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Long Beach, Queen Mary – Spruce Goose
Unmailed, official souvenir card from the joint exhibit of these two vehicles. (Vehicles?) Mike Roberts card 07-0114-009 and B15228, never mailed, beginning to mottle a bit on reverse but front is clean. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, skyline at dusk
Smith Novelty card E-30, printed in 1990 and mailed in 1991 with three stamps but also a huge piece of clear tape over the address that has caused the handwriting to bleed. Front is OK. Grade: 4
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Carmel by the Sea
Yet another Smith Novelty card (MC-29), printed in 1989 and mailed in 1991 with three commemoratives and a full postmark. There’s a small abrasion in the caption area, and some of the ultra-thin plastic that normally covers the front has peeled off. Despite it all, the photo is intact. Grade: 4
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Los Angeles, skyline at night
Columbia Publishing card, having two index numbers T-917 and CP18303, mailed in 1999 with one stamp, full Santa Clarita postmark, and the postally-induced bar code on bottom reverse. Minor edge abrasions. Grade: 2
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Yucaipa, Oak Glen
Unused card has a Sully’s Gift Shop rubber stamp on reverse so, yes, Sully’s, you’ve made it this far overseas. But is Sully’s still there? The card is probably from late 1960s. Grade: 1
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Twentynine Palms
This B&W real-photo desert scene was mailed in 1946 and has stamp and full Los Angeles postmark. It also has a long and sentimental provenance which we will be happy to tell you about–if you buy the card! Grade: 2
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Santa Monica, Pier
Unused Geo. E. Watson Plastichrome/Mitock card P14457 from 1960s, aging on reverse but basically perfect on front. Caption mis-spells the word “horrizon.” Grade: 1
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San Francisco Bay, ferry boat
Unused Selithco card from E.F. Clements (#206), from late 1950s, with Bay Bridge in background. The card has a large rubber stamp from a travel agent on reverse. Grade: 4
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San Francisco, cable car turntable
Selithco card 874, probably 1950s, unused but has a rubber stamp from a travel agency on the reverse. Grade: 4
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San Francisco, Alcatraz aerial view
Selithco card 1619, unused but with travel agent’s rubber stamp on reverse. If you have an eagle eye, you can spot small differences in Alcatraz photos over time. Grade: 4
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Hollywood, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, footprints
Before this was Grauman’s, it was Mann’s, and before it was Mann’s, it was Grauman’s. This is the first version. Unused Plastichrome card P76762 from 1960s, with an odd choice of colors on the front–a light yellow caption on a light blue background, almost unreadable. The card however is Grade: 1
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Hollywood, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, forecourt
Companion card to the previous number, just more slabs. Unused Carlo Marino Plastichrome card P76764 from the 1960s, aging on reverse but otherwise undamaged in any way. Grade: 1
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Los Angeles, Hollywood Freeway
Somewhere in this wide world, someone collects postcards of freeways. Here you go! Unused Dexter Press card 59701-C, for some reason captioned “Color Courtesy: American Airlines,” starting to age on reverse but fine otherwise. Grade: 2
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Oakland, WYFR QSL
We honestly can think of no reason why we have a QSL card that has not been filled out, but that’s the case here. It would have been probably from the early 1970s. Grade: 1 (but also consider, it shouldn’t be uncompleted.)
