My collecting story… D.P. in Brentwood, TN…

April 27, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020.

My Favorite Newspaper from Timothy & Guy…

Back in 2009 the list had an 1856 copy of the Concord (NH) Patriot and State Gazette which included an ad for Flagg & Aymar’s Circus. I bought the paper because, being a circus historian, I knew that old John Robinson had sold his interest in the Robinson and Eldred circus to his partner Gil Eldred in Richmond, VA, that year and had used the money to purchase the Flagg & Aymar show, renaming it John Robinson’s Circus. Under several ownerships the title was active as late as 1930 and was advertised as the oldest circus in America,

The plot thickens: Several items that were delivered to my porch on the same day vanished- to this day I am certain who stole them for spite over my firing a certain party.

Time passes and in 2015 I called Guy and asked if there was any possibility of their having another copy of that paper. By sheer coincidence they had one and intended to add it to the next list. I bought it as quickly as I can tell the story. Here the ad is in my little circus museum in Nashville.

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

 

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Common Questions, Guest Posts, The Collectible Community, The Hobby
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My Story… C. H. in Olive Branch, MS…

April 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020.

How I got into collecting was on one  afternoon in the late 80s my Grandmother pulled out all these newspapers she kept and I spent hours just going through them. She had all the JFK, Bobby Kennedy, MLK newspapers including the newspapers on the march Dr. King had a few days before his death, the Moon landing, Vietnam, Watergate, the hostage crisis in Iran and last but not least every newspaper on the death of Elvis. I was hooked after looking at all these and every chance I got I would pull them out just to look at them again. This did annoy her but it kept me occupied.

The first newspaper I kept that got my own collection going was the newspaper on the death of Lucille Ball, in April 1989. I don’t know why I stopped after that but I didn’t pick up the hobby again until The Gulf War in 1991 and I haven’t stopped since. For Christmas of 1996, my Grandmother gave me all her newspapers which was the second best gift I got that Christmas, hey you can’t beat a car.

In 1998, my collection began to change when I started ordering newspapers from another company. I received several newspapers and I would never have found around here at any antique shops.  I stopped ordering from them because they had a lack of interest in customer service In 2006 I discovered Hughes Rare and Early Newspapers and I will never order a newspaper from anyone else.

From that one newspaper from 1989 my collection now stands in the thousands. I have newspapers from every decade going back to the 1680s. My favorites are newspapers on The Salem Witch Trials, a map of the British Colonies in North America in 1754, and so many more that would fill this page. But some of my personal favorites are ones that would probably not be considered historic such as papers I’ve collected on movie openings and newspaper articles on TV shows that I liked such as Lost, Game of Thrones and all things Star Wars.

If you ask me why should you collect old newspapers I would have to say if you want to know what really happened and how the people felt about them, read an old newspaper don’t listen to some talking head on television who has their own bias on the subject. Hope I didn’t bore you.

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

Filed under: Death Reports, Great Headlines, Guest Posts, The Collectible Community
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My collecting story… B.R. in Grosse Ile, Michigan…

April 20, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020.

I have been a collector as long as I can remember.  In my teens I came across an old newspaper from the early 1800s and was amazed at its condition.  Only later would I learn that in the early days of newspaper printing were they using rag paper.  And how exciting for us all that they did because now we still have incredible pieces of history dating as far back as the 1500s and 1600s!
Several years ago I ‘discovered’ the wonderful world of rare newspapers offered by Tim Hughes on eBay.  I couldn’t believe what he had!  Amazing rarities that I’ve never seen offered by anyone else anywhere else!  I quickly became hooked.
My favorite eras to collect are the 1600s and 1700s.  The handmade paper and the labor intensive process of creating a newspaper in those days results in a unique finished piece unlike newspapers of later eras.  And some of the content is truly remarkable!
I was very excited when I found a 1679 issue of an English newspaper for sale published by Benjamin Harris who is known for publishing the first newspaper in America.  That particular issue from 1690 is so rare that apparently only one copy exists as Mr. Harris published an item concerning King William’s War and atrocities attributed to Native American forces allied to the British.  Without a license, his paper was shut down after a single issue and Mr. Harris was jailed.
My issue, Domestick Intelligence, Or News both from CITY and COUNTRY, is in remarkable condition and was purchased solely because it’s an early item by Benjamin Harris.  But the content makes it even better.  In 1679 there was a plague in Vienna and it is estimated that 76,000 people died there as a result.  The paper notes the following details:
“From Vienna in Germany they write That it is hoped the Plague is somewhat abated there, for whereas there has usually died two or three hundred in a day, there is not now above an hundred, but it is feared that it goes down further in the Country toward the Netherlands.”  But then it gets even more incredible with this item: “From Mentz in Germany they write, That it is confidently affirmed, There have been fiery Dragons lately seen flying in the Air near that City, and also several other Strange and Prodigious sights, which makes  a great Consternation among the People for fear of some dreadful miseries and Calamities approaching”.  Wow!  Fiery Dragons?!?
This hobby has provided much fascination and education for myself and friends and family members.  I would encourage everyone to dig deeper into these pages to uncover the gems that aren’t in any history books.  And hold history in your hands…from the day it was happening!
Thanks very much to Tim Hughes and Guy Heilenman and the other wonderful people at rare newspapers.com for bringing such treasures to the public.  It’s been a pleasure dealing with you!

