I don’t know what it is about vintage postcards and pictures, there’s just something about them.
I recently went on a holiday road-trip all the way from Sydney to the far south coast of NSW with my husband and two girls, and along the way we came across an antique shop. Normally we don’t stop at antique shops, because really they are kind of like overpriced second hand stores, but when I do go inside them (just like in any second hand shop) I am often lost browsing for an hour or more. I love the beautiful old things that would not suit my own home but tell countless stories from the homes they’ve been in before.
The last time before this that I entered an antique store I spotted a beautiful pair of art deco period book ends. I could not bring myself to pay the price tag on them but a few days later I made my husband drive back to the store an hour away to buy them for me for mothers’ day.
Maybe it is just safer not to enter antique stores for me. This time around I spotted a box brimming with old postcards, spanning a century. Some were very, very old and some more retro-looking, as late as the nineties. Most are written on in a foreign language (French, I think), but a few are still blank. Most are undated, so it’s anybody’s guess what year they were sent to a loved one.
I spent a very long time leafing through all of the post cards, and since I only had $6 cash in my purse I bought as many as I could afford. But I could not get the postcards out of my head that night. I had to go back the next day and choose a few more, so this time I carefully sifted through every card, and after I had done that the store owner casually offered me the whole box for $50. I had to take up the offer! So I am now the proud owner of a large pile of cards that I can’t read because I don’t speak French.
You might be wondering about copyright in regards to the postcards being re-created as printables.
When it comes to copyright laws, anything printed before 1928 in most countries becomes public domain, so without legal restrictions hampering the way I felt that it would be nice to share such treasures. There are not many Christmas cards amongst my collection, but New Year cards seemed popular. There are lots of formal portraits taken in front of giant horse shoes wishing the recipient ‘Bonne Anne’, which I believe means “Happy New Year” in French.
To keep the cards looking authentic I have not retouched them back to their former glory (although I could have), they are simply scanned ‘as is’, with a little bit of discolouration, a few marks and imperfect edges. I like them better that way.
Feel free to print these out on light card and use as New Year cards to your family and friends.
Alternatively, punch a hole in the top corner and use as a gift tag.
To print out your Vintage postcards, click here: Vintage New Year postcards
More printable ideas you might like
• Make some mini paper lanterns using this printable template
• Make your own fortune! Use our printable fortune templates to add to your own home made cookies to create some colourful DIY fortune cookies
• Younger kids will love these printable letter to Santa templates, perfect for early writers
• Make a twirling, whirling whirlygig using recycled card and this printable template
Oh typical! Found this lovely idea just a trifle too late! Thanks for sharing though 🙂
Oh well, maybe next year!
Hi. Just came across your blog, searching for vintage photos.
I live nth NSW. I’d love to do a road trip and find vintage items too. I wish there was a book that had all the quaint off the beaten track vintage shops. Yes the prices can be overly expensive. . What town was the shop in May I ask? And thankyou for sharing. The download I did had 8 images , is that correct or there are more.
Thanks again ☺️
Yes I think so. It was on the road to Culburra Beach on the South Coast (a long time ago now but I THINK it’s still there)