Thanks to a friend of mine who has recently started collecting postcards, I was out of control at a recent postcard fair because I found myself off-topic as I showed her all the different categories! Most postcard collectors attend the fairs looking for very specific cards, and normally so do I. This is always good for the purse as it helps one control oneself and means you actually get out of the fair with some hours left in the day. I secretly like going off-topic as it is often these finds which make me smile or send me off on some research. My favourite off-topic finds are often the 'real photo' postcards created with special cameras which produced photos onto postcard paper for sending. These postcards usually show family life or record important events and were meant to be shared just like digital photos today. Here are some of my favourites: I wish I could have seen this play based on nursery rhymes. The kid with the beard and the one with the paper bag on his