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Guest Posts, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Collectible Community, The Hobby, The Rare Newspapers Community
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The April (2020) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…

April 17, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
Welcome to the April 2020 edition of our monthly newsletter. Our hope and prayer is for everyone’s health and general well-being.
This month we’d like to direct your attention to newly discounted items on our website, two historical items of Jewish interest, brand new items (just released), a continued opportunity to “tell your story”, and a bonus discount for items posted on eBay. Please enjoy.
*Discounted Newspapers – 50% off – We are offering well over 200 items (over 100 new items) at a 50% discount through May 14, 2020. The prices shown already reflect the discount.
New Titles, New Topics, New Listings – We’ve added over 25 new items to our website since the April catalog was released. The set includes a few titles which we’ve never offered and a variety of new topics: New Offerings
Two Great Jewish-Themed Items – We’ve just listed two new items on eBay which have rare, historic, Judaic reports – one being listed as the 2nd most significant report in Jewish-American history:
Speaking of eBay – From now through Sunday at midnight we are offering our Buy It Now (fixed price) eBay items at 20% off for cart totals which eclipse $200 (excluding storage options and certificates): eBay Discount
Catalog 293 – Enjoy the remaining items from our latest catalog of historic newspapers. The most collectible items may be viewed at: Key Catalog 293 Issues
Tell Your Story – Dozens of collectors have already responded to our offer to tell their newspaper collecting story. We’ll be posting them at random on the History’s Newsstand Blog over the next few months. What’s been posted thus far may be viewed at:
My Collecting Story
In case you missed it, please know it is not too late to participate. The offer, as it was written a few weeks ago stated:
Are you climbing the walls? Are you looking for something to do that will enable you to stay indoors yet won’t cost you a penny? After all, one can only spend so many hours binge-streaming movies, documentaries, and TV shows before boredom sets in. Additionally, since many of our collecting friends have little to no income stream at the moment (not to mention the hit our retirement portfolios have taken), we’d like to offer everyone an opportunity to do something a little different.
As most of you know, we at Rare & Early Newspapers maintain the History’s Newsstand Blog – which is an effort to spread the love of the hobby. While most of us have experienced the joy of preserving history, reading news from the day it was first reported, and finding hidden gems buried within newspapers we’ve collected, the average person has no idea the collectible even exists. Yet, growing the hobby helps us all as the more people who discover the pleasures spawned by collecting original newspapers, the more issues are preserved (not discarded due to the belief they have no value), and the more their value increases over time. It’s a win-win-win (we win, they win, and the preservation of history through available original reporting wins). So,what am I suggesting?
Would you consider guest-writing a post for the History’s Newsstand Blog?
I would like to offer three topics to consider:
  • Which issue within your collection do you value the most and why?
  • Have you ever found something you consider special within an issue you’ve collected that you did not know was present prior to your decision to obtain it? If so, what did you find?
  • Why do you collect rare/historic newspapers? How did you get started? Tell us your story.
If you decide to contribute please send your “post” to me at guy@rarenewspapers.com – or simply reply to this email. I will gather them together and begin to post them over the next few months. I will only include your initials and state – no personal contact information will be shown. As an added bonus, all who contribute will receive a discount code for 10% off a future website order. Since income for many is currently limited, and others who have more to spare are using it to help family, friends and others who are in need (by far the greater priority), the coupon will not expire until the end of the year so as to allow things to settle and then rebound economically. Note: the coupon may be used for any-size order, but may only be used once.
Please know this “discount” is in no way intended to increase our sales. Although we are all currently stressed economically, I know Who holds my future – so all is well when viewed through the lens of eternity. However, I do want to say “thank you” to those who are willing to share their thoughts with the collecting community. Let’s just have some fun in the midst of a difficult situation! 🙂

Thanks for collecting with us.Sincerely,

Guy Heilenman & The Rare & Early Newspapers Team
RareNewspapers.com
570-326-1045
Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers . . .
           . . . History’s Newsstand
“…desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” Hebrews 13:18b
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Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Common Questions, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby, The Rare Newspapers Community
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My collecting story… R. L. in Daytona Beach, Florida…

April 13, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020.

