Vintage papers add delightful whimsy to most any mixed media or paper art project.
Hunting down weathered pages from yesteryear to weave into creative projects is often a fun, inspiration-filled adventure—especially for those who love rummaging for the tatters and tears that bring so much character to journal pages.
I say ‘hunting down’ because unless you’re someone actively collecting piles of this type of old, worn paper, most people don’t usually such stashes readily available.
For those who indeed are on a vintage-paper-hunt are in luck for there are four places you can immediately start sourcing from 👇🏾
1) Thrift stores & used book stores
Older books, like those printed in the 1940s and earlier (the earlier the better to avoid copyright), are a great source of vintage paper.
These dated, dusty books are usually available at most any thrift or used book store.
Garage sales are also a wonderful source for older books as well.
2) Your own home
Sometimes tracking down older papers, and worn book pages, is as easy as searching your own home.
So don’t forget to scour your own shelves, drawers, basement, or garage to see what you can find.
3) Online marketplaces
Another option is an online marketplace, like an Ebay or an Etsy, that sell all kinds of small stacks or huge lots. The sky’s the creative limit with those bundles, I swear, but just make sure you read the details of what you’re purchasing before you commit to buying. For example, are the papers or papers original OR are they photocopies? Depending on what you’re going for, one may be better than the other; or perhaps for your project it doesn’t matter. But if it DOES matter, then be sure to read the fine print, no pun intended.
4) Your local community
Posting your search onto an online group (specific to your immediate geographical location) can be a fantastic source for scoring significant troves of vintage paper.
I’ve posted on local online groups in my area before and let me just say, I’ve been pretty lucky each time; the response to my posts for discarded, unwanted, and older books and magazines is usually overwhelming! I racked up boxes and bags of all kinds of papers in this way and I’m certain you, too, would as well.
Happy paper hunting!!
