There is no hotter field of collecting today than ephemera. Ephemera are those odds and ends, by definition, things that were only meant to be used for a short time. Posters, letters, greeting cards, programs, schoolwork, baseball cards are examples. Miriam Webster defines it as “something of no lasting significance.”
How wrong they are! Yesterday's trash is today's treasures. On March 15-16, collectors will be gathering in Greenwich, Connecticut, to teach the lexicographers a lesson about ephemera. They will be viewing and buying ephemeral material valued anywhere from $10 to millions of dollars. If you think millions is absurd, a Mickey Mantle baseball card recently sold for $12 million. You could buy two Shakespeare First Folios for that. The age of ephemera has arrived, and it's not too late to join the party.
The Ephemera Society of America will be holding its 45th annual ESA Ephemera Fair. It will be held Saturday, March 15 – Sunday, March 16. The location is the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich Connecticut. It is timed to coincide with the ESA's annual meeting, held the night before. Its theme is “Invention and Innovation.”
The ESA announced that the “Ephemera Fair will feature over 10,000 items, including advertisements, baseball cards, rare maps, playbills, banknotes, sheet music, luggage tags, wood engravings, and more—spanning centuries of history and culture. With prices ranging from $10 for entry-level collectors to multi-million-dollar rarities, the fair caters to everyone from casual enthusiasts to seasoned experts.”
Michael Peich, Vice President of The Ephemera Society, added, “We’re thrilled to kick off Ephemera 45. This year’s fair offers something for everyone, blending a mix of longtime returning dealers and exciting newcomers. Our 45th annual conference, themed ‘Invention and Innovation,’ provides a unique opportunity to delve into the profound impact of ephemera on our day-to-day lives and offers an excellent introduction to ESA membership.”
The largest ephemera fair in America, the ESA event will feature over 60 exhibitors from all over the U. S., from Maine to Washington State. After forty-plus years, this is the premier event for those who collect those unusual, rare if not unique, items that constitute the category known as “ephemera.”
Hours are:
Saturday March 15 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday March 16 – 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The price of a single day admission is $12 online, $15 at the door. Students with a valid ID (at the door) enter free. Free for children 16 and under.
To order tickets in advance, click here.
Here is a list of exhibitors.
aGatherin'
Antipodean Books, Maps & Prints
Archway Books
Art Groten's Attic
Bartleby's Books
Between The Covers Rare Books
Bluemango Books and Manuscripts
Boston 2026 World Expo
Brooklyn Rare Books
Cardtique
Carol Mobley
Commonwealth Books, Inc.
Cultural Images
David Bergman
David Cohn
David Thompson Antiques & Art
DeWolfe & Wood Rare Books
Eclectibles
Erin Waters Fine Photographs
Everything is a Primary Source
Evie Eysenburg Ephemera
Evolving Lens Bookseller
Frank Reilly Antiques
gallerybfa
Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, LLC
George P. Sutton Rare Books
Gilann Books
Haec City / Also Books
High Ridge Books, Inc.
House of Mirth Photos
James Arsenault & Company
James L. Kochan
Janet West
John Bale Books LLC
Johnnycake Books
Kuenzig Books
Kurt A. Sanftleben
L & T Respess Books
Locus Solus Rare Books
Mare Booksellers
NCC Antiques
Neverbird Antiques
Original Antique Maps by Carol J. Spack
Passionate About Postcards / The Postcard Dude
Peek-a-Book Rare Books
Peter Luke Americana
Philip Mead LLC
Rabelais Inc.
Resnick Paper Americana
Resser-Thorner Americana
Rivermill Books
Robert Langmuir
Robinson Murray, Bookseller
Spencer Fine Books
Stan Gorski, Books & Ephemera
Steven Schuyler Bookseller
Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc.
Ten Pound Island Book Company
The Old Print Shop, Inc.
The Picking Fields
Trevian Books
University Archives
White Fox Rare Books and Antiques
Wm. Hutchison
Zephyr Used & Rare Books
