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Yosemite National Park, Sentinel Rock
From the “5 Associates” series, this unused card BSY-58 from the 1950s is unused and in superb condition. Grade: 1
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Yosemite National Park, El Capitan
Beautiful unused “5 Associates” card BSY-60, probably from late 1950s, and almost as good as being there. Grade: 1
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Yosemite National Park, Sentinel Dome, Jeffrey Pine
Another unused beautiful card from the “5 Associates” 1950s series, this one indexed as BSY-28. Grade: 1
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Yosemite National Park, Nevada Fall
The “5 Associates” people did these cards right in the 1950s, that’s for sure. This one (BSY-5) is unused and, like others in the series, in great shape. Grade: 1
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Yosemite, Gates of the Valley
The card was mailed in 1991 with a postage meter. Front has some postal creasing and the reverse is full of writing, stickers, marks, and more marks. Not torn or damaged, but nothing too special either. Grade: 4
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Yosemite Park, from Glacier Point
This card was mailed with a 40-cent stamp in 1991 and would be in average condition except that the address is on a sticker that was then taped over, and so the reverse just looks messy. The photo itself is nice, and you could compare with others from the same spot. Grade: 4
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Yosemite Park, Half Dome and Merced River
Another very nice unused 1960s card from 5 Associates (BSY-2), showing “perhaps the best-known feature” of this national park. Grade: 1
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Death Valley, sand dunes
In the two million acres of Death Valley, one might expect some sand, and here it is. This is an unmailed card from the 1960s (H.S. Crocker HSC-131) and would be absolutely superb but for a travel agent’s black rubber stamp on the reverse. Grade: 4
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Death Valley, Scotty’s Castle
Card may have been made in 1976 but was mailed internationally in 1986 with three different stamps and one of the post office’s airmail stickers. It’s aging on reverse and wintry gray on the front. Grade: 2
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Lassen Volcanic National Park
Mailed in 1994, and with a full postmark from Mineral, this card would be just great apart from a severely abraded stamp. Otherwise, it provides good views of this lesser-known national park. Grade: 4
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San Francisco, Four Seas Restaurant
Google tells us this restaurant is still going strong, since the 1930s, so this unused card from the 1960s of the “Eight Immortals” cocktail lounge is a little piece of nostalgia from its history. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Four Seas Restaurant dining room
Another unused 1950s or 1960s card from this historic restaurant. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Top of the Mark
As the card says, “Truly the world’s most spectacular cocktail lounge!” and while that may or may not have been true in the 1950s when this unused card (H.S. Crocker 5:SF-26A) was produced, it has rivals now. Two of these cards of the Mark Hopkins Hotel are available. Grades: 1
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Los Angeles, Johnny Rockets
We know, you had a Magic Moment here once, and now you gotta have the card as a memory. Well why not?? It’s an outsized (5″ x 7-1/4″) card, mailed internationally in 1987 from Denver with a 44-cent stamp and full postmark. Quite a bit of postal battering but no tears. Grade: 3
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Los Angeles, Univ. of Southern California
For all you Trojans, this unused Theo Sohmer/Western Publishing card (L.A. 63) (A-62002) that would have cost you one cent to send it to Cuba. Those deals are long gone, aren’t they? Fight on!! Grade: 2
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Los Angeles, Exposition Park and USC
Unused Western Publishing card (L-106) with a view little changed over the years. Grade: 2
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San Diego, Convention Center, hotels and marina
Unused Road Runner card MA-516, probably 1980s. Beginning to age on the reverse. Grade: 2
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Lake Tahoe, looking towards Zephyr Cove
Old linen card with Mt. Tallac in the distance, but mailed much later, maybe 1990, with three different stamps and red airmail rubber stamp on reverse also. And, yes, the ever-present USPS alphanumeric mark right on the front. Grade: 4
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Clear Lake
Card mailed in 1992 with two 20-cent stamps and fully legible postmark. The address was pasted and taped on separately. Grade: 4
