We are extremely sentimental, and we are definitely not alone. Many of us hoard all sorts of odds and ends at home and at work because they evoke feelings of nostalgia and remind us of the good old days. These vintage things are often laced with bittersweet memories.
‘Ephemera’ is a fascinating online group that features photos of old-timey written and printed things that were never meant to be kept or saved. We have curated this list of their most interesting images to take you back in time and give you a unique glimpse into the past.
Ready for some time travel? We know we are!
#1 My Grandparents’ Budget From 1958
Rent to income ratio of 17%.
Image source: diettwizzlers
#2 Card My Grandmother Gave Her Dad As A Little Girl
Image source: princesspolarbear69
#3 My Grandma Kept Track Of All The Boys She Dated In 1940 And Wrote “My Darling Little Soldier” As Her First Impression Of The Man She Would End Up Marrying
They were married after WWII (my grandpa was a Jewish American POW in Germany) until he passed at age 96 in 2016.
Image source: RPnina
There is a subtle but important line between sentimentality on one side and hoarding on the other. The former is healthy, grounded, and puts you in control. The latter is unhealthy, a sign of deeper emotional or mental issues, and places you in the role of the victim of your impulses.
Individuals with hoarding disorder have difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, no matter their (lack of) value.
The International OCD Foundation reports that between 2% to 6% of the world’s population suffers from hoarding disorder.
Hoarding disorder tends to affect men and women at similar rates. It is a universal phenomenon across different countries, cultures, and backgrounds around the world.
#4 Sketchbook From 1900
Image source: SoundsOfTheSco
#5 My Mom’s Receipt From When She Was Born
It’s amazing how much hospital costs have changed since 1954.
Image source: ActualDesigner5288
#6 Card My Grandma Gave My Grandpa In 1943
Image source: starrgarita
Symptoms begin appearing early on in life, between the ages of 11 and 15, and can start interfering with your everyday functioning by your mid-20s. By your mid-30s, your hoarding disorder can lead to clinically significant impairment and is likely to meet the criteria for a full diagnosis.
That being said, hoarding symptoms are thrice as common in older adults, aged 55+, than younger adults.
#7 Peak 80’s Graphic Design
Image source: Wry-knot
#8 I Was 8 Years Old When I Wrote An Anti-Whaling Letter To President Jimmy Carter. This Was The Reply
Image source: bootsy72
#9 I Found A School Atlas From 1854, And It Had Some Drawings Made By Schoolchildren Over 150 Years Ago
Image source: Claypoll
The vast majority (75%) of individuals with this disorder also have a co-occurring mental health condition, such as major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Roughly 20% of people who have a hoarding disorder also have obsessive-compulsive disorder.
#10 My Grandpappy’s Last Driver’s License: Born In ‘89…that’s *1889*
This is my grandfather Luther W. Carter’s actual driver’s license, which expired in 1975, just one year before he passed away—This license was issued when he he was about 85 years old. His birthdate? 7-13-89 (no need for four digit year dates, yet!). No picture needed, and no restrictions despite his age!
He only completed the 4th grade and remained illiterate his entire life. The signature on the back isn’t his—it’s my granny’s. She had to sign his name for him because he couldn’t write it himself.
Despite his age, he still drove a truck and worked on the farm. I remember sitting with him on the porch as a kid in 1969, shortly after the Apollo moon landing. He looked up at the full moon and told me, “See how bright it is? It’s like the sun. No way a man could walk on that. They’d burn up.”
He truly believed the moon was a ball of fire—he never learned otherwise.
This little plastic card feels like a time machine. He was born just 24 years after the Civil War ended and lived to see color television…
Image source: Immaculate_Knock-Up
#11 The Contents Of My Great-Grandmother’s Purse
Helping my parents clean out some things, and came across this purse that was in the back of a closet. It belonged to my great-grandmother, who passed away at the age of 92 in the early 70s. Best I can tell, it still had all the contents of what she had been carrying around prior to going into the nursing home in the late 60s. Contents include pantyhose, powder puffs, skeleton keys, an old toothbrush, farmers pocket ledger and workmen’s time book, as well as several post cards and info on family genealogy. Just thought it was a neat time capsule of daily life that wasn’t intended to be kept for 60 years. (I blurred parts that contained names and addresses).
