Potter & Potter Auctions
Live Auction

The Ricky Jay Collection Part II

Sat, Oct 28, 2023 12:00PM EDT
Lot 308

[WANTED POSTERS] Collection of Nineteen Vintage Wanted Post...

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
[WANTED POSTERS]?COLLECTION OF NINETEEN VINTAGE WANTED POSTERS AND ASSOCIATED EPHEMERA.?American, 1890s ? 1930s. Group of broadsheets, with two postcards and one telegram, all being wanted posters or notices regarding con men and women who have plied their illegal trades on a host of unwitting marks. Among the acts described are forgery, larceny (by a ?psychologist and scientific adviser?), confidence games and swindling, getting money under false pretenses as a ?clairvoyant, psychic, palmist and crystal gazer,? ?the old metal box game,? the passing of worthless checks, produce swindling, impersonation, and other offenses. One poster includes a second page of descriptions of the ?Italian Sneak Thiefs [sic]? it seeks, who are wanted for robbing jewelry stores using a complicated series of interactions with clerks. Many posters reproduce fingerprints or mugshots of the individuals advertised. The largest 11 ? 8?". Scattered soiling, chipping, and wear, but generally good condition overall.