Editing Postcard (section)

== Collecting ==
{{main article|Deltiology}}It is likely that postcard collecting first began as soon as postcards were mailed. One could argue that actual collecting began with the acquisition of souvenir postcards from the world's fairs, which were produced specifically with the collector (souvenir hunter) in mind.<ref name=":7" /> Later, during the golden age of postcards, collecting became a mainstream craze.<ref name=":7" /> The frenzy of purchasing, mailing, and collecting postcards was often referred to as "postcarditis", with up to half purchased by collectors.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_q9c6Cl-FEC&q=postcarditis&pg=RA6-PA8|title=The American Stationer|publisher=Redman & Kerry|year=1906|volume=60|pages=8|chapter=18 August 1906}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web|url=http://www.metropostcard.com/metropchistory.html|title=MetroPostcard History of Postcards|last=Petrulis|first=Alan|website=www.metropostcard.com|access-date=2020-04-01|archive-date=2015-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206001210/http://www.metropostcard.com/metropchistory.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Clubs such as ''The Jolly Jokers'', ''The Society for the Promulgation of Post Cards'', and the ''Post Card Union'' sprang up to facilitate postcard exchanges, each having thousands of members.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|url=http://www.metropostcard.com/history1907-1913.html|title=The Peak and Decline of the Golden Age 1907–1913|last=Petrulis|first=Alan|website=www.metropostcard.com}}</ref> Postcard albums were commonly seen in Victorian parlors, and had a place of prominence in many middle and upper class households.<ref name=":7" />

Today, postcard collecting is still a popular and widespread hobby. The value of a postcard is mainly determined by the image illustrated on it. Other important factors for collectors can be countries, issuers, and authors. Online catalogs can be found on collector websites and clubs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://colnect.com/postcards|title=Postcards on Colnect|website=colnect.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-31}}</ref> These catalogs provide detailed information about each postcard alongside their picture. In addition, these websites include collection management tools, trading platforms, and forums to assist with discussions between collectors. The oldest continuously run club in the United States is the ''Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City'', founded in 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metropolitanpostcardclub.com/|title=Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City|website=www.metropolitanpostcardclub.com|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>