The first thing Ralph and I bought for our first house was not a table or chair, but a lithographed tin sign picturing a girl, a St. Bernard and the words, “To School Well Fed On Grape-Nuts, There’s a Reason.” That started our collection of food advertising, which later expanded to all sorts of advertising. We eventually collected everything from small trade cards and old labeled tin cans to counters and coffee grinders and store bins—displayed together as a replica of a country store.

So when I was asked to be keynote speaker at the National AAAA (Antique Advertising Association of America) convention in Columbus, Ohio, I thought about all the fun I would have—the room-hopping, displays, contests, auction and trading that would accompany the convention’s regular events—and I decided to go. The convention was held in a “suite” hotel, so every collector’s room included a living room. By the end of the first day, each living room (and sometimes the bedroom) was filled with advertising signs and boxes for sale. I met many old friends, writers, collectors, auctioneers, dealers and even a few relatives. All of them understand the design quality, historic importance, lifestyle record, and joy of collecting everyday “art.”

Day 1: Unpacked, registered for the convention, got my name tag and introduced myself to anyone else with a tag. At dinner we swapped stories of great buys. That evening’s lecture was titled “Buying and Selling on the Internet.” Tips I learned: Don’t overprice items—it scares away bidders. Watch international money values. File your tax returns properly, including profits and costs like shipping and travel expenses. Don’t forget that your shipping costs include postage, handling and insurance. Learn packaging rules and what’s uninsurable when sent by the post office or another shipping company. The speaker said he likes to pack with Styrofoam cut to size from large sheets. When doing research, use several different search engines, like Google, Yahoo and Bing. Change search words and their order, and search again. He doesn’t use a reserve. He likes AuctionZip to find local sales, iCollector to buy and Pinterest for information that might lead to buying or selling.

After the lecture, I searched for display rooms but could only admire the collectibles in the windows of locked suites. I spotted a familiar set of five Circus Club Mallows tins (one is pictured) marked “Harry Horne, Toronto, Canada.” There are six in a complete set, and as candy containers they are “crossover” collectibles wanted by both candy container and advertising buyers.

Day 2: Buffet breakfast with new tag friends and some old friends, collectors, dealers and auctioneers. While room-hopping, I spotted a Moxie sign (pictured) the dealer told me was a “marriage.” Someone had taken a large vintage cutout of three women holding a fan and added the word Moxie. Because it’s framed and the paper sign is under glass, it’s tough to spot the fake.

I admired an Ovaltine sign (pictured). It was an over-the-sofa size and looked like an oil painting. The woman featured in the ad has a 1920s hairdo that suggests the age of the sign. Even larger, about 4 feet high, was a sign leaning against a wall. It showed a woman on horseback holding a tobacco package above her head. Nice, but I’ve already run out of wall space. I mentioned the sign in my talk to the convention after lunch and heard later that two men raced to the room to buy the sign. They bid over the asking price and it sold for hundreds of dollars. One of the bidders said he only buys signs that show people holding the advertised product. Picking a special subject is a way to set a limit to your buying. Our collection was originally limited to food products but we didn’t stick to it. Side groups of “smoking chimney” factory pictures and tobacco ads have found their way onto our walls.

Small tins were in most rooms. There were collections of talcum powder tins, baking powder containers, and tins for typewriter ribbons, condoms and phonograph needles (pictured). You could buy one tin or all of them, and prices were reasonable.

…continued next month