Top 8 Vintage Souvenirs That Can Go up in Value

As summer wanes, we are starting to take stock of the souvenirs we’ve accumulated from our getaway trips, albeit ones made a little closer to home than usual this year. Over the years, definite trends have developed on what items find their way into suitcases and find places of honor on bookshelves and in china cabinets. Here are our top 8 vintage souvenirs that can go up in value.  

No. 1: Clothing, including T-shirts, scarves and hats. There is something comforting about slipping on the T-shirt you bought just as you were leaving your last beach vacation, or the one you grabbed in the airport as your trip-of-a-lifetime was coming to an end.  To see value in the future, you will have to keep it long enough and in good condition.  Look for clothing that has unique graphics, a unique style or dated maps.

Silk souvenir scarf, map of California in red, white, yellow, blue and green, 1950s, $45. Photo: Ruby Lane

 

No. 2: Ticket stubs from theme parks, museums or special exhibits, history-making events or popular places.  For the highest prices, tickets have to be in good condition and complete.

Child’s unused ticket book from the vacation mecca, Disneyland, 1960, $4,313. Photo: Van Eaton Galleries

 

No. 3: Mugs (coffee or tea). Most of us don’t have any more room in our cupboards thanks to dozens of mugs collected over the years. They are a nice daily reminder of fun times.  Anything from an old World’s Fair with the emblems or the date is valuable. 

Set of ceramic mugs from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, both made in Germany and read “Souvenir World’s Greatest Fair St. Louis 1904.” One is  decorated with flowers, the other with script honoring women, $188.  Photo: Hindman Auctions

 

No. 4: Spoons, spoons and more spoons. The first U.S. souvenir spoon was made by M.W. Galt Bro & Co. in 1889. These are usually made in the country or state pictured on the spoon. English coronations, royal weddings and World’s Fair souvenirs are the most popular.

Lot of enamel-decorated silver souvenir spoons, late 19th to early 20th century, including one with pierced handle and enamel-painted decoration on bowl depicting two young women in ethnic attire and lettered “Mexico,” and one with a twisted handle ending in a Jerusalem Cross finial, $240.  Photo:  Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates

 

No. 5: Posters. Vintage posters of your favorite cities, states or events (fairs, carnivals, etc.) can be true pieces of art. Frame it and put in a favorite room and you will smile at memories every time you walk in. If you pick the right subject and wait long enough, sometimes it turns out to be worth a lot more than you paid. Favorites include trains, airplanes, skiing, golf and work by important artists. 

Travel poster, California This Summer / Travel by Train, chic woman in Southern California landscape, Newman-Monroe Co., Chicago, c.1933, $10,000.  Photo:  Swann Auction Galleries

 

No. 6: Big events, unique souvenirs. Momentous experiences such as attending inaugurations or watching royal weddings from afar can be the source of truly different souvenirs — such as auctioned pieces of cake from royal weddings. Think out of the (cake) box when searching for the perfect souvenir! 

A boxed piece of Royal wedding cake from the 2011 marriage of Prince William (1982- ) and Kate Middleton (1982- ) with the printed compliments card from The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, $2,997.   Photo:  PFC Auctions

 

No. 7: Postcards.  A postcard allows you to remember the sites of a trip. The earliest picture postcards mailed in the United States were probably the souvenir cards sold at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Look for recognizable landmarks or events. You can date the postcards by the changes in the landmarks.  Collectors want how things looked before they got there. 

Postcard, fishing at Laguna Beach, Florida. Vintage postcards are inexpensive and fun ways to preserve memories of treasured vacations, including fishing in Florida.  

 

No. 8: Shot glasses / souvenir glasses. Put these souvenirs on the shelf right next to your Disney coffee mug as reminders of good times. One of the best examples of this phenomenon is a tradition associated with the annual Kentucky Derby. Every year since 1939, a glass is produced in limited quantity with a specific design intended to be used to enjoy your Mint Julep on Derby Day. Kentucky Derby glass collectors want to collect the annual glass to have a complete set.  Souvenir glass collectors usually collect glasses from one event such as Mardi Gras, the Olympics, horse races, golf tournaments, World Series or other important annual events. 

1956 Kentucky Derby glass with a headless jockey in the one star, rare, $1,560. Photo: Cowan’s Auctions

 

For more information, explore our identification guides for souvenir spoons, prints, textiles, glass, tile, and American, Asian, British, and European pottery and porcelain.