These aren't really postcards, since Peter Herdic (Williamsport's most famous entrepreneur) died in 1888, nine years before the Postal Service allowed postcards. But these were great finds, so they had to be included. Unfortunately, neither card has a date or a description of the location of the advertised houses. However, the bottom card lists architect Eber Culver's address as the "Herdic Block," which was begun in 1871 and renamed the "Weightman Block" in 1878 when William Weightman purchased the block from the bankrupt Herdic. The backs of both cards had a spot for a photo to be attached, but neither appear to ever have had one. As an economist, I have to point out Herdic's misleading calculations. It does not seem particularly surprising that a person who puts over 40% down on the purchase of a house will have costs that are lower than renting that same house. But it does show that modern real estate advertisements that promote inexpensive housing as a cheaper alternative to renting fit right in to a long tradition.