The registration deadline is still a full month off and yet we are already setting new attendance records! We have 55 committed sellers and 75 hotel rooms reserved, eclipsing numbers from past conventions. With active promotion of "Public Day" to the local populace, we hope to once again bring in a total of 250-300 individuals to our event.

After the long hiatus in our Conventions, our members are eager to get back to it! Also, to express appreciation to our loyal members, the AAAA Board is gifting $100 in Buyer's Bucks, which can be used just like cash at the Convention, to each registered attendee who was a member of AAAA prior to November 15, 2021. So expect unprecedented levels of enthusiasm and buying & selling. Let's review some highlights.

What, Where, When: The 2022 AAAA Convention will take place at the popular Embassy Suites in Dublin (Columbus), Ohio from Wednesday evening, July 13 to Saturday morning, July 16. The beautiful atrium is shown in the photo to the right. The Registration fee is $125 per person and the heavily discounted room rate is $134.00 per night plus 17.5% in taxes. Free parking and wi-fi are included. Tables for your room cost $10 each (maximum of two).

Activities: A chock-full schedule of activities will keep you busy and entertained from Wednesday evening until Saturday morning. Click here to see the full itinerary.

Seminars: We are very proud of our outstanding line-up of distinguished speakers this year. They include:

Wednesday: Simply Rochester, John DeVolder

John DeVolder is recognized for his broad expertise in the realm of breweriana. This presentation will feature the many facets of Breweriana collecting. Although dedicated to Rochester, NY, the program could easily apply to any city in the U.S.

Thursday: A Chat with Terry Kovel, Terry Kovel

Terry Kovel is popularly known as the “Grande Dame” of antiques and collectibles. She is the pre-eminent authority in the field. In this informal question-and-answer session, Terry will respond to impromptu queries from the audience with her usual blend of wit, acumen, and practicality.

Friday: The Art of Advertising, Allan Petretti

Allan Petretti is the legendary “guru” of all things Coca-Cola and soda pop collectibles. While this seminar will focus on the world of soda pop advertising art, Allan will be discussing a variety of other fascinating topics, drawing upon his many years of involvement in the field.

Room Hopping: Based on current numbers, we estimate that we will have approximately 60 sellers--a new record! Sellers will conveniently be located proximate to one another so "hopping" from room to room in search of treasures will be easy and convenient. A listing of sellers and room numbers will be provided at the hotel. Room Hopping will take place Wednesday evening, and several times each day on Thursday and Friday.

Silent Auction: Our popular Silent Auction will return with friendly competition for desirable vintage items from a broad range of genres and price points. Bids will start at $5.00. Each attendee is encouraged to consign items for sale at the Silent Auction.

Yankee Gift Exchange: The Yankee Gift Exchange is a hilarious game that you are going to love! Each participant in the game brings to the convention a nicely wrapped gift with a value of at least $30, relating in some way to vintage advertising. All wrapped gifts will be placed on a table in the center of the room and players will take turns, one at a time, either selecting a wrapped gift from the pile or “stealing” a gift from someone else that has already been opened. The resultant crazy back and forth of the gifts is hilarious and nobody knows how things will end. A prize will be awarded to the person who brings in the “best” gift, as determined by the duly-appointed “judge”.  Bringing a gift is totally optional---those who do not bring gifts can participate fully as observers and laugh along with everybody else.

Membership Meeting: All AAAA members are encouraged to attend the one-hour business meeting that takes place on Thursday. You will have an opportunity to hear from AAAA leaders and share your own ideas for the future of AAAA.

Meals: The registration fee includes banquet dinners on Thursday and Friday and a buffet lunch on Friday. The menus are as follows:

Thursday Dinner: Chicken Florentine with rice pilaf, asparagus, mixed green salad, rolls, key lime pie or red velvet cake , coffee, and iced tea

Friday Lunch: Dublin Deli Buffet with sliced roast beef, shaved ham, shaved turkey, cheddar, swiss, pepper jack, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, assorted breads, condiments, whole grain mustard potato salad, potato chips, cookies and brownie bites

Friday Dinner: Seared Chicken Breast with garlic cream sauce, herb roasted Yukon potatoes, Blue Lake beans, rolls, chocolate fudge cake or strawberry shortcake, coffee, and iced tea

Raffles & Games: After dinner on Thursday and Friday, raffles and games take place that are fun and include great prizes!

Hotel Evening Reception: The Hotel makes an Evening Reception available each day from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Indulge in your choice of complementary cocktails, beer, wine, or soft drinks as well as light snacks.  We have scheduled some time out of the Convention schedule each day to allow you to stop by the Evening Reception and relax.

