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Davy Crockett & Rand Paul – “I Love This Collectible!”
May 20, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I recently overheard someone on the radio mention a speech Rand Paul gave on the Senate Floor on May 18, 2022 regarding “spending” in which he quoted portions of an earlier speech by beloved Senator Davy Crockett given in the same chamber back in 1867. What caught my attention was Senator Paul’s source: a Harper’s Magazine from 1867 – a title which we have in relative abundance within our archives. Rand Paul’s oration, now referred to as his “Makes No Sense” speech, is found here:
Of course, being collectors and resellers of Rare & Early Newspapers (and some 18th and 19th century magazines), the fun was about to begin. Might we have a copy of this speech? Might we have the very Harper’s Monthly issue Rand Paul referenced?
Problem 1: He said it was from Harper’s Magazine, 1867; however, Harper’s was a monthly magazine. Thanks to the internet, we soon discovered several websites (some highly respectable) which stated it was from the January issue. Off we went to our archives to check to see if we had the January, 1867 issue. Bingo! We had it.
Problem 2: After searching through the issue multiple times, it was obvious that all of the websites must have relied on a single, wrong source. Bummer. So, where could it be? Might the year be wrong? Perhaps a different month within 1867? A different title? After a bit more digging we found a reference which stated that an article related to Davy Crockett was present within the April issue of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine (April, 1867). Might we have this one? If so, might it contain Senator Crockett’s speech? Back to the archives we went, and before long we dug out the desired issue and were elated to find the referenced speech!!!
Whether you agree with Rand Paul’s or Davy Crockett’s position on the spending of taxpayer’s money, the trek was rewarding. AND, after all this effort, the speech is shown below. Enjoy.
The reason I collected it: Newe Gazette van Brugge…
May 13, 2024 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Sometimes it’s nice just to be handsome to be collectible. The New Gazette van Brugge from 1815 Belgium is not particularly early for a European title, nor am I aware of any historic content. But the masthead is deep, it includes a coat-of-arms engraving, and has beautifully ornate lettering in the title, not to mention two tax stamps in the masthead. Additionally, it was never bound nor trimmed and is small enough to frame economically–hence a logical addition to our private collection.
The Month of May thru time – as reported in newspapers of the day…
May 10, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When considering the month of May what historical events come to mind? I’m sure if we each came up with a list of ten, while there may be some overlap, our lists would be quite diverse. A quick internet search turned up an exhaustive list which included the following:
- Great Britain was formed from a union between England and Scotland
- U.S. Special Operations Forces killed Osama bin Laden
- Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) was first observed in the U.S. (1865)
- Communism founder Karl Marx (1818-1883) was born in Treves, Germany
- The German airship Hindenburg burst into flames
- The British passenger ship Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine
- Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa
- The first permanent English settlement in America was established at Jamestown, Virginia
- Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of France
- Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in southwestern Washington State
Collectors of rare and early newspapers know that coverage of such events can nearly always be found in old newspapers; however, one of the added pleasures is discovering reports of previously unknown or long-forgotten events which inspire a deeper look – aiding the lifelong learning process which helps to keep us mentally engaged as we progress through life.
The link below will take you to a reverse-chronological list (1600’s-20th century) of our currently available newspapers from the month of March. There’s no need to buy anything. Simply enjoy your march backwards through time.
Announcing: Catalog #342 for May, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
April 30, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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The May catalog (#342) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
Larger Than Life – The Death of Jessie James…
April 22, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Without a doubt, certain terms elicit particular moods. A word or phrase can take us back to a bygone era or spring us into a futuristic vision. “Groovy” often equals kicking back & chilling in the summer sun… “Desolate” brings to mind a barren dystopian plain (perhaps with Mel Gibson racing across it). In the same way, the caption below a full-page image of Jessie James in the FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER from April 22, 1882,” Notorious Desperado, Killed at St. Joseph, April 3d.”, can only throw us back to the Wild-West and the many men and woman who have inspired some of the greatest movies of all times. If you like to put a face to a name, take a look at this wonderful illustrated issue on our website.
You’ve Come A Long Way Baby. . . from the Pony Express to the internet…
April 12, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Every one of our collectors is unique, a fact never more apparent than when a new catalog is released. Some place an order within moments of the release of the online version, while others wait till the hard copy hits their mailbox to quickly scour the pages – calling us with whatever instantly piqued their interest. Another group takes a laid-back approach and may not get to perusing until a week or more later, sometimes calling to order from a previous catalog. Whatever their style, all collectors enjoy receiving the catalog at regular intervals. Why am I bringing up catalog releases in a blog post? Today, as I was paging through a NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE dated April 2, 1860, I noticed an article on the pricing for the brand new Pony Express. I chuckled to myself as I contemplated a time when our catalogs would have been delivered on horseback. Imagine the feelings of distress for the people who lived in California compared to those who lived right down our street. No matter how you like to approach your catalog browsing, it has to be better than waiting for the Pony Express… unless you call and your item has already sold; then all bets are off!
Great Story Telling is Essential to Life… Hans Christian Anderson’s Mastery of Creating the Fairytale…
April 8, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Some experiences transcend generations and ages, capturing the imaginations and hearts of both mother and daughter, grandfather and grandson. Often these moments come via a well-written narrative. The idea of being enraptured by a story to the point where reality fades away can be experienced by reading the tales “Scheherazade” spun or the fairy tales created by The Grimm Brothers. Such stories could have begun as follows: “On a cool spring evening, in a tiny hamlet, deep in countryside of Denmark, a small lad was born who would grow to bring magic and delight to people of all ages.” In fact, on April 2, 1805, this fictional beginning became a reality with the birth of Hans Christian Anderson. Undeniably one of the great storytellers of all time, his works would be told, retold and reimagined for every generation since they were penned – capturing the curiosity of children and adults alike.
