Casino Ashtrays – Why Are They Valuable?
I believe that Las Vegas memorabilia is going to increase significantly in value over the coming years. Here are some of my reasons (some of them specific to ashtrays):
Ø these vintage items are no longer produced and used (see history below).
Ø they represent a specific period in a casino’s history, which will never be repeated.
Ø there is now extensive media coverage about the ‘new’ Las Vegas as a destination, Poker tournaments, many television programs and Internet sites about “how it used to be”. I know when I watch these programs; I see some of my collectibles and say “I’ve got that one!”
Ø over 30 million people visit Las Vegas yearly and there are many signs that these number will continue to expand with new and repeat visitors.
Ø many visitors are now, or will be, collectors of Las Vegas memorabilia.
Ø I was there recently and searched around some local antique and collectors’ stores and saw very few ashtrays and other Las Vegas memorabilia. Those that I did find had prices 3-10 times more expensive than what they can be purchased for on ebay.
Ø when these items (ashtrays, postcards, menus, etc., etc.) were produced, the target audience was a tiny percentage of what it is today and will be in the future; so proportionately there were not many produced.
Ø the massive expansion of the Internet has seen the number of collectors growing exponentially and their appetite for collectibles will only continue to grow. Las Vegas collectibles will continue to be among the more popular collectibles. They are affordable, all have an interesting story behind them and more and more people have been to Las Vegas in person.
Ø many ashtrays get tossed away or broken when family members are cleaning up after a loved one has passed, resulting in a dwindling supply of these great ashtrays.
Some Ashtray History
At the end of World War II, clever entrepreneurs realized that ashtrays were an economical means for a business to advertise itself (prior to the war, they were generally blank), at a cost of $.15-$.25 each (even cheaper in larger volumes). Salespeople across the country then began selling countless thousands of ashtrays to every business possible … and in Nevada, almost every town had casinos. In Las Vegas the casinos would even give 100’s of ashtray to outlying motels to put in their rooms (knowing people would take them), thus extending their advertising even more.
The ashtray manufacturers designed some ashtrays that were beautiful in shape and had graphic artists employed to create aesthetically beautiful artwork for these ashtrays. By the mod 1960’s, many of the ashtrays had become less interesting; with less attention to the unique design and detail which made them so fascinating. When smoking began to receive more negative publicity, the casinos stop purchasing and using ashtrays with their name on them and now almost all casinos only use plain ashtrays.
Check my Las Vegas History page for some information about Las Vegas beginnings.
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