Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions:

• How can I find the postcards I want?
• How are your postcards described?
• What abbreviations do you use to describe postcards?
• How can I sell my postcards?
• Do you send postcards through the mail for me to select? (Postcard Approvals)

Postcard Auction Questions:

• When does the next auction close?
• How can I bid in your current auction?
• What are your bidding increments?
• How do I know how much to bid?
• What happens after the auction closes?
• How can I pay for my auction winnings?
• What is your auction return policy?

Postcard Store Questions:

• Can I buy postcards now?
• How can I pay for postcards in the Postcard Store?
• How can I pay using my credit card in the Postcard Store?
• What is your postcard store return policy?

How can I find the postcards that I am interested in?

You can use the search box at the top of all pages to search both the Current Auction and our Postcard Store. You can also browse by topic using the dropdown menu in the "Postcard Auction" and "Postcard Store" tabs at the top of all pages. On all auction and store pages you can use the arrow buttons to go to the next or previous postcard topic.

How are your postcards described?

What abbreviations do you use to describe postcards?

P - Pioneer (1893-98) PMC - Private Mailing Card (1898-1901) UB - Undivided Back (1901-1907) DB - Divided Back (1907-1915) WB - White Border (1916-1930) L - Linen (1930-1939) C - Photochrom (1939- ) Cont - New Continentals (Modern) VF - Very Fine - Near Perfect, not necessarily unused F - Fine - Shows slight wear G - Good - Shows some wear with minor defect, not really affecting the general appearance FR - Fair - Shows wear with defects affecting appearance

B&W - Black & White B&W Photo - Same as Real Photo cor - Corner cpr - Copyright cof - Cancel on Face cr - Crease emb - Embossed flt - Fault ft - Face Thin m - Minor mb - Minimum Bid sig - Signed st - Stain th - Thin tr - Trimmed wof - Writing on Face pwof - Proper Writing on Face

How can I sell my postcards?

Do you have a postcard collection, accumulation or dealer's stock you would like to sell? Cherryland Auctions can help. We have been helping people sell their postcards for over 30 years.

Sell your postcards on consignment through Cherryland Auctions: Selling your postcards at auction is an easy way to receive a fair price for your vintage postcards. We do all lotting, pricing and describing, in other words, all the work. All you have to do is ship the postcards to us or we can pick up your large collection.

1. We try to keep the minimum postcard consignment value to $500. We will make exceptions for exceptional cards.
2. Always fill out the form or call us at (231) 352-9758 to talk about your consignment before sending postcard consignments through the mail.
3. Wrap the postcards up as securely as possible so they are not damaged and ship them to us. Shipping recommendations are best handled on an individual basis and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
4. Upon receipt of your postcards we will notify you as to which auction they will be sold in.
5. All cards that we believe will bring $15 or more will be individually photographed and expertly described. They will appear in our printed catalog and in the current auction section of this website. Cards less than $15 will be lotted and sold at auction in groups.
6. When the catalog is printed you will be sent an inventory listing of all your postcard lots in the current auction along with a copy of the catalog.
7. Thirty days after the close of the auction you will receive the same inventory sheet with your realized prices and a check, less my 30% commission.

OR: Sell your postcards outright and receive immediate payment: If you don't want to wait to sell your postcards at auction, selling your postcards outright is the fastest way to receive a fair price for your vintage postcards. We are always buying postcards of all kinds. All you have to do is ship us the cards.

1. Always fill out the form or call us at (231) 352-9758 to talk about your postcards before sending anything through the mail.
2. Wrap the postcards up as securely as possible so they are not damaged and ship them to us. Shipping recommendations are best handled on an individual basis and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
3. Upon receipt of your postcards we will make you an offer for outright purchase of your vintage postcards.
4. If you accept the offer we will send you an immediate check or Paypal payment.
5. If you do not accept the offer, we ask only that you reimburse us for the cost of postage to return your cards

Do you offer postcards on approval?

Yes! Which postcard topics would you like to see? We will mail packages of postcards to you on approval at 50% off our prices.

When you get your package, simply pay for the cards you would like to keep including the cost of our shipping and mail the rest back. If your total purchase is over $100 you need only pay the postage to get the cards back to us.

If you would like to receive postcard approvals please contact us with a list of postcard topics you would be interested in seeing and your price range per card. Include hobby references and we will mail you a group of cards for your approval. If you have no references we can mail photocopies or send a small group of cards to get you started. Possible topics are listed below.

Are you a postcard dealer? We also offer approvals to postcard dealers at even larger discounts. If you have a store, a web site, or you are an Ebay seller our approval service may be for you. We have many cards that we can send to you on approval at 70% off.

When does your next auction close?

Cherryland Auctions has an antique postcard auction closing every 5-6 weeks. There is a countdown to the auction close at the top of every auction catalog page.

How can I bid in your auctions?

Place your bids by lot number using the form at the left side of each postcard auction page. You can also place your bids by email, telephone (231) 352-9758 or by mail. Your bids will always be confirmed by an email from either Ron or Alec Millard.

What are your bidding increments?

< $20.00	$.50
$20.00 - $40.00	$1.00
$40.00 - $100.00	$2.50
$100.00 - $200.00	$5.00
$200.00 - $400.00	$10.00
$400.00 - $1,000.00	$20.00

How do I know how much to bid?

We post high/starting bid updates one week before and on the day before the auction closes.

Bids received that are lower than the suggested bid will not be reduced. Bids received that are equal to or greater than the suggested bid will be lowered to one advance over the second highest or the suggested bid whichever is higher.

Some other auctions charge a 20% buyers premium. Cherryland Auctions charges none.

What happens after the auction closes?

After the auction closes, if your bid was successful, you will receive an email or mail invoice from Cherryland Auctions showing you which lots you won and a total.

How can I pay for my auction winnings?

The easiest way to pay for your auction winnings is to make a Paypal payment to: cherrylandauctions@charter.net. If you would like to pay by credit card or another method not listed here please contact us. You can also mail a check to: Ronald D. Millard - P. O. Box 427 Frankfort, MI 49635

What is your auction return policy?

Any auction lot, the description of which is incorrect, is returnable for a complete refund within 5 days of receipt, less the cost of shipping.

Can I buy postcards now?

Yes! You don't have to wait for the current auction to close to buy postcards. In our online Postcard Store we offer up to 3000 postcards available for sale right now at 50-70% off.

On the first day of each month we offer a new selection of up to 3000 cards for sale at 50-70% discount.

How can I pay for postcards in the Postcard Store?

For the Postcard Store we accept payments by Paypal/Credit Card using the Shopping Cart. For all other methods please contact us.

How can I pay using my credit card in the Postcard Store?

Even though PayPal handles our Postcard Store checkout and credit card processing you do not need a Paypal account to checkout using your credit card.

After you are ready to checkout you can pay with a credit card by clicking on the link in the lower left of the Secure Payments checkout area. You will be taken to a page where you can enter all your payment information and submit it securely to Paypal.

After you are finished checking out you will receive an email from us letting you know that we got your order and when it will be shipped.

What is your postcard store return policy?

All postcards sold in the Postcard Store come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason you are not happy with the cards, they are returnable for a complete refund within 5 days of receipt, less the cost of shipping.