Newspapers Offer A Glimpse Into the Past

I don’t know if some things never change, or if history simply has a habit of repeating itself. As I watch today’s TV news in the era of the Corona Virus, I see many of the same challenges to society today that faced a particular society 76 years ago. Both then and now, people were searching for normalcy in their everyday lives.

Harper’s Weekly, September 11, 1858

Fall 1944 was a time when World War 2 was still raging across the globe. My period newspaper reports that “members of the International and Swedish Red Cross have been obliged to discontinue their activities…” Today, we hear of the possibility of hospitals becoming over-run and shutting their doors.

In 1944, an article headlined Enormous Drain On Resources feels just as relevant now as it did back then. As we see images of grocery stores with empty shelves, I am reading about food shortages which existed in 1944, with potato thieves being fined — or even going to jail. Yet despite shortages and community hardship, then and now, everyday life carried on. While Jeffrey Morris was born on November 4, an 85 year old widow, Marie Guilbert, died on the 6th. The cycle of life still rolls on today.

Meanwhile, one subscriber offered a billiard table for sale to help pass the long winter nights. The editor offered a column titled How to Enjoy Long Evenings. Reading, creating arts & crafts, or even doodling sounds just as good to folks quarantined today, as it did to folks back then in a time of war.

What I find really amazing is that the wartime newspaper so relevant today is the Guernsey Evening Press published on November 22, 1944. It was written in English, under Nazi supervision, on one of the German-occupied Channel Islands. I believe its readers would certainly know how to face the current hardships we are enduring, and then some.

Newspapers from the past offer a glimpse into everyday lives. For me, that is the lure of collecting old newspapers. They are our personal connection to the people who lived while history was unfolding. Many of their hopes and fears and challenges were the same then, as ours are today.

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Guest Posts, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Collectible Community, The Hobby, The Rare Newspapers Community
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My collecting story… M.B. in Sedro-Woolley, WA…

April 9, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020.

I’ve been collecting newspapers of historic events for 50 years. In a purchase last year I was interested in a July 1960 New York Times front page story on the Democratic Party’s nomination of John Kennedy for president. As I perused the inside content I found the real treasure: the Books of The Times review of Harper Lee’s new novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Herbert Mitgang. Many years ago, I worked with his son Lee Mitgang at the Associated Press in New York City.

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

 

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Common Questions, Guest Posts, The Collectible Community, The Hobby
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My collecting story… J.R. in Ipswich (UK)…

April 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Below we continue our series in which we post the “stories” graciously submitted by our collecting friends during the pandemic of 2020.

In 1945 at the end of the war I was eight and saw my father save the Daily Telegraph proclaiming VE (victory in Europe) Day. I was already an avid newspaper reader (no television then) and decided to add newspapers I found interesting – VJ Day, Nuremberg Trials, Princess Elizabeth wedding, Dakota plane lost in the Alps etc. Soon people gave me old newspapers they had – an aunt gave me Edward/ Mrs Simpson abdication papers and my grandparents two 18th century ones.

This slow rate of collecting continued until the mid 1980s when my income allowed me to spend on myself as well as a wife and the children. I found book shops in London, where we lived at the time, where I could fill the gaps in years which were blank and have reference to most historical events, particularly those relating to improvements in social well-being. By this time I had all years from 1661 and references to most riots, bread marches, demonstrations for improved parliamentary representation, and suffragettes.

The children having long departed and my wife having died I found I had more time (and money) and now am collecting titles as my main interest. This means I am acquiring and understanding how newspapers were able to develop and change their format and means of attracting customers.The growth of size, number of pages, type change, introduction of illustrations and then photographs. Also the relationships of one newspaper to another and the takeovers, combinations and title changes. Now of course I am monitoring their decline.

By collecting different titles I have been able to acquire many short lived extreme left and right wing newspapers and also Irish Republican ones.

After 75 years collecting I now have over 3600 newspapers going back to 1642 and 1900 different titles. What am I going to do with them? None of my family wants them although I am still working on one son-in-law, so they are being offered to my local museum in Ipswich- after many more years of my collecting!

As additional “stories” are posted they will be available at: MY COLLECTING STORY. We did this many years ago as well – and their posts are also included.

 

Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Common Questions, Guest Posts, The Collectible Community, The Hobby
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