Antique Collectibles from Amusement Parks

I just got back from an antique show in Canton, OH where I live. I was suprised by all the Memoribilia from local parks that was at the show ( mostly postcards). The thing I noticed most is the prices are getting higher for these items. Here is a list of a few of the things I found and there Prices.

Post Cards: $5 to $50 each

Pins & Buttons: 1992 20th aniversary King's Island Button

Pennants: $15 Cedar Point Pennant from around 1940.

Security Badge: Idlewild Park Badge worn by security officer circa 1960 and one circa 1980. $65 each.

I wanted to purchase those badges but having been unemployed for 6 months I could not justify spending that money. I did find a really nice post card of Idora Park from around 1960 showing the Fry Stand and the Rocketship ride. I remember them well from when I was a kid so I spent $2 and got it.

It was nice to see that much amusement park stuff at the show it is just a shame that it cost so much. Oh well, maybe next time.

There will always be a market among "die hards," for classic mementos.

I wonder if any of the souviners made today would hold any value?

BTW, did you find any vintage park tshirts?

Postcards are the #1 collection of mine, and I absolutely love keeping up with it, after 22 years. I have to say that, from the postcard end of collectibles, they've always been on the pricey end. However, there still are quite a few dealers selling good cheap cards.

After all of those years of collecting, I've gone from buying the cheap, inexpensive cards, where I could buy 10 to 20 cards at a show, to help build up my catalog, to buying the more pricey ones. Now I might get 2, or 3 cards at a show, for the same amount of money, I used to spend on those bulk purchases. Essentially, It became a matter of wanting the best cards, instead a matter of needing as many cards as possible.

Hopman said:
BTW, did you find any vintage park tshirts?

No luck on the vintage shirts. That would be cool though to be able to display them.

It's kind of interesting given the discussion on the other thread to consider the fate of antique collectible into the future. If there is a big decrease in quality in the products being sold, how many will last long enough to be collected as antiques?

There will always be collectibles from the old parks, which is my real interest. Right now, I concentrating on the old seaside piers of Southern Cal.; Redondo, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Venice. I love the old scenic railways that they had. They were such mammoth rides, back then.

As far as relying on what will become antiques, in the future. All I have to say is, keep looking back to the early 1900's. The postcard quality alone these days is subpar, at best.

I can't stand the new form cut cards that Six Flags sells, if you can ever find them. Too many different angles to even think about trying to keep the card from gettng damaged. Even the card stock being used has dropped. I don't mind chrome cards, but the old linen cards were by far the best quality that you will ever find in a postcard.

Coasterphan said:
Too many different angles to even think about trying to keep the card from gettng damaged. Even the card stock being used has dropped. I don't mind chrome cards, but the old linen cards were by far the best quality that you will ever find in a postcard.

Which is exactly the sort of thing Carrie was alluding to.

If I may add a few sites for people to check out(I'll leve off the links.);

Atlantique City March 28 - 29th, 2009 is a great, HUGE!, show. The only downer is the entrance fee, $15 dollars, just to spend money on antiques. Sounds like the way Six Flags does business. ;)

Great Eastern Book, Advertising, and Paper Show, at Allentown Fairgrounds in April, and October(The October date usually falls on Phall Phunfest)

Some postcard sites I usually checkout, to find upcoming postcard shows;

Barrs Postcard News;

Metro Postcard Club(They have 2 big shows, in the Spring, and Fall, at the New Yorker Hotel, in Manhattan.);

Mary L. Martin(This dealer has always been expensive, every time I've dealt with them, but they do have great cards.).

Where can I find some bintage park t-shirts or aperal?

How vintage to you want to go?

I got a sweet Demon Drop shirt from the 80's on ebay, that I never actually wear because it's so old it's thinner than 1-ply TP, but they seem to have some pretty awesome 80's era stuff up there.

Oh, I got a couple of things from the EPCOT opening ceremonies in 1982, too.

::perk::

Is someone offering up EPCOT opening swag?? :)

It's amazing what you can find on Ebay, flea markets, antique shows, or enthusiast events. I am not a huge collector of theme park stuff but if I see something that "grabs" me I will usually buy it. I have a box full of various stuff that may or may not be worth anything. I haven't really looked into it. My biggest thing is park maps, skeeball tickets, and game tokens. My biggest love is a 10th Anniversary Beast poster that I have on the wall. I picked that up at a CoasterCon. I just couldn't resist it! I have a little bit of everything...mostly stuff I got for free. I do love browsing around, though. My stash might be worth something years from now. Who knows. ;)

I didn't realize all my 80's heavy metal/hair band T-shirts were worth anything until I sold them on Ebay. The dude that bought them paid a crapload of money for them. You just never know what people will pay. ;)

-Tina

I collect glassware as well as other items. I have about 200 pieces now that I have picked up from antique shops, garage sales, and thrift stores. Some of the stuff is very cool.

The thing that I have found is that the average person looking for this stuff is not an enthusiast at all but rather someone who collects souvenir glassware.

Here is a portion of my collection:

Along with some more here

Magnum, you've got some cool stuff. What's your oldest piece?

BTW, a CP ash tray? How un-PC. :)

The oldest is likely that large DL plate which I figure is from the mid 60's. however I do have some CP postcards postmarked in the teens. At nearly 100 years old I would say they take the cake.

It's odd the black hole that exists with glassware before the mid 60's, you find absolutely nothing before that. It seems souvenir glassware took off at about that time.

At the show I saw a postcard with a postmark of 1902 from Cedar Point. They were asking $25 for it. I wanted it but couldn't afford it.

I have dozens of CP postcards, many dating to pre-Depression. I also collect postcards from amusement parks in general. Someday I will definitely have to get them online.

Speaking of antiques, has anyone else heard of, the California lady who found a perfectly preserved baseball card, from the Cincinnati Red Stockings. it sold for $75,000+. She never knew it was in possession, and when she went to sell it on ebay, originally posted a price of $10.00.

We should all be so lucky in our antique searching.

Wile E. Coyote;

The most that I've ever paid for a card is $65.00. It's a mint condition image of the Bobsleds from Palisades Park.