Is This Double-Sided Made In Japan Card A Post Card Or Something Else?

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to figure out what this thing is all day, I go back and forth between a post card and just a novelty gag gift, I don't know. Here are the images:


The card is made with a pocket of white sand in the spot where the bottle is being lifted up by the hobo, the white sand moves and makes it appear that the bottle is being emptied of its liquid. On the reverse, the base of the toilet the hobo is sitting on has a pocket of white sand which appears to empty out when the card is turned over from the bottle side.

I don't especially like this card, it is not something I would seek out for myself to have. On the back the card is marked "Made in Japan", the only writing I can find on the card. I can envision that a stamp and address could be put in the space above the hobo's head and the upturned bottle, that yellow rectangle behind the cigarette boy (?) is perfect for an address. And who would need to write a message with this card anyway, the card says quite enough on its own.

Thank you for any kind of advice you can give me on this card. I would like to sell it and need to know what to call it to identify it correctly.

I want to thank everyone who has helped me in this forum so far since I have been here, thank you so much for all your help. You are all quite fabulous in my eyes :) Julie

Opinion.
Novelty postcard produced for tourists, either local or overseas.

I have similar postcards from Britain, some obscene, I have seen Philatelic exhibition of obscene war photos.
It is part of Philatelic history, there are collectors out there for this stuff.
I don't see great value, but who knows.

Agreed, not very nice, but remains a part of combined history.

Possibly called a "flip card" ?

Similar themed item from Great Britain. (1907 apparently)

I recall seeing stands of "Girlie Cards" at tourist shops, at seasides in England. (1950's- 1960's)

Some cards are known by their cartoonist.

Thank you very much Rod, I sure like your card better than the one I have. I looked up flip card a couple of ways and have not found anything that sounds like these cards. They are pretty old are they not? The card I have has not been through the mail, I do not have a post mark or any other reference as to when these types of cards were made - I did find a couple of ebay auctions for these cards, here is one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-An...AOSwsE1aH4HK
Thanks Rod, I feel now at least I can call it a post card without mis-representing it. Thank you for your awesome help, Julie

Julie,
$24 crikey, I would have thought a couple of dollars at best.

Mine arrived in boxes at auction, I feel uncomfortable selling them, so they lie in a shoebox.

Uncomfortable, Rod? With British seaside humour? The asking price for the postcard on ebay looks highly ambitious - I'd have thoughts cents, not dollars.

GeoffHa said:



I have to agree with you Geoff, the price on this card is highly ambitious which is underscored by the fact that when I went and got the link there were two other earlier auctions for this same card at the price of 24.99 - none of the auctions have sold at this price and the seller keeps re-listing.

Not sure why you think the card is worth mere cents Geoff, but I will be listing the card for less than 24 dollars, not sure yet what it will be but 24 is too high in my opinion also.

And Rod expressed the same thought earlier, here:




I have been looking for a little more information about these cards, I found a little here: http://northcyprusfreepress.com/ent...cy-postcard/
This confirms what I was thinking, or guessing, that these cards probably came out around the 1930's, some were earlier as I have run into a few making fun of the suffragette movement in the late 1800's to early 1920's.

Thanks for your input Rod and Geoff, I appreciate it very much. It has occurred to me that I am always asking questions, I would like to give back to the forum somehow - I do not feel that I know enough about the wide and varied field of philately to make comments on other peoples threads. I do have some experience in other areas that might prove helpful at some time or another, and will try to contribute when I can. I just wanted to let you know that I hold off on commenting on most everything I read posted by others because I do not feel that I am knowledgeable enough about stamps, etc. yet.

Thank you, Julie

Jchrisler, The card from Japan is most likely from the late 40s early 50s. Prior to this time it would have said made in Nippon. Most likely a cheap novelty item like many other things that came out of Japan at that time. There are always exceptions.

I have one of those "British seaside humor" postcards. It has a printed message on the reverse which says that it must be mailed in an envelope. This item cost me a couple of bucks and it hasn't seen the light of day since I bought it many years ago. Not one of my better purchases for sure.