See and buy NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES at the Ephemera Society Fair on 17 May 2015

THE NEXT EPHEMERA FAIR IS ON SUNDAY 17 MAY; HERE ARE A SERIES OF PREVIEWS ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL SEE AT THE FAIR.

About Ray  -the paperboy at the fair

Ray started collecting newspapers as a 12 year old; he was lying in bed listening to his transistor radio in 1962 and heard a newsflash that President Kennedy has been assassinated. He thought this would make for an interesting headline. So he went up to the local milk bar to see the headlines, liked them, and bought the papers. He went back on Monday and bought more Kennedy headlines.

That got Ray started on buying any newspapers about important events; he kept the entire newspaper for each headline. He was saving about 200-250 papers per annum. In March 1979 he took the next big step as a collector;he went to house in Molesworth Street, Kew, and picked up several thousand newspapers dating back to WWI.

As you might imagine, Ray had accrued too many papers to keep and he decided to sell at Sunday markets. This worked but people asked him for magazines and he started to buy these from deceased estates and swap meets. He was able to purchase bound volumes too.

What will Ray have at this fair?

Ray takes two stalls and these are covered with and overflowing into boxes with newspapers and magazines. Ray will have Melbourne newspapers from 1880s to 1920s  and magazines from 1950s to 1970s. He also has some assorted ephemera. The magazines will include Life, and a ‘new lot’ that he has just picked up. We will give you details of these shortly.

Ray finds that most people are fascinated by the old papers and often want to buy an issue with a date which has say family significance. Some people buy them to use a wallpaper for a toilet or man cave. Well worth a look.