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Obama election victory : a follow-up…
November 10, 2008 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
I commented previously on the most desirable issue or issues to have on the November presidential election. My thought being a newspaper from the victor’s hometown and/or a newspaper from Washington,
D.C. being among the best. Plus, how desirable are presidential election newspapers in the scope of the historical newspaper hobby?
To most collectors, election reports are desired. But this election was different. More than just another presidential election, history was made. The first African-American will be heading to the White House in January and it’s interesting to speculate on how this makes a 2008 election newspaper more desirable than any previous election report.
It has been interesting following the eBay sales over the past six days. Not surprisingly thousands of newspapers have been listed and many have been sold, including at least one lot of over 600 issues of the Chicago Tribune (sold for $1799). The highest sold prices I’ve noticed have been the New York Times, and being one of the 
more famous & prestigious newspapers in the world I’m not surprised it would command some attention among bidders. I saw bona fide sale prices for individual issues of $400, $300, $265, $255 and another dozen sales above the $100 mark. Curiously, the highest Chicago newspaper sale price I noted (Tribune) was for $115. Most of these prices were achieved the day after the election as savvy sellers took advantage of the expected post-election euphoria to achieve what seem to have been the highest prices of the week.
Although I have no statistics upon which to base this thought, I don’t believe past election newspaper sales resulting in so many $100+ final sales. I suspect the added historical appeal this election provided had much to do with both the demand and the prices achieved. We are selling election issues from 2004 for $28 (interesting pair from Florida: see listing) and $50 for the Washington Post.
But how will prices be affected going forward? As is the case with all collectibles, buyer demand will set the
mark. The degree to which collectors recognize or appreciate this election as being different from most, and the shear quantity of issues hoarded last week–and which come on to the market over the next ten years–will determine whether prices will languish in the $10 to $25 range or whether $75 might be a typical sale price. Time will tell.
What’s your thought?
The vast majority of Chicago issues and the New York Times sold the past 4 or 5 days seem to be in the $10 to $25 per issue range although there are exceptions at both ends of this range. Looking forward ten years… will they be considered bargain purchases? Again, time will tell. It’s part of the fun of collecting!
All this being said, please note: When the potential investment value of a newspaper becomes the primary motivation for purchasing historic newspapers rather than the intangible value of holding history in your hands, the joy of the hobby may well be sacrificed. Keeping true to the hobby, we urge “collecting” and not “investing”.
Obama Wins… What newspapers provide…
November 5, 2008 by GuyHeilenman · 2 Comments
Regardless of your view on the recent U.S. election, one thing is for certain: Barack Obama’s victory was a very significant and historic event! If you collect historic newspapers you’ve been able to follow the
progression of African Americans – from slavery, through the early rumblings of the abolitionist/anti-slavery movement, into the struggle for emancipation (both officially and pragmatically), to achieve the right to vote, followed by the struggle of the civil rights movement, and finally, to the top and most honored position of all – The President of the United States. It has been a long and hard-fought struggle, but thanks to all that has made our country great, it was a struggle with hope. The realization of this hope has set the stage for a new era in this great experiment in self-government. The melting pot is working, evolving the United States into a country where there are no African-American, Latino-American, Anglo-American, Mexican-American, etc. citizenry, but rather, one united citizenry poised to return to the great American Dream founded on the principles wisely set forth by our forefathers and supported by the many men and women who have given their lives in the cause of this great hope… And it has been and will continue to be chronicled passionately in rare and historic newspapers.
Note: To all those who have African American and/or slavery/anti-slavery newspaper collections: Don’t forget to obtain a USA Today, Washington Post, or similar newspaper containing the election results. Although it may not have siginificant financial value at the moment, my guess is there are many who have gone before us whom would declare it “PRICELESS”. 🙂
Anything from the election worth saving?
November 2, 2008 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
A question came to me thru email which is worthy of a thought or two. The writer asked “…what newspaper from the election would be worth saving?”.
