Selling Black History

On eBay, there are two large, diverse, and distinct categories of collectibles that get special attention during Black History Month each February. The first broad category relates to African American history. In general, black history collectibles can teach us something about what African Americans thought, said, wrote, or experienced in the past.

Searching family documents, old caches of photographs or books, and 19th and early 20th century collections for these items can be quite lucrative, as prices for rare black history items – especially those that are new to the market – are rising rapidly. Look for:

18th & 19th century documents with an African-American subject.
Slave tags, pottery, dolls, textiles, and other items made by slaves.
19th & 20th century photographs, documents, books, and art that show prominent African Americans, or depicts everyday African Americans at work, worship, or home.
Authentic 20th century items relating to segregation, the Civil Rights movement, and the struggle for voting rights.

: This rare 1940’s chalkware souvenier salt & pepper shaker sold on eBay for $129.99

The second broad category is generally called Black Americana. These items relate to the way in which African Americans were depicted in popular culture, often through advertising. Sometimes called “black face collectibles”, these items are often very stereotypical, or even offensive, but serve as a reminder of the way things were in a darker part of America’s past. Black Americana includes items like:

Advertising, product packaging, and merchandise relating to popular brands like Aunt Jemima, Luzianne, Sambo, and the many “Mammy” products.
Dolls, toys, holiday items (Santa Claus, angels, patriotic figures) that depict African Americans.
Early recordings, films, and entertainment programs (playbills, posters, etc.) that feature African American performers.

As a buyer or seller of collectibles in either category, one of the major concerns is authenticity. When “Mammy” and “Aunt Jemima” collectibles started to rise in value about 25 years ago, large numbers of reproductions came into the market. So establishing the provenance (or factual information) relating to such items is the first step in getting them ready for sale.

A second factor to consider is the eBay restrictions and policies that are strictly enforced against derogatory language or racially or ethnically offensive listings. For example, authentic historic items that use the word “Negro” (books, recordings, films, etc.) are allowed – but reproductions using the same word may not be.

Items in these two categories that are brought to one of the five Easysale locations in North Texas for consignment are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/ / CC BY 2.0