CANAL CARD COLLECTORS CIRCLE
This is the first newsletter of our new Group and will be more of a precis of progress so far. Firstly thank you for the help so far and the ideas from the first few members.
It has been suggested that the first task could be to catalogue all currently available postcards of canal interest. This of course has proved more difficult than envisaged. It appears that many publishers group cards by district rather than by subject. I have spoken with Salmons rep who can only offer 5 cards in their inland waterways section, yet they have dozens more canal scenes in their range, but impossible to separate out. I have a list from Kingsley who publish the DVP cards, but this is not comprehensive. One member is attempting to make a list, with ref nos and publishers of all the cards he has. Can I ask that everyone does this and please type on a sheet of paper so that the list can be photostated for circulation.
I have been endeavouring to obtain cards in say 12’s to sell to members as the first lot I offered went very well. Kingsley, who do a very good range will not sell less than, wait for it, 1250 of each. I can’t think who would buy this number, but they are unable to tell me who would let me have less as they don’t seem to know who their customers are. They have offered to let me have 100 min when they do a reprint for someone. Salmons supply in 50’s and so I have ordered their inland waterways set. I have obtained a lot from the local boat hire people in Dewsbury, who have taken over on a caretaker basis the Canal Museum, which unfortunately had to close. There is also a traditional narrow boat painter doing Buckby Cans, etc, although what this has to do with Dewsbury I don’t know. It’s well worth a visit, ie Dewsbury Basin. Plenty of boats and life, although it is off the beaten track.
Can I ask for members to send me a dozen each of cards they find with a note of the place where these were purchased. I can then sell them as before at a slight mark-up, after paying you, and this will cover the rather heavy expenses I seem to be incurring initially. I’m not complainig, as I find it rather interesting and will surely be able to recoup any major losses sooner or later. I think we will have to have a subscription soon.
I think that rather exhausts modern cards, which some people have no interest in. I feel that modern cards are as good as older ones as they show the development of a location over the years. eg I have about six different cards of Bingley 5 Rise from early 20th century to date and they all show different features coming and going. There is also several cards of Sprotboro Mill on the S and SY showing the same sort of thing.
PRICES It is becoming obvious that the prices for good, and not so good cards are rising and I’m afraid that this little society is not going to help. I have written to many canal societies and magazines that there is sure to be a big interest and that means prices must go up. I am cheerfully (?) paying £1.50 - £2.00 for a good photographic scene of a northern canal, where six months ago I was pushed to pay 75p for an exceptional one.
I have been contacted by several people who are only interested in swopping or buying cards, and I can’t say I blame them. I don’t know how many older canal cards there are but one member has over 1000 and he doesn’t collect moderns. My advice is to buy more or less at any price good cards as you can’t lose in the long run.
DEALERS Does anyone know any dealers who are interested in getting canal cards, or even understand them? Please let me know.
EXCHANGE CIRCUIT I can’t seem able to work out foolproof details for running this. It seems a bit silly everyone contacting everyone else when we could circulate a parcel of cards and buy or exchange from it. Can anyone work out some details.
ALBUMS - as I mentioned initally I can supply postcard albums at less than retail. The ones I can supply are – Large album 4 ring binder size 13” x 13” pages, as used by many dealers. Really the best I have seen valuewise. Has 40 pages each holding 12 cards back to back or 6 with both sided to view. RRP £12.00, our price £9.50 with white backed leaves or RRP £9.00, our price £7.50 with clear leaves. Vertical or horz formal leaves, can be mixed. Spare pages clear 14p each, white 21p each.
Rapkin Album approx foolscap size with 17 pages each hold 6 cards back to back.
Interscrew binding. RRP £6.15, our price £4.50.
Please add £1.50 to all orders for postage which will be adjusted.
Picton Postcard Catalogue RRP £2.50, our price £2.40 incl post
IPM Catalogue RRP £2.00, our price £1.90 incl post.
IDENTIFYING CANAL SCENES – can be tricky as the canal name is never mentioned. Three invaluable books - AA Book of Roads - this will locate area from card title. Then Priestleys Navigable Rivers and Canals has good map. This was published 1831 and so has all canals on David and Charles did a reprint which is worth having. Then the best book of all, although it needs a good index – Bradshaw’s Canals and Navigable Rivers of England and Wales – this is a goldmine and is essential as a reference book. Tabulaates every canal inl904, all mileages, tolls, boat sizes. Again reprinted by David and Charles. Includes all the little canals, rivers Bedford Drains, fascinating.
PLEASE let me have your new and views. A.Robinson . . . .
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CANAL CARD COLLECTORS CIRCLE
Membership list no 1 May 1978
A.K.Robinson
. . . [address omited]
Interests
– all canals, old and modern cards. Particularly broad canals in N of England
L&L, C&H, S&SY, A&C, Barnsley, Rochdale, Huddersfield.
Buy,
sell, exchange
Brian
Lund . . . [address omited]
Interests – all canals, old cards. Particularly Yorks and Notts area.
Buy,
sell, exchange
M.A.Vedmore
. . . [address omited]
Interests
– English, Welsh canals, old cards
Buy,
sell, exchange
Michael
T. Godley . . . [address omited]
Interests
– all canals, old and modern cards. Particularly
Basingstoke, BCN, Coventry Welsh (exc. Llangollen)
Buy,
sell, exchange
S.G.Knight
. . . [address omited]
Interests
– English canals, old and modern cards, Particularly Basingstoke, Wey Nav,
Itechen Nav, Kennet and Avon
C.
Atkinson . . . [address omitted]
Interests
– all canals, old and modern cards. Particularly
Huddersfield Narrow and Yorkshire canals
Buy,
sell, exchange
Mrs.
H.W.Millard . . . [address omitted]
Interests
- canals in the Wolverhampton area.
Buy,
sell, exchange
J.F.Holder
. . . [address omitted]
Interests
– particularly Basingstoke Canal old cards.
Buy,
sell, exchange
ALSO
people who collect canal cards who have contacted someone, but not joined
the circle.
Mrs.
F. M. Fleming , Narrow boat Rufford
and Regulus. They travel around and
so feel they cann’t join, but can be contacted c/o Braunston Post Office. Collect old cards, particularly of narrow boats.
Mr.
B. Walsh . . . [address omitted]
Has
large collection, preferes to buy or swop.
M.R.Hewlett
. . . [address omitted]
Has
large no for disposal, but will only swop for British Post Offices. Worth contacting – he wrote the Picton Postcard
Catalogue.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Modern cards for sale – all profits from the sale of these cards will be for Circle expences.
1. Lot no 1 as originally offered, mainly working narrow boats, some several years old mainly colour – a very good lot, probably unrepeatable set 12 for 90p.
2. Lot no 2 mainly modern of Basingstoke and Leeds and Liverpool, incl nice one of Bingley 5 rise with Short Boat set 12 for 90p.
3. Lot no 3 mainly Ellesmere Port modern and reproduction old cards, some boats, some BWE cards mainly narrow canals. Set 12 for 90p.
Owing to difficulties it may be necessary to slightly vary the composition of these lots, which are available in small quantities only. First come, first served. An SAE would be appreciated, also a couple spare sae’s appreciated.
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