Image source: Sea-Scholar9330
#12 Some Of My Favorite Pins From My Father’s Collection
Image source: Prunustomentosa666
Gregory L. Jantz, Ph.D., who authored The Anxiety Reset: A Life-Changing Approach to Overcoming Fear, Stress, Worry, Panic Attacks, OCD and More, explains that around one in four people with OCD are also compulsive hoarders.
Hoarding is often accompanied by varying levels of anxiety and depression, and creates “clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning.” One of the consequences is that you are no longer able to maintain a safe space.
“Their compulsion causes the hoarders’ mental, emotional, physical, and financial health to suffer. Most tragically, their relationships unravel as families and friends struggle to cope with their condition,” writes Jantz.
“Neuroimaging studies have revealed peculiar commonalities among hoarders including severe emotional attachment to inanimate objects and extreme anxiety when making decisions.”
#13 Found In A Jar Of Receipts Of Bills & Receipts
Bought a large cookie jar for $5 at an estate sale crammed with every kind of receipt and bill. Lid was taped on but I could see one little part that said “ticketmaster” and rolled the dice. Very happy.
Image source: AzTexicanVintage
#14 High School Pics From 1928
Image source: Violuthier
#15 1945 Postcard The Sweater Girls
Salty-Yak-2505:
The term “sweater girl” was originally from a publicity campaign used to describe a young Lana Turner in the late 1930s—the studio released a (somewhat dubious) story that the then teenage Lana was spotted on the street in a “sweater” and an entire movie scene was written to recreate this alleged event.
Afterward, it became a term used to describe young, voluptuous ingenues (similar to the term “bombshell” which was originally coined for Jean Harlow, and then became ubiquitous with busty blondes in the industry till this day).
Image source: CV880
The paradox is that hoarding has a bizarre relationship with anxiety: it both relieves and generates it.
“The more hoarders accumulate, the more insulated they feel from the world and its dangers. But of course, the more they accumulate, the more isolated they become from the outside world, including family and friends. Even the thought of discarding or cleaning out hoarded items produces extreme feelings of panic and discomfort,” Jantz warns.
#16 Bookmark Found In A 1951 Book
Image source: Altruistic_Flow_3638
#17 150 Unsold 1969 Woodstock Tickets
Image source: Yung-Tre
#18 After My Mother Passed Away I Found A Box Of Old Coupons And Green Stamps She Had Saved
Image source: PlahausBamBam
“It can be difficult to determine whether someone is a hoarder or just a pack rat, someone who just likes to hang on to things. The main determinant of whether a behavior is just a personal preference or a disorder usually has to do with whether, and how much, that behavior has begun to negatively impact daily functioning.”
Hoarding disorder may arise from traumatic events, persistent difficulty making decisions, and having family members who are hoarders. What’s more, hoarders tend to be socially withdrawn or isolated. They may start hoarding as a way to find comfort.
#19 Found A Lincoln Campaign Ribbon In An Old Book At An Antique Store!
Image source: nhgaudreau
#20 My First Paycheck
Image source: vitalcrop
#21 This Is One Of My Favourite Pieces Of Ephemera
“I’m tough guy,sock him in the eye,I run away with his porkpie” 1946. What a character.
Image source: Daverose68
The ‘Ephemera’ community has been intriguing, entertaining, and providing nostalgia trips for everyone online for nearly a decade and a half. It was initially created in mid-2012 as a way for internet users to feature written, printed, and other recorded matter that was never intended to be kept or saved.
The friendly team of moderators who run the group invites everyone to share their “advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, matchbooks, postcards, ticket stubs, old certificates—anything someone else might find interesting, enjoyable, or discussion worthy.”
The goal is to show off “interesting bits of historical detritus.”
#22 Found In A Wall While Renovating My 1950s Home
Image source: DrDurt
#23 My Dad Traveled The World With A Millionaire Named Minford Bond In 1965. Here Is Part Of His Bill From A Hotel In Rome. The Man Was Consistently Spending Todays Equivalent Of $2,100 At The “Cantina”
Image source: Prunustomentosa666
#24 My Grandpa’s 1st Grade Report Card, 1953
Image source: OkZookeepergame5172
According to the mods of ‘Ephemera,’ items should have writing on them, be printed, but they do not have to be paper.
