Social philately
In philately, the term “social philately” refers to a special form of collecting in which the focus is not only on the stamp and postmark of a letter, but also on the sender, recipient and possibly even the contents of the letter. This broader perspective allows collectors to comprehensively research the historical, regional and biographical context of a letter.
Origin and development
Social philately emerged in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s. This new philatelic movement aimed to combine traditional philatelic questions on the analysis of postal covers with a broader cultural and socio-historical context. Not only the pure postal documents should be examined, but also the senders and recipients of the letters, the text of the letters or postcards and the historical context in which they were created.
Social philately reached Europe in the early 2000s. Europeans were introduced to this new form of collecting at an exhibition in the UK in 2000 and enthusiastically embraced the trend.
Social philately thus developed from a new way of thinking about postal covers in the 1980s into a recognized and growing movement in philately. It takes a broader and more interdisciplinary approach and emphasizes the narrative value of philatelic objects.
Differences to traditional philately
While traditional philately considers the following aspects in particular,
- franking
- postage rate
- cancellation,
social philately enables collectors to analyze postal documents much more comprehensively.
Additional social issues are considered, such as:
- Who were the sender and recipient?
- What was the relationship between them?
- Which life stories can be reconstructed on the basis of several letters?
- Social aspects of social philately
Social philately links philatelic and postal history documents with social, cultural and economic history contexts.
This highlights the following topics in particular:
- Personal networks and relationships
- Individual biographies and fates
- Everyday history and lifestyle of past eras
- Social norms and values
- Historical events such as wars, migration or social charity
Examples of such historical contexts include:
- Field post letters from wartime
- Documentation of flight and expulsion
- Correspondence in the context of social commitment (e.g. charity campaigns)
Letters as historical sources
Thanks to social philately, postal covers are no longer regarded as mere collector’s items, but are valued as valuable historical sources. They provide diverse insights into the history of everyday life since the mid-19th century and serve to trace back social networks and individual biographies.
Exhibition classes and related areas
Social philately forms its own exhibition class and is closely linked to:
Open philately
Non-philatelic items can be included in a collection here, for example newspaper cuttings, old press photos, official documents and autographs.
By integrating these materials, the historical, regional or biographical context of a collection item can be presented more comprehensively. This allows collectors to tell more diverse stories about their philatelic covers and present additional information and visual materials that go beyond the purely philatelic.
FIP exhibition class “Postal history 2C”
This exhibition class of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) enables exhibitors to present postal history in a broader form. It focuses in particular on the interaction of trade and society with the postal system.
“Postal history 2C” is therefore directly linked to social philately and open philately. While open philately generally allows the inclusion of non-philatelic items, “Postal history 2C” focuses specifically on the link between the development of the postal system and social and economic change. It therefore provides a framework for presenting postal history collections that emphasize these interactions.
Our conclusion on social philately
Social philately adds a narrative and historically rooted social science perspective to traditional stamp collecting. It therefore appeals not only to philatelists, but also to people interested in history who want to look beyond traditional philatelic issues.
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 up to two months 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.