How can I Start Building my Postcard Collection?

A quick question from Scott: "I am a new postcard collector. Can you give me any advice on how to start building my collection?"

1. Buy Bulk Lots - Some postcard dealers offer lots of 50 or so cards in a certain category like holidays, or animals. This is a great place to get started if want to collect broad categories. Cards are usually sold cheap and it will give you a general feeling for each category.
   
2. Buy at Postcard Shows - Postcard shows are a great place to learn and pick up cards because there are thousands of postcards for you to look at and many of professional dealers to question.
   
3. Buy at Auction - Auctions, like Cherryland Auctions, are a great place to get better quality cards at reasonable prices. This is where you will find many of the best cards.
   
4. Buy on Approval - Some postcard dealers offer their stock to customers on an approval system. You can pick a topic and receive a group of cards in the mail. You can pick and pay for the ones you want to keep and send back the rest.