August 10, 2006
 

RECORD PRICES AT JACKSON'S

POSTCARD, PHOTOGRAPHY, COIN AND EPHEMERA AUCTION

CEDAR FALLS, IA.- Intense widespread interest generated  record prices at Jackson’s International Postcard, Photography, Coin and Ephemera auction which took place on August 1st and 2nd. Forty-one states and eight countries representing 658 registered bidders competed for the 1,400 cataloged lots with total sales of $801,700.00.

The auction primarily consisted of four main collections including specimens from the archives of Curt Teich Publishing Co., the H. Danny Danielson collection of real photo postcards, St. Louis, Mo., selections from the Jack Davis collection, Bozeman, MT, and the inventory of Matrix Gallery Picture Postcards, Long Island N.Y.

Perhaps some of the most eagerly awaited items to be offered were the linen color postcards from the archives of Curt Teich Publishing Co. 1898-1978. In the year 1982 the Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda, Illinois became the repository for the archives of the Curt Teich publishing company, once the world’s largest producer of advertising postcards and views. The offered specimens consisted of duplicate examples from the archives of linen postcards from the period of 1930-1950.

Linen postcards were first produced in the late 1930’s when access to quality European printing was restricted to high tariffs and later on because of the war. They continued to be produced in large numbers through the 1950’s.  They are typically printed on heavy paper with a crosshatch line pattern on the face of the card giving them the look and feel of fabric or linen. Together with a textured like surface, they are easily recognizable by their vivid colors and shadowless airbrushed appearance.

In some postcard collecting circles, linen postcards rank towards the bottom end of the desirability scale. Generally speaking this is because of the vast amount of examples available on the market today. Go to any postcard show and one can easily find a vast multitude of common vintage linen postcards for less than five dollars each. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and examples of rare subject mint condition linen cards are one of those examples. Some notable sales of individual linen postcards from this auction include a Curt Teich publishing advertising postcard depicting a “Santa Claus” snow dome that sold to a collector from Kansas City for $793.00. Another similar card advertising a “Little Mammy” snow dome sold to a New York collector for $440.00. An interesting linen postcard advertising a “Merry-Go Round” truck, sold to a collector from Pennsylvania for $381.00 and another similar card advertising “Twin City Radiator-Campaign, Il sold for $264.00.

Groups of linen cards arranged by subject also sold well including lot #54 which consisted of 5 linen postcards advertising Norfolk Paint by means of black parody that sold for $1,880.00 against a pre-sale estimate of $150-$250. A group of 8 linen postcards advertising classic roadside diners sold for $1,116.00. A group of 9 linen postcards advertising various household products sold for $587.00 and 4 linen postcards advertising ice cream sold for $470.00. Overall the linen postcards from the Curt Teich Publishing Co. did exceptionally well. This was due to the fact that savvy collectors know that opportunities such as this auction provided are far and few between. And while it is too soon to say that a new trend for linen postcards has been established it is probably fair to say that linen cards in mint condition and of interesting subjects will no doubt increase in value.

One well-established trend that was corroborated at this auction was the continuing popularity of real photo postcards. This is an area that apparently has no end in sight due to the crossover appeal to collectors of 19th and early 20th century American photo images. This in turn increases the competition and subsequently the prices.

One unique aspect of real photo postcards is the fact that more than a few examples are truly “one-of-a-kind.” This is because of the basic method in which many real photo postcards were produced. Towards the last quarter of the 19th century, itinerant photographers crossed the country producing images printed on photographic paper with postcard backings. For example, it was common that a photographer would stop by any given small town and print real photo postcards of various well-known local scenes, or perhaps simply Main Street or local children at play. Scenes were sometimes only printed in very small quantities making these unique glimpses of everyday life into America’s past quite desirable. In these examples their broad appeal, like Norman Rockwell paintings, lies in the fact that most people can somehow relate to the scene or at the very least can imagine themselves transported to that specific time and place. Perhaps more than any other postcard category, real photo values are primarily subject driven.

Some highlights of individual real photo postcard sales include an example depicting a Soda Car displaying signs for Vin Fiz and Coca Cola that sold to a collector from Michigan for $822.00. A real photo postcard presumably depicting a barber with various accoutrements and curiosities sold to a California collector for $646.00. A real photo postcard of a man with an Excelsior Auto Cycle sold for $587.00 and a RPPC depicting a mail carrier riding a Harley Davidson and dated 1914 sold for $440.00.

