Papers Past The Birthdate Newspaper Specialists!

As specialities go Dad and I do struggle – we aren’t great cooks, DIY isn’t a strong point and we both don’t have a clue about car repairs. On the face of it we don’t have a lot to offer I hear you say! However our specialities come in to their own when you have a gift buying problem. Papers Past has 28 years trading and experience and has helped thousands of people just like you. I bet you have at least a hand full of friends and family members who fall in to the bracket of “the person who has got everything”. But I bet they haven’t got a newspaper gift from the day they were born! These commemorative newspapers are both original editions and also personal to the recipient as on the top of every page is their special date.
Working in the Newspaper Archive everyday and fulfilling the newspaper gift orders means we have our “fingers on the pulse”. I can guarantee that if you phone or email us then more often or not we are down in the archives searching for a special dated newspaper, usually we answer within three rings or email you back within five minutes. You are not just talking to someone in an office who doesn’t have a clue about your needs and no actual product knowledge but someone who is passionate about newspapers and can talk you through your order requirements. The other week a customer phoned to place an order for an original newspaper from 1959 while we were in the 1959 part of the archives. This meant that we were actually reading parts of the original newspaper out to them whilst taking their order, where else could you get that level of customer service? The order lines are open 7 days a week 9am-9pm on 01872 261220 and you can order securely at http://www.paperspast.co.uk/. Birthday Newspapers are our speciality so let us help you solve your gift buying problems. On another note if there are any amazing cooks or DIY gurus out there please do get in touch as our other specialities do need improving.

Original newspapers,archive papers,20th Century Times

One of the most commonly asked questions about Papers Past is '' Just where do you get all the papers from?'' Well, there is no simple answer as its not possible just to go down to the local wholesaler and buy in some more dates.
Over the years it has been a matter of advertising in trade magazines and generally responding to offers of stock from Libraries, Universities and Government Departments - all who had saved their own daily papers for reference and simply ran out of storage space or no longer had to keep the originals. So, when a run of papers was located, it was up to us to view them, negotiate a fair price and arrange the transport.
Infact this exact process happened last month when Sam received a phone call out of the blue from a lady who was selling a major run of bound volumes of The Times dated 1862 to 1962, it turned out that her father was a book dealer who had bought the papers in the course of his business and was now looking to sell them on.
We had a free day so immediately made arrangements to view them which involved a roadtrip from our base in deepest Cornwall. I have to admit that it was pretty scary weaving in and out of traffic on the M6 compared to our roads down here but we made it by lunchtime all in one piece.
The volumes were housed safely in a shed and store and were in pretty good shape, a little damage to some of the outer binders but the newspapers inside were really excellent and the age range of the collection suited our requirements.
We offered the full asking price and paid by cheque there and then. Its nice to think that the deal was done in a very civilised way, more of an old fashioned Gentlemans Agreement as it involved trust on both sides. Our finances had recently been bolstered by auctioning off one of the old newspaper warehouses in Kent so I knew the cheque would not bounce.
Within ten days the sellers had packed the volumes up on to seven pallets and trucked them down to Cornwall. Infact it was one of the easiest deliveries ever as five of the seven pallets were simply pushed directly in to place at the front of the St.Austell warehouse which meant that we only had to hand lift in two pallets worth. No problems though as I need the exercise.
So, all in all, a very good deal with both buyer and seller happy. But more so it has meant that we have been able to recontact some customers as some previous missing and unavailable dates are now back in stock. It also means that we are better stocked for 1950 and 1960 editions so that next year in 2010 we will be able to satisfy even more 60th and 50th Birthdate and Anniversary newspaper requests.

1949 Newspapers for 60th Birthdays

The Times 1949 archive has been visited everyday this week, orders have been well up on last quarter mainly due to the good, all inclusive pricing structure we are running. The price you see is the price you pay -no annoying extras for packaging or postage.
Stocks are holding up well also, a couple of weeks ago a new run of Times newspapers was purchased and put in to stock. Sam and I offloaded seven pallets of volumes of The Times covering the years 1862 to 1962 - nice one.
But even after working with these papers for nearly thirty years I still am intrigued by them. Even, this week, when I was down in the 1949 area of the archive I sat and read some of the editions. I think it is the sense and feeling of history that comes over me that makes me want to read them. I had the September 1949 big volume out and read that in early September 1949 there was a heatwave with temperatures as high as 90 degrees F. It was nowhere near that in the archive as outside it was raining and I had my winter workjacket on .
An actual advert in the paper of 7.9.1949 was 6 bedroomed house, West Byfleet, £4000 or close offer. If the place hasnt been developed in to flats it must be worth well over a million now.
8.9.1949 had an article about the Five millionth telephone being installed in G.B.
9.9.1949 headline was 55% of railwaymen earn less than 100s. (£5) per week.
and finally 10.9.1949 featured an advert for a bed and breakfast hotel in Sussex Gardens, London with rooms for 3 Guineas a week. Wow! Real news and ads from real newspapers.
Generally customers have been obtaining these 1949s for great Birthdays presents to celebrate 60 years but from time to time they are for Wedding Anniversarys also-60 years married certainly deserves recognition and celebration.