Attendees: The list of registered participants includes old comrades, new faces, notable figures within the hobby, and our friends from the Graniteware and Treasures for Little Children groups. Here is a listing of individuals who have committed to attend at this time (in no particular order). Due to limited available space, spouses and significant others are not included. Registrations are coming in regularly so the list is far from complete.

Registration: Online registration is quick, easy, and secure! If you are not already registered to attend, just click the button below. The deadline for registering is June 14 but our room block may sell out before then. Please register today to avoid disappointment!

If you prefer, click the link below to print out a form for completion.

We look forward to seeing you at the Convention to tell good stories, break bread, renew friendships, laugh a lot, and, oh, of course, buy and sell vintage advertising like there is no tomorrow!

Postcards can be a great compliment to any advertising collection. They can be direct advertisements, sent to promote a product, or a thank you for business. But more often they provide history and insight to our collections.

In 1903, Kodak introduced a camera with postcard sized film. These photographs were printed on paper with a postcard back. While they could be printed in large quantities, typically only one or a very few numbers of cards were printed. These Real Photo Postcards (RPPC) are often desirable because they tend to capture life at the time. Store owners, proud of their shops, would take photos of their business. They can capture men and women at work in their environment. They highlight how signs and displays in our collections were presented to the public. It is not uncommon to find RPPC cards noting an event such as a parade, fire or flood. Unlike professionally published postcards, RPPC cards are not enhanced to remove imperfections. If the photograph was reproduced in quantities, the subject or date may be noted on the card, often handwritten.

Of course, some postcards can be expensive costing hundreds of dollars, but more often they cost $5 - $20 depending on the subject matter and other interest. Searching through stacks of cards can be time-consuming, but good postcard dealers will have them sorted by topical area. Dealers often know their stock and will point out cards of interest when asked.

I am attracted to early postcards and have a small collection mostly of breweries and locations that have a family connection. The gallery below features some examples of RPPC postcards from my collection.

Following are some examples of early businesses. Some may have been taken by expert photographers, but often they are simple snapshots that capture a moment.

RPPC cards that depict men and women at work showed that they worked hard. One can only imagine driving a wagon over dusty dirt and brick streets on the hottest summer or coldest winter days.

Finding postcards containing background pieces relating to your collecting interest is exciting. Seeing a sign displayed in its original environment adds to its appeal. It can also provide clues as to its history or age.

Most hobbyists are familiar with the concept of “crossover collectibles”. Those are items that appeal to more than one type of collector. For example, a 1921 Maxfield Parrish calendar advertising Edison Mazda bulbs might be sought after by collectors of both vintage advertising and admirers of Art Deco. Its value to the two groups might differ greatly, based on supply, demand, trending, and at times, other idiosyncratic factors.  A 1921 Art Deco calendar designed by an unknown artist might have a market value of approximately $100 or much less, while a 1921 Maxfield Parrish calendar could be worth as much as $10,000.

Antique and collectible advertising, no doubt, includes innumerable examples of cross-collectibles. How might one tell if an item is a cross-collectible? The Maxfield Parrish example offers a clue—if a vintage advertising item has a generally accepted market value well above what it should be as a vintage advertising item, then it might be a crossover collectible.

The Oriental Mixture tobacco tin, shown to the right serves as a good example. Data provided by the Worthpoint Price Guide suggest that both the value and demand associated with these tins has increased exponentially over the years. From 2005-2011, Worthpoint reported that only two examples of this tin were sold. The average sale price was $30. In contrast, 62 examples were reportedly sold between 2012 and 2022. Prices also rose dramatically during that period, with seven tins falling in the $150-$200 range and another 19 selling between $75 and $149. Condition was not a factor at all in the sales price. In fact, the example fetching the highest price of $202.50 was heavily worn, flaked, and scratched.  Reports of private sales going for amounts well above the ranges noted have also been reported.

So what has accounted for this incredible upsurge in demand and value?  The vintage tin market? No. Changes in the economy? No.

What changed was that on May 5, 2007, this Oriental Mixture tobacco tin played a supporting role in the popular CW Network television series, Supernatural.  In one of the second season episodes, the tin was used in a ritual and then buried in the ground (photo, right). Over time, Supernatural assumed cult-status and anything associated with the show became a highly sought-after collectible. Interest in memorabilia from the series became a full-blown obsession around 2013. Since then, it has been off to the races!  There are blogs and web sites dedicated to the sale of both vintage and newly manufactured “props” from the series. And during this period, prices have steadily skyrocketed.

