Is this type of memorabilia worth donating and where?

[Robert G. Smits]

I have a box of well over 100 sheets of receipts, business letters and order forms from the 1870’s to the 1930’s that I hate to send to recycle. Any ideas appreciated 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by Robert G. Smits
Spelling (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

I'd buy them if the total on the lot is affordable. 

[rocketraider]

Any local historical society will appreciate stuff that applies to their particular location. Getting it to them will be the trick.

[Borough Essex]

I wonder if the Badger Body Manufacturing Company got their $14.33??????? The suggestion re local historical societies is a good one; libraries in the same area would also have someone who curates local history items who will help them find a good home.

[rocketraider]

The letter is dated 2 months before the 1929 Crash. Maybe they got paid.

 

A bigger question is whether the Badger Company survived the Great Depression. That's why stuff like this is important to save. It documents that a business did in fact exist.

[60FlatTop]

Recipients have taught me to sell items I would like to pass along. I can't think of a donation I have made that was of value to the new owner. Libraries and museums generally put donations in their fund raising sales.

If you sell something at least it has enough value for the purchaser to reach in their pocket and pay. Gifts have zero value and are generally treated as such. My experiences range from books to cars.

 

We had a local vendor on Ebay who specializes in collectible paper. If you look at his huge store (https://www.ebay.com/str/papergoy  ) you will see he dates the year of the listing in the odd cents of the listing price. It is interesting how long some have been awaiting a buyer.

 

In the interest of your item think about selling. It gives them value.

[Robert G. Smits]

Thank you to all who replied.  I find items like this a snap shot of the past.  You can only imagine what it would cost to ship a truck body back to the factory today.

[JFranklin]

Do you have a price you would like for these historical papers?

[John_S_in_Penna]

There are book and paper fairs, where such items

are routinely available.  (For example, there is one

in Allentown, Pa. 2 or 3 times a year.)

 

A price of $1 each would be plenty, I feel.

[TAKerry]

I love reading those kinds of things, they offer an insight to the past. Can be highly valuable to someone doing research if the right letter exists, but I would second the dollar a piece. I like reading them, but have no desire to have a box full of paper in the house. I may be wrong (I usually am) but I feel that the time we live in now will be a blank spot in the future. Everything is written and photographed electronically. Nothing in paper at all like was done years ago.

[Bhigdog]

7 hours ago, Robert G. Smits said:

You can only imagine what it would cost to ship a truck body back to the factory today.

A better question might be did Fuhs Bottling Works ever pay the bill..........Bob

[nearchoclatetown]

Why not donate it to the AACA library so anyone in the world would have access to it?

[Robert G. Smits]

1 hour ago, nearchoclatetown said:

Why not donate it to the AACA library so anyone in the world would have access to it?

Probably 1/3 is not auto related and I doubt the AACA would be interested but I will contact them.

[Jon37]

Whether or not the company recovered its $14.33, it survived and is still making bodies at 6336 Grover Street, Omaha, Nebraska!

 

https://www.badgerbody.com/

 

https://northomahahistory.com/2017/12/15/a-history-of-the-badger-body-and-truck-equipment-company-in-north-omaha/

[8E45E]

The American Truck Historical Society will no doubt be interested in the truck items, including the Badger Body letter at the top.  They like anything to do with the larger trucks, including aftermarket body supplies, etc.

 

Craig

[Paul Dobbin]

That kind of stuff is what makes local Historical Societies valuable for local history.

[Frank DuVal]

Literature has been put in other forms for years. Remember doing research in a library and using Microfilm? Or looking at manufacturer’s literature on Microfiche?

Now where did l put that microfilm machine so I can read the May 1, 1935 Richmond Times Dispatch?😂

 

[rocketraider]

Last microfilm reader I used was 20-plus years ago when I was researching a great-uncle's 1961 murder at the local library. IDK if that library even still has the reader.

 

With luck a lot of that old documentation has been scanned and is now available online. But the first thing is to have documentation like the OP's to scan. That's why it needs to be saved if possible.