Frequently Asked Questions
Many people like to collect a series of ads. One of the most popular is the “Beer Belongs” campaign that the brewers of America ran for 11 years. It produced 120 ads from 1946 through 1956 and similar ads during the years before and after. For more information on that campaign go here http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/beer-belongs/ .
One of my favorite campaigns was the Blatz Beer “I’m from Milwaukee…” series. The ads feature a string of celebrities testifying that Blatz is Milwaukee’s finest beer. They know because they lived in or were from Milwaukee. Later ads credited them with great beer knowledge because they had “been to Milwaukee.” I suspect if the series had gone on any longer we would have ads saying “I ought to know….I’ve seen Milwaukee on a map.”
Antique magazine ads are relatively inexpensive and easy to find. They are all over eBay for a wide variety of prices and there are many independent websites (including this one) selling them, as well. One of the main concerns is the cost of shipping. Larger ads, when shipped flat, can be more expensive although several ads can be put in the same package without raising the cost.
This 1948 ad for Chesterfield cigarettes includes the biggest names in baseball at the time: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial.
Why are vintage magazine ads collectible?
Other than the nostalgia factor there are many reasons to collect old advertising. For one thing, as is often said on the glut of collecting shows currently on TV, they have cross collectability. That is to say if your hobby is collecting oil company or sports memorabilia a magazine ad can be a great display piece to help show off what you have. Movie collectors are always on the look out for ads using star endorsers. Someone who has restored an old automobile might like to have an ad that matches their completed job. Ads are also a great decorative accent. An ad for Green Giant peas can look great in a kitchen or an alcohol ad in a basement bar.
Brand names are another reason ads are collectible. Some people collect everything they can find having to do with Coca Cola or Pepsi. It’s especially fun if the brand you collect no longer exists such as Studebaker, Texaco, or Eaton’s department store. Some people are attracted by advertising irony or historic quirkiness. There’s always something conversational about an ad that shows a doctor testifying about how easy a certain brand of tobacco is on your throat or one that pushes the health benefits of dextrose sugar for young people. How about movie star John Wayne (who died of lung cancer) flogging cigarettes? It’s interesting, also, to compare prices from then and now and to track styles and fashions though old ads.
Does size matter?
There are several different sizes of antique magazine ads just as there are many different sizes of magazines. There may be specific names for these sizes but I don’t know them. Digest size ads would come from smaller publications such as Readers Digest or TV Guide. Standard size would come from magazines like Time or Sports Illustrated. National Geographic ads would be in between the digest sized and the standard size. Tabloid sized ads are the size of the old large format magazines such as Life or the Saturday Evening Post (they measure about 10” x 13”).
You also can find half-page ads available from these publications but, unless they’re from a tabloid-sized magazine they’re really too small to display on their own. Two-page spreads are also available and can be quite impressive. If you’re just interested in collecting these ads and not displaying them any size ad will do. To have any impact as a display the smaller ads would probably have to be matted and displayed as a group.
What is pricing based on?
There are many factors that determine the price of a vintage ad. A popular brand (like Coke) or a popular celebrity (like Elvis or Marilyn Monroe) creates more demand for an ad and, hence, a higher price. A popular artist can also mean a higher price although I think most buyers would be hard pressed to name a commercial artist of the 1940s or 1950s other than Norman Rockwell.
Condition is another major factor. Ads are paper and were never intended for a long life. Tears or discoloration can lower the price of an ad but a good mounting job can eliminate problems around the edges so good bargains can be found on ads that have edge wear but no damage to the actual artwork. Beware of ads that were on the cover of a magazine as they have taken more of a beating over the years.
You may see a rather nondescript ad with a higher than expected price tag. That could be because there is a high-demand ad on the other side of the page. Bad luck if you’re looking for a Mazola cooking oil ad and it happens to be backed by an ad from Coca Cola.
Collectors also need to watch out for reproductions. In these days of scanners and color photocopies it’s easy to reproduce an older ad. While reproductions can still be an attractive decoration they have no collectible value.
Is shipping per ad or per order?
Price is per order and not per ad.
We can ship world wide through Canada Post. Contact us to get an exact shipping quote.
You can also pick up these ads in person in Porters Lake, Nova Scotia.