Penny Postcards From (Buffalo) New York

Penny Postcards From (Buffalo) New York

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Oct 14th 2007, 12:27pm By queenseyes

There's nothing like an old Buffalo postcard to get you day dreaming of Buffalo's past. Whenever I'm at a flea market or antique shop I always see what sort of cards they have. I also know that trading Buffalo cards has become quite popular as of late. Many times while searching online for historic Buffalo images the search will lead to the eBay site where the selling is rampant. I don't know what it is about these old cards... the coloring, the scenes, the depictions of the grand old days with horse and carriage and wheel marks on the streets.

A friend of mine recently sent me this link where there are a number of interesting postcards displayed. Every so often it's fun to check these out... to find one or two that had eluded you in your searches. To find images of buildings that no longer stand, or parkways that appear unscathed by the hands of progress. Luckily, there are many scenes that are featured in this set of cards that we still have with us today... others we are not so fortunate. The fact that these postcards have a personal aspect on the back is also pretty neat. It was a way to show pride in the fact that you lived in a city with so much incredible architecture... the hustle and bustle of a progressive city designed by respected by respected urban planners. Wouldn't it be cool to see a local company start to produce some new cards depicting the Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse, New Era, the LaSalle Dog Park, the latest Whipple Truss Bridge, the Karpeles Manuscript Museums, the building of the Burchfield-Penney Museum, a rendering of the future courthouse, the restored Electric Tower, etc.? That could really be a great viral marketing campaign? Who knows… maybe someone is already doing it.

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  1. allthingsbuffalo

    0 ratings12345
    Oct 14th 2007, 13:13

    honestly, who wouldn't want a postcard of a dogpark?!

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  2. chris69

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    Oct 14th 2007, 13:25

    there are a handful of buildings worthy of being brought back and then...we Buffalonians can exhail and embrace the new and modern. 1) The Larkin Administration Building 2) The Erie Savings Bank 3) The Iroquois Hotel 4) The original art nuveau Hotel Statler 5) The German American Insurance Building

    count me in on getting rid of the international facade of the AM&As building and restoring the original 1890s facads for 3 distinct buildings.

    (I think in years to come...that we are going to miss the facade of the Dulski building, aside from the M&T tower there is an absence of world class postwar modern construction)

    how incredible it would be if we could have a Gehry or a Calatrava....and alongside our preWar architecture and return to world class architectural design of all periods and types.

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  3. MRodgers

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    Oct 14th 2007, 14:11

    QE, we used a vintage postcard for the invitations to the Johnson Park Rededication Ceremony and unveiling of the Park's restoration plans. I've been told more than once that people who received them are keeoing them. Also, on the West Village website, you can view many postcards that were used for the park and adjoining properties of worth. www.westvillage-buffalo.com. I'll be sending you a copy of one or two of the CT St Armory under separate cover. I'm a vintage postcard buff - anything Buffalo - and I have a solid foundation of these memories - even including Shelton Square.

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  4. flyguy

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    Oct 14th 2007, 14:51

    I started buying such old postcards back when I was like 15 years old. The best is when I am out of town somewhere going through an antique shop and find these old Buffalo postcards. Its nice to bring them back home or in my case now a Buffalonians home transplanted to Virginia for now. I've always liked reading the messages on the back because some have them along with the old postage stamp. Its nice because theres alot of searching involved and its fun and pretty cheap to buy.

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  5. al-alo

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    Oct 14th 2007, 15:56

    id recommend Old editions for vintage postcars. but be careful, you might want to buy up the whle place

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  6. Spoiled

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    Oct 14th 2007, 16:51

    I have only a few cards...My First, a water color of the Peace bridge I found in a high end pop culture store in Miami, FL. I had to bring it home.

    I would love to see new post cards with the old picture printed to one side and a new photo printed next to it. I have a book that had this concept though it was of Arizona.

    I send post cards to friends abroad and state wide.

    Could we scan all these cards and use them as covers to text messages? or print them into the Buffalo Monopoly board game?

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  7. Spoiled

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    Oct 14th 2007, 16:59

    Yeeeeaaaah, My hubby is going to write a program so that people can send old post cards digitally. So if you visit a location you can log onto the new website grab the card you want and text it to someone's phone, e-mail, facebook or myspace.

    I love my hubby.

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  8. RisingDamp666

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    Oct 14th 2007, 22:50

    I collect period postcards of sleazy motels. Anyone got a particularly nasty one from the Executive Inn?

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  9. georgethomasapfel

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    Oct 16th 2007, 02:26

    I found another collection of Buffalo postcards, 1910 views of Shelton Square, Lafayette Square, and more here.

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