There are a couple of thoughts as to what–if anything–is worth saving. Some believe a newspaper from the victor’s hometown would be best. Some think a Washington, D.C. issue because of it being the nation’s capital. Some might try for the winner’s town of birth, particularly if it’s a small, obscure town rather than a major city. I would offer a few thoughts:
1) I don’t believe any issue will be particularly scarce or rare as people are very collector savy today and tend to hang on to issues much more so than was the case 50 years ago. Particularly in this eBay era many even buy issues in large quantities hoping to make a killing in the on-line auctions several years later. So I don’t believe any issue will be particularly scarce, which will be a major factor in future value.
2) As collectors I believe we should collect what strikes our interest or fits our collection rather than focusing on potential value years later. If one has a collection of election issues from Washington, D.C. then certainly a Washington Post would fit nicely into such a set. If one has a collection of newspapers from the winners’ home towns, or issues with the largest headlines, then those would be best for such a collection.
3) I would argue that the unusual or bizarre issue will have greatest appeal in years to come and such issues might not be from any major city, D.C., or the victor’s home town. I’m reminded of the interesting issue from the towns of Rock Island and Sterling, Illinois, which jointly published a newspaper which had a screaming headline: “WAR!” in red letters taking most of the front page, issued at the beginning of the Iraq war in 1991. It was a non-discript newspaper from two somewhat small towns but the headline beat anything I’ve seen from any of the major cities.
And then there are the clever headlines such as the pair of issues from Florida during the controversial election of 2000 with headlines proclaiming “BUSH ELECTED” on Nov. 8 and then “BUSH ELECTED II” on Dec. 14. They are an unusual pair from an unusual election, and published in Florida which was at the center of the controversy.
This is the fun of collecting–finding those obscure, fascinating newspapers which have an interesting or clever visual appeal; issues not commonly found within collecting circles.
What’s your thought on collecting newspapers from the election?
The Green Mountain Boys…
October 30, 2008 by Historys Newsstand · 1 Comment
A few years ago while looking for Revolutionary War content for the catalog, I was both surprised and delighted to discover a report in the February, 1781 issue of Gentleman’s Magazine that mentioned the
famous Green Mountain Boys of Vermont, and their equally famous leader Ethan Allen. The report reads: “Letters of a late date from America, formerly a rebel colonel, who resided at Bennington, in the upper part of New York, not well used, as he thought, by the Congress, has marched off with six hundred Green-mountain Boys, as they style themselves, and joined Major Carlton at Ticonderoga; and it is thought other townships will follow their example.” Although I have seen various newspaper reports mentioning Ethan Allen, this was the first and maybe the only reference to the Green Mountain Boys that I have seen in my twelve years at Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers.
If you’ve come across another report mentioning the Green Mountain Boys by name, feel free to share it.
Editor’s Note: Marc Pompeo is one of our in-house historians who has been on staff for more than a decade.
To repair or not to repair?
October 29, 2008 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
We receive many questions every year about all aspects of the newspaper collecting hobby, and now with our Blog reaching all customers who are online we have the opportunity to share with everyone answers to questions many have had. Here are two collector Morris Brill submitted:
1) What is the best way to preserve and store newspapers?
One of the delights of this hobby–and pleasant surprises for many–is that most pre-1880 newspapers require very little care. Newsprint of this era had a high rag/cotton/linen content which means it can last for hundreds of years with little effect. Just keep such newspapers our of sunlight, high humidity and high heat and I’m sure they will outlive you and your children. Keeping such issues out in the open and handling them, with care, can be perfectly acceptable. If you want to provide that extra protection for more choice issues you might do as we do. We keep each issue of our private collection in its own archival folder we custom make at our offices, and
then group such issues by theme of era in archival storage boxes such as those available from Light Impressions. We also provide presentation cases which are nice for sharing a collection with others as each holds many issues and the zip case makes them easily portable as well.
Issues from the post-1880 era are a bit more problematic, as such issues have a much higher woodpulp & chemical content which will cause them to become brown & brittle with age. Such issues are more demanding of the protective products mentioned and are encouraged for their proper storage & care.
2) Does taping a newspaper with archival tape diminish its value? Is it better to leave it ripped or repair the paper?
