Here's some Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) about Ephemera

Why do people collect old magazine advertisements?
Many people purchase magazine ads which relate to products or items they already collect. For example, if someone collects Coke items, a vintage Coke ad would look great hanging nearby. Nothing validates a collection quite like original advertising. Ads provide a way to bridge a collection with original dates, product information, and of course with pictures.

Magazine ads are also used as inexpensive, yet interesting, tools for decorating. Ad sales have recently seen a peak, largely due to savvy Interior Decorators locking into the ad market. The display of framed and matted ads can ad flavor and excitement to any room, and always becomes an immediate topic of conversation for guests.

Unrealistic expectations
Some very desireable and collectable advertisements were printed before you and I were born. Minor indications of age may not be all that bad. Our grading system, for instance, marks down for yellowing, but a little bit of yellowing or fading is sometimes thought desirable as a visual indication of age. You will not find any copies or reprints here! Every item is original. Each advertisement is what it is, and a duplicate may be difficult or impossible to find. Experienced collectors understand this, but on the chance that you are new to this very rewarding hobby, let us therefore caution you against unrealistic expectations.

Most of our advertisements are harvested from vintage magazines and may have some wear due to magazine use over the years. Generally, wear is found on outer page edges in the form of small tears or light bending. Edge wear can usually be covered by framing or matting. We always try to mention notable damage or flaws in the comments area of our auctions.

Do magazine ads work as gifts?
Absolutely! Many men enjoy ads which have “muscle-cars” or even horseless carriages. Others enjoy outdoors scenes like those found on “Weyerhaeuser” or “Western Electric” ads. Many women enjoy the romantic ads of the 1940's, while others enjoy ads featuring small children. Animal lovers find great joy in cute puppy and kitten ads. For a birthday or anniversary, how about ads with products from the birth or wedding year?

Are your magazine ads really old?
We guarantee every magazine advertisement we sell to be authentic. Our ads are hand-harvested from the most popular magazines of the decades. We do not make or sell copies of any advertisements. Whenver possible we state the year of publication in our auction listing.

What are magazine illustrations?
Magazine illustrations are pictures that once accompanied magazine stories and highlights. They can be pictures of real people, like movie stars and sports stars. They can also be of fictional characters. Our illustrations are sold as single page items, no story is included. Magazine illustrations can really add sparkle to a room and make great conversation pieces.

Are there other ways to use magazine illustrations?
Magazine illustrations, as well as magazine ads, can be used in many ways other than framing. We have customers who purchase illustrations to use with their craft projects. We've been told that the illustrations work well with scrapbooks and with decoupage projects.

Why do I only see part of the ad in your images?
Ads that are 8 x 10 or smaller can be seen completely in the images. The larger ads are bigger than our scanner beds allow. Even though some images are partial, the ads themselves are complete and either have margins or flow to the page edges.

How should I display my magazine advertisements?
Full page ads look best in frames or mats. Partial page or strip ads can be grouped in separate frames or placed together in one large frame. Small ads can be used in scrapbooks, shadowboxes, and collages.

How do you pack your vintage ads for shipping?
All of our ads are protected in a Poly Sleeve and then mailed inside a rigid shipping tube - the same method as often used for shipping fine art and expensive drawings.

Do you have more questions?
We are happy to answer any questions you may have related to ephemera or the items we sell. Simply drop us an e-mail at sales@encore-ephemera.com