About Antique Pinbacks

Celluloid pinbacks, a type of button, were popular from the 1890s to the 1940s as a cheap way of conveying a political message or advertising anything from food and clothing to movies and tobacco. In 1896 the first patent was granted to Whitehead and Hoag for a button with a textile surface covered with a thin layer of transparent celluloid. Later on the textile was replaced with lithographed paper (cheaper), and ultimately metal without the celluloid.

Advertising pinbacks, sometimes featuring cartoon characters, were often given away as premiums with cigarettes or newspaper subscriptions, or handed out at stores. They were also given as fan club premiums, as part of the membership package. On the political side, pinbacks were given away at campaign rallies...

Some pinbacks are hard to find today because so many were simply worn and thrown away. Collectors also seek to assemble entire pinback series (for example comic character pinbacks) and finding every pinback in a large series can be quite difficult.

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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]



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Advertising Antiques

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Great reference on ephemera... includes examples and descriptions of various ephemera categories, selected special … [read review or visit site]

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Huge Landon Knox Notification Day Pinback Button 1936 $535.56 Ends Thursday 8 bids 39 watchers
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Lg Lot Vintage Political Campaign Pinback Buttons Pins$51.00 Ends in 20 hours 17 bids 20 watchers
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Field & Stream Honor Badge Pin/pinback /award Scarce $50.50 Ends Friday 3 bids 8 watchers
American Airlines Tack Pin W-eagle Logo -- Two Pin Back$50.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 3 watchers
Sibley Lindsay & Curr Santa Claus Pinback Circa 1906$49.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 21 watchers
Antique Political Pinback Mckinley Club Armour Car Line$47.66 Ends in 2 hours 9 bids 6 watchers
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Peters Shells"large P" Pinback 9/16"$44.00 Ends in 14 hours 2 bids 4 watchers
1961 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Homecoming Pinback Button$43.00 Ends Saturday 6 bids 4 watchers
Peters Cartridges Pinback Ammo Shell Box Stickpin Blue$40.99 Ends Saturday 6 bids 16 watchers
1983 Illinois Deer Pin Hunting Trophy Harvest Pinback$38.00 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 6 watchers
Peters Cartridges Pinback Ammo Shell Box American Flag$37.00 Ends Saturday 3 bids 19 watchers
Ny ?? Champlain Celebration Souvenir Pinback, 1909$35.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 3 watchers
Wwii 2" Sterling Bombardier Pilot Wing - Pin Back$34.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 1 watcher
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A.y.p.expo Pin Back Button Very Rare Near Mint Dog Sled$32.55 Ends Friday 2 bids 11 watchers
Vintg Humorous Funny Sayings On Lot Of 13 Pinbacks$32.55 Ends Thursday 2 bids 2 watchers
Advertising Celluloid Pinback ~ 1913 Baltimore ~ Turtle$32.11 Ends Saturday 4 bids 9 watchers
1898 City Official Sesqui-centennial Pinback Badge$29.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher
Western Pacific Zephyr C Z Zephyrette Name Tag Pinback$28.77 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 3 watchers
Yellow Kid Pinback 1897 Flag Of France #128$27.75 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 4 watchers
~1915 "votes For Women" Suffragette Celluloid Pinback~$27.66 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 9 watchers
Largest Pinback & Tab Auction On E-bay-over 425 Pins$27.00 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 5 watchers
Lot Of Vintage Pins Pinback Buttons$26.55 Ends in 19 hours 5 bids 10 watchers
Yellow Kid W/mandolin Pinback #4 1896 High Admiral Cig.$26.11 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 5 watchers
38 Us Military Mini Medals. Pin Backs & Slide On.$26.00 Ends Friday 5 bids 14 watchers
1919 Welcome Home Pin Back, Muncie, Indiana Delaware Co$25.50 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 7 watchers
Circa 1900 Graphic I Am Buffalo Next Two Inch Pinback$24.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 5 watchers
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