Showing posts with label african americana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african americana. Show all posts

African Americana / Black Memorabilia Collecting



Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.


African Americana or what is popularly known as Black memorabilia is a huge slice in a collecting community pie.
There had been a notable upsurge in the demand and market for these collectibles in the later part of the seventies. "Roots" the popular book and television series written by Alex Haley made people especially African Americans curious about their heritage. And collecting black ephemera is a crucial format to learn about their culture and history.


The scope of African American History is very wide. It dated back when the first voyage of the human cargo shipped the first batch of slaves from Africa to America.

There are many artifacts remnant of the slavery period. Among these are slave tags, slave chains , braided whips, shackles, neck collars, plantation ledgers, branding irons, certificates of freedom, bills of sale, slave auction papers etc. These relics command prices of stratospheric level.

There was one pottery item made by a slave and signed "x" (the "x" signature means it was made by a slave) created during the 1800’s and were sold for a whooping $30,000.


Another collectibles are from pre-civil rights era, the Harlem renaissance, the Jim Crow era. Collectibles like Mammy, Sambo , Aunt Jemima, Uncle Moses dolls or figurines, salt and pepper shakers or anything that feature Black characters which has caricatured characteristics like oversized lips, wide eyes etc.

The collectibles in this particular era stereotyped African Americans in a derogatory way.


Segregation signs like "Whites Only," KKK robes and hoods, KKK membership pass cards are also popular. Sheet music of Gospel songs, travel guides that listed "colored only" hotels, resorts and restaurants and anything related to popular African American figures like letters and programs of speaking engagements of Dr. Martin Luther King are very much in demand. If you have a literary bent and interests books by Maya Angelou and James Baldwin are also desirable.


Some collectors of Black memorabilia likes to collect to appreciate and value and preserve history, some collectors buy these items to destroy them and some collect to profit from their collections.


How you associate the Black memorabilia items, is the important factor in buying them. If the objects makes you feel uncomfortable and sensitive then don’t collect these items.

If the objects make you feel good, because they remind you of the hardships of your ancestors but survive all the atrocities of prejudice and made sure it will never happen again by all means accumulate these collectibles.

To find out more collectible items always visit Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

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