As we all know and agree, Ephemera is defined as transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. This is generally thought to include mostly paper items such as trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, postcards, posters, prospectuses, stock certificates, tickets and the like.

I recently ran across this unstge.com which in its “About Us” page tells us that:

Unstage is a daily updated blog dedicated to showcasing the best artists, graphic designers, illustrations, short and longform films, architecture, photography, fashion, music and gadgets. We try to keep it cool with fresh content from around the world.

Ever think about advertising with us? We’re the perfect place for a low-cost way to support your product, art, blog, or pretty much anything! With over 300,000 pageviews a month, what are you waiting for? Advertise with us!

Styrofoam art

One of their most recent posts talked about a Californian, by way of Malaysia, who draws things on cups. Yep, Styrofoam coffee cups.  I have to wonder if this too fits into the category.. or will some day in the future… of Ephemera.  After all it is transitory, written, and probably not intended to be preserved very long.

Take a look at the drawing in this blog.. and then head on over to Unstage and see a whole lot more of his work. He is obviously very very talented.

I’m Tom Murphy and thanks for helping me give Ephemera the Encore it deserves.

Have a look at my eBay Ephemera store
or have a look at my eBay Auction site

Technorati tags: Encore Ephemera, Ephemera, Ephemera Network

If you either own or have inherited old paper materials such as postcards, brochures, letters, greeting cards, tickets, pamphlets, trade cards, tobacco cards, calendars or other related items, it is important to care for them properly. Even newer paper collectibles, such as all the really cute drawings your children do in school, need to be protected if you hope to turn them into treasured momentos that you can cherish for years to come.

In the antiques business, these items are referred to as “ephemera.” Ephemera is written material that was only designed to be temporary. For example, once a greeting card, letter or a postcard was received and read, it was expected that it would be discarded. Even though it was suppose to be transitory, people began to save such items as souvenirs or remembrances for sentimental reasons.

When someone passed away, these old reminders of special occasions or special events were handed down to the next generation as part of that person’s estate. After the passage of so many years, much of the artwork and many of the graphics that appear on some of these materials are now considered valuable.

Collecting vintage ephemera is very popular today but a lot of it is quite fragile so caution needs to be taken when either handling it or storing it. With proper care, hopefully it will be around for generations to come. Only true experts in this field have the extensive knowledge needed to successfully stop the aging process or to restore these materials. The basic recommendations listed below are a beginning and will go along way toward maintaining the present condition of any ephemera pieces you may have.

1. If you have postcards in albums, they should be removed. Cards should be separated with pieces of acid-free paper and they should be stored upright on their edges. Stacking them on top of each other could cause damage to cards that are embossed.

2. When postcards or other paper materials are stacked on their edges within a space, and they do not completely fill that space, be sure to use some sort of stabilizers or separators to keep the postcards and other paper materials in a straight up and down position. You do not want the materials to “slump” which can cause curling or bending.

3. Paper materials should be stored in a temperature of 75 degrees or less. Also, too much or too little humidity is not good.

4. Next to fire, sunlight is the biggest enemy of paper materials. It is best to keep your materials in a dark, dry and cool place such as a fireproof cabinet.

5. Do not eat or drink anywhere near your collection. Spillage of any kind could be devastating.

6. Dirt and dust can cause discoloration and even scratches so use a soft brush to dust materials.

7. Rodents and insects are attracted to some of the ingredients in paper. Even if they don’t eat away at the paper, although they probably will, droppings will leave permanent stains.

8. Try to handle your materials by holding the edges unless you wear gloves. If you handle the paper too much, the oils in your skin will slowly cause erosion.

9. If you must attach a piece of ephemera to something else only use linen or paper tape and never put the tape on the front.

If you are a dealer and are selling ephemera, you probably do not have any pieces in your possession long enough to warrant taking these steps but if you have your own personal collection, it could be worth your while.

Some of these suggestions may not sound all that important but following them over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years can have a dramatic effect on the longevity of these heirlooms. Remember you can never replace theses wonderful old collectibles – time is their enemy. Do what is necessary to protect them.

Anne Benedetto is a former auction house owner and former dealer in the antiques and collectibles business. She presently provides people with important details, behind the scenes information, helpful tips and first hand knowledge of the brick and mortar auction business. Visit Anne at http://AuctionHouseTalk.com which is an interactive site where interested people can talk about the ins and outs of auctions, antiques and collectibles.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anne_Benedetto

… could dress up as woodpeckers

Christmas of 1980 brought out a new film with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder entitled “Stir Crazy”. It was produced by Hannah Weinstein and Melville Tucker. Wikipedia describes it like this:

Stir Crazy is a 1980 American comedy film starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor as two men framed for a bank robbery and each ending up with a 125 year prison sentence, alongside a real bank robber (played by Miguel Angel Suarez) and a man who killed his stepfather (played by Georg Stanford Brown). In 2000, Total Film magazine voted it the 22nd greatest comedy film of all time. It was the third largest grossing film in 1980, behind The Empire Strikes Back and Nine to Five. Georg Stanford Brown’s performance in the film was panned by critics, where he earned a Razzie Award nomination as Worst Supporting Actress, where his character dressed up in drag in some scenes.

Wikipedia also shows the DVD poster that you see on the left. That same image appeared in numerous publications, including Playboy. You can find a page from a 1980′s Playboy magazine here on eBay.

Also in 1980, a film was released with the name “A Change of Seasons” and starred Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Hopkins and Bo Derek. The poster from that film is shown on the right.

And once again, it appeared as a magazine page in a 1980s Playboy.  You can find it here at eBay.

The film was about a fortysomething Karen Evans who discovers her arrogantly self-centered professor husband Adam is having an affair with student Lindsey Rutledge. She retaliates by having a dalliance of her own with young, philosophical campus carpenter Pete Lachappelle. Adam is infuriated when he learns about his wife’s new relationship, and she in turn defends her right to enjoy the same carnal pleasures he does. The four decide to share a Vermont ski house, where their efforts to behave like liberal adults are tested by middle-aged angst, hurt feelings, and teenager Kasey Evans, who unexpectedly arrives to confront her parents with their outrageous behavior.  A fun film!

I’m Tom Murphy and thanks for helping me give Ephemera the Encore it deserves.

Have a look at my eBay Ephemera store
or have a look at my eBay Auction site

Technorati tags: Encore Ephemera, Ephemera, Ephemera Network

Someone pointed me to this page… I found it quite interesting, perhaps you will too.

The header reads:

You hope that your professors will be good speakers who can keep your interest for at least the length of a class period, but more often than not, you’ll have a teacher or two each semester who drones on and on and doesn’t make you feel passionate about the subject. They could take tips from these speakers who have inspired thousands or even millions of people around the world, some even long after they’ve died. Here are 50 incredible, historical speeches you should watch online.

Click here to see the posting.

I’m Tom Murphy and thanks for helping me give Ephemera the Encore it deserves.

Have a look at my eBay Ephemera store
or have a look at my eBay Auction site

Technorati tags: Encore Ephemera, Ephemera, Ephemera Network