I don't get it. What are these things? http://www.oldgas.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=388534#Post388534

Hah! Kinda shows your age! LOL
In the old days, there were NO ballpoint pens and it was all fountain pens with real ink! A blotter was used to press down on whatever you had just written, to keep it from smearing when handled! They were everywhere, in homes, in stores, and in offices! What better place for some advertising that would get exposure everywhere!

They were used back in the days when fountain pens and quill type pens were used. They would soak up the excess ink that the pens left on paper, to soak up the "blots" of ink sometimes left when the pen first hit the paper. You just laid them over the excess ink to soak it up.
I've been in the office supply business for almost 20 years now so it's one of my areas of knowledge, lol...
Darin

Kevin and Darin are correct in what they are and how they were used.One thing you might keep in mind is that they are inexpensive petro things you can put in your collection with GREAT graphics.I think of them as being somewhat similar to old calendars,magazine advertisements and other paper collectibles.

Inexpensive,but they do help to "tell the story" IMO.I try to do a lot of that in some of my displays.I display them.

Wow very interesting. Thanks guys!! What I still kind of don't get is they just look like pieces of paper. What are they made of?

...thick, absorbent paper...

Some of them were even cut into figural shapes to draw attention to them! Very effective advertising tool for that era! Maybe we should start a BLOTTER thread! I bet everyones got a few! Heres a couple unique "Cities Service" ones!

I see. So you would lay it over your writing, maybe push down a little, and then just throw it back in the desk drawer? Approx how long would one be used?

The last one in the link appears plastic coated. Just for preservation I suppose??

Wow Kevin!! Now those are cool! Approx how big are they?

I've seen people talk about them and I've seen them on ebay and I've pretty much just ignored them. But this morning I thought I would just find out a little about them.

The truck ones are 4 by 9 but they came in a lot of different sizes. 3 by 6 would be kind of the average size.
Just type in blotter on the ebay search page and you'll get to see a lot of them, as they were used as an advertising tool by virtually every facet of the retail trade!

They're called pen advertising blotters.
Yes,that's how you would use them.
As has been said,they're inexpensive & great to collect & display.
Usually came in small sizes & made of thick paper,their backside is what you blot with,like a sponge.
Some of them are really unique.
I always keep an eye out for em @ oil& gas,or & any swapmeet.
Toy shows seem to have a good representation of them too.

Here's one I picked up,measuring roughly 9" X 4" that has great color & graphics.
I protect it with a plastic overlay.

Very interesting!!!Often wondered myself what they were.Looks like something else to add to the collection!!

I've been collecting blotters for a long time. Everytime I find one I hadn't seen before; I "fall in love with them" all over again...

I saw these on Ebay the other day:

These can have truely great graphics and depict a different age in terms of a snap shot of life and in the styles of advertising itself. I personally feel these are undervalued. There are many styles and variations available but a great many are in very short supply. These were utilitarian and not meant to saved which means be their very nature they can be hard to find in prestine condition. Versions with many colors that are bright with good subject matter, sharp corners/edges and unused are very desireable

man i love blotters..i`ve been collecting them for yrs..most of the time you can get them cheap,but like everything else prices are going up especially in ones like Kevin`s Cities Service truck..they didn`t make very many like that one,,i will be posting a bunch of veedol and flying A ones this week in Bob`s thread.like Dave (LORD PARAFFIN} SAID THEY HAD GREAT GRAPHICS on them which i love..colors were bold and trying to find them without being written on or corners dog eared etc. is very hard these days.i think if you are collecting one oil co ,that would be one area i would go after..txs Alan

...I've got 178 different Gulf blotters, and know of at least 15 I don't have...yet...

...some can be found for as little as $5, but a few will set you back $50 and up...

I've actually seen a few of the earliest Texaco blotters go $100 plus. Like anything else, rarity, condition and desireablity will create levels of value. On the bright side, you can put together a nice collection on a limited budget. I myself have have just a few but I once bought a Wolf's Head of modest graphics because it was originally from just across the rivert from me at a dealership that no longer exists. I learned a little local history just from that one purchase.


One of my favorites...


....and a couple others.....

These are from the early 30s... The pamphlet and blotter were given to the Motorist to advertise Tydol's New Motor Oil:

Yep, Texaco in some cases several hundreds. I sold a book with 20 or so nos uncut Texaco Blotters from the 20's for $2000.00 a little while back.

A few blotters

Wow all of these are very nice in the graphic department like you all said.

Here's a big question. Are there repops of blotters?

Love those Tydols!!

On Ebay, I've seen blotters being advertised; That were not blotters... They were thin "paper" advertising...

I've seen others that were in actuality, post cards...

On ebay, if someone just gives a "vague" description in their ad, I send them an email and ask for a photo of the back side...

Here is the front and backs of a blotter from the 1940s, a blotter from the 1920s and a postcard from the late 1970s:





Hope this helps?

Even the pump companies, especially Bennett and Tokheim. These are sold, but here is some pic of some I used to have:

http://petrolianacollectibles.com/tokheim%20blotters.htm

Jack Sim

A few of mine.