Death Card newbie question

[maximus71]

Hi All,
I always wanted to add some death cards to my collection so I went and picked a few up off fleabay, but I am wondering if they are real because they feel like waxy thin paper, so my question is does that sound right? or are they suppose to be on a thicker cardboard quality paper? the word death card put the idea into my head that they should feel like a baseball card, they do smell old and I cant imagine someone faking the common deathcards but I never owned them before and I am not sure what I am suppose to be feeling or looking for, Thanks for any help you can offer! here are the photos.

[Gunny Hartmann]

Thin waxy paper is right!....

[bigmacglenn]

All looks good to me...they did indeed use a semi-glossy paper, for lack of a better term. Hard to explain, but I know it when I see it, lol...
cheers, Glenn

[cricketchris1944]

They look good to me no problem.
The first ones I got I was thinking the same thing.
chris

[maximus71]

Thanks Guys!!!! I was going to quit the hobby if they were fake lol

[HPL2008]

Agreed. "Waxy thin paper" is a good description for the typical period stock used for printing death cards. (Present-day examples are typically printed on somewhat thicker and glossier paper, but nowhere near as thick as that used for trading cards.)

Also, it is worth noting that "death card" is a collector term from English-speaking countries; in German, a death card is known as a "Sterbebild" [lit. "dying picture"], "Trauerbild" [lit. "mourning picture"], "Totenzettel" [lit. "dead's slip"] and by a number of other slight variations on the theme, none of which describe it as a card. (The terms differ regionally.)

[Jan]

Original !


Best,

Jan

[Paul D]

Nachname:
Biermaier
Vorname:
Alois
Dienstgrad:
Obergefreiter
Geburtsdatum:
07.11.1917
Geburtsort:
Eggerding
Todes-/Vermisstendatum:
15.10.1942
Todes-/Vermisstenort:
In der Sanko 2/297 Gawrilowka

He was part of the 297 ID and Killed at Stalingrad !!

[Paul D]

Nachname:
Nischler
Vorname:
Ludwig
Dienstgrad:
Obergefreiter
Geburtsdatum:
22.07.1915
Geburtsort:
Moosbach
Todes-/Vermisstendatum:
01.08.1944
Todes-/Vermisstenort:
Nowa Wies Raum Ostrow

[maximus71]

Thanks guys, great information here, ok so how do these end up in collectors hands, where they ordered through a funeral home by a family then handed out at the funeral like modern day?