Here, in the 21st Century, I often hear complaints concerning the lack of (quality) storytelling which mesmerizes the viewer or reader and allows the darker, heavier parts of life to fall away – enrapturing and encouraging the reader/listener by what is good and beautiful and true… traits which spur us on to be our better selves. These are the stories we need today, and if truth be told, everyday. Let us all hope & pray that exceptional storytelling is not a dead art. Thankfully, till it resurfaces in abundance, we can always enjoy the gems of the past.
Announcing: Catalog #341 for April, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
March 29, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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The April catalog (#341) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
“Collecting Newspapers – The Basics” (Part IV) – Setting Values…
March 25, 2024 by TimHughes · 535 Comments
We are often asked “What’s my newspaper worth?” in phone calls and email messages. As one might suspect, there are many factors which determine value and much like a jeweler cannot give a value of a diamond by an email or telephone inquiry, our ethics do not permit us to place values on newspapers without seeing the issues in hand.
Many factors determine value. The more important include condition, desirability among collectors, extent of coverage, completeness of the issue, proximity of the city of publication to where the event happened, time lag between the event date and the reporting date, dramatic appeal (more so with 20th century issues), and location of the report within the issue (front page? page 3?). Other factors come into play with more significant events but those noted are the prime determinants of value.
From a personal perspective setting values has been an interesting process, as no guide book of values existed 30+ years ago when I started the business. I priced an item in my catalog for $10 and if I had twenty orders for it I knew the price was too low. If no one ordered it the price was too high. Through the years, and by data basing sold prices (on index cards prior to the computer!), I’ve honed my own “price guide” based on actual sales, and it is this now-sophisticated database which we use to set values for new inventory as it arrives.
Do values continue to rise? In general, yes, but we are careful to never recommend the purchase of early newspapers for investment purposes. As is true of most collectibles, rarity and desirability determine where prices will be for the future.
But providing an historical perspective from our own files, back in October of 1981 we sold in our catalog #26 the NEW YORK HERALD of March 5, 1865 reporting the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, very nice condition, for $70. In 2018 we sold another issue of the NEW YORK HERALD of March 5, 1865, also in very nice condition, for $745. If we had a similar issue today, it would likely go for around $1,000 – and even more if offered through a prominent auction house.
So, what do you do if you have a newspaper and would like to know its approximate value? One resource is this Blog – not for posting questions, but for exploring. We have many posts which provide specific examples of issues and their prices. Perhaps a better resource is the Rare & Early Newspapers website which provides 10,000+ examples (best to search by date and look for a comparable – see image below). Once you’ve explored these avenues, you are always welcome to contact us directly by email (guy@rarenewspapers.com). We would need the exact title and exact date of each issue to get started. Sending only photos does not work for us.
What two resources are not helpful?
1) Ebay. Why? Just because someone is asking for an amazing price doesn’t mean they’ll ever sell it at that price. “Previous Sales” are what matters.
2) Posting a question on this Blog. Why? We rarely monitor it.
Feel free to send any additional questions concerning the valuation of newspaper to us at the same email shown above. We’ll do our best to answer any that come our way… and who knows, perhaps they show up in a future post. 🙂
Who’s Who in Newspapers? Pamela Sparhawk edition…
March 22, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The 7th installment of Who’s Who in Newspapers:
Thanks to Swann Auction Galleries, we discovered another fascinating but unheralded name which appeared in three 1817 issues of the Columbian Centinel (see a photo of the notice below). Swann staff provided the following background:
Pamela Sparhawk was born circa 1761 in Africa, was captured as a young girl and brought to Boston in slavery and was granted her freedom during the American Revolution. She had been separated from her brother by her original owner, but miraculously reconnected with him in Boston, where he owned property and was living under the name Samuel Bean. When Samuel died in 1816, Pamela petitioned the court to be recognized as his heir. Her petition ran three times in the Columbian Centinel newspaper, telling the story of her life: “Pamela Sparhawk of Boston . . . is a native of Africa, and was brought from thence to the West-Indies by a slave trader . . . and was a slave in the family of Rev. Mr. Merriam, of Newton, until the American Revolution. . . Samuel Bean acknowledged her to be his sister and was satisfied of the fact, but it would be difficult if not impossible for her in a court of law to establish her claim . . . in consequence of the unhappy circumstance, which will be easily perceived.” The notices were signed in type with her mark, a sideways capital “X.” The statement was witnessed by Congressman Timothy Fuller (father of the important feminist author Margaret Fuller), but it apparently went unheeded by the General Court.
Pamela Sparhawk’s life has recently been reconstructed and celebrated by the Historic Newton organization in an online exhibition, “Finding Pamela: Writing a New History,” and was described in the Boston Globe on 30 June 2021.
The link to the auction (which at the time of this post was still in the future) is:
SWANN Auction #2663 – The petition of formerly enslaved woman Pamela Sparhawk
Thankfully we had an issue with this coverage as well, but the greatest gain was the research which Swann’s offering inspired. In less than 15 minutes we were able to locate *background information on Pamela which we found qui te interesting.
If you’re curiosity has been piqued to the point where you decide to discover more about her through the following link, please note the additional related information shown below the heading: “Who was Pamela Sparhawk?” Enjoy.
FINDING PAMELA