1864 Civil War Soldier’s Letter written on an Illustrated Broadside Song Sheet

I have been working with the Walnutts team now for… Well lets face it, my whole life. As the daughter of the Walnutts Antiques founders, I grew up sitting around the Antique shop, traipsing around flea markets and snoozing through auctions while my parents hunted for good finds. As I grew older I eventually became more involved in the business, and began slowly but surely learning more about the antiques that I had been surrounded by for as long as I can remember.

For years I have heard (and in turn repeated) that one of Walnutts specialty’s was “Ephemera“. I threw the word around feigning confidence, but if ever asked what exactly it meant, my reaction tended to be something like “Ummm… Like paper stuff…”. Well about a week ago I was reading a book, and came across the exact question that I had been too embarrassed to ask. “What is ephemera, exactly?” The answer was so perfect, that I decided that I had to share it, and finally confess my ignorance, and embrace my new knowledge.

 ”What is ephemera, exactly?” 

“Ephemera refers to the kind of materials intended to be short-lived or discarded, such as brochures, catalogs, menus, billheads, mining certificates, theater programs, bylaws, political flyers, travel guides, wine labels… and sometimes letters. Precisely because they weren’t created to last, they sometimes contain information that is not otherwise documented.”

(As written in book by Juliette Blackwell)

Wow… it seems so clear now! I can’t believe that after all this time I have finally come across such a concise and easy to understand definition for something that I have always been a bit ashamed to admit that I didn’t already know! But you learn new things all the time, and I am thrilled to have this piece of knowledge now in my toolbox! I hope that I may have cleared some questions up for some as you as well!!

Some other examples of Ephemera:

1876 “Buffalo Bill”  and “Texas Jack”  related Printed Silk Souvenir Broadside Playbill

1864 Civil War Soldier’s Letter

original 1860’s Civil War Patriotic Envelopes

1904 Illustrated and Priced Catalog of Kodak Cameras and Photography Supplies

1905 Real Photo Postcard written and addressed to William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody

Q. I was looking through your auction items and found one that really interested me! However, it was way out of my price range/already sold by the time I was ready to bid. Now that the auction is over, I was just wondering if I could get a copy of that manuscript/map/photo you posted? Could you do that?

A.  We have a policy of not supplying copies of photographs or manuscript material that we are selling at auction. We feel that it is only fair to reserve the publication and distribution rights for the high bidder, as often it is of significant value to them. We will gladly pass along your request to the purchaser, and (as has happened in many cases) it is likely that he or she will oblige your request- we do feel, however, that that decision is up to the new owner.

Q. What do you mean by “rare,” exactly? I notice several of your items are marked as “rare.”

A. First of all, please do remember that the term “rare” is a statement of someone’s opinion. So, with that in mind, it is important to note that what might be relatively common to someone experienced in a particular field of collecting, could be “very rare” to the average person on eBay or to someone who does not have access to antique shows, collector’s auctions, etc. Statements like, “It is rare to find an honest person nowadays” are a matter of opinion, and although there were millions of Steel Pennies made in the 1940′s, anyone under the age of 25 would describe them as “rare.”

There is a factual component as well, based on the number of existing copies, circulation, and historical factors. However, even this can be seen as relative, therefore there is no quantifiable degree of “rarity.”

Walnutts FAQ’s is a series of common questions… and their answers.

Q. Fairly frequently, I see you post about “laid” paper. What is that?

A. All paper made before about 1800 was “laid paper.” The name comes from a ribbed texture imparted to the sheet by the manufacturing process. In the 19th century, its use diminished as it was largely supplanted by “wove paper.”

In pre-mechanical papermaking (from the 12th century into the 1800s), the laid pattern was produced by the wire sieve in the rectangular mold used to produce single sheets of paper. A worker would dip the mold into a vat containing diluted linen pulp, then lift it out, tilt it to spread the pulp evenly over the sieve, and, as the water drained out between the wires, shake the mold to lock the fibers together. In the process, the pattern of the wires in the sieve was imparted to the sheet of paper. Any authentic paper document or manuscript dated before 1800 will be executed on “laid paper” – when held up to a light source, a pattern of crosshatch lines will be visible within the structure of the paper sheet.

Walnutts FAQ’s is a series of common questions… and their answers.

Q. I notice you frequently sell or post about “CDVs” on your auction page and website. What is a CDV, exactly?

A. A CDV (or more precisely a “carte-de-visite”) is small albumen print that is mounted on a standard sized 2 1/2″ by 4″ backing card. The process was patented in 1854 by a Parisian photographer, and the style gained their height of popularity in the United States during the Civil War. The were called carte-de-visite, which is French for “visiting card,” because their compact size made them perfect for “photographic calling cards” that could be presented during a social visit.

Their standardized size made them convenient for photo album makers, and they were easy to trade and collect. These types of photos also served as a way to familiarize Americans with the faces and popular images of politicians, military officers and other celebrities. They may have been presented to the public as a “souvenir” of the war or as a memorial. Around 1868, the larger cabinet card photograph became popular and by 1885, had taken over most of the carte-de-visite’s market.

Walnutts FAQ’s is a series of common questions… and their answers.

Q. Listen. I found this really great item in my barn/attic/great grandmother’s tea cozy. Will you sell it for me? We can split the winnings!

A. Thanks for thinking of us regarding the sale of your items. Unfortunately, we made the decision many years ago that we would only sell items that we own ourselves at our weekly eBay auctions. We have a LARGE backlog of items that we simply do not have the time to list and it just did not seem smart to list consignment items (for which we would get 20%-30% of the final value) rather than items of our own (for which we get 100% of the final value).

Another issue we discussed back then was the fact that we start all of our items at $9.00 and sell with no reserves. It is one thing to lose money on something we own ourselves – is is a whole different story to do that for a consignor!!

Walnutts FAQ’s is a series of common questions… and their answers

Q. I really want this item you are selling, and right now am the highest bidder. Will you consider ending the auction early?

A. We have a strong policy of not ending an auction early if an item has been bid on and never ending an auction early in the first 72 hours of listing. We feel this is the only way to be fair to all potential buyers who have expressed an interest in the item. We can promise you that we will not end this auction early for anyone else, and you will have every opportunity to enter the high bid at the official closing time of the auction.