Sensational Headlines Discovered!

 Author’s note: I wrote a story last week that promised a video walk-through of an historic house in Brewster, NY. Due to technical glitch, that video was erased from the post and some readers may have missed it. Here is the repaired post if you would like to see the video.

 “Yellow Journalism” the term better known as a slight against a newspaper or any periodical that has used exaggerated or sensational headlines to incite readers and sell more copies. In my world, however, that phrase is music to my eyes because it means I’ve found old paper. In my weekly searches for clues and artifacts from the past I will often come across newspapers that have turned yellow as they break down. 

What do we hang on to old newspapers? There was a time when they tended to pile up faster than we could toss them – meaning – they collected themselves. Most of the newspapers I have seen at sales were saved for the benefit of marking an historic event. My wife and I have saved a few newspapers for my daughter’s memory box, so she could see records of events that we felt were significant to her early life.

First let’s take a look at the ones I typically see. A review of old newspapers found at sales would probably be stacked up like this:

-          JFK Assassinated   

-          RFK Killed

-          Martin Luther King Gunned Down

-          Nixon Resigns!”

-          Man Walks on the Moon

-          Japan Surrenders (VJ or VE Day)

Since people from previous generations were nice enough to hang on to these, it seems only natural that ephemera enthusiasts begin collecting them. Is it worth it?

Famous newspaper editions, unless you are a true collector and know what to look for, rarely make good investments. Most newspapers, unless they fall within a certain criteria, will be worth under $10. The general criteria are: Proximity to the event (Dallas Newspaper or Chicago report of the JFK assassination?); Condition (brittle, or readable); Timing (was it an “Extra” or First Report); Collector Interest; Display-ability (How would it look framed?); Verified (Many of the most famous and valuable papers are reprints or fakes).

Newspapers with no significant headlines, though old, are typically valueless, but as a sample icon of a bygone era such as a local paper, the value becomes relative. Someone in town may pay more than $10 for their local paper in good condition from a century ago, but it’s still a gamble.  

I like old newsprint, but I am really more interested in local references and odd ads and the challenge to find the oldest paper I can. As I have written before, most newsprint after 1870 is primarily wood pulp containing acids, which oxidize and decomposes (especially if left in sunlight) rather quickly. Before 1870 the composition of most newsprint was a pressed composite of rags. These can often be found in readable foldable condition, but still for under $10.