Definition of EphemeraA collectible that was originally designed with a short lifespan.
Due to their non-durable design, collecting ephemera requires special preservation and storage techniques. Overtime, these items can quickly become relatively rare, particularly ephemera that are in perfect condition. The following are common examples of ephemera.
Album Covers | Annual Reports |
Art Prints | Artist's Sketchbooks |
Autographs | Badges |
Banners | Blueprints |
Brochures | Bumper Stickers |
Business Cards | Calendars |
Cardboard Coasters | Catalogs |
Certificates | Clippings |
Comics | Coupons |
Diaries | Envelopes |
Event Programs | Family Bibles |
Family Trees | Flyers |
Greeting Cards | Guestbooks |
Handbills | Illustrations |
Invitations | Journals |
Labels | Leaflets |
Lobby Cards | Lookbooks |
Magazines | Manga |
Manuscripts | Maps |
Matchbooks | Meeting Materials |
Membership Cards | Menus |
Newsletters | Newspapers |
Notebooks | Notes |
Pamphlets | Personal Letters |
Photographs | Postcards |
Posters | Press Releases |
Product Packaging | Programs |
Propaganda | Raffle Tickets |
Ration Books | Receipts |
Schedules | Scrapbooks |
Screenplay Copies | Sheet Music |
Sports Programs | Stickers |
Stock Certificates | Tickets |
Trading Cards | Vinyl Record Sleeves |
Yearbooks | Zines |
Types of Ephemera
A passion for collecting ephemera often stems from an underlying interest. For example, fans of sports, movies, music and other pop culture who collect related memorabilia. Collecting ephemera can also relate to an interest in history and in discovering and preserving artifacts of the past. It is also common for people to collect everyday paper things such as matchbooks, perhaps out of a sense that these all have unique designs that go unnoticed and unappreciated. The following are common types of ephemera.
Provenance
Provenance is the history of each item of ephemera. This helps to establish authenticity and the story behind each item. Provenance is relevant to the value and general seriousness of a collection. The following are examples of how provenance is established.- Notes regarding the purchase or other acquisition.
- Receipts, invoices and correspondence related to the purchase.
- Information about previous owners.
- Information about previous sales of the item.
- Documents that detail the history of the item.
- Letters, notes and certificates from prior owners.
- Written appraisals or authenticity certificates from reputable sources.
- External sources that note the item such as an autobiography that mentions a copy of a script.
Counterexamples
Some types of paper collectible aren't viewed as ephemera because they are viewed as their own domain. The following are notable examples of collecting pursuits that are viewed as separate from ephemera, even when dealing with paper artifacts.Philately | The collection of postage stamps and related materials. |
Numismatics | The collection of coins and paper money. |
Antiquarianism | The collection of rare books and manuscripts. |
Cinemabilia | The collection of movie memorabilia including paper items such as scripts and promotional materials. |
Cartophily | The collection of trading cards, including sports cards. |
Art Collecting | Collecting fine art such as paintings is not viewed as ephemera. |
Summary
Ephemera is the collecting of paper things, particularly paper things that were never meant to be collectibles. This can include the collection of old paper things that qualify as antiques. There are some notable examples of paper things that technically aren't considered ephemera such as books, stamps and paper currency.