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Tom Crean and pups (South Georgia Island)
With thanks to Wikipedia, we can tell you: “Thomas “Tom” Crean (20th July 1877 – 27 July 1938), was an Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer from Annascaul in County Kerry. He was a member of three major expeditions to Antarctica during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, including Captain Scott’s 1911–13 Terra Nova Expedition. This saw the race to reach the South Pole lost to Roald Amundsen and ended in the deaths of Scott and his polar party. During this expedition, Crean’s 35 statute miles (56 km) solo walk across the Ross Ice Shelf to save the life of Edward Evans led to him receiving the Albert Medal for Lifesaving.” And here he is, on an unused postcard, designed as a stamp. Grade: 1
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Lawrence Welk Country Club Village, Escondido (California)
The property is still there, seemingly the focus of time-share exchanges, and with positive online reviews. To Americans of a certain age, Welk was polarising: when he came on TV, you either embraced it, or tried to run. Unused card with major abrasions on the front. Grade: 5
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Smothers Brothers, Hotel Sahara (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)
We have two of these unused 4-3/4″ x 7″ cards available. Hotels and casinos in those days were generous: “You Address It – We Mail It”. Slight aging. Grades: 2
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Rabat, H.M. Hassan II going in procession to preside Friday prayer (Morocco)
Unused DIFIKOT card 1916, captioned in French, English, and German. Beginning to age, but still Grade: 1
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Rabat, H.M. Hassan II going in procession (Morocco)
Unused, ITTAHCOLOR card 2020, heavily browned with age but otherwise clean. Grade: 2
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Corazon C. Aquino (Philippines)
Although the size and style of a postcard, the reverse is fully printed with a bilingual (Tagalog and English) 2012 biography of this President Aquino. By definition, then, the card is unused. Grade: 1
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Benigno S. Aquino III (Philippines)
Although the size and style of a postcard, the reverse is fully printed with a bilingual (Tagalog and English) 2011 biography of this President Aquino. By definition, then, the card is unused. Grade: 1
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Mao Tse-tung (TIME Magazine cover)
For a similar card, but very different personality, see our entry #31200045. Unused ad card. Grade: 2
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General Gouraud (France)
Henri Joseph Eugène Gouraud was a French general, best known for his leadership of the French Fourth Army at the end of the First World War. This card, not postally used, was written in 1920 with a florid message more or less covering the reverse, with some foxing on both sides. We note the (relatively) unusual use of Arabic on the card, unless it was also meant for sale in Syria. We’re not certain about that. Grade: 4
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Composers (Maximum Cards) (set of four) (PR China)
The scan shows one full card and parts of the other three in this unused set MC-117 from 2017. If the signatures aren’t clear, you have Franz Schubert, Gustav Mahler, Frederic Chopin, and Franz Liszt. Why these four? Why does China do this? Only they know. Grade: 1
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Walt Disney
Official, unused Disneyland card 0100-10470. Minor crease diagonally through lower left corner. Grade: 2
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Franz Kafka
Unused. Grade: 1
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Enver Hoxha (Tirana, Albania)
A portrait of the late Albanian Communist leader in his then-named “Enver Hoxha Museum” in Tirana. The unused card dates from 1989 and has a significant smudge on the reverse that does not affect any of the writing. Grade: 3
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Ian Douglas Smith (Rhodesia)
Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 1964 to 1979. Unused Pictorial Publishing card, serrated edges. Grade: 1
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Minorites du Laos
Unused. Unfortunately, none are identified, but then again it would take up the entire reverse to do so. Grade: 1
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Pope John Paul II at Mount Nebo (Jordan)
Unused card 17 from the Archive of the Mount Nebo Franciscan Archaeological Institute, showing the Memorial of Moses and Pope John Paul II’s visit there on 20th March, 2000. Grade: 1
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Kris Wu
FULL DISCLOSURE: We *think* this is Kris Wu, but we had not heard of him before, and his photos on Google do look a little different. So if you can verify Wu this is, we will be grateful. The card was made in PR China, is 3-3/4″ x 7″, and has the detachable stub as you can see in the scan. A QR Code on the back will tell you lots more, in some language. Two unused cards are available. Grades: 1
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Kris Wu, different photo
See our description for entry 31200219, but we only have one of this card. Grade: 1
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Robert A. Heinlein, Citizen of the Galaxy
Mailed from Taiwan in 2021 with three stamps and a strip of decorative tape probably covering up whatever captioning there was. Grade: 4
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Unknown Man (USA)
Of course we have no idea who this gentleman was, but if you have any connection with Mueller of 2196 3rd Avenue in New York City, who took the photo, please do let us know and we’ll give you credit! Unused. Grade: 1
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The Beatles
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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Bruce Lee’s Legacy (Hong Kong) (set of 6)
Issued by Hongkong Post in 2020, these sets of six unused cards come in two versions. Each set features a different Lee movie, and one card from each of the two versions appears in our scan. Version #1 has no postage, no postmark (Grade: 1, $18). Version #2 is a set of maximum cards, with large stamp and postmark (Grade: 1, $29).
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Did you know? Betsy Ross (USA)
When “Did you know?” cards are good, they’re great. When they’re not, well, they’re like this one. Some of the facts are interesting but they might have said this location was in Pennsylvania or even mentioned the dispute over whether she ever stayed in that house. If we’re getting all this wrong, forgive us, but the card was mailed in 2021 with an uncancelled round Global Forever stamp. Only because of that, Grade: 3
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Marie Studholme
Wikipedia tells us that “Caroline Maria Lupton (1872 – 1930), known professionally as Marie Studholme, was an English actress and singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, known for her supporting and sometimes starring roles in Edwardian musical comedy. Her attractive features made her one of the most popular postcard beauties of her day. Studholme’s theatre career spanned from 1891 to 1915.” Well, here’s proof of the postcards — this one mailed in 1907 from Birmingham, with stamp and postmark and a poignant message. Heavily aged (appropriately), but clean. Grade: 1
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Élise de Vère
Constance Élise de Vère , born in 1879 in Brussels and died in in Switzerland, was an actress of British origin who made a career in France at the beginning of the 20th century. Her father was apparently also famous, as a magician, and the family’s history is complicated. This postcard may have been mailed in 1904 — definitely earliest 1900s from Birmingham — and has stamp and postmark. The reverse may also be one of the most heavily aged of all the cards in our inventory. Yet, somehow, the long message is readable. Grade: 3 -
Wild Bill Hickock
If you’re American and of a certain age, you should remember the many tales of Wild Bill before and after he was an Indian scout. This Azusa card 609 is unused. Grade: 1
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Pete Seeger
Starting a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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Mahalia Jackson
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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Geronimo (USA)
Unused card, rounded corners, from the Old West Collectors Series (#6a). Grade: 1
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Miles Davis
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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Patsy Cline
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Personal note: our favourite Country & Western performer, by a country mile. Grade: 1
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Fats Domino
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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Albert Einstein
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. (Yes, we know: famous, but not as a musician. Here’s proof to the contrary.) Grade: 1
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Louis Armstrong
Continuing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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BB King
Completing a series of unused cards portraying famous musicians. Grade: 1
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The Beatles, Abbey Road
One of the most famous photos in contemporary music history, and plenty of postcards of it — but you’ve found this one, mailed in Canada (not England) in 2023 with an uncancelled $2.71 stamp. You can do the math. Grade: 4