Travel the World
Discover vintage trip mementos as valuable as the memories.
1 Train Case
Train cases originally were intended to tote makeup and toiletries. Today these small pieces of luggage can be used for their original intention—or they can be creatively repurposed. The elements inside a train case were designed to function as a mini vanity, generally with a removable tray, a mirror, and compartments or straps to keep things tidy. Vintage luggage often featured latches, as well as a lock and key. Condition plays an important role in pricing, as interiors are often stained or sticky from spills.
Worth: $15-$30
2 Baedeker’s Book
The rise of railroads in the 1800s put leisure travel within reach of a growing middle class, and German publisher Karl Baedeker offered his first travel guide in 1832. He then created guide books to numerous destinations that were published for the next 180 years, most using the now-classic red cloth cover with gold lettering. The Baedeker travel guides were valued for their accuracy, beautiful maps and fold-out panoramas. While some reportedly thought them too highbrow at the time, today’s collectors appear to enjoy them in part
for their clever phrasing and insights into period life. The example pictured, Paris and Its Environs, English edition, is from 1900. Worth: $15-$100, depending on condition. Rarer titles can fetch much more.
3 Railroad Bulletin Board
Once a fixture in nearly every station, railroad schedule boards have become hot collectibles. Sometimes handmade, sometimes manufactured, they recorded the daily comings and goings of each train in chalk to keep passengers up to date. This example from the Pennsylvania Railroad dates to approximately 1925, measures about 3 by 4 feet, and is hand-painted on a beveled board. Worth: $500-$750
4 Rand McNally Road Atlas
Rand McNally began as a Chicago-based print shop in 1856 and eventually branched out to make maps and travel guides. The company’s popular road atlas marked its 95th anniversary in 2018. This particular copy dates to the early 1950s, with its bright postwar colors and simple midcentury lines, and features a radio station guide. The back cover bears advertising for a local car dealership. Worth: $10-$25, depending on condition
5 Postcard
Postcards’ association with travel seems a natural—pretty images could be sent to friends back home or kept as a record of the journey. Since the scenes on postcards are as numerous as destinations, there are endless options for collectors. This 1950s card bears the image of Lockheed’s legendary Constellation. “Connies” were eventually owned by most major airlines, such as the Dutch airline KLM, as shown here. The card’s inscription is for a trip from Tehran, Iran, to Ankara, Turkey, in 1958.
Worth: $5 Joe Kenz, a certified personal property appraiser, and Sandy Garrison co-own Rhubarb Reign, an antiques and design business. Together they bring more than 40 years of experience to their work. The authors wish to thank the Marshall County Historical Society in Indiana for access to its collection.