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Advertising Calendars
About Vintage Advertising Calendars
Made in every shape and size imaginable, advertising calendars range from single sheet year-at-a-glance pieces to monthly paintings of the product in use. Some of the biggest issuers included Coca-Cola, DuPont, Ford, John Deere, Mobil, and almost all the major railroads. Pinup calendars became popular in the 1940s and 50s.
Older advertising calendars are valued for their lithography, as well as the images contained in the calendar, which varied from advertising illustrations to elaborate paintings. Condition is a must, as is the quality and color of the artwork. Tear-sheet calendars with all the months intact, starting with January, command a premium.
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Upcoming Events
- APIC Northern California Spring Political Show and Sale
Apr 10. Berkeley, CA. - 9th Antique Bottle, Insulator, Collectable and Advertisng Show and Sale
Jun 4–5. Butte, Mt. - Rib Fest and Antiques
Sep 11. Lincoln, CA.
Interviews & Articles
An Interview With Comic Character Advertising Pinback Collector Mark Lansdown
I started off collecting comics, and still do, but I’d been given a few early Disney pinbacks as a child and always… [more]
An Interview With Antique Advertising and Porcelain Enamel Sign Collector Alex Renshaw
How did I get started collecting advertising antiques? My dad was a lecturer and tutor in graphics and art from the… [more]
An Interview With Porcelain Advertising Sign Collector Michael Bruner
I liked to collect things even as a child. Things that didn’t cost anything, like different colors of stones. The… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Advertising Antiques
This classy looking British site features hundreds of high resolution photos of antique porcelain pre-war (enamel) … [read review or visit site]
Ad Access
Duke University's library has pulled together an impressive collection of over 7,000 ads printed in U.S. and Canadi… [read review or visit site]
Plan 59
From the Nostlagia Factory in Virginia comes this celebration of 'mid-century automotive advertising illustrations'… [read review or visit site]
American Package Museum
Ian House's gallery of early 20th Century American package designs. Browse the exhibits in slide show mode or view … [read review or visit site]
Found in Moms Basement
Paula Zargaj-Reynolds’ blog, an extensive collection of 20th century vintage advertising, is a visual feast. Scro… [read review or visit site]
Ephemera Society of America
Great reference on ephemera... includes examples and descriptions of various ephemera categories, selected special … [read review or visit site]
Truth in Advertising
This gallery of cigarette magazine advertising from the 1940s and 50s contains no surgeon general's warning, just p… [read review or visit site]
Ephemera Blog
Marty Weil's wide-ranging, in-depth blog on ephemera, including lots of great interviews with ephemera collectors. … [read review or visit site]
Got a site to suggest? Let us know.
Clubs & Associations: Advertising
Other Great Reference Sites: Advertising
- Duke Library: Emergence of Advertising in America
- Oxford Library: John Johnson Collection Exhibition
- Library of Congress Broadsides and Ephemera
- Duke Library: Presidential Campaign Memorabilia
- Coca-Cola Old Ads
- Library of Congress: Coca-Cola Ads
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