This Week’s Vintage Finds #156: Christmas Post Cards & Free Printables
Hi everyone! I have some pretty vintage Christmas post cards to share with you today. These 3.5″ x 5.5″ little pieces of art have been collected almost from the moment they became popular at the turn of the 20th century. They can be bought, sometimes for pennies at garage sales or auctions, or for as little as a dollar at antique shops. Enjoy them in albums or use them in crafts of all kinds–bunting, tags, and Christmas ornaments, for example. At the end of the post, I’ll give you links to two PDF files containing most of the cards I’ll be showing you today. Feel free to download them and print them onto photographic paper (I recommend matte finish). Send them to friends with a note or use them in some amazing craft. Be sure to send me a photo of your project if you do. I’d love to share it on the blog.
Who can resist a chubby bird? Not me. This card dates to the 1920’s. Collectors often gravitate toward a particular theme, like birds, or holiday, like Christmas. Halloween and war-related cards can be extremely sought after with prices reaching $100 and beyond.
Santa post cards are always popular, but it’s the older Santa cards, especially those printed in Germany that have the highest values. Look for Santa’s wearing outfits in any color other than red. Mine dates to about the 1920’s. I love the clock behind Santa.
Check out About.com’s Santa post card collection here.
These cards with babies on them are sweet, but a bit odd, don’t you think? Printed in Bavaria (Germany) and distributed in New York and London, they date to about the turn of the century.
Pretty Christmas bells, printed in Rochester, NY, likely around the turn of the century.
The image of the shepherds guarding their flocks is the closest thing to a nativity scene that I have. Very nicely designed, likely from about the 30’s.
This card brings home the ultimate “reason for the season” by referencing the cross that Jesus would of course face much later in life. It was printed in 1907.
An lastly, a charming New Year’s card filled with my favorite chubby birds. It’s beautifully embossed and likely dates to about the 1910’s.
Click here for more great info about post card collecting.
Clear here for your free printable:
Click here for your free printable:
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How generous of you to share these – thank you, Diana!
I love old postcards…particularly those with sweet birds! Thanks for sharing, Diana!
These are all fabulous but I love the first chubby little birds. I’ll get some photo paper and print some out for sure! Thank you for sharing.
hugs
I love vintage postcards, as you have seen on my Instagram (jmg202). I collect cards published by Whitney (Worcester, MA), Christnas postcards with snowmen, houses or birds, Thanksgiving and New Year’s cards, and anything else that catches my fancy. I have hundreds and keep them in photo albums so it’s easy to browse through them. Merry Christmas!
Love the cards, thanks for sharing! I have thought about collecting them.
What pretty cards these are. The cross reminded me of a medieval painting of the Nativity with a crucifix hanging on the wall of the stable. I enjoy all your blogs but this is perfect for today.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I love all these cards! Birds are always my favorite, but they are all so beautiful!
These post cards are beautiful. I have some but none of these.
MERRY CHRISTMAS And a BLESSED NEW YEAR
Marilyn and family
These are beautiful. I like to frame these and place them on easels during the holidays. Thank you for sharing the links.
I’m not sure I’ve seen really old Christmas postcards before. Very interesting with the babies. I have a small collection of WWII cards from when my dad served, but nothing earlier. Thank you!
What a special collection of postcards. I really like the one with Santa. I always think postcards tell an interesting story and can be little works of art.
Oh, I love vintage postcards! So fun how merry is spelled Merrie in the one. Thanks for sharing them with SYC.
hugs,
Jann