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The rules of using the toilet (Ukraine)
Mailed in 20912 with two stamps and postmark. What look like stains and creases on this ad card are really part of the design. Grade: 1
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Acede Gratis …
Mailed from Portugal in 2012 with stamp, partial postmark, and Priority and address labels affixed. Grade: 4
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Handcuffs, by Benetton
The front of this card, mailed from Finland in 2012, is OK. But the reverse is a mess of correction fluid. Stamp, faint postmark, and Priority label are there. Grade: 5
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Eclipse Gum (Germany)
Mailed from Germany in 2013 with stamp, postmark, and Priority label. Grade: 1
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Vive el verano (Enjoy the summer) (Spain)
Unused, aging card from providers of domestic helpers–we think. Grade: 2
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Singapore Police – Fairness
The front of this advertising card is OK. The reverse is a bit messy, mailed from Taiwan with two stamps, partial postmark, and address and other label taped on. Grade: 4
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Boomerang Post-Graffiti series (Netherlands)
The caption on this unused card is all in Dutch, but we think it is #4 from a series of four cards. Not certain about this, but you would know if you’ve read this far. Grade: 1
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Yakuza
Unused Boomerang card from Netherlands, with caption in English. Search engines will tell you all about the yakuza in Japan. Grade: 1
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Stop Talking Start Planting (Germany)
Unused card, almost fully preprinted on the back, in German, along with a QR Code for more information. Looks like a very good cause. Grade: 1
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8. Kaufunger Stiftsweihnacht (Germany)
Postcard-sized but technically cannot be used as one because there is no place for the address. Well, you could do it, but with difficulty as the reverse is fully pre-printed in German. Grade: 1
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Husk (Netherlands)
Loosely translated, “Hey, I know you from somewhere?” Mailed from Holland in 2013 with stamp and postmark. Grade: 2
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Architecture (Lithuania)
Just another example of how wonderful ad cards can be when they want to be. The message space is taken up with a printed caption (in Lithuanian, along with the rest of the 2012 card) but it’s unused. Grade: 1
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Rabbits (Lithuania)
Google Translate struggles a bit with this: “Hei hou, what are you? Do not look to the sides. Have what you want.” Not postally mailed, but with a message written on the reverse. Grade: 4
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Micacode – cellular (Brazil)
This is actually an unused postcard, with designated space for stamp and address, but you would be challenged to send it because the reverse of the card is all in black and orange, with a QR Code. Anyway, great condition. Grade: 1
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Xitou, Monster Village (Taiwan)
Unused advertising card, 3-5/8″ x 6-1/4″. Grade: 1
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Art Festival Theatre (Taiwan)
Unused card from the Art Department of a university in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Two cards are available. Grades: 1
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Weet Wie je ontmoet (Belgium)
This is actually a website. Translated, “Know who you meet.” So guess what it’s all about! You need not guess–there’s a QR Code on the reverse. Card mailed from Netherlands with stamp and partial postmark, and orange postal barcoding. Grade: 2
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Original Long Drink (Finland)
Google Translate gave up completely on the translation of Aitolonkero’s website. That’s OK. We think we’ve given this card enough time. Mailed from Finland with stamp and Prioritaire, but no postmark. Grade: 4
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Best Buy, and able-hk (Hong Kong)
In most ways this is a typical bulk-mailed ad card for Hong Kong households. (Don’t be misled by the name “Tokyo” on the front.) One side of the card is as you see, showing locations of Best Buy shops along Hong Kong’s MTR lines. The other side seems to be for property rentals, we’re not sure. It’s all in Chinese. What makes this ad card special is that it shows most of Hong Kong’s MTR (metro, subway) system. We’ve yet to find any locally made postcards that do this. Grade: 1
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Skarppaa leivällä! (Finland)
Skarppaa leivällä! = Skarppaa bread, in Finnish. Card was mailed from there in 2013, with stamp, postmark, and blue Priority label. Grade: 1
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Precision Tune Auto Care (Portugal)
Mailed from Portugal in 2013, with one very large “Monserrate” stamp and postmark. Grade: 2
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The Reef (Hong Kong)
Unused ad card from the 41st Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2013. Grade: 1
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Die seele baumeln lassen … (Germany)
Google Translate: “The soul dangle”. The card’s sender: “Let your soul chill”. We like that one better. Mailed in 2013 with two stamps and postmark. Grade: 1
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Chello (Netherlands)
Broadly meaning: unrestricted internet surfing for a small amount. Card mailed from Netherlands in 2013 with stamp and postmark. Very minor postal creasing. Grade: 2
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Plate-Forme Prevention SIDA (Belgium)
Look closely at this Valentine card, an AIDS warning. Mailed from Belgium in 2013 with two stamps and very faint postmark. One abraded corner. Grade: 3
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Triumph
Card produced in (and for) Denmark, in Danish, but mailed from UK in 2013 with stamp, Air Mail label, and orange postal barcoding. Grade: 3
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Kitten and flowers
This is actually a Russian ad card for windows, mailed from Croatia in 2013 with two different stamps, partial postmark, and blue multilingual Prioriaire label affixed. Grade: 3
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Absolut Graves.
An American ad card, unused. We so wish we had a great supply of all the creative and distinctive Absolut Vodka real and parody cards. But we don’t. Grade: 1
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Stolichnaya Razberi
A brilliantly conceived and executed USA ad card. Unused. Grade: 1
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Stolichnaya Kafya
Unused USA card, with some smudging on the reverse. Grade: 2
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Death the Time of Your Life
This is apparently a comic book. Comic books have evolved, haven’t they? (We knew that.) Unused but aged and stained card. Grade: 3
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Aventuriini (Finland)
We could have worked with Google Translate on this, but will leave it with the sender who describes this as for a specialty shop for stones and jewellery. It’s a chain of stores. Mailed from Finland in 2013 with two stamps, postmark, and Priority label. Grade: 1
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Op een dag … (Netherlands)
For Grolsche Brewery, and mailed from Netherlands in 2013 with four stamps and Priority label. Two of the four stamps are postmarked. Grade: 2
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Betzalel Academia of Art (Israel)
The entire card is in Hebrew but the sender kindly explains everything on the back. Mailed in 2013 with two stamps (not cancelled) and a large extra chop of something looking like a Cheshire Cat. Grade: 4
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Hatuey Beer
Unused card, from Bacardi. Beginning to age a bit. Grade: 1
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Thank you for visiting Bali – Indosat (Indonesia)
Although this is an ad card from Indosat, it’s nice enough to fit in the main country section also. Three unused cards are available. Grades: 1
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Quiksilver Surf School Bali (Indonesia)
Four of these unused cards are available. They are probably not meant to be mailed as postcards, because the back is fully pre-printed with map and details, but if one was clever and determined, one could manage that task. Grades: 1
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Keep Bali Clean
Another postcard-sized ad, fully printed on the back with a map and WWF-sanctioned ways to help clean up Bali. If you tried hard, you could send this as a postcard, so we list it. Grade: 1
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niconico mare (Indonesia)
Unused ad card for Balinese swimwear. Good thing the card comes from Bali and not Jakarta. Grade: 1
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Stand Up Paddle with Me @ Wave Hunter Bali
Three unused cards are available, in the same style as some other recent entries: not really postcards, but if you work at it, you could mail them (and someone would be happy to receive them). Grades: 1