Shopping Bags

Q: Are printed paper bags from stores that closed really collectible and are they popular? I saw a D H Holmes bag on eBay for $40.

A: Collectors like shopping bags with interesting graphics or from particular stores. Some collectors hang them on the wall like paintings. Paper shopping bags with handles were first made in 1912. Some shopping bags are considered works of art. Over 100 bags were exhibited at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York City in 1978. The museum now owns over 1,000 bags. Bloomingdale’s won awards for its series of shopping bags designed by well-known artists, designers, and architects in the 1980s. You can find vintage shopping bags online and at house sales.