DAYTON, OH - Collecting e-mails has become one of the fastest growing pastimes in America, as evidenced by the huge turnout at the 'E-Mail Roadshow' here at the Dayton Convention Center. Thousands of collectors have gathered to buy and sell, to get appraisals, or just to find out if there is a gold mine in that old inbox.
"People have treasures out there and don't even know it." said Herman Flick, Curator of the ARAPNET Museum and chief appraiser of the Roadshow. "There was a gentleman this morning who had a 1983 Elephant 5¼" floppy which contained what we believe is the first use of the acronym LOL. The insurance value alone on that is $75,000"
Most collectors search for e-mails of historic significance, such as the first to use :), considered to be the holy grail of vintage e-mails. Some more adventurous collectors seek the darker side of e-communications, such as original strains of the 'I Love You' virus or phony Y2K alerts - which can be quite valuable but dangerous to store. Others have a passion for pop culture, and look for e-mails copied to celebrities, or perhaps embarrassing photos from someone who was fired after accidentally hitting 'send all'.
Regardless of the genre, experts have the following tips on the collection and care of vintage e-mails:
1) Have your e-mail appraised by a professional and insured.
2) Always buy your e-mails from a trusted source.
3) Keep a print version for casual viewing.
4) Store e-mails in a cool dry place when possible.
5) Do not remove or repair broken links, as they add character and can validate authenticity.
6) Never forward your vintage e-mails, doing so will significantly diminish the value.
7) Keep your e-mail on its original medium. Copying to a higher tier storage device may render the piece worthless.
8) Make sure your e-mail is always displayed in its original font.
9) If your e-mail is to or from a celebrity or historic figure, document with pictures if possible.
10) Never clean your e-mail with modern software, as you may ruin the encoding.
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