Here's how our Ephemera grading system works
To avoid confusion we have adopted the ICEAC aging system to grade all of our magazine advertisements:
| through 1939 |
|
ANTIQUE |
| 1940s |
|
VINTAGE |
| 1950s and beyond |
|
COLLECTIBLE |
Most of the ads we will list are from 30 and 100 years old or more. Some are more current. Paper can survive remarkably well under the right conditions. However, acidity, quality of the paper, and storage play an important factor in how well a page has endured the test of time. We strive to accurately descibe all our items as precisely as possible. Mint Condition, in our opinion, does NOT exist. The following table below will explain how we judge the quality of our vintage advertisements. Each item we list for sale is judged on the following scale and any particular remarks are included in the condition section beside each print.
| |
|
|
| MINT |
|
Mint condition is almost an impossibility to declare. Mint would mean that the print or magazine ad was seal wrapped on the day of production and never handled to the present day. We will never assign this rating. |
NEAR
MINT |
|
Near Mint is a very rare condition. The color and paper is vibrant and extremely well preserved. There is absolutely no sign of aging to the naked eye. We have a very limited number of Near Mint items available. |
| EXCELLENT |
|
Excellent denotes the item may have some signs of aging such as toning* or foxing* but there are no major rips or wrinkles A minor rip on the outside edge less than half an inch, a corner page curl or a dog-ear may be evident. Usually these imperfections can be masked by framing or matting. (*Toning is the rust color hue all paper acquires due to oxidation. Foxing is the miniscule wrinkle effect paper can acquire due to exposure to moisture in storage.) |
| GOOD |
|
Good denotes there is an imperfection somewhere within the item. A small stain, rip, or ink transfer from an adjoining page or moisture damage has affected the item. |
| POOR |
|
The item has a major imperfection due to age or condition - such as severe foxing, wrinkles or water/moisture damage. We typically do not list these type items, however, if one has been listed, despite it's poor condition, it is usually due to the rarity or interest of the item. |
|
