Could my "lefty history gathering dust" help The Nation in its auction?

[CTyankee]

They are asking for such items in an email they sent me today. I can donate some items but I need DUers help in determining whether they would be worth donating to The Nation's auction. They are:

A "People's News Service" newspaper dated may 5, 1970 handed out on the street in New Haven by Black Panther Party members. Pictures of the New Haven 9 Political Prisoners.

A large paper poster announcing a march on Washington and San Francisco by the Student Mobilization Committee to End War in Vietnam, picturing a cartoon of a bent over Uncle Sam with hands and feet bogged down in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

A newsprint featuring a message from Bobby Seale and his picture calling for "Revolutionary Action on Campus and Community" probably from 1970.

A fairly lengthy newspaper called "Counter Attack" published by the New Haven Panther Defense Committee (it says also "Absolutely Free).

An Oct. 29, 1972 telegram from Stockpax in Stockholm to CALCAV in New York City. Text says "Calling utmost pressure organisations governments force Nixon honour commitments sign agreement October 31 stop call attention Saigon Regime began Slaughter NLF Prisoners." I worked for CALCAV (Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam) at that time and saved it.

A photograph of William Sloane Coffin, Joan Baez and a CALCAV staffer at a candlelight vigil "Stop the War" during a march on Washington.

I don't know if any of this stuff which I got during the early 70s has value for The Nation but I'm happy to give it to them if they can use it. If not I will keep it for my grandkids.

Can anybody help with an idea of its worth at an auction?

[MineralMan]

1. It's difficult to estimate the value of such items.

Since most have not come up at auction previously, much less as a group, there's probably no historical auction value to use.

Ephemera like yours has more historical than monetary value. Some of the items, like the Panther publications, probably exist in some small numbers, since many people kept such things. The numbers are low, though, no doubt. The telegram may be unique, since it was probably discarded by most recipients. The photograph, if original, will be unique, and may have some value to collectors of Joan Baez ephemera.

Still, the small archive you have there would be of great interest to someone publishing a book on the period. For that use, it could probably by loaned, rather than donated. If the goal, however, is to build an archive of ephemera from that series of events, then donation would be desired.

Put into an ephemera auction, I doubt the pieces you mention would bring more than $50 as a group. That's just a guess, but, that's my top estimate.

Added: The large poster is the item most likely to have some additional value. It should probably be auctioned separately. If it has interesting graphics, it might bring more... Condition is everything.

[CTyankee]

2. Thanks. That's helpful.

I'd like it to be useful. How could I make it known to researchers that it is available on loan?

Hope it doesn't scare the grandkids. The Panther stuff has lots of pictures of armed, bearded men with rounds of ammo around their necks...

[MineralMan]

3. I don't know. You might want to search for projects

dealing with that period, etc. I don't know how you could otherwise let people know.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. Anything is only ever worth

what someone is willing to pay for it.

Trying to estimate the value of the wonderful things you listed is, I think, impossible. They have monetary value only to collectors, or someone who lived in those places at those times, and who wants them for sentimental or collector reasons.

Do you have to value them before you send them? Or are you figuring the value for tax purposes? If it's the latter, I'd value them each at $1,000, and see how that flies.

I mean, it's only the IRS you'd be dicking with, right?

[CTyankee]

5. I don't really care about the tax issue. My problem was with whether these items truly benefitted

The Nation, which I find to be a national treasure and would like to support. I just don't know their worth. If it benefits The Nation a lot, I will happily give it to them. If not, I will keep them for my grandchildren, who I think should know what issues and events of the day drove their grandmother into the streets to demonstrate for change...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. Honestly, CT -

I'd hold onto them. To have them for your grandchildren is value beyond anything that The Nation would glean from them.

As I said, they're only valuable to collectors, and collectors of specific arcana, at that.

I think you should write about each piece, tell the story about how it came to be in your possession, and attach it to the item. My god, can you imagine those kids reading about it all years down the line!!

I have books and clippings from my beloved grandfather, and I'd give anything - anything humanly possible, and even some things beyond my capability, if it would work - to have him tell me about them, where he got them, what they meant to him, what his life was like at the time. Man, I ache just thinking about it.

Just my opinion, but I'm real big on storytelling, as you might have notice, and, with those wonderful and rare artifacts, you have a chance to tell your grandchildren the most amazing stories. Stories they would never hear anywhere else.

Hell, I represented a Black Panther on a murder charge straight out of law school, and I would love to read your stories, so I think you've got a very compelling and wonderful project there, if you decide to undertake it.

Forgive me if I sound pushy, but I get enthusiastic about very few things. This one has me totally ginned up because I've done the same thing for my grandchildren.................................

[rug]

6. I have a scar on my forehead.

[CTyankee]

7. Now "THAT'S" a lefty thing ! You have the scar! I sure don't.

I think we all have scars on our psyche from this whole struggle.

Whaddya think? Was it worth it?

[rug]

9. Totally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restore_Our_Alienated_Rights

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