Antique wallpaper

[KiwiHoshi]

Not sure if I should post this question in here, but here I go:

Is it a waste of time to collect antique wallpaper?  Is it okay to use it? 

Thanks!

[mart]

Vintage wallpaper can get quite pricey !! Finding enough of one color and style can be difficult. However if you have an accent wall,,, why not use it as long as its in good condition !! I have a roll of vintage wallpaper myself that I was thinking of listing on ebay eventually !!  There is a company in NY that specializes on vintage rolls but I forget the name !! Great for old victorian homes !!

[mariok54]

Second question first ... certainly OK to use it.
For the first question ... I am sure that there are collectors of period wallpaper. What quantities, age etc. are you thinking about? Have you recently come into possession of some? Is some on offer?

[KiwiHoshi]

Thanks for the replies!

I just noticed at my local antique store that they have a lot of old wallpaper just lying around (randomly) for sale.  I don't remember the exact prices, but I do remember the rolls weren't expensive.  They had rolls from victorian (or at least, looked victorian) to 50s wallpaper and on.  And the rolls have been there a while.

I really like some victorian prints and thought about buying some to put in my (future) old home...but if it's a big collectors' item, I don't want to take it away from collectors.

[mart]

Don`t worry,, buy it and use it !! 

[hosman321]

Does old wallpaper have glue stuff on the back? If so, I wonder if it could have lead in it like old paint? I don't know, but some of the victorian ones are beautiful. It's never a waste of time to collect something that interests you! It may not be worth a ton of money but it's not a waste of time. I've been drooling over this for a year...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-French-Wallpaper-c1780-Indienne-Reveillon-paper-/110475602719?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19b8dbeb1f

[waywardangler]

$8575! For a somewhat small piece? I could buy a nice original painting for that kind of money.  There is gold in old wallpaper!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I have loved old Victoian era Lincrusta (impressed cork wallcovering), ever since I was a tour guide at the Winchester Mystery House. There were rolls of it, still unused in the storage room, which is part of the tour:

[hosman321]

Hence the reason it has been on ebay forever wayward! I mean, I know it is 200+ years old but you are right, a great old master painting of the same age could be purchased for that much. She actually used to have 3 of those pieces so maybe someone is buying them...

[waywardangler]

WOW! She used to have 3 and this is her last one? Plus $190 to ship.

[mart]

Sounds like a ripoff to me !!  And vintage wallpaper if any age to it at all does not come pre-pasted  so no lead worries !! You put it up with wheat paste same as plain wallpaper today !!

[KiwiHoshi]

Is there any easy way to tell if the wallpaper is in fact vintage?  I know that there are wallpaper companies that reprint vintage wallpaper designs and lincrusta wallpaper, etc.  So, how would I know if it's not a reprint/replica?   

Random note:  There are some really cool vintage looking wallpapers out there...even though, they are new.  I came across reusable wallpaper which I want to try (someday).

[waywardangler]

I would think a black light would fluoresce new paper. I am not really sure but you could try it on genuine old samples and then new reproduction samples to see.

[mart]

Unless you know who made the wallpaper your looking at,, just a lot of research !! If it has a name on it you might see if the company is still in business, and what years certain patterns were produced.  Most of the vintage wallpaper I have seen does not have a baseball white backside, Tends to darken a bit over the years, Newer wallpaper tends to stay white longer since most of it is treated with a fixative so it won`t fade !!