History of CB Radio QSL Cards WANTED--Please read/share!!

Hello! My name is Erin and I am interested in finding people who know about the history of CB culture in its prime, especially the printing and exchanging of QSL cards. I am a historian and documentarian who bought a CB as soon as I got my first car. I lived three blocks off the highway and eventually connected the CB indoors and would chat with truckers from my basement. They were often surprised to hear a sixteen-year-old girl on the other end! hahaha. Anyway, three summers ago I found the most amazing thing that I never knew existed---two sets of QSL cards from an antique store in the Wisconsin Dells. Since then, I've been hooked! As a historian, I'd like to find out more from those who participated in the creation and trade of their QSLs. I'm looking to tell the story of a few of those who remember the excitement of this type of pre-facebook social networking.

If you can, please consider and answer/contact me with responses to the following questions here or in a message:

1.Did you have a QSL card?
2. Did you trade them?
3. Do you have a collection?
4. Do you know others who traded? Who may still have a collection?
5. Or do you have merely a strong recollection of QSL trading?

I don't know if I have to say this or not, but I'm really not interested in the Ham radio QSLs. They are too polished and don't represent what I think the CB did to people at the time.

That said, I'd love to be put in contact with anyone who has information or items to share with me! Please be in touch with any leads on sources you may have!

P.S. My birthdate is 10-4, so you know this was meant to be! ;]

 

Thank you for the response!

Yes, by "trade" I meant send them out to confirm correspondence. hehe.

I would love to see an example of your card. I was always interested in the places that would provide design and printing services exclusively for QSLs. Every once in a while I'll find info on a printer in a lot of cards I've ordered.

I personally prefer the CB cards because they are less "polished" and some even crude. They are so highly personalized and reveal a lot about the user, I think. They are definitely a lost folk art! Were any of the cards at the ham swap CB? I know that a lot of ham users would frown upon CB use because ham operators were licensed and during the late '70s CB users were pretty lawless---but that's part of the appeal to me, honestly.

Please stay in touch and let me know if you come across any CB cards or find others who may be interested in sharing their stories. Thanks again!

 

Are they still active? Is there available contact information? Thanks.

 

I'm not really interested in particular club's card. The cards aren't hard to come by, it's the people who created them and used CBs heavily during this time that are. I am specifically looking for the people! Thanks.