Personal items acquired as part of a purchase

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

If it is a situation where I cannot give them back, I don't chuck them. There is very little that is truly worthless. I bundle leftovers like that with other ephemera that I accumulate from acquisitions and eventually wholesale or trade the whole bundle to another dealer. Some people will retail thousands of random old photos; I don't have the patience. I will retail interesting subjects like military, automotive, tourist sites, beaches, etc.

Is there even a market for it? My wife collects mid-century barware, so we spend a fair amount of time in antique stores. It seems like every one has a basket somewhere near the front with stacks of old snapshots and postcards priced at $0.50 to $1.00 each. Like others, it makes me sad to see what was, at the time, a notable life moment for someone that is now stripped of all context and significance. Does anyone buy them, or are the store owners just loath to throw them out also?