Vintage Luggage Labels

Mike | | 0 Comments More

I came across what I think is a fantastic little collectibles niche. Vintage luggage labels are a hot collectible on eBay and in general. There is a larger group of collectors who go for old labels in general but like collectors of vintage fruit crate labels, these folks are focused on what they like.

These are the old labels that you might see in images of steamer trunks from back in the day. Sometimes, called baggage labels, these show sometimes just have the name of the destination printed on them, but often, there is an image to go with the name. Many of the old labels from the twenties and thirties feature some wonderful art deco images that may have been borrowed from larger print posters of the time.

Within this collectibles grouping, there is an even more specific niche. Hotels. Many of these vintage and antique labels feature images and names of specific hotels to be found in the destination cities and countries. I would imagine that many of these buildings are now long gone.

Prices for these miniature pieces of artwork commonly are between twenty and thirty dollars, but harder to find labels can go for over one hundred dollars each. Of course you might also find a hidden gem buried in one of the vintage label lots that often get listed. Some people don't want to take the time or effort to make individual listings, so they put everything they have up for sale in one convenient bundle. This is probably the easiest way for people building a collection of old labels to grab a nice deal.

If you are a seller, be sure to keep your eyes open for these at estate sales. You will most likely find them bundled with other assorted ephemera unless the person having the sale is a serious student of collectibles and what sells on eBay. Buy them in bulk if possible.