“The item must have been created for a TEMPORARY purpose, with the express or implied understanding that it would serve no practical future use.”
What this means, in practice, is that most books, some souvenirs, and special commemorative items do NOT count as ephemera.
#25 Kind Of Gross, Kind Of Cool. Objects Found Stuck Behind A Built-In Cabinet In The Bathroom Of My 1910 Apartment
Image source: Mousey_Mostly
#26 Sifting Through Some Items And Found A Photo Of Pirates
Image source: Semi_Pro_Rec
#27 Cost For A Funeral In 1956
Image source: OratorioInStone
After you’ve enjoyed these images and upvoted your favorite ones, we’d love to hear from you! Share your perspective, stories, and photos in the comments at the very bottom of this list.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how sentimental would you say you are? Do you save and keep lots of ephemeral things?
What are the most sentimental items that you have that you could never part with?
Where do you personally think the line between sentimentality and hoarding lies? Let us know.
#28 I Found Some Old Medical Equipment In The Trash, And Inside The Box Was Apparently The Pen Used To Sign The Mental Health Act Of 1966. I Found A Photo Of The Event And It’s Definitely The One. What A Strange Thing To Come Across
Image source: OldYearbookPeople
#29 Subtly Sapphic Postcard Sent In 1905
Image source: albuttz
#30 Old Gold Cigarette Ad I Found In The Walls Of A House I’m Renovating
Image source: ZachP13
#31 Happy Caturday – 1919 Postcard
Image source: CV880
#32 Protest Flyer From The Disastrous 1966 Beatles Concert In Manila. They Never Returned Afterwards
Image source: jmiele31
#33 Burned Book Page Found In My Yard After Los Angeles Fires
I had to evacuate my home on Wednesday due to the massive fires happening in Los Angeles. I returned today and found my home intact, but all kinds of soot, ash, burned leaves, tree branches, etc. littered around my house. I found this piece of a book page though, and I thought it was kind of beautiful and extraordinarily sad. I got incredibly lucky that myself, my boyfriend, and our dog got out unscathed, as well as our home. This burned page undoubtedly traveled to my yard, from the home of someone who lost everything in the fires.
Image source: Possible-Handle-5491
#34 Baby Care Instructions From 1934
Image source: lainwla16
#35 Letter From My Aunt Found In My Moms Things
Image source: Hot_Cauliflower2404
#36 Found At An Antique Mall
Image source: Think_Manager_7806
#37 I Kept My Movie Tickets From Highschool And College Dates
Image source: FieldElbow
#38 Antique Scrap/Sticker Book Full Of Incredible Pieces
Image source: cutecemetery
#39 A Box Of Photos From A Long Gone Firefighter. 1970’s Aftermath Of The House Fire Of A Doll Collector
Image source: tenglempls
#40 Slightly Unhinged Early 1900s Postcard
Image source: anon
#41 Company Reply To Customer Letter (1956)
Image source: RainbowWarrior73
#42 How Do We Feel About Making Art From Ephemera? Cool Or Sin?
I made this button pin from an ad I found in an old almanac from 1910 that was falling apart in a thrift store. I just thought this little bull was so cute and wanted to be able to appreciate him better and keep him from being damaged like the rest of the book already was.
Image source: TreehouseInAPinetree
#43 1960s Fritos Mini-Monster Insert
Image source: martillo-viejo
#44 1907 Postcard “ The Moon Has His Eyes On You”
Image source: CV880
#45 Writing On A Old Textbook
Image source: RevoUtena
#46 College Student’s Photo Album From 1920s — Another Goodwill Outlet Find!
