“Collecting Newspapers – The Basics” (Part II) – What to Expect…
December 4, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We, (Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers), have been collecting and offering old and historic newspapers to the collecting community since 1976 (Tim’s first purchase was in 1975). For those who are either unfamiliar with or new to this amazing hobby, today we are kicking off a series of posts, “Collecting Newspapers – The Basics”, to serve en masse as a Primer for those interested in learning more about the collectible. This is the 2nd installment. Enjoy.
Additional information about the hobby can be found through this Blog and on the Rare Newspapers’ website.
“Collecting Newspapers – The Basics” (Part I) – Eras, Topics, and Titles…
November 27, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
We, (Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers), have been collecting and offering old and historic newspapers to the collecting community since 1976 (Tim’s first purchase was in 1975). For those who are either unfamiliar with or new to this amazing hobby, today we are kicking off a series of posts, “Collecting Newspapers – The Basics”, to serve en masse as a Primer for those interested in learning more about the collectible. The first installment (below) may appear to be a bit self-serving, but the heart behind it is simply to let seekers know the span of topics and types of newspapers which can be found. Enjoy.
Additional collecting themes can be found through this Blog and on the Rare Newspapers’ website.
Reprinted Newspapers – Identified as of 1931…
November 10, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In 1931, Joseph Gavit, the senior librarian at the New York Public Library, published a list of known newspaper reprints: “A List Of American Newspaper Reprints”. This well-known but seldom found 16 page booklet begins: “This is an attempt to bring together, in one list, notes on all the complete separate reproductions of early or historic issues of American newspapers…”, with more to follow. At the time the list included nearly 150 reprint editions. Although the list has grown to more than 500 editions, most of the more common reprints were identified by Gavit.
We’ve created a listing “For Information Purposes Only” on the Rare & Early Newspapers website which includes photos of his work. We hope you find it useful.
An expanded list of newspaper reprints can be explored at Common Reprints – several which can be explored through this Blog by searching for “reprint“.
Exploring “This Day in History” through Rare & Early Newspapers… Updated!
October 6, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Who among us isn’t a bit curious as to what occurred on our birthday (or today’s date) through time? The concept of exploring a specific day (month/day) through history has always been intriguing, but before the internet, such knowledge was not easy to obtain. However, in the present world of data explosion, websites which explore “This Day in History” do the job quite nicely and have become very popular. One of my favorites is HISTORY.COM maintained by The History Channel.
Of course, as a collector and reseller of old newspapers, this trek is amplified by the capability of holding authentic newspapers containing contemporary reporting of these events – to not only read the articles themselves, but to explore the context of what else was going on as the events unfolded.
Thanks to ongoing requests from collectors, we’ve created an interface on our website which enables the seeker to explore what is available at any given moment for any month/day. Even if you are not looking to add to your collection, perusing through the issues can be fascinating. If you have interest in giving this a try, the steps below are provided to help you get started.
This feature is available at: Explore: “THIS DAY IN HISTORY”
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I tried own birthday and came up with the following: January 2nd Through Time
Don’t forget the “Sort” feature which will give you multiple ways to arrange your search results. Have Fun!
From the Vault – What is the best way to preserve & store newspapers?
June 5, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
A long-time collector, Morris Brill, is always asking great questions concerning the rare newspaper hobby. I’ll address several over the next few months, beginning with his first:
“What is the best way to preserve and store newspapers?”
I’ve considered several methods through the years. At first I was using large plastic bags and opening the four page papers and slipping them within, then taping & cutting the bag to the size of the newspaper. This way all pages could be read while being protected by the plastic. But this obviously didn’t work if the newspaper had more than four pages.
I’ve considered encapsulation but it is relatively expensive and doesn’t provide the tactile experience so important in this hobby: one needs to touch & feel the paper to better “experience its history”.
After a few other failed experiments at proper storage I decided to customize a product I saw for storage of maps and documents. Since appropriate sizes for newspapers were not available we started making them in-house using archival material, now available on our website in eight sizes. These folders also allows the collection to label and make comment on the front of the folder. The newspapers slip in and out of the folders very easily to allow examination of all pages and that important “tactile experience”. I believe University Products offers a similar product but the sizes are not necessarily proportioned for newspapers.
