Mint Vintage
Grading Old Ads & Vintage Prints
I love vintage advertising and old prints from magazines that are 30-100 years old or more. A 10×13 print properly matted and framed can really spice up an office or room. The uses for these old ad can be found in another article I wrote for articlebase. Today I wanted to discuss how to define and grade these pieces of history.
Now before you can grade an old print you must determine if it did indeed come from the original magazine or if it is a reproduction. Some of these old advertisements can fetch a pretty good penny so it would be worth it to the “reproducer” to print off a few copies and sell em for a hundred bucks a piece to the unknowing. Luckily if you are purchasing online or from Ebay then the seller is usually upfront about this, plus you are usually protected by their policies or your buyer protection paypal account. Lets say you go to a flea market though and find a great ad you would like in your house. Is it real? Unfortunately there’s no definite answer but here’s a few things to look for. The ad should feel vintage, in other words have water spots or slight browning around the edges. Mint ads (as I will discuss) are extremely rare, so if it looks way to good to be true then it probably is. If the ad is already framed ask if you can take it out, the paper quality should tell you. You are looking for a light magazine paper, not some mid to heavy printing paper. Ask a few questions about where he/she got it from or ask them straight up if it is a reproduction. Most of the time you have to go with your gut instinct but these little things can help.
So your ad is real and its time for some grading. Now remember, these print ads can be anywhere from 30 years old plus. Magazine paper can survive very well over time but how it was stored, acidity and quality of paper can play a major role. Here is how a typical seller/dealer will grade his vintage advertisements.
MINT – In my opinion it does not exist. Actually in most sellers opinions it doesn’t exist. Sellers are usually buying these magazines that have been “stumbled upon” for their advertisements. For a mint magazine to be found I would have to declare it literally would have had to come off the print and seal wrapped on day one never to be opened. Magazines like this are very rare and hard to come by. Anyone declaring a mint ad should be questioned heavily.
NEAR MINT – This is another very rare condition. The color and paper remain well preserved and very vibrant. To the naked eye there is really no sign of aging. What sets it apart from MINT is the exposure it has had to air which will eventually lead to toning or the rust color hue paper gets from oxidation.
EXCELLENT – Excellent is a common condition designation. These prints are starting to have signs of aging like toning (due to oxidation). There may be some slight creases (dog ears). The margins are clean and even. There are no major rips. Any rips that are evident must be less than 1/4 inch. The once thing that sets EXCELLENT apart from the next classification is that usually imperfections from this class can be hidden behind frames or matting.
VERY GOOD/GOOD – I put these two together because they do indeed mean the same thing, just to what degree. Good denotes that there is an obvious imperfection but it doesn’t take away from the overall picture. This can be a small stain, a tear, ink transfering from one page to the next. VERY GOOD would be a small imperfection, say a 1/2 inch tear on the side where as GOOD would be a 1 inch tear.
FAIR OR POOR – Another set of classification that I am putting together. This print sports a major imperfection. This could be water damage, a very big rip, or severe foxing (which is the wrinkle effect paper gets when exposed to moisture). I myself would never list an ad under this category unless it was requested or rare.
I hope this helps out any beginner collectors or enthusiasts. Visit my website if you get a chance and look around, have fun. Thanks for reading.
About the Author
You can find my vintage advertisement store where $2.95 ships any number of ads http://stores.shop.ebay.com/retrovintageads
Visit my website to find my vintage ad of the day http://www.dailyvintagead.com
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