Postcard collecting, like it sounds, is the hobby of collecting postcards for enjoyment or money. For the casual postcard collector, all kinds of postcards are interesting. As a casual collector, you might save all the postcards you ever receive, and then round out your collection by picking up postcards from all the places you visit. As a casual collector, you might have a broad collection of postcards without any particular focus or theme. You might collect them just because you enjoy it.

For a more serious or professional collector, there are other issues to be aware of. Did you know, for instance, that a postcard collection is more valuable if it is acquired around a certain theme? Examples would be "postcards of the 1930's" or "holiday postcards" or "sports postcards". If you have a theme around which your collection revolves, it will be easier to acquire new items, and the value of your collection may grow over time.

While you can send a postcard for about 25 cents through the U.S. Mail, did you know that a postcard once sold for $60,000 at a charity auction? Clearly, this postcard was very meaningful to somebody, but out of the price range of most people.

Aside from theme, another element that adds to a postcard's value is how rare it is. If you collect postcards from certain cities, for instance, you will find that postcards from smaller cities are more rare, and therefore more valuable, than ones from larger cities. Exceptions to this would be any "one of a kind" postcards, or ones featuring famous people or celebrities, as these tend to be valued by general collectors. The value of these postcards is not that they are postcards, but, instead, that they bear the image or likeness of a famous person.

Another element that determines the worth of the postcard is whether it was written on or not. Sometimes, writing on the back can accurately place the postcard in history, which can be useful for increasing value. Some collectors prefer cards that have been sent and others prefer cards that have never been used. Obviously, if you have a "one of kind" postcard that has been written on by somebody famous, the value of this postcard would be very high, and not just to postcard collectors. People who collect memorabilia would also find this valuable.

A third element which determines a postcards value is that of the postcard artist him or herself. If you have postcards by a favored artists or well known figure, these would be more valuable than those that have been generically mass-produced.

It is always wise to research a postcard's value before buying or selling. You can find information online or through item auctions. If you have a very rare postcard or one you suspect will be worth a lot of money, take that card for review to a reputable and knowledgeable dealer.

Postcard collecting is certainly a fun, interesting, (and possibly profitable!) hobby.