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How to Recognize Valuable Antique Ephemera

Ephemera is the plural form of the Greek word ephemeron, which means something that lasts a short time. In the world of collectibles, the word refers to documents and other papers that were intended to be used and then discarded, such as greeting cards, bills of laden and personal letters. Some ephemera were saved over the years for sentimental reasons and others were saved as part of routine storage.

Instructions

- 1
  Research the market. The Internet and online auction sites such as eBay make it easier for the collector to monitor the market and learn what forms of ephemera are bringing the highest prices.
- 2
  Pay attention to condition. Paper products often get wet and dirty with age, ink fades and handwriting can be illegible. The better the condition and the easier it is to read, the more valuable the antique ephemera will be.
- 3
  Check the dates. One of the advantages of collecting ephemera is that a much of it is dated unlike many other antiques. As a general rule of thumb, the older papers have the greatest value.
- 4
  Look for ephemera that dates to a historical period. This will give you two areas of collectors to market the merchandise to. For example ephemera dating to the Civil War era is highly sought by ephemera collectors and Civil War buffs.
- 5
  Choose ephemera that tells a story. A large lot of ephemera owned by one person or that forms a series is often valuable to collectors. You will find a much greater market for a group of forty love letters exchanged by a couple than you will for a single letter.

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