Interested in collecting ephemera? Finding it is easy. Knowing about what you’re looking for is key if you don’t want to be ripped off. See “Ephemera Explorer” to explore what you currently have to start your collection.
Steps
1. Purchase.
Ephemera is big business. From mixed media artists to scrapbookers, you can find ephemera available on CDs, as printed sheets or as digital images. Find a few companies who sell ephemera to see the variety that is available. You can also check out eBay for people selling originals.
2. Copyright.
The company that is selling ephemera may not have rights to the items. Manipulations done to it, which results in a new product, may be protected. If you purchase ephemera, make sure you are aware of how you are allowed to use, distribute and / or sell not only the ephemera itself but any items you create with the ephemera. If you own the ephemera, you can use it any way you wish as long as the copyright to the piece itself has expired.
NOTE: I am not a copyright attorney. If you have a piece that’s in question, you’ll need to not use it or consult one.
3. Public domain.
Much of what you’ll find online is in the public domain . . . or free to use anyway you wish. However, some companies take public domain content and charge for it, depending on the ignorance of the purchaser. To learn more about the public domain, check out the Enrichment Project badge set based on public domain content.
Finding Ephemera — Free
4. Yours.
You are constantly being bombarded with ephemera that you can repurpose (recycle) into art. See the “Items to Collect” supplement for possible items to collect and use. Add any ideas you have to the list and share with others.
5. Friends and family.
Many people save small mementos as reminders of their lives. Ask friends and family if they have small items they’d be willing to part with. You may want to limit your requests to your collection(s) as you may end up with more than you bargained for.
6. Flickr.
Flickr membership is free. You may need to join groups to get shared images. Make sure you load the image and download the highest resolution you can. If you plan on printing it out, the greater resolution will give you a larger image before bitmapping makes it unreadable. Even if you don’t think you’re going to print it out, it is better to spend the time now to get a better resolution image than fight later.
After you’ve downloaded and sorted some files, experiment with making a PDF or JPG contact sheet. A contact sheet places small images with the filenames in a grid on a page. This will allow you to browse your images faster.
7. Library of Congress.
www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html
The Library of Congress has a digital collection of Americana. Check out their items and see if anything appeals to you. You might even recognize a few pieces.
Finding Ephemera — Pay
8. Local.
You can get ephemera from any of these places — flea market / garage sale / yard sale / auction. The prices will vary depending on the quality, seller, etc. While it may cost, this is generally less costly than purchasing ephemera online. You will also have the physical pieces, so you can control the digital quality if you choose to digitize your items. Try digitizing by photographing or scanning your items. Clean up watermarks, scratches, and other non-original markings.
9. eBay.
eBay and other online auctions not only tend to cost more than locally acquired ephemera, but you also have to pay shipping. You cannot see exactly what you are purchasing until it arrives at your door and you are dependent on the honesty of the seller. Explore online ephemera sellers.
10. Dover.
Dover Publications sells printed and digitized ephemera. If you are purchasing ephemera, their offerings are some of the most affordable and diverse. Dover does offer free weekly samples of their publications so you can get lower resolution versions. Review their offerings. You may notice that other companies use their images to resell as their own.
NOTE: Dover also has strict usage requirements noted with their ephemera. Be sure to read and understand what you can do with the ephemera they provide.
11. What else?
What other resources can you find? Do you have local historians or a section in your local library that you can utilize? Do local museums provide samplings online or in their gift shops? Is there a local ephemera group that will share with you? Share what you find.
Badge and Supplement Files
Member Level
- EP_Badge List_EphemeraF_larajla — list of badge items
- EP_Badge Set_EphemeraF_larajla — list of badge set and related badges
- EP_Supp_List_EphemeraF_larajla — list of supplements for the badge
- SUPP_BPG_EphemeraF_2in_12up_larajla — generic badge printable
- SUPP_EphemeraF_Journal_larajla — badge journal
- SUPP_EphemeraF_Planner_larajla — badge planner
Supplement Fun
- N/A
Sites to Explore
- www.vintageglamstudio.com/2013/01/31/5-great-sites-for-free-vintage-ephemera-and-downloadable-images
- compassandink.com/where-to-find-junk-journal-ephemera-and-printables-for-free
- ebay.com
- www.youthedesigner.com/2007/10/25/starting-a-free-ephemera-collection
- www.ephemeranet.com/index.html
- www.ephemerasociety.org/index.html
- www.squidoo.com/victorianephemra
- justsomethingimade.com
- www.mixedmediaart.net/mixed-media-materials/vintage-ephemera
- www.swap-bot.com
Get the infographic here > larajla blog post
Get the PDFs of the badge program / supplements here