TIPS ON COLLECTING OLD COUNTRY AND GENERAL STORE ITEMS

Collecting items from old general stores and country stores of the past can be a fascinating pastime. It's a guaranteed trip down memory lane whether you remember a special store from your childhood, have visited any of them on your travels across America, or only know of them from watching the goings-on at the Oleson Mercantile on the old TV series Little House on the Prairie.

These stores served as the center of trade for those who lived in rural areas from the mid-1800's until the 1930s. You can read more about the history of general stores here.

Those crowded, dusty old stores of long ago offer a wide variety of items that are collectible today. Some people collect only certain items from general stores, while others seek to replicate a store in its entirety. It's possible to build some type of general store-related collection on any budget.

The collectible items from general stores can be broken down into several categories:

PHOTOS

This category includes original photos and real photo postcards that show exterior and interior views of the stores. In many cases the RPPCs will show the name of the store or the location. Sometimes people are shown in the views. These photos are more easily found than one might imagine. They are popular because they're an exact representation of how the stores and the merchandise inside appeared.

PAPER ITEMS - EPHEMERA

There are a plethora of old paper items to be found: linen and other color postcards, billheads from suppliers, letterhead stationery, correspondence, store ledgers, receipts, ink blotters and small customer account books. There was a lot of paper involved in the running of a general store and amazingly enough, there is still a lot of it around.

STORE ADVERTISING

diecut trade card Country stores had a lot of merchandise for sale and product manufacturers and wholesalers were happy to provide plenty of advertising for the storekeepers to display in their store or to be used as customer giveaways. The proprietors often received things for themselves as incentives to sell the goods. Trade cards, calendars, celluloid novelties such as pocket mirrors, match safes and pin holders, pinback buttons, advertising posters, needles, postcards, pencils, auction posters, signs and paperweights advertised a variety of products.

APOTHECARY ITEMS

old medicine tin The apothecary section of the general store was filled with a large number of patent medicines and other remedies that customers looked to for relief and cure of their aches and pains. Customers, distrustful of what few doctors there were in the rural areas, were happy to believe whatever the medicine makers and canny advertising men came up with in order to convince them to purchase their products. This is often referred to as quackery medicine. Perfumes, soaps and toiletry items were also found in this section. Items that are collectible in this area are medicine bottles, pill tins, packaging boxes, soap packages, toilet water and cologne bottles, almanacs and booklets.

TOBACCO ITEMS

old tobacco tin Tobacco products were another store item that were very popular with the store customers. Cigar smoking increased after the Civil War and farmers, homesteaders and cattlemen found chewing tobacco to be convenient. Cigarette sales abounded as well. There were many, many different brands of tobacco produced during this period. Popular collectibles in this category are tobacco tins, cigar boxes and labels, advertising posters, cigar cutters, lighters, tobacco premiums, tobacco or cigarette cards, tobacco silks and tobacco sacks or cloth bags. There were so many different brands that every once in a while someone still turns up a rare tobacco tin.

TIN, WOODEN, AND OTHER CONTAINERS

Coffee, spices, shoe polish, crackers, tea, syrup, peanut butter, fruit and many other food and sundry products were packaged in bright colored tin containers with beautiful lithographed illustrations. These may be the most popular general store collectible of all. Paper containers were used quite a bit for items such as oats, candy, gum, crackers, soap, thread, remedies and a variety of other items. Not as much paper packaging survived the years as did tin or wooden containers. Wooden boxes can still be found that once held coffee beans, oatmeal, canned goods, biscuits, soap, thread and much more, all showing the brands of the products and sometimes quite lovely stenciled letters and illustrations. Wooden barrels that held flour, hardware and other bulk items are more scarce than other containers, but are still found.

GENERAL STORE FIXTURES

Early general stores had few fancy store fixtures but that changed in the 1870s. Almost anything that a merchant might desire from special display cases to ornate cash registers were being manufactured. Most stores needed a coffee grinder, scales, a clock, a cash register, a stove, and perhaps a cheese cutter. Many storekeepers had a desk to work at. Large, beautiful counters, bins, and display cases made of oak and/or glass were common.

Smaller wood and glass displays were offered by manufacturers to display such items as watches, thread, dyes, collars, candy, needles, ribbons and gum. Other display items included hat stands, candy jars and containers, mannequins and cabinets for remedies and veterinary medicines. These items are wonderful for displaying their original items or for a display of any favored collectible.

There are many different kinds of antique general store items still found today that might fit into your antique shop or home.

GENERAL STORE COLLECTIBLES PRICING

General store collectibles are currently quite sought after, particularly those items such as tins and store fixtures.

Many factors influence the prices of any collectible: demand, geographic location, condition, rarity or scarcity, desire by the buyer and economic conditions. You can learn more about average pricing for these types of collectibles by studying auctions, prices in antique shops or at antique and collectible shows, and by reading price and identification guides. Familiarizing yourself with what is rare and what is common is very helpful. There is no such thing as a standard price because of all the variables involved, but after studying about the particular things you are interested in, you can get a good feel for what prices collectibles in this area are bringing.

YOUR COLLECTION

Decide which area you are interested in collecting, taking into consideration your budget, the space needed for storing or displaying your collection and your available sources for finding items to add to your collection.

Learn all you can about what you are interested in by reading books, attending auctions and talking to other collectors as well as to antique dealers.

There are many reproduction items available in the general store collectibles area. It is as important to learn about the reproductions as it is about the originals so that you can tell the difference between the two.

Items may be found piecemeal in shops, flea markets, auctions, or online. Occasionally auctions are held where general store collectors are disposing of their entire collection at one time. These auctions offer a good opportunity to learn as well as to buy.