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Supreme Court and City Hall (Singapore)
Wonder Co. of Tokyo seemed to make many of Asia’s 3D lenticular image cards in the 1970s-80s. Maybe they still do? Distributed by Jany Batcha Co. JS-7, this was mailed from Singapore in 1989 with two different stamps and readable postmark, along with blue bilingual airmail sticker affixed. Grade: 1
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Delta Airlines DC-9 FanJet
Unused 4″ x 6-1/2″ card printed in Xograph “depth effect” process, a plastic layering designed to give a 3-D impression, and so it does. Superb addition to any collection of aircraft postcards–really. Grade: 1
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Panda
This is a ridged, plastic-covered 3D photo in the size and shape of a postcard but without printing on the reverse, apart from “Made in Japan” and manufacturer’s details. It is meant to be a postcard. Bought in 1980s and never mailed, the front is perfect and the reverse is mottled with age. Grade: 2
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Parrots
Photo with ridged plastic coating, in the size and shape of a postcard and meant to be used that way though reverse only has manufacturer’s information. Made in Japan. Bought in 1980’s but never mailed. Two are available; fronts are perfect, and reverses are quite mottled with age. The effect is realistic and if you click the photo for a larger view you can get a good sense of it. Grades: 2
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Rooster
Ridged, plastic-coated photo is in size and shape of a postcard but lacks any printing on reverse apart from origin (Japan) and manufacturer. Card dates from mid-1980s and is perfect in front, but age-stained on reverse. Grade: 2
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Ganesh
The only thing this 3D card has printed on the back is Made in Japan. It was not mailed, and though it isn’t marked as a postcard, it was intended to be mailed as one. Grade: 1
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Indian deities
Unused 3D card. The only thing printed on the back is Made in Japan. Though not marked as a postcard, it was intended to be mailed as one. The 3D effect is from the heavy ridged lenticular plastic overlay. Grade: 1
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Kwimyonam in Mt. Kumgang-san (DPRK)
Unused 3D card, rigid and beginning to age, from 1990. It is fully attributed to DPRK (North Korea) on the reverse. Grade: 2
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Mt. Myohang, Sangwon Temple (DPRK)
Two of these DPRK postcards are available. They’ve not been used, are sturdy plastic-coated 3D cards, fully attributed to Pyongyang on the reverse. Grades: 2
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Mansudae Art Theatre, Pyongyang (DPRK)
Two cards are available. They have not been used, but are aging a little on front and back. They’re a little more costly than the other 3D cards because they show actual construction in the city, so they have some historical time value. Grades: 2
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Pluto
Card bought at Tokyo Disneyland in 1982 and never mailed. It is a 3D-type card in which the motion effect is created by a ridged plastic lenticular printing. Pluto is chasing and then being chased. Front of card is in terrific condition; reverse is mottling and has minor staining. Grade: 2
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Scrooge
Bought at Tokyo Disneyland in 1982 and never mailed. The card has ridged plastic coating (lenticular printing) to create the effect of Scrooge panning for gold and finding it. Front of card is great; reverse has some mottling and staining but no other marks. Grade: 2
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Donald Duck and Whale
Card bought at Tokyo Disneyland in 1982 and never mailed. It is a 3D-type card in which the motion effect is created by a ridged plastic coating (lenticular printing). Donald Duck and nephews catch more than they expected. Front of card is in great condition; reverse is mottling and shows some staining. Grade: 2
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3D movie viewers, 1952 (NOT a 3D card)
Let’s be clear that the photo is of patrons watching a 3D film–it’s not a 3D postcard, nor was it printed in 1952. Photo was by J.R. Eyerman; the card was mailed from Denver in 1983 with US Olympics 40-cent weightlifting stamp and full postmark. There’s a little postmark transfer on the upper front margin. Grade: 2
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Chollima statue (DPR Korea)
These North Korean postcards are in lenticular printing covered in ridged plastic. On the reverse, in Korean and English, they identify the statue and the location (Pyongyang); they are not formatted in postcard style, though they can be used as postcards and were sold that way. Two are unused (Grades: 1, $29) and the third was mailed from Malaysia (not North Korea/DPRK!!) in 1991, with two Malaysian stamps and blue Mel Udara label affixed (Grade: 4, $9).
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Hong Kong Island and Kowloon
Two unused cards are available. The Landsat-7 fusion image is published by Geocarto International Centre, and the 3D effect (ridged plastic) is realistic. Grades: 1
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Lantau Island (Hong Kong)
The Landsat-7 fusion image was published by Geocarto International Centre in 2009, and the 3D effect (ridged plastic) is realistic. You can see Chek Lap Kok Airport as the lighter area on the northern shore of Lantau Island. Grade: 1
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Hong Kong
Two of these unused cards are available. The Landsat-7 fusion image was published by Geocarto International Centre, and the 3D effect (ridged plastic) is realistic. You can see two airports in here if you know where to look. Grades: 1
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Central and Kowloon from the Peak (Hong Kong)
You (and we) already know that these 3D cards made of heavy ridged plastic don’t scan well at all. But the unused card is perfectly clear. Grade: 1
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Victoria Harbour (Hong Kong)
You (and we) already know that these 3D postcards made of heavy ridged plastic don’t scan well at all. But the unused card is perfectly clear. Grade: 1
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City Hall, Shenzhen (PR China)
Three of these unused cards with pre-printed postage, dated 2009, are available. Issued by China Post, they have the 3D-effect plastic ridging and are on very heavy stock. Grades: 1
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Communist Party of China 1921-2011 (Maximum) (set of 6) (PR China)
This is the outer glossy cardboard cover of a set of six unused, different, genuinely spectacular 3D-effect cards, made of that ridged plastic, and that change their picture as you move them around in your hand. The scans can’t show this, but as an example, item 20307347B (our next entry) is one of the cards. The scan shows hands holding grain in a wind farm, but from other perspectives you can see city skylines and a bullet train. Other cards have cultural, labour, and military themes. And on top of all of that, each card comes stamped with a mint Y1.20 stamp essentially making these Maximum Cards as well. Grade: 1
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Communist Party of China 1921-2011 (Maximum) (set of 6)
See 37000023A for full description of this set of six cards.
