Vintage Paper Fair Showcases Memorabilia

A two day vintage paper fair started Sat, Nov. 18 in Concord when 40 dealers decided to open part of their collection to a crowd of 200 who had visited by noon.

It can be a personal or casual experience to browse through the past.

What if you saw a postcard of your grandma’s house or the summer cabin you spent your childhood vacations in, inside of a stranger's archival shoebox?

Such could be the dramatic experience of coming to any vintage paper fair and turning one into avid historian like 74-year-old Darlene Thorne, from Cupertino. “I saw my own house in a SF fair postcards.” It was the strangest photo with people standing at the root of a tree. “What on earth, I thought.” But turning it around stopped her quizzing herself.

Darlene started making PowerPoint presentations of her material to retirement homes, libraries and conferences on Suffrage, Halloween and 100 years of Santa Clara Valley.

“I don’t want to write a book - that is so set.” Her hobby and research makes history fluid for her. “What good is it if we only know what happened before and not what came out of it?” For example, the train depot at San Jose, is where plans for hub and bullet train are on.

Ron Vaumhover, 59, retired teacher bought three postcards for $6 for his friend who makes screen savers and greeting cards from the vintage finds. “I just liked these and picked them.”

Whereas Craig A. Morris was on a targeted schedule to get Pan Am memorabilia and was happy to find it. “My dad was a TWA pilot and I have collected 65 Pan Am flight schedules.”

37-year-old Graphic designer Santiago Giraldo spent a $150 on ‘inspiring old engravings.’

George Juilly, 76, Novato was exhibiting his grandparents’ cabin in Cazadero, near Russian River in the 1930s.  A humble folder in his hand documented each postcard he got, traded or sold over the years.

You can find anything here: Beatles poster with yellow submarine, postcards from around the world showcasing Indian goddesses, a street of Pune, India on topics as diverse as clocks, clowns, greeting cards on Valentine’s day, Halloween, Thanksgiving.

EBay, estate sales and thrift stores are some of the sources that change hands and appear at fairs like this one for common man’s perusal.

Just as diverse as the stock were its owners. While most were happy to find customers, one like Dan A was content to not sell at all. “I like keeping my stuff,” he said pointing to a poster showing Roman monks, priced at $500.

Filex Zekhster asked, "Do you have any Jewish or Russian?"

Ed Herny, president of postcard club and dealer of vintage paper collectibles pointed to the box.  

Michelle and Hal Lutsky are the show promoters and love collecting.

Collectors are so interesting, Michelle said while pointing to the husband and wife pair, Janet and Lew Baer.  While goats inspired Lew, tea inspired Janet.

The Baers moved to Sonoma County to join the 1970 dairy goat movement. He started collecting when one of the members of the dairy club sent a postcard from South America with a goat on it.  “I thought I will get a little album on goats. I have more than 10,000s!”

Lew says his house looks like Imelda Marcos lived there. His favorite themes are Superman and Sherlock Holmes.  

Lew is a newsletter editor of the Postcard group and sends ‘pot cards’ to his friend who grows marijuana.  

Collecting postcards is fun and participatory unlike stamps where you need more details to group them, he said laughing with his collector friends at the table.

Lew purchased few postcards at the fair. One of his postcards showed a 1930’s Russian church in a snow-white landscape.  “I love the mystique, romance of the past.” Another was a 1906 postcard with a dividing line at the back for address and writing.

Michael Fairley, a Seattle based dealer was busy selling photos and postcards, some of which were holiday specific, colorful and lively.

Another dealer Sal Dichiera from San Mateo had large posters of Beatles and yellow submarine and memorabilia for sale. “I always see people buy and like the stuff they are familiar with from their past.”

Something as little as a sticker could have a past too. Teresa Castle, 43, owner and designer of Violette Stickers said she wants to leave her mark on them. “Why should they be cheap and ugly?” Her stickers are reproduced from vintage artwork.  She scans and says she kiss-cuts stickers, a form of die cutting that looks better and follows the shape such as the kitten ears instead of just one block.

Jason Vancil, 43, who likes to draw and works with Castle bemoaned the lack of pencil drawings like the olden time. “The industry is pushing for commercially viable digital artwork.”

A piece of art here can cost from $1 to a $400. For some, it is priceless and ageless. Vintage or Won't age is on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5298 Clayton Rd. for the last time in Concord.

It moves to Walnut Creek next year.