THE PURSUIT OF HISTORY
Building on an educated passion of over three decades, the curators of Vintage Memorabilia buy and sell authentic signed letters, documents, manuscripts, books, photographs, ephemera and other memorabilia of historical or cultural significance. Much of our inventory is exquisitely framed, using only the finest conservation methods and materials, ensuring that with proper care, our memorabilia will remain prized heirlooms for generations.
Quality, Condition, & Returns
We only acquire items that have the highest degrees of authenticity and provenance available, or that can be established by our own experts based on thorough research, comparisons to known exemplars, and collaborating with other reputable authorities in the field, experienced collectors, and museums where applicable. Every item purchased from Vintage Memorabilia is unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine. This guarantee applies to refund of the purchase price, and is without time limit to the original purchaser. A written and signed guarantee to that effect accompanies each item we sell.
All merchandise we offer is described in detail, including accurate condition reports. Paper ephemera—letters, manuscripts, photographs, books, and the like—can be expected to age over time, and on their course through history may pick up a defect or two. If such defects are not specifically noted, buyers are encouraged to inspect the item using the magnification tools provided on our website, which offer closer examination of each item we sell. Any item purchased from us may be returned (in the same condition as received) for a full refund of the original purchase price (excluding shipping costs, unless the error is ours) within seven days of receipt. We do require prior notification by e-mail of your wish to return an item, including the reason for return, after which instructions for our intake process will be provided in reply. Customers are responsible for return postage unless the item you received is materially different than presented in the listing (for example, wrong book or letter shipped, a materially inaccurate description, a damaged item, etc), in which case we will provide for return shipping at our cost.
Selling or Consigning Your Memorabilia
If you are considering selling items from your collection, or find that you have a few pieces lying around you’d like to get more information about, please contact us. We are somewhat selective as to the things we choose to represent (no sports, for example, unless they are singular vintage items), but we do extensive research on each item, writing a compelling story that speaks to its history or relevance to historically notable events and people. We provide the highest quality photography and image scanning to best present your material to our clientele, marketing and promoting our material in the most professional manner designed to reach the broadest audience worldwide. Our pricing reflects the strongest market values, and we offer fair, competitive terms to sellers looking to make the most of their valued collections. Vintage Memorabilia has a solid reputation for reliability, experience, and trust.
A Word About Authenticity
Due to the controversial nature of so-called Certificates of Authenticity—which are often viewed as having questionable authority and generally have no money-back guarantee standing behind them—we are cautious about the opinions of third-party authenticators. Along with a growing number of legitimate dealers, we urge collectors to be wary of authentication services in general, since many of even the most “reputable” have been found to have erred significantly—and without accountability. If any item we sell is declared to be not authentic, we may, in certain cases, ask for the written opinion of one competent authority acceptable to us. We will refund the purchase price after documentation has been established. If we make an honest mistake on any item we sell, we make good on it. It’s as simple as that.
There are sufficient resources available today for most collectors to do their own research—comparing sold examples on reputable auction and dealer sites, investigating scholarly books and other materials on their subject, and generally gathering as much relevant detail as possible about their subject and his or her writing styles and patterns—to determine authenticity to the best of their own ability, and potential buyers are strongly encouraged to do so. Buying from reputable dealers who offer the same iron-clad guarantee we do is your best protection when acquiring autograph memorabilia.
