Postcards by Fritz Baumgarten
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Fritz Baumgarten – Postcards with humorous and detailed dwarf stories
Fritz Baumgarten, whose real name was Friedrich Karl Baumgarten, was born in 1883 in the eastern Leipzig district of Reudnitz and died in Leipzig in 1966 at the age of 83.
Baumgarten did not become a well-known and successful artist only by chance. His father Martin Konrad Baumgarten was a bookbinder and his grandfather Johann Friedrich August Baumgarten was a talented portrait painter. Fritz Baumgarten was interested in these things and so, at a young age, he began training as a lithographer at the well-known Leipzig printing company J.G. Fritsche.
After completing his training, Baumgarten began studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich at the age of 20. Baumgarten had to interrupt his studies to do his military service with a field artillery regiment in Würzburg.
In 1908, Baumgarten returned to his hometown of Leipzig to use his talent and the knowledge he had acquired to enter the profession. As is well known, postcards were extremely popular at the time, so Baumgarten seized the opportunity and initially earned his living with occasional work and small commissions, often involving the design or illustration of postcards. The first postcards were created, which are now sought-after collector’s items.
In 1926, Baumgarten married his wife Elsa Hollburg and raised a family. Baumgarten continued to draw designs for postcards, and he was particularly fond of dwarfs. Postcards with individual dwarf characters or postcards with dwarves telling little stories were created. Various postcards are known in which a dwarf appears as a teacher and teaches birds or forest animals. The cards are always humorous and feature lots of little details.
Factors determining the value of a postcard by Fritz Baumgarten
The artist’s early postcards tend to be more expensive than later postcards from the 1950s to 1960s. Some rare pieces, in particular certain Christmas and Easter cards and postcards with toadstool motifs, fetch prices of up to € 50.
Origin
Various publishers from Germany and neighboring European countries.
Age
Approx. 1910 – 1960
Condition
Very rare postcards are accepted with certain compromises in quality. More common cards should only be purchased in good condition.
Rarity
The artist’s postcards are not particularly rare. However, there is a larger circle of domestic and foreign collectors, so it is sometimes difficult to acquire cards with particularly popular motifs.
Characteristics
There are “invitation cards to a hunt”, which were often sent out, especially in the period around 1900. Some postcards show the dachshund performing its duties as a hunting dog. Illustrated postcards of this type are popular and correspondingly more expensive.
Images
How to sell your postcards with Stade Auktionen
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Frequently asked questions
Find out everything you need to know about selling your postcards.
The value of old postcards can only be accurately determined by an in-depth valuation by our experts. It depends on various aspects, including age, origin, rarity, condition and the artist’s fame. Postcards that originate from historically significant personalities are particularly highly valued.
You are welcome to send us scans of your postcards for an initial assessment. Please note, however, that this alone is not sufficient for a final purchase decision. In order to offer you a precise purchase price, we need to carry out a personal appraisal of your collection. We avoid quoting lump sums without prior inspection, as we do not consider this to be serious. However, you are welcome to let us know your price expectations.
Your postcards should be older than 1945. Whether the postcards are written on or were sent by post is generally irrelevant. It is much more important that the postcards are in a collectible condition. We do not buy badly damaged postcards.
You are very welcome to visit us in our store in Grenzach-Wyhlen, where we can offer you personal advice and examine your collections.
If you are unable to visit us personally, please send us your postcards by post. Please send them by insured parcel post and enclose a cover letter with your asking price, address and telephone number.
Stade Auktionen GmbH & Co. KG
Markgrafenstr. 5
D-79639 Grenzach-Wyhlen
We can also collect legacies or extensive collections from your home.
The following conditions apply for consignments:
- The consignor may only consign postcards, stamps and other documents over which he has sole control.
- Consignments can be made at any time and will be included in the next auction.
- The starting prices are generally determined by the auction house. They are based on the current market situation.
- The auctioneer is entitled to accept underbids up to a maximum of 20% of the starting price.
- If the consignor withdraws the goods for reasons for which the consignor is responsible, an expense allowance of EUR 100 per hour shall be payable for the inspection and valuation of the items to be auctioned, but at least EUR 100 per order.
- The sales commission for the auctioneer is 22% of the hammer price. If the hammer price is up to 500 euros, the sales commission is 30% and the insurance costs are 1% of the hammer price. The statutory value added tax is levied on this. Postage costs for any returns shall be borne by the consignor. We charge a fee of 2.50 euros per lot for processing large lots and 1 euro for individual postcards.
- The auctioneer cannot accept any liability for auctioned goods. He therefore takes out special auction insurance for the account of the customer, which insures the auctioned goods against all risks within the scope of this contract. The sum insured is 1% of the hammer price.
- If the consignor withdraws the goods for reasons for which he is responsible after the auctioneer has already advertised the goods in the catalog or on the Internet, the goods shall be deemed prepared for the auction and the auctioneer shall settle the order with a further expense allowance. This includes the lost commission of 20% of the starting price of the lot. In addition, the processing fee of EUR 25 per lot, up to a maximum of EUR 300, must be reimbursed. Fees for inspections that are necessary, at the auctioneer’s discretion, will be invoiced separately after consultation.
- Billing takes place 6-8 weeks after the auction.
- Advances are possible for good consignments.
- The place of jurisdiction for all parties involved is Lörrach.
Please understand that we cannot accept consignments of less than 100 postcards.
When selling an inherited collection of postcards, it is important to preserve their condition in order to achieve high sales proceeds.
Make sure that the postcards remain in their original condition:
- Avoid creases, scribbles and changes to faded writing.
- Do not remove any stamps, as this can reduce the value of the postcard.
- To protect against moisture and dust, the postcards should be cleaned with a dry brush and stored in protective sleeves.
Such measures help to maximize the value and attractiveness of the collection for other collectors.
Sell your postcards with Stade Auktionen
Do you want to sell a collection but don’t know how much your postcards are worth or how to sell them? Send us a message and we will take care of your request as soon as possible.