Group lots of real photo postcards also did exceedingly well. For example a group of four RPPC relating to the burning of African American Will James in November of 1909 sold for $3,055.00. A group of 33 RPPC depicting Cowgirls sold for $1,762.00. Four RPPC depicting Victrola talking machines and the Overall Co., sold for $1,292.00. A group of 24 RPPC depicting various horse drawn delivery wagons sold for $1,175.00 and a group of 93 RPPCs depicting sod houses and claim shakes sold for $2,585.00.

The second session opened with a small offering of original watercolor illustrations by Samuel L. Schmucker (American 1879-1921). Schmucker was an illustration artist working under contract for Detroit Publishing Company, publisher of color postcards from about 1900-1930. These one-of-a-kind paintings are the actual artwork from which the postcards were reproduced making them a real treasure for postcard collectors. The first painting offered was a highly decorative image of a Nude and Satyrs, measuring 24” x 15” and painted around the year 1900 it sold to a collector from Florida for $12,925.00. The other Schmucker watercolor illustrations each measured 8” x 5” and represented a variety of different series. “Autumn” from the “Childhood” series sold for $5,170.00. A “Pick-a-Ninny” from the “Little Miss Nations” series sold for $4,465.00. “Swann” from the “Water Birds” series sold for $4,230.00 and “Sea Horse” from the “Mermaids Lovers” series sold for $3,995.00. 

Halloween cards sold next. This is an area that continues to see strong upward movement particularly on good Winsch, Clapsaddle, Whitney, and Schmucker examples. Although without question it is those beautifully printed cards published by John Winsch (active 1910-1915), which far and away out perform most other Halloween cards. Some highlights from this category include a single Winsch Halloween card with a costumed child perched in a tree with owls that sold for $1,000.00. Another Winsch with a Schmucker illustration sold for $851.00. A charming Winsch Halloween with young girl dressed as a witch holding a Jack-O-Lantern and with black cat beside her sold for $587.00. And still another Winsch Halloween sold for the same price, $587.00. Small group lots of Halloween cards also saw strong competition with a group of 3 Winsch cards selling for $763.00, 6 Jack-O-Lantern cards brought $763.00 and a lot of 10 Clapsaddle cards sold for $646.00.

Christmas postcards followed Halloween cards and saw a strong resurgence in better examples. Like Halloween cards, the overall aesthetic appeal more than anything else, seems to determine the final price. Of particular interest at present seem to be the Hold-To-Light examples.  Hold-To-Light cards are so called because they are designed with certain areas (windows, lamps, letters) cut-out and backed in translucent colored paper which when held up to a light give an interesting illuminating effect. A few examples from the Christmas category include: a Mailick die cut Hold-To-Light Santa that sold to a California buyer for $1,057.00. A Hold-To-Light Santa wearing a blue suit sold for $998.00. A Hold-To-Light Santa carrying dolls sold for $940.00 and a Hold-To-Light Santa driving a toy filled car did $763.00.

Other notable postcard sales include a pair of Raphael Kirchner die-cut Hold-To-Light silhouette cards of women sold for $2,291.00. A set of 12 Alphonse Mucha months of the year did $2,232.00. A pair of Vin Fiz soft drink advertising postcards sold to a buyer from New York for $3,055.00. A group of 18 Carpathia and Titanic postcards did $2,350.00.  A group lot of 60 “Black” subject cards sold for $1,116.00. A group of 40 Hawaiian scene postcards and 3 travel books sold for $1,175.00 and a group lot of 600 Bill Graham and Family Dog handbills and postcards sold for $5,700.00.

The sale ended with a small offering of vintage photo images, coins and stamps. Some highlights from those categories include a whole plate Union Case “Washington Crossing the Delaware” that sold to a buyer from Atlanta, Georgia for $3,055.00 against a pre-sale estimate of $8-$1,200. A cracked whole plate ambrotype of Niagara Falls by Platt Babbit sold for $1,527.00. A ¼ th plate tin type depicting an outdoor scene of a group of Civil War Union soldiers sold to a Pennsylvania collector for $2,820.00. And a 6th plate tintype of a young girl with rocking horse sold for $381.00.

The sale concluded with coins and stamps including a VF 1893-S Morgan silver dollar that sold for $8,225.00. A group lot of 377 mixed Morgan dollars sold for $7,637.00 (slightly over 20 times face value). A group lot of 354 mixed dates Peace dollars sold for $3,877.00 and a lot of 100 Franklin half dollars sold for $2,115.00. Notable stamp sales include a hoard of mostly post 1970 mint sheets that sold for $15,275.00. A large lot of U.S. postage stamps consisting of four albums plus letters and first day covers sold for $6,345.00 and 20 binders of miscellaneous U.S stamps finished at $2,585.00.