I also like the newspaper storage boxes which University Products offers, and I categorize the newspapers, in folders, by era, one era per box. I find these boxes to be very nice for storing a personal collection and are advertised as being made of archival materials. They are quite strong as well.
If the desire is to show the newspapers to others or for display at a show or convention I might recommend presentation cases which we use for display. We received so much call for this product that we become distributors, now available on our website.
Best also to keep newspapers our of sunlight and high humidity. Newspapers can be professionally matted & framed quite safely, and UV glass is available if the newspaper will be displayed where the sun will hit it at some point in the day. But I would still avoid contact with the sun as much as possible.
More later!
Note: The History’s Newsstand Blog went live for the first time in 2008. Since then our goal has been to provide informative of interest to both novice and well-oiled collectors of Rare & Early Newspapers. The focus of the “From the Vault” series is to introduce the current generation of collectors to posts from the past (with occasional updates as appropriate). The original post shown above can be viewed at:
What is the best way to preserve & store newspapers?
The April (2023) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
April 15, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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Most Popular History’s Newsstand Posts – January 2023 update
February 3, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Whereas some posts are time-sensitive, others have staying power. Although the History Newsstand Blog (sponsored by RareNewspapers.com) has been operating for nearly 15 years and has thousands of entries, certain posts have consistently appeared in the “Top Ten Most Popular Posts” list shown on the right-side menu. The top half-dozen as of this post are:
- Do Old and Antique Newspapers Have Any Collectible Value?
- Setting values for collectible newspapers…
- Genuine or reprint?
- Framing and Storing Newspapers… the ongoing story…
- More on printing newspapers in the 1700’s…
- More on printing newspapers in the 1700’s…
- The reprint issues of the “Honolulu Star-Bulletin” Pearl Harbor issue…
In regard to the most popular (Do Old and Antique Newspapers Have Any Collectible Value?), if you ever have an old newspaper and are curious as to its potential (approximate) value, please contact us directly (info@rarenewspapers.com) as we do not respond through the post itself.
The January (2023) Newsletter from Rare & Early Newspapers…
January 20, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Monthly Newsletter ~ Rare & Early Newspapers
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Timothy Hughes – sharing his passion for collecting historical newspapers…
October 10, 2022 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Tim Hughes has had multiple opportunities to speak about his love for Rare & Early Newspapers. Whether it has been in front of teenagers in Pennsylvania or adults in California, it is especially rewarding when he shares his hobby to those from his own town. He recently had the privilege to do so at the local historical society (Thomas T. Taber Museum) in Williamsport, PA, which was reported in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Please enjoy:
Popular Categories – A Deeper Dive into the Legacies of U.S. Presidents…
May 9, 2022 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Most people have their favorite President of the United States. I’m sure if we each came up with our short list of five favorites there would be considerable overlap. Washington, Lincoln, Ronald Regan or Barack Obama (depending on which side of the isle the person resides), etc. – each president, popular or otherwise, has their own fascinating history which often includes failure, success, and often a few quirky tidbits of fun facts. The wonderful thing about original newspapers is they give collectors the ability to dig into the more obscure details of the lives and legacies of each of these once-upon-a-time “leaders of the free world”. In fact, newspapers containing such mentions are so sought after, we have a dedicated link on our website to help with the exploration: Presidents (U.S.)
As I began perusing collectible issues related to this post my attention aroused by an interesting story regarding our 37th president, Richard Nixon. To counter-act the ever-growing tension which plagued the latter years of his administration – both Watergate and the “resignation” of his VP, Spiro Agnew, President Nixon nominated a replacement for Agnew whom he knew would be easily and quickly confirmed, but who also believed in his innocence in regard to Watergate – one who would likely pardon him if the need arose. President Gerald Ford, after taking the oath of office upon Nixon’s resignation, did in fact give him an unconditional pardon for any and all crimes he may have committed against the United States. Although this particular use of a Presidential pardon has only occurred once in U.S. History, now that the box has been opened, it likely won’t be the last.