What is the biggest challenge you face as an ephemera collector? Recently, I asked the 80+ members of my Facebook Ephemera Group that question, and here are some of their replies:
Robert Richardson (Ottawa, ON) wrote: . . . the disappointment in finding paper items that are too far gone in condition, valuable material that is moldy or water damaged or ink marks & so on, I tend to try salvaging illustrations from old books that are incomplete or beyond repair, otherwise collectors in general are still faced with knowing that a lot of what might be considered paper treasures have been thoughtlessly destroyed, I have heard of that happening in estate sales, everything for sale but boxes & trunks of letters, newspapers, posters & more had been discarded.
Sean McLachlan (Spain) wrote: MONEY. As a freelance writer, don't have a lot of it. Plus I have a kid, so it's hard to justify any major expense on collectibles. On the other hand, you can find lots of fascinating items for very little money. A poor man's collection can be just as interesting as a rich man's one!
Valerie Mungia wrote: Storing it. Even small objects add up. I have a difficult time keeping my collections organized. I agree with Robert Richardson. I cringe to think of what is being lost to us every day.
Ann Klepka (North Jersey, NJ) wrote: Finding a tasteful way to display it - seems a waste to have it stored, never seeing the light of day.
Susannah Low (Australia) wrote: Everything everyone else has said :) Storing it, displaying it and getting to it before someone throws it out! With photographs my biggest challenge at the moment is finding time to scan them (the only way I can 'make a backup' and preserve the content that may eventually fade away forever.) As an aside: I actually like the water damage and ink marks on some items...but I collect for different reasons....I get a lot of value out of scanning a nice bit of foxing or a good authentic ink splatter. I often collect for content rather than quality.
So, what is your biggest frustration or challenge as a collector? Either post your comment here or join the Ephemera Group on Facebook and reply to the ongoing thread there.
