, had a blank back, and was non-standard in size (3"x5").

Heat Sensitive Postcards: This type postcard changes color or reveals additions to image when touched with low levels of heat.

Hold to Light Postcards: A postcard that creates a different image when held to the light. Some are as simple as day into night, while others as complicated as winter into summer. There are two types, transparencies and die-cuts. The transparency type creates it's transformation with many thin layers of paper, not die-cut holes.

Installment Postcards: A series of postcards designed to be sent one a day. The complete set came in it's own envelope and formed one picture, either vertical or horizontal. The owner has the Franz Huld Santa installment set in her personal collection, but without it's envelope.

Large Letter Postcards: Postcard that show the name of a place in very big letters that have pictures inside each letter. Postcards without pictures inside the letters are referred to as Big Letter Postcards.

Linen Postcards: Postcards published in the late 20's thru 50's using a textured paper having a cross hatched surface that resembled linen fabric. Undesirable features (i.e. telephone poles, background clutter, and sometimes people and cards, etc.) were removed by airbrushing.

Maximum Cards: A postcard, one postage stamp in very good condition, and a postmark having close association to each other. The postcard picture must not be abstract. The postage stamp must not exceed 1/4 of the postcard's area, and be on the picture side. The cancellation date of the postmark should be as close as possible to the stamp's date of issue. The cancellation's design and place of cancel should also have an association with the maximum card's subject. These are the basics set forth by the International Federation of Philately for Maximaphily. ** picture courtesy of Lusitania Postcards.

Mechanical Postcards: A type of novelty postcard with moving parts. It may be a simple as a die-cut top revealing a different idea of the previous image when opened, or as complicated as pulling a tab to totally change the picture. Some mechanicals had wheels that changed the dates on a calendar. The postcard to the right was published by J.J. Marks in 1912.

Miniature (Midget) Postcards: These postcards were done as a novelty during the golden age of postcards (1898 to 1918). They measured approximately 3 1/2" x 2 1/2", had stamp boxes, and were often postally used like regular sized postcards. The postcard to the left was published by John Winsch.

Mutoscope/Exhibit Cards: 5.25" x 3.25" cards published during the 1940s. Mutoscope cards carry the inscription "A Mutoscope card" on back. Unlike arcade cards, mutoscope or exhibit cards had printing on the back and could be postally sent. They were sold from coin-operated vending machines in places such as amusement parks. Most Mutoscope or Exhibit cards were of "pin-up" material.

Newspaper Postcards: These cards were sent free in the Sunday papers around the US. They were clipped out of the newspaper with scissors, so wasn't standard in size. The card stock was also thinner due to being cut from newspaper. This one was compliments of the NY Sunday American & Journal. It features a Buster Brown, Mary Jane, and Tige design by R.F. Outcault copyrighted in 1906.

Novelty Postcards: These postcards included mechanicals, those beyond standard size, ones printed on unusual substances (cork, copper, leather, wood, etc), or with items attached (i.e. bags of salt, real hair, feathers, metal medallions, sequins, glitter, ribbons, felt pennants, miniature envelopes, silk, pennies, etc.). The postcard to the right is a type of novelty postcard called metal attached. The leaf and greeting were attached with what looked like very small, round headed, metal brads.

Paper Doll Postcards: Description Pending

Pioneer Postcards: Postcards issued before the Act of Congress in 1898. Most had images printed on the back of government postal cards and could be mailed for 1 cent; private postal cards required two cents. They carry instructions, such as "Write the address only on this side - the message on the other", or "Nothing but address can be placed on this side", or "This side for address only".

Puzzle Postcards: In the USA, it refers to postcards with hidden pictures, are jigsaw puzzles, rebus postcards, or anything with a puzzle to solve. This one asks, "What is nicer than a pretty girl?" The answer lies in the squished letters at the bottom (The owner has yet to solve this one).

QSL Postcards: QSL stands for Station Verification Report. These cards were sent by one ham radio operator to another to confirm a radio contact. They contain information that only means something to a ham radio operator. Some were professionally printed and some were made by hand.

Real Photo Postcards: Real photo is a term used to distinguish between commercially printed photographic images and an actual photograph printed on photograph paper with a preprinted postcard back. Real photo postcards are more desirable as most were one of a kind, while commercially printed photographic images were produced in large quantity. This one is unused, but can be dated by the stamp box (AZO with 4 triangles pointed up) as being from sometime between 1904 - 1918.

Rebus Postcards: A type of puzzle postcard on which words, phrases, or sentences are represented by pictures of objects. When their names are sounded in sequence, the solution is revealed.

Short Timers Postcards: These were regular postcards, typically with a patriotic theme. There was a circle where one was supposed to write the number of "days short". People in the military typically sent these cards, which's why many have a patriotic theme.

Silk Postcards: A type of novelty postcard where silk fabric is applied to the design. A silk postcard could also be printed on silk fabric, then attached to a postcard back. This type postcard can easily fray and soil, so shouldn't be touched by hands too much. It should be kept in a safe, Mylar sleeve.

Squeaker Postcards: A type of postcard when squeezed, produced a squeaky sound. The squeaker mechanism was sandwiched between two layers of thick card stock, so was thicker than normal. A small hole was placed in the card's back to expel air. Unfortunately, this squeaker postcard no longer squeaks.

Talking Postcards: A type of novelty postcard invented in 1903 that played a message or short tune in the form of a record. They were also known as gramophone cards.

Vinegar Valentine: An insult card often sent anonymously to someone the sender disliked. It was decorated with a caricature that had an insulting poem below it.