[CQ-Contest] What to do with old QSL cards?

[Chris Plumblee]

There is a (bewildering) market for old QSL cards, even common USA cards
that are not fancy or unique in design. I went to the restaurant in the
basement of the Fairmont hotel in San Francisco about 16-17 years ago when
in SF for work, and they used images of old QSL cards from Tahiti and other
South Pacific entities on the cover of their menu.

Common USA cards sell all the time on eBay. They don’t seem to go for much
money; $4-$6 seems about average. I’ve threatened to buy N4WW one of his
old cards. He hasn’t changed card designs in >40 years, but it’s an
expensive joke for $4 + $5 shipping.

I try to be conscientious about cards and answer bureau cards at least
every 4-5 years or so. My volume of QSOs with my call is relatively small
so it’s not a big burden for me, though I do discard cards received that
don’t say “QSL PSE” somewhere. My assumption for cards without such
information is that they’re just getting ahead of future requests.

73,
Chris W4WF

On Sat, Jul 2, 2022 at 5:17 PM Barry W2UP <w2up.co at gmail.com> wrote:

> About 15-20 years ago, I sold batches of 100 and 500 (buro) QSL cards on
> ebay.  They always sold.  It got to the point where I just threw them away,
> and when LOTW hit the scene, I told the buro to just throw them away.
>
> Barry W2UP
>
> On Sat, Jul 2, 2022 at 11:18 AM <john at kk9a.com> wrote:
>
> > Maybe they are valuable? Someone is selling by 1984 KK9A/V2A card on
> ebay:
> >
> >
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/144587245014?hash=item21aa1245d6:g:2W4AAOSwB0Bim2t9
> >
> > John KK9A
> >
> >
> > K2SX wrote:
> >
> > I have several (3-4) file cabinets filed with QSL cards going back to the
> > mid-1950s, including a large number of DX QSLs.  I seem to remember that
> > someone on this reflector had mentioned some place that takes these QSL
> > cards.  Would someone please remind me of whom that was?  Tnx.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Dennis, K2SX
> >
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> >
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-- 
Chris Plumblee
407.494.5155