10+ Sources for Unique Collage Material

My Favorite Sources for Collage Material and Junky Junk

I use a lot of vintage paper and other found materials for collage material in my artwork. This is a resource post where I’ll update periodically my favorite places to source my preferred kinds of materials.

• Sources for books:

  • damaged and discarded from libraries

  • local or university library sales

  • thrift stores - sometimes there are full sets of outdated encyclopedias, weird cookbooks, 10 identical copies of the Book of Mormon, etc.

  • antique stores, especially for old school books, old hymnals, or dictionaries

• Other materials:

  • swap or trade with other artists

  • purchase from other artists

  • old phone books (do we even use these anymore?)

  • plat books, atlases, road atlases, highway maps, tourist “stuff” at rest stops

  • order the free packets from various state and provincial tourism departments

  • antique stores are great sources for sheet music, postcards, vintage photos. I am always astonished at the drawers full of other people’s discarded antique family photos. If you don’t want to use the item itself, make a photocopy to collage

  • thrift stores have old sewing patterns, tissue paper, stamps and ink, half-used scrapbook packs, board games, card games, flashcards

  • thrift stores are also great sources for discarded wall art; tape off the edges of the frame and make a new painting on the old one, reuse the frame, or cut up pieces of the painting.

This chaotic pile of papers is full of great vintage paper finds! I see old sewing patterns, dictionary pages, patterned tissue paper, handwritten letters and envelopes that another artist sent to me in a box of goodies, and some 100-year-old sheet music that I used for printing.