FAQs

Please use our search engine as much as possible; it is a wonderful tool. We've included keywords for every item because we know that the task of going through our thousands of items can be intimidating. If you are looking for certain background colors, use the search engine box to look for those colors. If you are looking for topical items, here are a few popular categories you can pull up through the search engine: 
 
ANIMALS, AVIATION, BIRD, BLACK AMERICANA, COMICAL, FLOWERS, INDIAN, NAUTICAL, ORCHARD, SCENERY, PATRIOTIC, PINUP, GIRL, RAILROAD, SCOTTISH, SPORTS, SALMON, WESTERN. 
 
This is just a small sample of topics.  For fun, people often search for their name on a label. For example, people can search Bob, Deb or Jean. 

No, everything on this website is original and printed on or around the date mentioned. For more details on dating labels, please visit Collecting Tips.

Crate and can labels are made of paper and were printed with the intention of being pasted on a crate or can. These items are considered ephemera, short lived items that were meant to be used and thrown away. For more information, please visit History of Labels.

Most of the labels you see are from what is considered warehouse finds. They are left over inventory that was never used or thrown out. These labels sat in packing plants for decades undiscovered. For more information on this area, please visit History of Labels.

I've been collecting labels for 40 years, and selling them for over 25 years. Most of the labels came from warehouse finds and are now in the hands of collectors or dealers. The days of driving in the country, tracking down labels has passed, for the most part. Today the label hobby is more like collecting stamps: they are bought, sold and wholesaled. The majority of what I offer, I've bought from dealers, collectors or sometimes the actual family represented on the label.

We are continually buying labels and adding to our inventory, from large dealer inventories down to small collections. For information and advice on selling your labels, please visit We Buy Labels.

As with most collectibles, supply and demand sets the price. With labels, demand is the major factor determining price while supply isn’t as important. Decorators – and often collectors – are always looking for the best images. A supply of 5,000 labels with a great image of a cat will disappear into the hands of collectors and dealers very quickly, driving the price up, while a supply of 1,000 plain labels with only text will last a very long time with unyielding prices.

We have a reputation of being very picky on condition. If there are any condition issues, it will be mentioned in the listing and any noticeable issues will be seen in the images posted. We spend quite a lot of time putting up the best scans available, not only so you can see what you are getting, but also for the pleasure of viewing them. 

Crate label size depends on the size of the container. A label’s purpose was to identify the contents. Labels would be pasted on a front panel, generally around the size of that panel. While a cherry crate is small and smaller cherry labels were produced, orange crates were large, so larger orange labels were produced. Can labels had to fit onto cans, so, for the most part, these labels are around four-by-12-inches and four-by-14-inches. 

Many people collect labels and seed packets. Decorators love them, not only for their historical appeal, but also for their vivid colors.  For more information on both these areas, please view Collector Tips and Decorating Tips.

We go to the post office daily, shipping with USPS, and we give you the option of first class or priority shipping. Labels are shipped flat with sturdy backing. We have a reliable shipping procedure, mailing well over 50,000 packages through our eBay and website sales.

We do not give any advice about copyrights. We do not know the exact information on each image, and that can become a legal issue we do not wish to get involved in. We sell only original items, and there are no legal issues to worry about since there are no reproductions or copyright issues.

Yes, if you are looking for a specific label, let us know. If we don't have it, we may be able to find it or give you advice on how to find it.