I believe that using archival tape to repair tears is preferable to leaving tears unmended. Be careful never to use regular tape as found in retail stores! Through experience I have learned that unrepaired tears simply get worse when handling, so a two inch tear could easily become a five inch tears unless one is extremely careful in turning pages. This tape is one inch wide and I slit it into quarter inch strips, making for more discreet repairs and extending the life of a roll fourfold. Simply apply and burnish the repair with your fingernail and the repair, while not transparent, should not be distracting and will allow handling the issue without worry of making the tear worse. I tend to do the repair on the side either less visible (page 2 of a front leaf tear) or the page without the historic content (page 1 if page 2 has the key content). Keep in mind that museums and historical institutions make archival repair an important part of their preservation philosophy.
Note: Although we do provide archival solutions, similar products may be purchased through quality hobby and photography vendors/stores.
Eighteenth century featured newspaper…
October 23, 2008 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
One of the questions we field from customers quite often is “What truly spectacular, really historic item do you have to offer?”. One of our frustrations is that with many customers having a want list some of the 
better items which come into inventory never make it to a catalog or our website, as they are quoted to those wanting the event and sold rather quickly.
But occasionally we come across an item which ranks near the top of the desirability list for many collectors and we offer it in a catalog or on our website for all to see, and for those not inclined to make a purchase they can vicariously enjoy the description and photos of a great newspaper which rarely comes to market.
Not long ago we added to our inventory a Connecticut Journal issue from July 10, 1776 with a rather inconspicuous report on the back page of this single sheet newspaper (verified by the American Antiquarian Society as complete in a single sheet) reading just as any collector would dream:
“Yesterday the CONGRESS unanimously Resolved to declare the United Colonies FREE and INDEPENDENT STATES.”
As the description of the newspaper notes, It would be difficult to argue for a more significant news report in all of American history. Even the printing of the Declaration of Independence itself, which likely appeared in this newspaper a week or so later, would simply be evidence of the historic news which appeared first in this issue. This newspaper reports for the first time that America resolved to be independent, while the text of the Declaration of Independence that would follow would offer the particulars.
This is one of the better newspapers we have offered in our 32 years, and certainly a great addition to any rare newspaper collection. Click here to enjoy the photographs as the entire newspaper is visible on our site.
Thoughts on the most historic 19th century report…
October 21, 2008 by TimHughes · 7 Comments
A few weeks ago we had some interesting comments on what collectors thought was the most historic 20th century newspaper report. Let’s try the same with the 19th century. But given the tremendous diversity of events from 1801 thru 1900 I’m going to break the century into three parts: pre-Civil War; the Civil War; and post-Civil War. Let’s work our way backwards and discuss the post-Civil War era first.
There are many ways to approach “most historic”. My approach will be the most life-altering event with emphasis on “event”. One could argue that the second Industrial Revolution dramatically changed the world but it cannot be pinned down to a single date or event.
Several items come to mind: the first successful Atlantic cable in 1866 was a major step in causing the world to be much smaller–a trend which continues to this day; the completion of the transcontinental railroad in the United States was a major step in the westward expansion & settlement of the United States which changed the country in many ways; and then there is the Battle of Wounded Knee which was the last battle in the American Indian Wars and the official end of the Old West. Not to be omitted would be the invention of the automobile by gentlemen in Germany in 1889.
I’m going to go with the completion of the transcontinental railroad. In thinking of the multitude of events which played off this event and how it changed the fabric of America (pardon the ethnocentrism) I’ll vote for it as the most historic event of the 19th century post-Civil War era.
What are your thoughts?
Contest – Share your best “golden nugget discovery” story with the world!
October 16, 2008 by GuyHeilenman · 33 Comments
What do gold prospectors, pirates, treasure hunters, archeologists, and rare newspaper collectors have in common? They all share the thrill of the hunt and the reward of discovery.
When it comes to rare newspapers, finding the unexpected, in contrast to other collectibles, is often a good thing… and at times can even be quite valuable. Since the inception of the History’s Newsstand Blog, a number of posts have focused on this intrinsic pleasure of the hobby, and several readers have responded with “discoveries” of their own. In an effort to communicate this joy to the world, we would like to invite our readers to share their stories – for fun and for potential reward!
