By
eHow Culture & Society Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Build a Vintage Political Cartoon Collection
Step1
Keep an eye out for estate sales held for deceased political cartoonists and politicians. These sales typically feature first edition prints and rarities unavailable in regular auctions. Seek out an estate sale with a good selection that uses some of the proceeds for charity.
Step2
Seek retiring college professors who have an interest and specialty in political cartoons. You can review university websites for details on upcoming retirements and find contact information. Many professors try to sell cartoons, books and other items to lighten their loads when they leave the university.
Step3
Search online auction websites to locate collections of political cartoons on sale. These websites offer the broadest range of vintage cartoons on the market. As a new collector, make sure you request appraisal forms or authenticating documents from online sellers.
Step4
Sift through boxes of political magazines and newspapers at rummage sales. This type of search may not yield a high number of cartoons but you can usually find interesting cartoons that may grow in value at a low sticker price.
Step5
Store each of your political cartoons in separate mylar bags as they begin to collect in your home. Mylar bags are commonly used on vintage comic books to protect delicate paper from dust and debris. This storage method is absolutely necessary for cartoons prior to World War II because of the low paper weight used.
Step6
Utilize cotton gloves to handle political cartoons. As you collect a variety of items older than 50 years old, you will notice that the paper edges fray easily. Grab cartoons by the top edge between your index finger and thumb to avoid excessive tension on the corners.
Step7
Work with professional appraisal services that specialize in art and cartoons. You can contact specialty firms like Comic Art Appraisal to help you determine the value and quality of your vintage political cartoon collection (see Resources below).