I am fascinated with advertising history. I especially like old magazine ads, as they are very accurate representations not only of advertising technique from various eras but also offer great cultural insights. That said, I'm not sure I like them enough to want to spend money to buy and collect them. But apparently some people do.
Recognizing that wit the Internet there is a market for virtually everything, the people who run AdClassics.com are ready to sell you ad pages from old magazines. Seriously.
I have to give this seller credit, though. They do see a market. For example, they target people who own or just love old automobiles. From their web site...
Vintage ads offer a fascinating glimpse of history and represent the archival documents of our consumer driven society. If you own a vintage or show vehicle, a print of its original publicity advertisement is the finishing touch to your investment.
Ready to frame or laminate, our authentic classic car ads provide a unique decor to your home, business or showroom. All our ads are guaranteed authentic, carefully cropped from original publications. Our collection consists of over 1,000,000+ vintage ads so visit often to view our constantly updated selection. Click here to view all our ads.
It seems like they really do have an extensive inventory of car ads. They even have one for the obscure Datsun F10 coupe (1976)... the car my parents got for me when I was a high school senior. Yeah, I was stylin'...
But they have more than cars. For around $20, you too can own gems like these...
I have to wonder about this Marlboro ad. Does this guy look happy? It looks like he's holding a martini glass in his hand. A little gin, a cigarette, and the look of regret... hmmm... interesting lifestyle emulation. Oh, yeah: nice tattoo. (1957)
I kind of doubt I'd ever spend money on any old ads. But I could spend a lot of time just looking through the archives on this site.
[cross-posted on my course blog, J646 Overtime]
Comments