Image source: Dme503
#47 Finished The Circulation Sheet
Image source: pet-cheetah
#48 Looking Through Some Old Papers And Found A Hospital Receipt For A Birth In 1951
Image source: NerdOfGenealogy
#49 1912 Titanic Disaster Newspaper – “All Women On Titanic Saved”
Image source: No_Rub_8733
#50 1950s Valentine
Image source: TVDinnerAndChill
#51 Roy Teleh, “The Greatest Detective” The Complete 1910 Detective Series Written By A French Child, Secret Codes And Hypnotism Included
Image source: AdiDraws
#52 This Was In My Great Aunts Stuff. She Was Born In 1891. The Letterhead Says A Lot For The Times
Image source: Shellsallaround
#53 Found This Receipt In A Book At My Local Community College Today
Image source: reptomcraddick
#54 Sorta Creepy Letter From Brother To Teen Sister, 1946
Image source: boggletrophy
#55 First Pay Stub, 14 Years Old, Picking Blueberries At 13.1 Cents A Pound
Image source: Slappable_Face
#56 Portrait That Was Tucked Inside An Old Dictionary
Image source: Bleepblorp44
#57 2001 Blue Walmart Bag I Keep For Holding Stuff
Image source: livvybugg
#58 Hallmark Noah’s Ark Paper Plate From My Moms Baby Shower In 2000
Image source: demureape
#59 Found This Stuck Behind A Picture Frame. My First Concert
Image source: Slappable_Face
#60 Jcpenney Gift Certificate (1989)
Image source: Traditional-Sign-368
#61 Found In A Book I Picked Up From A Little Free Library
Image source: FieldElbow
#62 Bugs Bunny Plastic Bag Dated 1992
Image source: non-art
#63 1987 Tea Garden Receipt
Image source: B0RWEAR
#64 Precious Doodles From An Old American History School Book 😊
Image source: Razbrrygurl
#65 My Letter From That 3 Letter Agency All Sad I Gave Them The High Hat
Image source: ArtVice
#66 “No Man On Earth Has A Chance Against A Women Once She Has Succumbed To Another Women”
Image source: slatedrake
#67 The Remnants Of My Great Great Great Grandmother‘S Valentine, 1854
Image source: Phonographkid13
#68 Years Ago I Ended Up With A Box Of Disney Educational Filmstrips
Image source: proscriptus
#69 I Volunteer At A Used Book Store. I’ve Been Collecting The Bookmarks We Find In Donations For Months And Finally Got Around To Making This Display
Image source: pearkh
#70 Vintage Valentine’s Belonging To My Mom – Late 1940s
Image source: Sheshopval
#71 I Bought A 1980s Yves Saint Laurent Exhibition Catalog At The Strand Bookstore, And While Leafing Through It I Discovered A Piece Of Diana Vreeland’s Personal Stationery. She Co-Authored The Catalog, So Maybe It Was Her Copy At One Point
Image source: crabnox
#72 Bought At A Yard Sale…
Image source: [deleted]
#73 Found In A Wedding Guest Book At An Antique Store. I’ve Laughed About This For So Long
So funny that someone copied someone else’s exact note and signed their own name on it.
Image source: geb0nia
#74 Going Through My Old Photos. Found This One In A Junk Shop In Brooklyn. A WWII Nurse, And It’s So Worn That The Paper Is Soft. I Can Only Imagine The Story Behind It
Image source: tenglempls
#75 Advertisement From 1928 Found In An Old Used Book
Image source: spoopypoopie
#76 Tickets For An All That! Taping At Nickelodeon Studios
Image source: ikilledyourcat
#77 Pin And Ribbon From My Father Who Lived In NYC In The 60’s And 70’s
Image source: Prunustomentosa666
#78 Magic Brand Label From Textile Package, C. 1930s
Image source: danny2892
#79 From My Grandma’s High School Scrapbook: She Was Born In 1915 And Went To Lindblom High School In Chicago. Her Calling Card Is At The Bottom
Image source: CharacterMammoth2398
#80 Found This In A Book
Image source: Goatboy1
#81 From Under The Floorboards Of A House I Used To Rent
Bennington Vermont, the house was built in the early 1800s, this was in the back of a closet under the floorboards, I happened to see it under there when I dropped something. I’ve never been entirely sure if it’s real or a game piece.
Image source: proscriptus
#82 A Telegram From My Grandfather To His Parents, 1943:
Image source: document_detective
#83 Love The Box Lid Of My Mom’s Childhood Electric Menorah
Image source: didyoubutterthepan
#84 Found Under Attic Staircase
Image source: thefragileapparatus
#85 John Waters Polyester Scratch & Sniff “Odorama” Card
Image source: Prunustomentosa666
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