Nearly 30 dealers from four states will display everything from postcards of trains to old-movie posters Saturday and Sunday at the Kent Commons.
The more than 15 million postcards, posters, photos, stamps, matchbooks and other items are all part of the Greater Seattle Postcard and Papers Collectibles Show.
Numerous postcards will be for sale for 25 cents. Other rare postcards in high demand could cost hundreds of dollars.
“There are postcard collections that fit into any budget,” said Jeremy LeRoque, the promoter of the show, in a phone interview Thursday from his home in Redding, Calif.
LeRoque, an avid collector of postcards, has promoted postcard and paper shows in Kent for 15 years. A second show is slated for June 27-28, also at Kent Commons.
A few hundred people are expected to attend the show. The postcards, photos and posters provide a history lesson for many people.
“There are photos, postcards and items from 30, 70 and even 100 years ago,” LeRoque said.
While many postcards sell for 25 cents to $2 or $3, rarer cards go for much more.
“An early 1900s Seattle street scene that provides an interesting snapshot of history could go for $70 to $80,” LeRoque said.
Rare Disneyland postcards from as long as 40 years ago sell for $300 to $400.
People also can bring in paper collectibles for free appraisals. So if anyone wants to know what an old scrapbook, album or box of postcards is worth, dealers will let them know.
“I know postcards and can appraise or make an offer,” said LeRoque, who will be at the show. “If it’s something (such as stamps) not in my area of expertise, I’ll direct them to someone else.”
The dealers conduct a friendly competition among themselves at the show with displays of postcards. People judge which cards look the best or are the most interesting.
“It could be postcards of trains or some type of theme,” LeRoque said. “People will see a lot of postcards. There will be a lot of stuff just to look at.”
Serious collectors will be able to pay $20 for early bird admission from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday.
“That’s for the competitive collecting field,” LeRoque said. “They can get in and find items and get a jump on everyone else.”
In addition to the two Kent shows, LeRoque promotes eight similar events each year in California.
A business partner of LeRoque runs three shows each year in Oregon.
What: Greater Seattle Postcard and Papers Collectibles Show
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Kent Commons, 525 Fourth Ave.
Cost: $5
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