Don’t just dismiss the value in those items and toss it out on cleaning day! Nostalgia for bygone eras can be a big driver for value, and the more interesting or insightful an item is in giving us a viewport to the good old days, the better that value can be!
At Back to the Past Collectibles, we love taking calls and rummaging through those boxes for advertising collectibles, old calendars, rare newspapers, and even vintage road maps. There’s something very exciting about pulling out a cabinet photo that you know nobody has set eyes upon for a long time. The stranger, the better!
Whether it be photographs of what your local neighborhood looked like in 1897 or a postcard from a traveling circus passing through town in the 1950s, people love to look through that window to see how things were in those olden days, and we want to bring your items to that market.
From ambrotype photos and simple Kodak prints to porcelain advertising signage, handbills, and framed mirror art, we want to see your collection!
Here’s a sampling of just a few of the types of photos and advertising pieces we search for:
“I had a wonderful experience selling some of my vintage toys and comics to Pete and crew at Back to the Past! They were kind to speak with me at length on the phone, schedule a mutually convenient time for drop off, and provided a great offer with a fast turnaround! Even as I’m trying to purge my collection before moving out of state, I couldn’t resist picking up a few new items from their awesome showroom — truly a treasure trove where deals abound!”
“I wanted to take a minute to talk about what a great job you guys did for me recently. I purchased $5,000 worth of books from you guys at a recent auction. Even though I purchased from you before and you’ve always done a great job on shipping, I was rather concerned about getting these books in good condition. I order a lot of graphic novels from auction houses all over the country and I’ve had some issues with other sellers. I received the 20 boxes of books each weighing approximately 35 lbs. I’ve got to tell you this was the greatest packing job I have ever seen. You guys did an amazing job. Every single box of books made it in perfect condition. I can’t thank you enough, I was really sweating it. I will be purchasing more soon. Thank you!”
“We feel so blessed we found you and you were willing to help us out. We feel you all went WAY above and beyond helping us and getting the best prices for everything. We were at our weakest and most vulnerable and you all stepped up to help and protect us as well as make this process so much easier for us. No business takes that kind of risk or cares that much! You all are a HUGE exception!! We felt 100% trust for you and felt so unbelievably lucky that our paths crossed. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all your help, support, empathy, kindness, support, and trust. We feel like our brother would have been very happy and honored with how you handled his life’s collection and what you got for it.”
“Thanks for charging such reasonable shipping and handling rates. It’s nice to deal with a company that isn’t trying to gouge folks on the shipping and handling costs… as several others do routinely.”
“I love your auctions and have gotten some great items from you. I hope you have many more auctions of this type coming up this year. Your packing is excellent and I appreciate the items being individually packaged.”
“Got my package today. 4 stars to you and your crew. Everything arrived in Florida just fine. Thanks again for the great service!”
“It’s always an adventure walking into your store. It’s always that odd mystery as to what may be found hiding in the rows of cardboard boxes which hold unimaginable treasure or horror, almost like a great Lovecraft tale.”
“I just want to say thanks’ again for helping me find some issues from DC’s 1987 miniseries Phantom Stranger and DEMON. I was all over town looking for these titles and your store became my hero of the day!”
“Over the last 20 years, I’ve visited tons of comics/pop culture shops in at least 16 states (including over a half dozen in my current area) and Toronto, Canada. I can honestly say that Back to the Past is the best overall location I’ve seen yet. (They’ve ruined me for other stores.)”
“What a great store. As the name implies, they’ve got just about everything retro here, not just comics. Paperbacks, used DVDs, action figures, posters, lunchboxes, vintage magazines… more pop culture ephemera than you can shake a stick at. Dudes are super-friendly, too.”
“The Back to the Past crew never hesitates to discuss topics relating to art, comics, sci-fi, television and all the very essences of fandom with any and all customers that happen to be fortunate enough to straddle through their doors. A great place to escape from boredom and drudgery.”
“The selection of merchandise is vast and keeps growing. This is far more than just your average comic book store. They have a selection of non-comic book, but pop culture-related merchandise that matches, if not exceeds their comic merchandise!”
“Thank you for combining shipping from two auctions. That is a breath of fresh air from an auction company. We appreciate it!”
“Thank you very much for your careful packaging. There was no way the book was going to get damaged during transit!”
“You guys are my absolute favorites to buy from on Proxibid as you have some great auctions, you really know how to pack collectibles safely, and I am consistently impressed with all that you do.”
“I love Back to the Past so much, because of the excellent staff interaction (aka customer service). They have always been friendly, knowledgeable, funny, and fully committed to completing customer requests.”
“Some of the highest grade comics I’ve purchased through a Proxibid auction. Great experience with this auctioneer who is also responsive to e-mail questions. This is how online auctions should be run!”
We offer treasures from both our own warehouse and other consignors from across the country.
Main event auctions are held in our physical showroom (COVID-safety permitting) and are broadcast online via Proxibid.com, so you can attend whether or not you’re from our local neighborhood. Most auction events have a 1-hour inspection and registration window, so you can take your time looking over the lots.
The buzz you’ve heard is real. It’s a lot of fun to attend our onsite live events, so we invite you to come and check it out!
If you’re unable to join us in person on auction day, we highly recommend using Proxibid to place absentee bids and attend online.
If you’re anything like us, you’re a sucker for those annual comic book holiday specials! The DCU Holiday Bash, Ant-Man’s Big Christmas, they’re superhero adventures that inspire warm holiday feelings. To keep that feeling going, we’ve curated this list of our favorite superhero Christmas episodes! Even if you don’t celebrate that particular holiday, we think…
We talk to people everyday about selling their collection (it’s what we do). Sometimes we hear, “I’ve already sold some of it, so here’s what’s left.” This makes us sad, not because we didn’t get to help with the whole deal, but because we know they’ve left money on the table! Why? Let us explain:…
Before tablets took over Toyland, every holiday shopping season brought a new hot holiday toy that every kid had to have. And, of course, not every kid could have it – supplies were limited. Parents would spend whole days driving store to store hoping they could put one under the tree. They’d fight for one.…
Folks who are thinking about estate planning are, generally, already thinking of their cars, boats, and real estate. What many folks, including professionals, can overlook is their collectibles. Most people who have the means to do so develop a hobby that involves the accumulation of stuff. Rock star Rod Stewart, for example, has an extensive…
Cool People With Cool Stuff!
When you step into our Wixom headquarters it’s obvious that we possess a relentless passion for vintage treasures. Although the great majority of our wares are sold via auction events and our eBay store , our showroom is a constant whirlwind of buying, trading, and selling, with new inventory debuting every week!
If you’re looking to make some cash or do some trading with your comic books, figurines, vinyl, magazines or just about any vintage collectibles or memorabilia, we’d love to meet you.
We’re available 7 days a week by appointment! Open to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Come and visit! You’ll feel right at home.
