News & Events

Mid-America News
Show Calendar
State Event Calendars

Regular Features

The Antique Detective
Antique Detective Q&A
Common Sense Antiques
Refurnished Thoughts
Traveling with Ken
Good Eye
Books for Collectors

Directories & Classifieds

The Finder: Unique Shops
Lodgings Directory
Museum Directory
  Aviation Museums
Wineries in the Heartland

Classifieds
Web Links

Archived Features

Antiquing in Colorado
Dealer Profile Archive
Editor's Notebook
Heirloom Recipes
Helpful Hints
   for Collectors
Is This An Antique?
Past Cover Features
Reflecting History

2005 Best Of Winners
Destinations 2006

Discover Mid-America — August 2004

Advertising memorabilia

The field of advertising has always been extremely competitive, leading to a variety of imaginative memorabilia when it comes to selling products.

Colorful and artfully decorated signs, posters, thermometers, tape measures, fans, hand mirrors and attractive tea containers, all with catchy slogans and logos — often making false claims — are some examples of early advertising memorabilia that may be of interest to collectors.

Porcelain signs, made from 1890, are highly collectible for their artistic portrayal of life as it was then. Often, the signs offered insights into the tastes, humor and way of life of yesteryear.

In general, older signs are made from a heavier gauge metal. Those with three or more fired-on colors are the most desirable.

Tin containers were used for packaging, ranging from crackers to coffee to tobaccos and talcum. The tins were often designed for double use such as canisters, lunch boxes and even toy trains.

After 1880, manufacturing companies began to decorate their containers with lithography. The colors were subdued and intricate designs were used to attract attention to the product.

Eventually, the Pure Food and Drug Act curtailed false labeling and unfounded claims concerning what the product would do. Also, information about the manufacturer and brand names had to printed on a label.

Tobacco tins are usually the most popular items though some collectors prefer peanut butter pails with illustrations or talcum tins with babies or beautiful women. Coffee tins and other well-known brand tins are also popular.

The most eye-catching of the early advertising gimmicks were the Gold Dust twins, Red Goose Shoes, Nabisco, Zee Zee Clown, Uneeda Kid, The Campbell Kids, the RCA dog Nipper and Mr. Peanut just to mention a few.

Remember that the condition and rarity of the item helps determine the price asked and/or offered. Any damage to the item can seriously devalue it.

> Helpful Hints for Collectors Archive — past columns