Ironically, the Oriental Mixture tin played a rather minor role in the plot line of Supernatural. It was only seen in the one episode noted above and it did not have more than 30-45 seconds of screen time. But it was enough to light these tins on fire in the crossover marketplace.

The moral of the story is if you have one of these tins available, don’t sell it to an AAAA member--find a fan of Supernatural!

The Indianapolis Antique Advertising Show, better known as the "Indy Ad Show", returned for its 2022 Spring installment on Friday, April 29. The show was held at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Indiana. As always, there was something for everybody in the vast number of high-quality, beautiful, and desirable items that were available. However, like other recent vintage advertising shows, signage of all types were prominent. The buying crowd was particularly strong at this show. Dealers voiced very positive feelings about their sales and the fun they had that day. There were reports of numerous major big-ticket items changing hands.

Management has been very busy with plans for upcoming shows. The Fall Indy Ad Show will take place September 22, 23 and 24th. Vendor set up day will be the 22nd. The show will return to a 2 day open to the public event on the 23rd and the 24th. They tried something a bit different this past time but, based on input from participants, they decided to go back to the two day public format. There will be no on-site auction. There are plans to network with more collecting clubs and associations. They are also considering the possibility of adding a car show to the fall line-up. Finally, they look forward to opening more space for outside vendors in their grass areas. That represents a lot of positive energy for the future!

The photos below chronicle the amazing treasures that were available at the show.

Other examples of peanut butter tins in the collection are shown below.

Robert and his wife, Mary Ann, are always on the hunt for items to add to their wonderful "Ray's General Store"!

Have you been lucky enough to purchase a "fun find" recently? You know, something that puts a smile on your face and gets you excited. It doesn't need to be rare or expensive--just something that feels extra special to you. If so, click here to let us know about it and we will be happy to share it with our readers.

It is not unusual for surprises to pop up at any auction of antiquities. But this one takes the cake. Click here to check it out.

AFTER viewing the video, click here for an important postscript.

Route 32 Auctions’ upcoming "Country Store & More" Auction on Friday and Saturday, May 20^th and 21^st, will feature approximately 500 lots each day of gas and oil, soda, salesman’s sample oddities, advertising items and more – an eclectic mix of country store collectibles, online and live in the Crawfordsville gallery located at 3097 East State Rd. 32.

The Tulsa Antiques and Bottle Club presents its 44th annual Antique Advertising and Bottle Show on Saturday, June 18 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It will take place at the Sagenet Center, Tulsa Fairgrounds, Tulsa Oklahoma. 250 tables of advertising, signs, bottles, jars, paper items, relics, general store, drug store, saloon, oil & gas, barber shop, soda fountain, toys, etc. will be available. Free admission. This will be a fun show! For further information, contact Henry Tankersley at [email protected] or 918-663-3218 or Dale Peterson at [email protected] or 918-341-5475.

In this column are those sought-after items of desire that seem to be elusive. If you know where any of these items can be acquired or if you have one available, please click the link to reply directly to the seeker. To place a listing in this column, click here. There is no fee for AAAA members. Up to three listings per member are permitted.

Coca-Cola 24" button porcelain sign with bottle in center. Want several in as close to mint condition as possible. Call 336-970-9867.

Books on Oil & Gas Collectibles. Also looking for books on signs. Call 336-970-9867.

Pedal car related items. To reply, click here.

Matchbook holders. To know what these are, see my articles in Checkerboard for Nov. 2020 and May 2021. I will consider all items, in any material from plastic to gold, and not necessarily with advertising. Email Andy at [email protected].

Cigarette Packs. Advanced collector looking to purchase vintage packs. Please contact Dheeraj by email: [email protected]

Donald Duck Goyer Coffee Cans; One Pound Can & 3 oz Sample Size in Good Condition With Lids. Please Send Email With Photos & Prices to [email protected]

Morimura Brothers (Japanese import company operating in NYC from 1880-1941) advertising items wanted: trade cards, pamphlets, catalog pages, salesman sample pages, porcelain items with advertising. To reply email at [email protected]

DeLaval Items and Farm Advertising Signs. Always looking for top quality and unique items. Contact Gregg Hillyer at [email protected]

Antique Advertising pertaining to Country Store or Drug Store Products or Places. Especially those showing Women or Girls with the product or location shown. I would consider any  Antique Advertising (paper, cardboard & metal Signs). Quality a plus! Dale Peterson at [email protected]

Wanted top condition: Hard A Port small top tobacco tin; Convention Hall 1 lb coffee tin (green or yellow); Army Navy coffee slip lid canister; Big Horn 1 lb coffee tin; Continental Cubes medium size kidney shape tobacco tin.

To reply, click here.

Unusual one pound peanut butter tins. Tin litho or paper label. To reply, click here.

