A Collection a Day #9 – Exaggerated Postcards

I love to collect postcards because they are cheap and readily available. Whenever I visit an antique store or flea market, I can almost always find a postcard or two to bring home without breaking the bank. Think of it as a guilt-free hobby.

I focus on exaggerated postcards, in particular, the “freak fish” cards. These postcards feature giant fish being hauled into boats, loaded on car rooftops, or tied down on railroad cars.

They are so fun to look at and to me, the cheesier, the better. These cards were made in pre-Photoshop days, and some were expertly rendered, while some look like my 5 year old cut out a couple of photos and glued them together.

Some of these postcards can get pretty pricey. I’ve seen “real photo” postcards sell for over a $100, but most of the ones in my collection were purchased for $5-10. Freak fish postcards are still being made and you can find them in tourist traps across America.

I have collected so many different things that I thought it would be fun to try and photograph a collection a day and see how far I can get.