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Vespa
Somehow, we have three of these lenticular entries. How did that happen? They are unattributed and we call the motorcycle a Vespa because we know that’s what it is, though there is no caption. Two were mailed from Netherlands with stamp and partial postmark (Grades: 1, $6) and the other was not postally used but has a message and a sticker on the reverse (Grade: 4, $2).
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Car
Certainly from the same producer as previous entry 37000024, this card was mailed from Netherlands in 2012, stamp, Priority label, and only partial postmark. Grade: 1
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Field of flowers
This is indeed a postcard, unused, lenticular printing, rounded corners … but apart from lines to denote where the address should go, there is no other attribution or identification. We can tell you we got this card from Holland, but it could have come from anywhere. Grade: 1
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Hong Kong Delicacies (set)
Long explanation follows for these amazing cards. Each set has four 4-1/4″ x 7-3/8″ cards, lenticular printing (3D) on heavy, heavy stock. Each of the four cards has a food or drink typical of Hong Kong, and each card has a pre-printed stamp corresponding to the picture–like a Maximum Card, but not quite the same. Hong Kong Post defines these as “Postage Prepaid Picture Card Series No. 48,” with the pre-printed stamp valid for airmail to anywhere.
We have 11 of these sets in total. All are in their original cellophane wrap. Five sets have no postmark. Two sets have the special “Hong Kong GPO” postmark. Two sets have a special “Philatelic Bureau” postmark. The other two sets have a special “Hong Kong Delicacies” postmark. Those without postmarks are US$22 per set. Those with postmarks are US$26 per set (first day of issue). Feel free to ask for more details, though we’re not sure what else we can say. All are Grade: 1.
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Lake Tahoe (California/Nevada)
As with many cards having lenticular printing (the ridged plastic overlay), the photo on this card is different depending on your angle of vision. From one side it’s a daylight view; from another, it’s sunset. Nine cards are available. Eight are unused and clean apart from removal of the original price stickers on the reverse (Grades: 2, $3) while the other was mailed in 2012 with three stamps and readable postmark (Grade: 1, $6).
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Dubai
Unused card, lenticular printing. The original price sticker is still on the back. Grade: 2
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Dubai, mosque interior
Unused card, lenticular printing. We think this shows the interior of a mosque; if not, would you kindly let us know? The original price sticker is still on the back. Grade: 2
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Peng Hu Bay Bridge and fireworks (Taiwan)
This 3D postcard has something for (almost) everyone. Apart from being 3D–lenticular printing–a portion of the back could be pulled out so the card could stand alone on a table, as a framed picture might. Mailed in 2012 with a coloured meter stamp, light blue trilingual airmail sticker, and one other small sticker affixed. If not for the extra sticker, Grade 1, but because of that only, Grade: 3
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Guns and rabbit (Taiwan)
Mailed in 2012 with (real) stamp, blurred postmark, and trilingual Air Mail sticker. If you turn this lenticular-printed card to the left, you see 20 pistols and rifles mounted on a wall. If you then turn it to the right, you see what seems to be a ceramic or metal rabbit. Unusual juxtaposition, and someone must be able to explain it. Grade: 1
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Atlanta, Have a Coke & a smile (USA)
This 3D card (lenticular printing) either reads “Have a Coke & a smile” or “Thirst knows no season,” depending on the angle, and comes from the Coca-Cola Store in Atlanta. It was mailed in 2012 from Canada, with stamp and postmark. Grade: 3
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Zoo de Madrid, lions and tigers
Very nice 3D card (lenticular printing) showing a range of photos of lions and tigers, depending on your perspective. Two are available. One was mailed from Spain in 2012 with two stamps (three, if you count the se-tenant large stub of one of them) (Grade: 1, $5). The other was mailed in 2013, with three stamps and full postmark (Grade: 1, $6).
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Single-engine aircraft
Internet card with lenticular printing, made in Germany but mailed from Netherlands in 2013 with stamp and postmark. The motion effect is of the plane flying right at you. Grade: 1
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Ruins of St. Paul’s (Macau)
Unused card, lenticular printing with motion effect showing one view of St. Paul’s facade during the day and another near sunset. Grade: 1
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Seahorse
There is a modest motion effect in this lenticular card. The seahorse changes from profile to frontal view. Mailed from Germany with two stamps (one is Europa) but illegible postmark. Grade: 1
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Television and animal
Our first instinct was to say “cat” but it could as easily be a rat, so we are playing it safe. The grooved lenticular motion effect causes the drawing to change from just a TV with static, to a clear picture of the animal on the screen. But we can’t control what the scan finally shows! Two of these cards are available. One was mailed from The Netherlands in 2013, with stamp, clear postmark, and Priority label (Grade: 1, $4) and the other also in 2013 but with four stamps and indistinct postmark (Grade: 1, $4).
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Western Cape (South Africa)
Heavy, lenticular-printing 3D card but mailed from the United Arab Emirates (not South Africa!) in 2013 with two stamps and very faint postmark. Grade: 4
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Beer (Netherlands)
That’s it: beer in 3D. No caption, no attribution. Mailed from Netherlands in 2013 with stamp and faint postmark. Grade: 1