How to Buy Pin-up Memorabilia

Pin-up girls can be found on everything from shot glasses to women’s panties to water glasses where their tops slowly fade off in reaction to cold liquid. There are even pin-up girl lunch boxes. Some of the memorabilia is a few decades old while others are brand new reproductions. Here are few guidelines for starting your pin-up girl memorabilia collection.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Define your taste before making your first investment. Do you you want to collect the old stuff or the new reproductions? Are you interested in pin-up models from a bygone era or the tattooed hotties of today? Is there a particular item, like flip-top lighters, that you would like to collect? Or do you just want to buy what’s cool?
2. Define your niche. Is there a particular artist whose work keeps popping out at you? Have you found the ultimate model whose images incite you? Are you a hardcore Bettie Page fan or have you taken up with Bernie Dexter? Your time will be used best if you know what you’re hunting for.
3. Decide on your budget. How much money do you have to spend on memorabilia? There is so much cool pin-up memorabilia out there that it’s easy to overspend. Therefore, give yourself healthy boundaries by determining what your budget is before shopping.
4. Research the market. If you are looking for antiques, it’s important to get an idea of where the memorabilia market is standing today. This can help prevent paying too much for a piece, as well as identifying a steal. Be sure you know how to identify the difference between an original and replication. For casual shoppers, it’s always a good to comparison shop--especially if dealing with online vendors. Use competition of several dealers to your advantage.
5. Know where to search. There are a lot of different vendors who specialize in pin-up memorabilia. Ebay is a great source for all that is pin-up. Heritage Auction Art Gallery also provides a wide online selection. An internet search of “pin-up memorabilia” brings up a host of vendors. A good way to find private collectors is by searching under a particular artist, photographer or model. Don’t forget flea markets, garage sales and antique stores.
6. Find a price. The online auctions have their own etiquette, whereas most private collectors are expecting to negotiate price. Reproduction vendors usually have a set price on their websites or in their retail outlets. Be sure to have your research done before committing to any price tag. Overpaying is just never any fun (unless you can really, really afford it).