Marshmallow Tins. Smaller than 5 Pound Size. To reply, click here.

American Cookie, Biscuit and Cracker Tins and Boxes. To reply, click here. 

Banjo related advertising wanted Pre-1940s. Long time collector buying banjo company signage, catalogs, billheads, periodicals, minstrel banjo items such as posters, broadsides, sheet music ( pre-1870s ) with illustrated banjo covers, early photographs showing banjo players (pre-1915). My main collecting interest is in 19th century material. To reply, click here.

Antique American Medicine Bottles by M. Knapp... soft cover book with price guide. Printed in 2012. [email protected] or 781-248-8620 also, see my other want ad for Clarke’s ephemera and bottles.

Looking for 3 Vintage Tins. American Eagle "Oriental Mixture" tobacco (dimensions approx. 6.5" long, 2 3/4" wide, 1.5" tall); 1 Gal. Indian Head Hydraulic Brake Fluid; and Packham´s Caramel Toffee. Any offer is welcome and any condition considered. To reply, click here.

Morton Salt, older items, and also Pacific Coast Borax, especially a crate or box. email [email protected] or call Peggy Dailey 612-522-9211

Comic Book-Related Advertising Items: Must be from before 1980. To reply, click here.

Clarke’s Vegetable Sherry Wine Bitters, Sharon, MA & Rockland, ME: All sizes, variants, smooth/pontil base. Especially need labeled Clarke’s any size! Also, any Clarke’s ephemera…trade cards, almanacs, newspaper ads, etc. Charlie Martin Jr., 781-248-8620. Email: [email protected]

George Petty: Advanced collector looking for unique or rare items. Photo’s, store displays and non paper items. NO Esquire pages. Pete Perrault. To reply, click here or call (502) 290-7661.

Ice Cream Advertising: Mr. Ice Cream desires better graphic ice cream advertising including: postcards (Advertising and RPPC), trade cards, letterheads, billheads, booklets, poster stamps, blotters, magic lantern slides, pinbacks, watchfobs, and pocket mirrors. Allan Mellis, 1115 West Montana St. Chicago, Illinois 60614-2220. [email protected] To reply, click here.

Stock food, poultry food, veterinary advertising wanted. Posters, medicine packages, give-aways. Email [email protected] or call (256) 520-5211.

Singer Sewhandy Model 20-Green-regular paint, not hammertone. To reply, click here.

National Biscuit Company, Nabisco, Uneeda Biscuit, Uneeda Bakers, Muth Bakery, NBC Bread toys, signage, tins, containers, displays, historical items. Please Email [email protected] or call (937) 205-2232.

Early Cigarette Rolling Papers: Pre-1940’s - American, Zig Zag, Braunstein Freres, Bambino, and Ottoman papers wanted. To reply, click here.

Antique/Collectible Banking and Financial System "Give-a way" and advertising items. Specifically from Pennsylvania. Alarm devices and such. To reply, click here.

VITAMINS advertising, displays, signs, bottles, and anything related: Hadacol is an example. Most would come from the 1930’s thru the 1970’s. Also anything related to cod-liver oil and WEIGHT-LOSS, REDUCING, ANTI-FAT, and OBESITY ITEMS. To reply, click here.

Early tin signs lithographed by Tuchfarber, Wells and Hope, Worcester Sign Company, Sentenne and Green, etc. I can pay more for good condition, but would be interested in any condition. Don Lurito [email protected] also in the directory. To reply, click here.

Dwinell-Wright Co. Royal Ground Spice Cardboard Spice Boxes. One side displays horizontally. Approximately 3.75" by 2.25". Any type of spice is OK. To reply, click here.

ENSIGN Perfect and ENSIGN Perfection vertical pocket tobacco tins to enhance my collection. Feel free to contact me at 614-888-4619 or [email protected] to see if you can help fill the voids.

Edmands Coffee Company, Edmands Tea Company, 1776 Coffee, American Beauty Tea, Japan Tea, Devonshire Tea, (imported by Edmands, Boston/Chicago): Any items such as tins, signs, paper, or anything else related to the Edmands family of companies in Boston is desired. To reply, click here.

The AAAA Checkerboard is a monthly e-newsletter that is made available to all AAAA members at no cost. The mission of the Checkerboard is to increase knowledge about antique and collectible advertising among AAAA members. The Checkerboard also provides news and updates about AAAA. It is produced each month with the exception of the four months per year when the award-winning PastTimes print newsletter is published. Paul Lefkovitz ([email protected]) serves as the Editor of the AAAA Checkerboard. Copyright 2022, Antique Advertising Association of America