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Magnificent Los Angeles
Continental Postcard C-874, printed in Taiwan, mailed from California to Malaysia in 1984. Two 20-cent stamps, full Santa Ana postmark and some USPS marks on the front. International enough? Grade: 3
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Newport Harbor Ferry System
Unused Royal Pictures card B-490 (and S17883) of the Newport to Balboa ferry. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Hydrangeas on Lombard Street
Another, different view for those of you who specialize in Lombard Street cards–but those cars are a lot older than the card, which is dated 1995. Mailed with three stamps, illegible postmark and USPS bar coding on bottom reverse. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, Golden Gate in late afternoon
Around the world: designed in USA, printed in Korea, bought in San Francisco and mailed from Taiwan to Hong Kong, with two Taiwan stamps and partly readable postmark. The card survived nicely, is undamaged, and can be yours! Grade: 3
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San Diego Zoo, koalas
Unused card 0DK-441. Grade: 1
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San Diego Zoo, South African egg eating snake
This snake certainly has a more formal name but the official card from the San Diego Zoo (in the 1960s) only calls it a South African Egg Eating Snake, but helpfully adds that the shell is spit out later. Unused card. Grade: 2
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San Diego Zoo, greater kudu
Unused card. Grade: 1
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San Diego Zoo, polar bears
We have two of these unused cards from ~1960s. One is numbered 0DK-575, and one is numbered LM-5 from the Animal Color Series. Conditions are the same: Grades: 1
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La Jolla
Traditionally boring Hopkins News Agency card 17843, mailed in 1953, with stamp and fully legible Long Beach postmark intact. Postmark smudging on the front, as you can see in the photo. Grade: 4
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Los Angeles, Century Plaza Hotel
Used card, probably made in about 1983 but mailed in 1988 with two stamps (one not cancelled) and full postmark. Minor abrasions on the front. Grade: 2
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Riverside, Glenwood Mission Inn
Western Publishing & Novelty Co. card 117248 (and R 72), old but mailed much later, in 1986, from Washington DC with an airmail sticker and 33-cent airmail stamp. Upper right corner crease. Grade: 4
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Barstow, TraveLodge
Two unused cards H-1749 (and S17066) from the 1960s. One is Grade: 1 ($3.50) and the other had been glued to the page of a scrapbook so is great on the front and has a big glue spot on the reverse (Grade: 4, $1).
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San Francisco, Marriott
Mailed from Sacramento in 1995 with one 50-cent stamp and legible postmark. Orange postal barcoding faintly visible on the front. Grade: 3
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Lake Tahoe, Sun ‘N Sand Lodge
Mailed in 1991 with three stamps, legible postmark, a red air-mail rubber stamp, and the address on an affixed label. Grade: 3
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San Diego Zoo, penguins
Unused official Zoo card B-1 (and 0DK-771) from the 1960s. Grade: 1
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San Francisco, Steinhart Aquarium, jellyfish
Chrysaora melanaster, to be precise, on this card mailed from Colorado in 1987 with two 22-cent stamps and nearly full postmark. Grade: 1
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Greetings from San Diego Zoo (folio)
Nice, unused accordion folio D-12794 from the 1950s or 1960s. Outer cover has abrasions from storage. Grade: 2
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San Francisco, Kuo Wah Cafe (not a postcard)
This isn’t a postcard, but a tiny menu (5″ x 6.4″) able to be sent like one. Just think of a folded menu where the back cover resembles the back of a postcard. The inside has all of Kuo Wah’s dishes (and prices) from the late 1950s. So it’s a wonderful piece of memorabilia, except that it had been pasted into a scrapbook and the back page has the glue and paper remnants of that. Wording of the menu inside is not affected. Grade: 4
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Garden Grove, Crystal Cathedral
It’s unlikely this unused 6″ x 9″ card would survive being mailed. It hasn’t even stood up to being stored away very well. Edges are battered, and some latent creasing. Grade: 3
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Garden Grove, Crystal Cathedral
Unused 4.2″ x 7″ card issued by the church itself. Grade: 1
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Santa Barbara, Franciscan Inn
Two unused cards are available. Grades: 1