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San Francisco, greetings
Linen, Nature Tone Views, ca. mid-1940s. Issued by Scenic View Card Co., unused, aging, and typical of the era. Grade: 2
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San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
Linen postcard, Nature Tone Views, ca. mid-1940s. Card 43690 issued by Scenic View Card Co., unused, aging, and typical of the era. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge
Linen Nature Tone Views card, ca. mid-1940s. Issued by Scenic View Card 43682, unused, aging, and typical of the era although at least it has people in it. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Coit Memorial Tower
Unused linen card of Pictorial Wonderland, ca. mid-1940s. Issued by Stanley A. Piltz Co., #39 or 6A-H1022. Aging, and typical of the era. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, Bay Bridge and skyline
Unused linen card #44 from Pictorial Wonderland, also with number 6A-H2754, ca. mid-1940s. Issued by Stanley A. Piltz. Aging a bit, and typical of the era. Grade: 2
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San Francisco and Oakland
Vintage linen card with attributions to J.K. Piggott Co., and Tichnor Quality Views, also Photo Moulin 67463. Captions top and bottom on the front, and on the back. Unused, heavily aged. Grade: 3
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San Francisco, International Settlement
Actually, the full name: International Settlement (Old Barbary Coast). Linen card from 1940s, published by Smith News Co. 18769 (also SF22), unused, aging smartly. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Mission Dolores
Linen card 75503, or 15 if you think modestly, from Scenic View Card Co., probably 1940s. Unused, aging a bit, just normal. Grade: 3
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San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf
It might be great fun to start a specialised collection of Fisherman’s Wharf cards, tracing from what it was to what it is now. This unused linen entry from Nature Tone Views, Scenic View Card Co., #43672 and #27, goes back to the 40s or earlier and refers to the “gay, colorful fishing boats.” Umm…, aged but in good shape otherwise. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, seals on rocks at Cliff House
Another Nature Tone Views card, Scenic View Card Co., #43775 and #88, unused, from the 40s or so, but as there is no actual shot of Cliff House, there’s not much clue. The card is aged but undamaged. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Coit Memorial Tower
Unused Nature Tone Views card 43659 from the 1940s, showing this iconic monument on Telegraph Hill. Card is aged but undamaged. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, Conservatory
Departure from the usual Nature Tone Views cards (this one is #43654) because the only caption is on the front. Unused. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Market Street, Palace Hotel
Unused Nature Tone Views linen card 43824, standard aging, nice view. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, City Hall
Unused linen card 43665 from Nature Tone shows this imposing structure, whose dome “surpasses that of the U.S. Capitol.” Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge
This Nature Tone card 43683 found a new way to describe the scene. Instead of saying “Golden Gate Bridge,” they say “Bridging San Francisco’s Golden Gate.” For that very reason, the card is special. Unused, and aging like the others in this sequence. Grade: 2
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San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge
Unused Nature Tone View card 49254, a bit more primitive than most in design. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Ferry Building
Unused Nature Tone View card 49096, linen, from 1940s, aged but still nice. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, seal rocks
Quite similar to some other cards in this series. Unused Nature Tone Views linen card 43666. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Palace of Fine Arts
“The only building that remains of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition,” according to the caption. This Nature Tone Views card 46487 from the 1940s is heavily aged on reverse, but undamaged otherwise. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, Union Square
The last of our Nature Tone Views series, it’s an unused linen card 49021 (or, on the front, #101), aging normally. The caption on reverse is interesting: “This subterranean area is to be used as an air raid shelter in the event of an air raid.” So this places the card in the mid-1940s. Grade: 1
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San Simeon, Hearst Castle library
Unused card with slight aging on the reverse. Plastichrome P27758. Grade: 1
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San Simeon, Hearst Castle – Gothic Study
Plastichrome card P27760, from 1960s, unused but the upper left front corner is crinkled. Grade: 3
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Yosemite National Park, Valley View
This mid-20th-century “5 Associates” card BSY-6 is so pretty but so is the park itself. Many scenes: Wawona Tunnel, Clouds Rest, Halfdome, Bridalveil Fall, Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan, just about everything in the park. Unused, only mild aging on reverse. Grade: 1
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Yosemite National Park, Wawona Tree
Unused “5 Associates” card BSY-10 of Mariposa Grove from about 1960, though photo is undoubtedly earlier. Could you get an SUV through there? Grade: 1
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Yosemite National Park, Clothespin Tree
Very nice card of this famous giant sequoia tree. Unused “5 Associates” card BSY-55 from 1950s, mildly aging on reverse only, but unmarked. Grade: 1
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Yosemite National Park, from Glacier Point
Another in the series of “5 Associates” cards (BSY-57) from the 1950s, this one is unused and in outstanding condition. Grade: 1