From now until Sunday, October 31st, you will have the opportunity to share your story (or stories) of a time when you purchased a newspaper (for one reason or another) only to discover upon reading the issue that it 
also contained key, historic, or highly interesting content that you did not know was present when you initially obtained the issue. The staff at Rare Newspapers will select a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place story by Friday, 11/7 (perhaps sooner), and announce the winners via the blog and through a personal e-mail contact. The winners will have their stories recognized on the blog, will receive Rare Newspapers gift certificates worth $100 (1st place), $50 (2nd place), and $25 (3rd place), and will have the satisfaction of knowing they contributed to the enhancement of the rare newspapers collectible community. If you have more than one story to share, enter them as separate comments to this post. Please include the title and date of the issue along with your story of discovery.
Don’t delay. Share your story with the world!
Finding those unexpected historical nuggets.
October 13, 2008 by TimHughes · 5 Comments
Few thrills are greater in the rare newspaper collecting hobby than finding the unexpected historic gem. Those moments of serendipity are the treasures we all hope for at some point in our quest for new additions to our collection.
I have come across many in my years of collecting with two among the more interesting.
Long before the days of the internet I subscribed to the catalogs of the prestigious Sotheby’s auction house in New York City as they occasionally ran Americana sales which included newspapers. One sale offered an 
issue of the SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE from August of 1776. Trying to assemble one newspaper of all thirteen colonies from the Revolutionary War, this would be a new addition to that set. The lengthy catalog description noted some war skirmishes but nothing significant. But that was not a concern to me as I was only seeking a title from that colony from during the war, and the date of 1776 made it that much better. I placed my bid and was excited to learn I won the issue.
Several weeks later the issue arrived. In preparing it for my collection I casually looked over the content, and you can imagine my shock upon finding on page 2 a complete printing of the Declaration of Independence! I couldn’t imagine the incompetence of the cataloger–employed by Sotheby’s no less–who missed this report.
Not many years ago we purchased the newspaper holding of a public library in Massachusetts which includes a lengthy run of a Springfield newspaper, in fact two truckloads of volumes ranging from the mid-1800’s thru the latter part of the 20th century. Knowing the wealth of historical material which could be culled from this collection we put our attention to those events for several months upon its return to our
office & warehouse in Williamsport. Some time later we realized that the sport of basketball was founded in Springfield. Could we be so fortunate to to find a report off the very first game every played? Did the local newspaper even report what is now an extremely significant event in the history of basketball?
Indeed they did. The Springfield Republican, March 12, 1892 issue reported somewhat inconspicuously on page 6 an event headed “Basket Football Game” played the day before (which we now recognize as the first public basketball game), with mention of James Naismith who is recognized as the founder of the sport. It was a thrill to find the report which languished for over 100 years, unbeknown to anyone, in the back shelves of a library. Curiously the curator of the Basketball Hall of Fame didn’t appreciate its significance, however the Smithsonian Institution did as it now is part of their collection.
What historical gems have you discovered serendipitously in issues purchased for another reason, or as part of a collection where nothing special was expected? Feel free to share your stories with other collectors!
Likely a one-of-a-kind newspaper from the private collection…
October 9, 2008 by TimHughes · 2 Comments
One of the thrills of collecting newspapers is coming across one which has never been discovered before nor since. Such is the case with our issue of the Civil War newspaper titled “The Red River Rover”, which I discovered at a Civil War Book Fair in Gettysburg many years ago.
This newspaper was “Printed on board Steamer Des Moines” and is dated March 21, 1864. It is a most fascinating and possibly unique little newspaper printed on lined, blue ledger paper. This is the first issue (and possibly the last) as the front page contains the “Salutatory” which explains how this paper came into being:
“We present to-day this little sheet to the citizens of Red River country and the soldiers who are now threading their way among the intricate bayous of this part of Louisiana, with the hope that it may be beneficial to those who follow the ways of treason, and entertaining to the brave boys who are now vindicating the integrity of the Federal Union even at the cannon’s mouth. It is printed upon the material of the Louisiana Democrat, of Alexandria, the last number of which was issued on the 15th of March, the day before the Stars and Stripes were raised upon the Court House, though it contained not one word of warning to its readers that the army of the United States was moving upon the waters of the Red River–but was brimful of blustering secession news, all favorable for success to the Confederacy…”
There is other interesting reading on pages 1 and 4, with the blank pages 2 & 3 being taken up with a handwritten letter of a soldier to his wife dated March 31.
Nice that it references where it received its paper (taken from Louisiana Democrat) with some comment on the Yankees moving in and capturing the town.