Ephemera: Letters & Postcards From Whom?

True treasure can be found in what most people perceive as trash, especially when it comes to old letters and postcards.

I once shared a story with you about a friend finding several letters in a box lot at auction by Martin Luther King Jr. he paid just a few dollars for. I know this man well, and I don’t think they will be sold anytime soon, however I am certain they are worth thousands today. I also wrote about the letter Cecil bought written by John F. Kennedy to a young girl, and this letter is true history about the sensitivity of this president. You could feel his passion for children through his words.

Letters like these will command large sums of money now and especially in the future. These kinds of finds are not a rare occurrence, if you’re willing to spend time going through piles of postcards and letters that seem to have no significance. You might come up with one or more, because they are out there in abundance.
Perhaps the best thing about finding items like these is their price. When they are found, they can usually be bought for pennies. But, believe me, it isn’t as easy as it sounds – at least for me. My biggest problem with this type of item is the handwriting. I have trouble reading the old handwriting. I hope this isn’t as big a problem for you as it is for me.

I may have come across a treasure like this. I was shown a folder containing nearly 150 Civil War Letters that are coming up for sale. I’m sure there are others who have interest in these letters, but depending upon what information these letters contain, their value could be small. But, if they contain descriptions of the battles, their value could almost be priceless. The wait for those answers will give me sleepless nights, I’m sure.

I’ve known many people who have found real treasure in letters and postcards. I remember a gentleman who found hundreds of pieces of sports memorabilia in the way of letters that had been tossed out into the garbage, only to find that they had once been the property of a very famous sports star.

Could this happen to you? If you’re willing to spend the time looking through piles of letters and postcards it can.

And there’s another value to be found in old letters and postcards. The stamps! You might get a real surprise in the value of some stamps. I’ve seen stamps attached to envelopes that have brought in $100,000 plus. There might be one of these in that old trunk in the attic at your next estate sale or garage sale waiting for you. So keep your eyes open and read, read, and read.

Today's Photo is a signed letter from Robert E. Lee


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Ephemera & Paper Collectibles Find at a Country Flea Market

Peter F. Rothermel's 1851 painting of Patrick Henry's "Treason" speech before the House of Burgesses. A Patrick Henry Historical Document will soon be listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace.


Little did our 31 Club Member, Cecil, know that a real country flea market in Greenville, Kentucky was the setting that would put him at the right place to uncover a treasure. In case you’re wondering, a real country flea market is one of those markets where you can buy chickens, pigs, ducks and even a mule if you need one. You might also find homemade jams and jellies and a selection of tempting cakes and pies, and an assortment of other merchandise.

”I was walking down the rows of booths,” Cecil told me, “and my eyes focused on a pile of old papers. After some study, I discovered that they were stock certificates for the Nashville, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Companies. I counted them, and there were 55 of them. I asked the dealer the price for all of them, and I was surprised that he asked so much -- $90. I bought them anyway.”

Cecil listed one certificate that night and was surprised that there were already bids on this item the next morning. When the auction was completed, the final bid was $27.

“I estimated a price on the remaining certificates,” Cecil said. “Then I added them up and saw that my $90 investment could come near to $1,500 by the time I’m done.”

Can you imagine this much money for “worthless paper” that wasn’t even filled out?

As I’ve said before, there’s a collector for almost anything, and you can be sure that the attraction of these certificates will be from those who collect Railroad or Transportation items.

I am consistently amazed at how Cecil can pluck out treasure after treasure, even at an event like this one.

How many times have you gone to a garage sale or a flea market and seen stacks and stacks of paper lying in a heap? Newspapers, Magazines, Advertising, and maybe even some old stock certificates are often put out at sales like these. I've seen people looking through these stacks, just looking -- having no idea what they were looking for. And if there was something valuable, it would’ve gone unnoticed.

Cecil never misses the chance to browse through old paper, and it was his browsing that turned up a Historical Document from the time of the Revolutionary War, signed by none other than Patrick Henry. ("Give me Liberty or give me death”) This document is in the process of being listed in our Marketplace for a very reasonable $4,850. Cecil used the 31 Club’s Associate Program to help purchase this historical piece.

I think you’ll agree that Cecil had a pretty good week. Remember, this is the same Cecil who bought ten vintage travel posters, still in their tubes, for $30 each yet still hasn’t listed them. I’m hoping he will list them on our marketplace, because I know a least one of the posters is selling today for about $12,000!

Paper collectibles has been very good to Cecil and Paper can be good to you if you’ll study and gain the knowledge necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff. Perhaps one of the reasons I enjoy writing about Cecil so much is because I know where the first fruits from his grains go.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

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