Postcards on eBay

[JamesE]

I was poking around on eBay for old stuff from my hometown and old postcards popped up that have some clues as to long gone sites to MD.
A lot of sellers have cards from a lot of cities. Do a search for your hometowns' name, hard telling what you might find out about what was where way back when.
jim-- NIMBY (---'cuz it's froze a good foot down..)

[tac512ltd]

Great idea. Thanks for the tip.

[Minelab Ron]

I have to get off this box...got to get to work...LOL...

Anyways, been doing that on Ebay for some time....I do it for genealogical research....you may also find some great books on historic places or of old towns too...I have bid on a few and WON....haven't done it in some time...need to search and see what else I can find. But the areas I do...were my ancestors lived or live at (cousins and such now).

Now, since into metal detecting...will have to look further for great books and writings of old history of this area

Have a great day,
Annmarie

[Neil in West Jersey]

I have been doing that for a long time. It has led to a lot of Barber's and Mercs. Also google the name of your town and "postcard" . you may get some nice hits!

[diggin jimmy hoffa]

I have also been doing this for awhile as well. Sometimes you can hold down the left mouse button and drag across the photo and save it in a folder. Then you have your own copy even if didn't win the auction. Call me cheap.
DJH

[Neil in West Jersey]

I have also been doing this for awhile as well. Sometimes you can hold down the left mouse button and drag across the photo and save it in a folder. Then you have your own copy even if didn't win the auction. Call me cheap.
DJH

I never bid, I just do exactly that!Well Actually I right click and "save as". This postcard led to numerous Barber Quarters, Halves and dimes, Plus Mercs and Silver Rosies and Washingtons! It is nothing but a playground now. And the funny thing is that passersby always tell me I wont find anything cause it is all hunted out!

[Minelab Ron]

I have also been doing this for awhile as well. Sometimes you can hold down the left mouse button and drag across the photo and save it in a folder. Then you have your own copy even if didn't win the auction. Call me cheap.
DJH

LOL...I do that too!!!! But mine is for genealogical reasons....guess now...I'll have to look at it from a TH'er side (and if a page won't let me "right click" to save the photo (or whatever)...I use my SNAG IT program!!! )

[Neil in West Jersey]

I have also been doing this for awhile as well. Sometimes you can hold down the left mouse button and drag across the photo and save it in a folder. Then you have your own copy even if didn't win the auction. Call me cheap.
DJH

LOL...I do that too!!!! But mine is for genealogical reasons....guess now...I'll have to look at it from a TH'er side (and if a page won't let me "right click" to save the photo (or whatever)...I use my SNAG IT program!!! )

That is a great idea. using the snag it program!! I have been opening the source code to find the location of the picture! What a time saver!! Thanks!

[Minelab Ron]

I have also been doing this for awhile as well. Sometimes you can hold down the left mouse button and drag across the photo and save it in a folder. Then you have your own copy even if didn't win the auction. Call me cheap.
DJH

LOL...I do that too!!!! But mine is for genealogical reasons....guess now...I'll have to look at it from a TH'er side (and if a page won't let me "right click" to save the photo (or whatever)...I use my SNAG IT program!!! )

That is a great idea. using the snag it program!! I have been opening the source code to find the location of the picture! What a time saver!! Thanks!

You are most welcomed Neil! I am guessing you have the program too? I love it...infact, I use it for just about everything now ....I love the feature to being able to scroll and snag the entire web page!!! It works great when I do my newspaper archival searches! Have fun!

[dogcaught]

I have and still do use this method. I think i got this idea a few years ago in W&ET magazine under the article "Mining the Internet". It was a great article full of ideas on research methods to keep you busy in the wintertime (when some of us cant MD)

[Mainedigger]

James...great tip!! Also your local historical society will have alot of pics of the old houses etc in your town. These photos are great to see the exact layout of long gone places where you can see exactly where the clothes lines were, old tree swings, foot paths, picnic areas etc. which are all prime areas to detect!!

[Neil in West Jersey]

Also check out maps on Library of Congress (www.loc.gov)

Thee is also a "Built in America" collection of photos, some of which were taken back in 1936 of historic structures of the time. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collecti...aer/index.html

[LukeTHr]

I have been buying old postcards and old photos that come up of my town on ebay for about 8 years now and I have to say, I have been quite impressed with how many old images have surfaced. I have been able to build quite a large collection that covers many changes thru the years and has helped me learn more about the history of the town. One thing I have done with my photos is put together a slide show of old photos mixed in with photos showing how the town looks today and I present it to several different classes in the local jr hi and high school as part of a local history class one of the teachers presents.

[diggummup]

I know this is an old post but it's a good one. I've been collecting local postcards and photos myself for several years and both are useful tools to use for locating older sites to detect. A couple years ago, I was able to detect the yard of a little known house that the founder of my city lived in before he took residence in the "Mansion" on Hollywood Blvd., because I found some photos that showed the home with his name and address on it. The house is still standing and lived in. His main home (the large one built later) is of course a historic site and off limits to detecting.