COLIN COHEN

email: ccpm@talk21.com

mail: Colin Cohen, 22 Selvage Lane, London NW7 3SP, UK

ARTICLE NO. 40

Images in this article are black and white copies of colour cards.

I was reminded recently that when I started to collect in the 1960’s, airline issued postcards from eastern Europe were very rare. Although one could obtain cards, mostly drawings, from the Soviet Union with an abundance of Aeroflot, and a few from CSA, Malev, TAROM with BAC1-11 aircraft etc, they were often on very thin card or even paper. It was also hard to ever find airport postcards depicting aircraft from these countries. I recall being very excited when Editions PI of France issued card 233 with a clear shot of an Aeroflot IL-62 on the ground at Paris Orly airport. It was so unusual that I think it gave Fred Hems the idea to produce the same shot in his APC series – A68

However today is quite the opposite, perhaps because there are a large number of postcard collectors in Eastern Europe now, perhaps because there are many producers, especially in the Czech Republic with some super shots produced by Postcard Series, Privacy, Scot, Blue, Aerofoto, Dexempo, OK series,  & Air Hobby to name but a few. Some great airport photos are also appearing and, with the opening of new airlines, it is great opportunity to see imaginative new liveries appearing on many of the old Soviet aircraft. Russia too has begun producing cards. Restart Postcards have produced almost 300 different, showing mostly Soviet commercial and military aircraft.

Whereas previously I had hardly an album of postcards from these countries, now I have so many that they are starting to overwhelm my collection even more than Japan which has produced a large number of cards of its national airlines. I find the East Europeans with their variety of different aircraft more interesting to collect. It would be nice if some of these producers would depict some airliners from the 1960s/70s era like those from Vilain of France. On P.19 I have illustrated, in addition to the IL-62, Transaero DC10-10 landing by World Collectors, Estonian Tu154M by Restart with its blue tail almost hidden against the sky behind – it would be nice if we had such perfect blue skies here in the UK! Finally a split shot of a landing Pulkovo IL-86 by Flying Books.

Lastly an offer to collectors. I am clearing out duplicates that I do not have time to take to shows or trade. They are mostly older publishers and airline issues of jets that I have collected over the years. They are sorted into batches of 100 mixed and FOR SALE AT £UK 25 EACH.  These are ideal for beginners to the hobby although I am sure most collectors would find something useful in every packet. They are not in any order or category so it purely pot-luck. If interested please contact me by mail or E-mail as above. Till next time……….

HAPPY COLLECTING                                                                                       COLIN COHEN