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Cypress Gardens, Famous Wishing Tree
Unused Curteich-Chicago linen card 7A-H2226 (C.G.5) with the date 1954 inked into the postage area. Grade: 3
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Palm Beach, a beautiful driveway
Front of this unused old card is OK but the reverse had been pasted into an album, leaving a large swatch of black paper stuck to it. Grade: 5
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Picking oranges right outside your door
Unused Curteichcolor card 7DK-479 (MN.66). NIMBY. Grade: 2
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Fort Walton Beach, sea lions at Gulfarium
Unused Pronto Photos card 113726. Grade: 1
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An Avenue of Royal Palms
Unused but for the date 1954 inked twice into the postage area. Grade: 3
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Pelicans
Mailed in 2011 with 98-cent stamp and Tallahassee postmark. Grade: 1
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Just chillin’ at the beach
Mailed from St. Petersburg (Tampa) in 2011 with full postmark and three different stamps. Grade: 1
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Orlando, Orange County History Center
A postcard about the history of postcards in Florida. Mailed in 2011 with address label and message taped or pasted on. One perforated edge. Grade: 5
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A “Tin Can Tourist Camp”
Unused, heavily handled Asheville Post Card Co. card 105348, stained on the reverse but what a sight that must have been. Grade: 4
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Miami, “Seminole Nation” holds “Mother’s Day”
Unused Tichnor Bros. linen card 69514 (and 346) with some aging and a really politically incorrect caption on the reverse. Grade: 2
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Musa Isle Seminole Indian Village
Mailed from Hollywood, Florida, in 1947 with stamp and full postmark and a caption that talks about “making Curios and Novelties in Their Own True and Interesting Way.” Indeed. Grade: 2
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Laid Back & Lovin’ It!
“Relaxed greetings from Florida.” Mailed in 2011 with $1 stamp and postal abrasions. Grade: 3
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The Box of Oranges I promised to send you
Unused old M. Marshall card 7444-1134. Grade: 1
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Orlando International Airport
Mailed in 2011 with three different stamps and most of the postmark. Some of the typical USPS postal abrasion on the reverse. Grade: 3
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Miami Beach, hotel row along Indian Creek
Mailed in 1969 from Miami, with stamp and most of the postmark. Grade: 2
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Florida animals
And what might those animals be? Alligator, osprey, pelicans, and dolphins. Mailed in 2011 with “Forever” stamp. Grade: 1
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Clearwater, Exotic Italian Gardens, Kapok Tree Inn
Unused card, aging, with serrated edges. Grade: 2
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Sebastian, From a good Gulf station
Called “Gulf Fun Cards,” these are among postcard collecting’s little hidden gems. You’re on holiday, you stop to fill up the tank, you pick up one of these cards marked with the name of the gas station, and you follow the instructions on the back: “Save time and effort, just check the things you’re enjoying, and mail.” Alas, somehow, nobody mailed this unused card. Grade: 3
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Key West, Choir Practice at Hemingway House
A 2011 card, mailed with three stamps (fittingly, one of which is of a tiger), and pointing out that many of the cats at this famous author’s former home have six toes. Who knew? Grade: 1
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A Darky’s Prayer, Florida
We don’t censor our selection, but we don’t comment about cards like this, either. Mailed in 1948 with stamp and postmark, this linen Curt Teich card OB-H788 is Grade: 2
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Ft. Myers, Lee Memorial Hospital
Unused linen Curteich-Chicago card 5C-H426 (and F.12). Grade: 1
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Florida’s Historic Lighthouses
What a wonderful lighthouse postcard. Mailed in 2011 with two different stamps and almost readable contemporary postmark. Grade: 1
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Pensacola, American National Bank Building
Quite a long message pencilled in on the reverse of this card, mailed in 1942 with stamp and fully readable postmark. The message is beginning to fade. There is some postmark ink transfer on the front. Grade: 3
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St. Augustine, Treasury Street
Unused card No. 121 from The Albertype Co. of Brooklyn, aged and mottled on the reverse. Grade: 3
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St. Petersburg, Wolfie’s Restaurant and Fountain
We decided to spend some Google time with this, and finally gave up. It looks a lot like this restaurant was part of a famous Florida chain, went out of business, came back again, and then closed down again. Correct us if we are wrong–we would like to know. The Florida Business Registry still lists it. Card was mailed in 1955 with stamp and full postmark, and a message that really makes us want to know how it all turned out. Grade: 2
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Miami, Port of Miami, Dodge Island Bridge
Heavily handled over some years, this card was mailed from Malaysia (not Miami!) in 2011, with stamp and full postmark. Grade: 3
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Silver Springs, Jungle Cruise
Mailed in 2011 with 98-cent stamp, along with barcoding, readable postmark, and minor abrasion on right reverse edge. Grade: 3
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The Sunshine State
A nice card in its own right, it has the added advantage of three uncancelled stamps totalling $1.05. Barcoding is there, just no postmark. Grade: 3
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Hello from Florida (fold-out folder)
Flora and fauna only–no buildings, no people. Unused Plastichrome item P90645. Grade: 1
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The Florida Keys
This 5″ x 7″ card was mailed from the USA in 2012 and has an (uncancelled) $1.05 stamp, though there is USPS postal barcoding below. Very minor postal creasing. Grade: 4
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Hialeah Race Course, Widener Fountain
Linen card mailed in 1952 with 2-cent stamp, Miami postmark, and significant fold vertically through the center. Postmark transfer on the front. Grade: 5
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Fat Cat
Mailed in 2012 with $1.05 stamp and readable postmark. Grade: 1
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Apollo Saturn V Center
Mailed from Canada (not Florida!) in 2012, with stamp and postmark. Two perforated edges, so this card had been part of a connected string. Slight abrasion on the reverse. Grade: 4
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Wow! We alligators do have fun in Florida!
This card does have some visibility around the internet, something of a prototype for cheesy comedy. Our card was not postally used but is heavily aged and has messages through the reverse. Grade: 4
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Florida Beauty
The caption on this card, mailed in 1972 with an 8-cent stamp and full postmark, reads “Quick — got a pin?” We hope they meant for the bulletin board. The card is very heavily aged. Grade: 4
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I’m suntanning in Florida
Mailed in 1972, very heavily aged, with extra notation on the front. Stamp and postmark are there, but it looks like the card itself was left outside to get its own suntan. Grade: 5
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Fort Pierce, Tropic-Aire Motel
A Google search suggests the property is no longer there, but this unused card lives on. Grade: 2
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Lake City, American Inn
Yet another old-style motel that might not be there now … all we can find are other cards that have made their way into the Postcard Universe. This one is unused but stained on front and back. Grade: 5
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Key West, Municipal Aquarium
Unused Curteichcolor card 6C-K1713 (and G.425). Grade: 2
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Miami Beach, Doral Beach Hotel
Unused except for the word “Hi” starting a message that was never written. Grade: 3