i found this info last spring and filed it for future reference. it comes from http://ruffledblog.com. heather used vintage postcards for her save the date cards for her wedding, but i think they'd be neat for lots of different party invites.
the process is for removing ball point pen (and that's another blog), so most probably cards for the late 40's and newer.
if you actually want to mail the cards, you will need to steam off the old stamps first. then:
"...to remove ballpoint pen ink: put on rubber gloves, get out bleach, q-tips, and a paper towel which has been run under water and then rung out so that it is slightly damp. Dip one q-tip in bleach and run the q-tip along each line of text. The ink should start to disappear. After bleaching a few rows of text, wipe the postcard clean with the damp paper towel. Continue this process until the ink is gone. It may take a few swipes, and some ink may not come off at all. The postmark will not be removed.."
although most of the really old postcards tell a story all their own, there are a great many "wish you were here" type cards out there with no significant value. i think it could be fun just to recycle and resend some of these old cards.
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