When we sell a postcard on eBay our attention is drawn to the image on the front of the card, we list a description that includes the relevant dates if they are available, the condition of the postcard including corners and soiling we may also report on the stamp, postmark and post office and then value the postcard at a little less than we believe it to be worth in the hope that more than one person will bid and we achieve a better price.

When we list a postcard are we really selling it in the correct category.  Only a few weeks ago I was checking the value for a Scottish postcard that I had two copies.  A stamp dealer friend had called into the warehouse for a free cup of tea and he valued one of the pair of Scottish postcards at £50 and the other at about £1.50.  What had increased the value of one identical postcard over the other, it was not the stamp but the date and place of the postmark.

On flicking through several thousand postcards he added to the value of several dozen by a £1 up to around £20 a postcard.  The increase in price was due to the postmark, date and image as well as the banners sometimes printed on the postcard.

When examining the postcard back it may be worth listing the postcard in the stamp category if the postmark is unusual, has postage due stamps and rubber stamps or other postmark and postage related details as it could be worth a great deal more to a stamp collector that a postcard collector by tens of pounds and in come cases several hundred pounds