I've been a member of Delcampe for a little over a year and I've been pleased with my purchases until lately. Recently I've been wasting a lot of money on poorly described rubbish. I don't know if it's just plain laziness on the part of sellers or if they are deliberately intending to mislead. I've ended up buying too many postcards that have no description what-so-ever and no scan of the back. They look like vintage postcards, but when I receive them I find they are modern reproductions which have no place in my collection. In some cases they aren't even postcards and have ended up the garbage where they belong. Do I have to ask every seller for a scan of the back or more details? I really shouldn't have to. I will honour the last few bids which I've placed, but I will have think long and hard if I will bid on any more postcards on this website.

you should tell us the sellers name if the cards are fake

I would love to tell everyone who has cheated me, but Delcampe rules don't allow it. The fact is that the cards aren't fake, they are real postcards. They're just modern reproductions that can still be bought new today, or at least recently, and are being sold for many times what they are worth. Some collectors may be happy with them, but I am not. I'm sure, however, that no one would be pleased to receive the pictures (not even real photos) that are being sold as postcards. They're not even on postcard quality paper. It would be one thing if sellers were up-front and honest about what they are trying to sell, but when they list these pictures in the postcard catagory, don't show a scan of the back and don't put a single word in the description, I can't help feeling they are deliberately trying to mislead buyers. When I bought 13 "pictures" from one buyer I left appropriate feed back, so he changed the feed back he had already left for me to neutrual. I did nothing wrong except tell the truth.

I just got another one today. Sellers like this are making the Delcampe experience an unpleasant one. But please don't get me wrong. There are only a few "bad apples" and most of my purchases have positive. It's just a few who are ruining it for others.

YES !!!
I am 100% behind this post !
I can always remember one of the first bulk lots I bought, not on here...on the 'other' site, were ALL reproductions and there was no sign of the word 'reproduction' in the listing and I was fuming !!

I know there are people who are happy with these reproductions, but like Drewski I am not

If the word reproduction was in the listing then I wouldn't have bid on them and the sellers know this.

To me, the enjoyment of postcard collecting is knowing that the postcard actually came from the era said and not some modern reproduction

I still have those reproductions boxed up and away somewhere from all of those years ago and I just refuse to sell them and I NEVER EVER sell reproductions, to me they are just false and throw everything back into your face of what postcard collecting is all about......Postcard collecting is about holding in your hand something that meant something all of those years ago....not a 'get rich quick scam'

So if you are selling reproductions....PLEASE, PLEASE SAY SO !

There is a lack of discipline on this site and probably many other postcard sites. Sellers display should have BOTH sides of the card. Postcards in the grand scheme of things are of the small profit variety. Delcampe may lose business if they have too many sellers rules. Those of you sellers who say " look to the scan for any condition issues" are really missing the point. If you are selling an item you know the condition, the year, the publisher, the photo or artistry, the wear on the corners, and the flaws in the colouring etc. The condition should be written and honest and be fully inclusive. The upload database should have manditory fields of description, the same if you were purchasing online and you had to include ALL your information including phone numbers etc. If postcards were $100.00 items, then probably a mandated upload database would prevail. It's small change and thats how it will remain. I have had two sellers insist on all 40 cards I purchased have individually posted feedback. Well I don't know about all of you buyers, but with my computer it would take over an hour to accomplish that feat. There is a long time lag in posting feedbacks. Those people who have sent me emails to request multiple feedback entries have the worst selling techniques of them all; eg; no descriptions, lousy scans, scans that cut off the edges of the card, no year of issue, etc etc. Deceitful sellers you know who you are and so do I know who you are. Nevertheless, I have given only one feedback of less than 100% to a jerk who threatened to publically downgrade me as a buyer. I have purchased cards with missing corners, chipped surface paint that looked like flowers on the scan. Cards that were ripped out of old albums and still had the backing of the black album stuck to it. Reproductions that have faint lines on the back poorly protraying a postcard. It's buyer beware with these postcards. Are you going to sue over it for a $4.00 item? I don't think so. Until there is a mandated proceedure of description, there will always be disappointments when you receive the item. I am pleasantly surprised at the majority of sellers on this site. The packaging and protection of the items are impeccable. They are prompt and true to description. The feedbacks are well written and honest. So thanks folks. I have bought about 300 or 400 cards so far from this and other sites. I like the "control panel" that Delcampe uses best of all. Some huge sites could use the same methods to make a big improvement. See you soon.

MrSauga

Hi Drewski,
I know exactly what you mean...I've been a member here since 2004 and mostly as a buyer till recently.. It amazes me when I look through the postcards that are for sale here with very little or no description whatever... I may not have the types of postcards that you are interested in but I wish you could visit my auctions.. I try to describe the postcard as best as I could telling of any damage such as a minor tear or worn corners..I also show the backs on the majority of the cards I have for sale.. If the backs are common without a stamp I usually pass on scanning it because of time involved.. also I don't think that anyone can compare to my pricing...I'm here to sell...