One of the most satisfying aspects of amateur radio is receiving or communicating with commercial and amateur radio stations from afar. 

In the earliest days of amateur radio, mailing a written reception report to a distant station was done in hopes the station would reply with a verification letter on station letterhead, confirming the operator had indeed heard that station. As the number of operators and reception reports increased, stations gradually replaced long-form letters with the quicker-to-produce (and now more familiar) QSL postcards we still love to give and receive today.

Coming in the next few auctions is a rare opportunity to bid on and acquire a historical archive of letters and cards collected by a single operator. Included are reception verification letters and QSL cards, dating mostly to the 1930s – the decade when radio had become a central fixture in everyday life in the USA – and sometimes a controversial one!

Many letters contain unique station stamps, applique metal seals or photographs, advertising and informational brochures, and other fascinating bits of radio ephemera of that bygone, golden era. From handwritten cards to typed and color lithographed examples, the variety of letters and cards is truly a window on the past.

Having only been loosely organized previously, the archive will be presented across the next few auctions in lots that gather together the contents most efficiently. 

We look forward to presenting these rare and fantastic pieces of radio history to the community where they will be best appreciated! Watch this blog and our website for more information!

Charles Keller, KF0COM