Vintage Travel BrochuresLet's Take a Look at Those Travel Brochures...
Are travel brochures considered to be paper ephemera? Yes they are! It's another one of those paper collectibles that most people have in their homes. Maybe even...tucked away in box!
But, are they really collectible? Don't most people throw them away after their trip? What's the big deal anyway? Are They Collectible?Well, like any other paper collectible, these vintage brochures are a true indicator of the sign of the times. They reflect and document life as it was during a specific time period! Many people still crave that feeling...the feeling of "being there!"The function of a travel brochure was that of a "silent salesman!" That is, they had to sell you into staying at their hotel, without any human assistance. Many of these vintage brochures were beautifully illustrated with eye-catching graphics! They had to be! Selling you on their hotel or vacation destination was their primary goal! Are They Valuable?Once again, the answer is, YES...especially older brochures from the early 1900's! Famous places, like Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, and Yellowstone National Park are always collectible. Thus, they are more valuable!Want to find out quickly? Check out some eBay auctions. Search under travel brochures. Try using the word vintage with your search. It will narrow down the results.(Although sometimes too much!) We have done this! Why? Because we wanted to know how much our brochures were going for on the open market. Most will fetch anywhere from a few dollars up to $10.00 or so, a piece! Older brochures from the early 1900's will bring a lot more ($10.00-$20.00 and up!) AND...if you are lucky enough to have a hot collectible, such as an old Las Vegas Casino, for instance, you could bring in a lot more $$. Keep in mind, however, if you auction off your item, place a reserve bid on it! Don't give it away!
Where Can You Find Them?
If not, try checking out our collecting memories page for some suggestions on where to look! Flea markets, auctions, and antique shops are an obvious 1st choice! Looking for newer brochures? That's fine too! Almost every hotel has a section where you can find a wide variety to choose from. They can be great additions to any travel scrapbooking idea's that you may have! Kids love them! And so do we... Don't Forget Your Train Schedule...Most of our brochures (shown above/below) are from the 1950's...give or take a couple of years! Well, back then, a lot of Americans had their own cars. And as such, they often took "driving" vacations.
But, there were still some who took the railroad! Sad but true, the era of railroad transportation was beginning to fade (very) quickly. Though, always popular in European countries, the passenger train in America fell victim to the modern automobile. Many people believe that rail travel is slowly...very slowly, making somewhat of a comeback in the U.S. ...or the Cruise Ships!
Cruise ships have been around for a long time! Their popularity has also had it's ups and downs...so to speak! In the 1950's, you had many options! Take a cruise on The Great Lakes... Or The West Indies... Or Bermuda... Our brochures on the right give you all of the details to make it happen! Hey, let's go!
Random Notes...Travel brochures can be fun to look at! Dream about the old days and what it must have been like to stay at that "fancy-dancy" hotel or resort!
We also use it to store many of our vintage programs and maps! You can also display your travel brochures in a scrapbook album! Creating beautiful, visual scrapbook pages is a snap when you incorporate those vintage travel brochures. For more scrapbooking tips, check out our page on scrapbooks!
Our Advice? If you are collecting for the fun of it, focus in on the hotels of your choice. Perhaps, you recently stayed at or visited one of those famous hotels. Isn't it kind of neat to see what it was like back then? We think so! Collecting old travel brochures can become a unique niche' in your overall paper collection! Don't forget to protect and preserve your collection! Return from Travel Brochures to Paper Examples |
