Never meant to last long, many of these items have outlived the artists they feature
You know that old adage, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” That is, perhaps, the exactly the phrase to describe the collector’s passion for unusual, rare, or personally meaningful ephemera. Add to that the obsession of a die-hard music fan… and you’ll be surprised by what treasures they find.
One More Time: What Is Ephemera?
We’ve covered this before, but broadly speaking, ephemera is exactly that: ephemeral, fleeting, not intended to be preserved. It includes materials — written, photographic, promotional — that more or less had a shelf life. Then somewhere along the way someone got the bright idea to hold onto them. But don’t call these people hoarders. They’re collectors!
There are countless examples of ephemera across all aspects of human life. As it relates to Bynx, though, think flyers, posters, programs, handbills — heck, even newspaper clippings with concert advertisements. Buttons, stamps, trading cards and other items that fascinate collectors can be considered ephemera.
“Music Isn’t Ephemeral, man. It’s Here To Stay!”
As collectors ourselves, we could spend hours tracing our way through the annals of music history. Indeed, we often do, leafing through all the incredible items we’ve amassed over the years. And we know we’re not alone.
There are a couple of categories of music ephemera collectors. First, those who held onto the tokens of their experiences (say, a Pink Floyd fan who was fortunate enough to keep the ticket stub). Second, those who never got a first-hand opportunity to have the experience, but want to get closer to the history. Whether a sentimentalist or archivist, chances are your ephemera collection is an attempt to honor or bring you closer to your favorite musicians.
Value: The Price of Scarcity
As time has passed, many items from eras gone by have gained in value, largely due to the rarity of a particular piece of ephemera. For example, tickets and posters from The Beatles final paid performance at Candlewood command serious dollars. Or one can consider the irony of punk ephemera. Because the punk genre largely followed the DIY methodology, print numbers were low and often unsophisticated, resulting in handbills and posters largely being discarded. Yet they represent another culturally important period of the music industry, and a snapshot of society’s disaffected youth. Today these same one-off materials are often incredibly expensive — something their creators certainly never dreamed of.
The Bynx Music Ephemera Collection
Our ephemera collection is the fastest growing section of our inventory. Not surprising, as we’re both fans and collectors. The Beatles, The Who, Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix, Black Flag, Iggy Pop, The Misfits, David Bowie and numerous other notable artists… and some not so well-known acts who produced radical ephemera, are represented in our expansive music ephemera collection.
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