The ESA Ephemera Fair Returns for its 46th Edition this Spring
The nation’s largest ephemera fair brings rare paper treasures – from vintage maps and historic playbills to baseball cards and banknotes – to Old Greenwich, March 19–22, 2026.
For four days this spring, thousands of fragments of history - once fleeting, now collectible - will gather under one roof. The Ephemera Society of America (ESA) announces the return of its flagship ESA Ephemera Fair, the largest event of its kind in the United States, taking place March 20–22, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. The annual ESA Conference will take place March 19-22. Now in its 46th year and produced by Sanford L. Smith + Associates, the fair coincides with ESA’s annual conference, 250 Years: Ephemera Shapes America, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
On July 4, 2026, the nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. This landmark anniversary provides an ideal opportunity to explore the pivotal role ephemera has played not only in our nation’s founding but also throughout the major political events and social movements that have shaped American history. The conference will feature 11 presentations over two days, each examining aspects of this historic milestone.
At the fair, everyday printed materials, originally created to be temporary, are showcased as cultural artifacts. Visitors can browse more than 10,000 pieces of vintage and historic paper, including advertising posters, baseball cards, rare maps, political buttons, playbills, banknotes, sheet music, luggage labels, wood engravings, and other printed curiosities spanning centuries.
“ESA is the leader in promoting the historical and cultural significance of ephemera,” stated Mi-chael Peich, ESA President. “Our annual conference offers careful study of ephemera, while our Fair is an opportunity to acquire ephemeral items that unlock history’s fascinating stories. Say good-bye to dismal winter and gather bouquets of ephemera at the Fair and Conference!”
With 60+ exhibitors from across the country, the event draws seasoned collectors, historians, designers, and first-time browsers alike. Prices range from $10 entry-level finds to museum-quality rarities, making it equally accessible for newcomers and serious collectors.
“As proud producers of the Ephemera Society of America’s Ephemera Fair - the largest and most important of its kind in the country - we’re excited to celebrate the small, fragile pieces of history that tell some of the biggest stories and the wonderful community that gathers around them,” added Jennifer Stark, CEO of Sanford L. Smith + Associates.
A longstanding destination for the ephemera community, the fair has become a New England tradition, part marketplace, part treasure hunt, and part living archive, offering a rare chance to discover the small paper objects that quietly shaped everyday American life.
Exhibitors
In its 46th Edition, The Ephemera Fair continues to lead as the most comprehensive ephemera fair in the United States, showcasing the finest tradition of material culled from American dealers.
Full list of Exhibitors:
aGatherin'
Antipodean Books, Maps & Prints
Archway Books
Auger Down Books
Bartleby's Books
Better Read Than Dead
Between The Covers Rare Books
Boston 2026 World Expo
Brookyn Rare Books
Capitol Hill Books
Cardtique
Commonwealth Books
Cultural Images
Dale Steffey Books
David Bergman
David Cohn
David Thompson Antiques & Art
DeWolfe and Wood
Eclectibles
Erin Waters Fine Photographs
Evie Eysenburg Ephemera
Evolving Lens Bookseller
Frank Reilly Antiques
gallerybfa
Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, LLC
Gilann Books
Haec City / Also Books
High Ridge Books, Inc.
House of Mirth Photos
Island Antique & Art Gallery
Jack Bacon Appraisal Services LLC
James Arsenault & Company
Janet West
John Bale Books LLC
Kurt A. Sanftleben
L & T Respess Books
lizzyoung bookseller
Locus Solus Rare Books
Lorne Bair Rare Books
Mare Booksellers
NCC Antiques
Neverbird Antiques
Original Antique Maps by Carol J. Spack
Peek-a-Book Rare Books
Peter Luke Americana
Mead Americana
Philip Salmon & Company Rare Books
Phillips & Phillips
Rabelais Inc.
Resnick Paper Americana
Resser-Thorner Americana
Robert Langmuir
Shadowrock Rare Books
Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc.
The Joy Fay Company
Ten Pound Island Book Company
The Old Print Shop, Inc.
The Picking Fields
Trevian Books
University Archives
White Fox Rare Books and Antiques
Wm. Hutchison
Location: Hyatt Regency Old Greenwich, CT, 1800 E Putnam Ave, Old Greenwich, CT 06870.
Schedule:
- Friday Preview for ESA Members, Conference Attendees, and Press (Friday, March 20 5:30pm - 7:30pm): Tickets sold at the door to benefit the ESA
- ESA Members Fair Preview (Saturday 9am - 10am): $12
- Single-Day Admission (Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 11am - 4pm): $12 Online, $15 at the Door
- Students: Free (with valid ID – at the door only)
- Conference Registration: HERE
ESA Ephemera Fair:
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Produced by Sanford L. Smith + Associates | www.sanfordsmith.com | (212) 777-5218
