What is a booklets? Most small booklets are advertising or tip booklets. These small booklets, usually 15 to 25 pages and measure about 4 X 10 inches, educate a target audience with products, tips, techniques or strategies. They usually are simple in design with graphics, photos and colors. What makes booklets such a great advertising and thus a collectible? The format appealed to people who like to read and wanted information fast. The content is written so a reader can learn about a product or tip. The booklet could be customized to suit the advertisers purpose. The cost was less expensive than full size promotional items. Their small size would fit in a pocket, purse or envelope.

A brochure is usually made of high quality paper and circulated for the purposes of advertising. Brochures may advertise products, points of interest, events and hotels. They are usually right to the point in language, eye catching in design and can be printed in different colors and folded in a number of ways. A typical brochure is double-sided, printed on gloss paper and folded into thirds. Vintage travel brochures are the most popular to collect.

Old catalogs especially the early ones contain actual photographs. Its the old photographs that make them collectible. Locomotive catalogs are the most popular. However, hardware catalogs are also very popular. Other collectible catalogs are manufacturers of fountain pens, clocks, fans, lamps, kitchen ware, radios, TVs, coins, stamps, etc.

If you are collector of things, check out the eBay paper category for booklets, brochures and catalogs that may deal directly with your collecting interest. Other sources may include old book stores, antique shops and flea markets.