DIGNOS NOSTALGIC COLLECTABLES

We are a family team based in rural Shropshire in the United Kingdom and provide an outlet for certain types of nostalgic, old and antique items such as vintage postcards and other paper-based ephemera.

We have also extended our offerings to include some diecast models, tinplate toys & trains, stamps and first-day covers as these are of special interest to us, and we have already built up a dedicated follwing for these types of item. As our existing customers have found out when they purchase from us, we pride ourselves with the highest standards of service - please take a look at some of our customers comments on the feedback page.

Our aim is to provide something additional and complimentary to those which have existed for the traditional dedicated collector, we are also here to broaden the appeal and raise the profile of some of these wonderful items by providing easy access and the highest level of service for anyone wanting to acquire their very own little piece of genuine nostalgia.

Our prime focus is image-based material - along with our postcards which are such a delight in themselves, we are also extremely interested in old photographs, 35mm slides, magic lantern & glass slides, stereoscopic images etc, which we source and restore, and add to our own material that had very humble beginnings as a personal collection in the hands of a photographer over 35 years ago.

Some of these original items are now offered for you to buy at our online outlet, dignostalgia.com, together with authentic reproductions which you will find in our separate department called Digital Nostalgia. Of course they do not necessarily have to be "old" to be "nostalgic", so in this area you will find some more modern images too.

DIGITAL NOSTALGIA
 
Dignos preserve images for the future by digitally recording and archiving original old image-sourced material. We call this "Digital Nostalgia" and it includes images from colour or black and white photographic prints, negative film and positive film (which was commonly used as 35mm slides in slide projectors) among others as the image source.

Once the image is preserved, we can then go on to restore it. During this process we repair any damage such as minor tears or stains and remove artifacts carried over from the original image. For example water droplets on prints, streaks, scratches, or even tiny hairs that rested on the negative many years ago. What was once considered to be "captured forever" in a final photograph can now be removed, or a spoiled photo can now be un-spoiled! To a certain extent we can even correct for any limitations of the original equipment, or human error introduced when the image was taken – poor lighting conditions or “washed-out” colour for example.

While doing all of this we are also extremely careful not to over-correct, or process an image too much that it starts to become something different. Our primary goal is image preservation and correction, not artistic influence.

Because we retain the original material and its primary digital record, that unique form is preserved as it always was, it is never changed. However by using modern processes and the technology available today, we can finally see the images as they would have always been intended, as a restored and enhanced digital version.

Some of these restored images can now be purchased from us - these are available under the Digital Nostalgia category. Unfortunately we can not offer all our restored images for sale at the present time as some are subject to copyright owned by others, and some exist where ownership has not been established in which case we can not make reproductions available, however we will always be seeking to gain approval to release as many as we can into the public domain and we will always continue to restore and archive the images for future generations regardless of whether they can appear for sale in our shop or not.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR NOSTALGIC VISIT

Whether you are here to buy or simply browse, we hope you enjoy our nostalgic collectables and if you don't find anything that interests you today, please remember to come back frequently - the collection in our shop is growing daily!

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PRODUCT CONDITION RATINGS & DESCRIPTIONS

Most nostalgic products available from Dignos are old and therefore the terms "new" and "used" have no real meaning. Instead, items are given a description as to their condition, together with images that you are able to view before making a purchase.
For items which can be similarly decribed (postcards and diecast models for example), a condition "rating" is given - this is detailed below. Sometimes a more extended description will be given if it helps, and for uniquely individual items, a detailed description is always given.

We pride ourselves on accurate descriptions and often take a lot of time in doing so. We want you to be 100% happy with your purchase before you make your purchase, so our advice is simple - please read the description and review each picture carefully so you can judge condition for yourself before you buy.

POSTCARD CONDITION RATINGS:

Excellent: No creases or bends, must have sharp corners, no surface marking (the only exception is for mild age discolouration of the base material that may be present - e.g. the "sepia" type toning very common with aged paper-based items). These are the premium collector's examples in the best of condition.

V.Good: As above but may have minimal corner / edge wear and/or minor surface marking that does not affect the main subject of the image (e.g. a small stain on the back of a postcard). These cards are in very desireable condition.

Above Average: As above but may have more extended corner / edge wear or minor surface marking on the picture side, may have minor bends on the corners or a small area of creasing or even a small tear if it is limited to the extreme edge or surface damage to the picture side if it is very minimal (a small scratch in the corner for example). These are the postcards that have probably been treasured by someone, but may not have been protected or looked after in any special way other than perhaps being placed in an album, and may have general handling marks. They are not the most superb examples but still in perfectly good enough condition to be collected or displayed.

Fair: The majority of postcards of 50 years of age and older will fall into this category - they will have some some marking, may have a crease or two, may have a tear or surface blemish and more worn corners. The surface may have acquired a little more grime so some of these cards may look a little soiled in appearance but the main subject of the image must still be easily viewable to be categorised as fair.

Poor: These will have extended corner / edge wear / tearing / surface marking and may have multiple creases or folds.

Whether a postcard has been written on or not, is postally used or is unposted does not necessarily affect it's value - a postcard with an unusual postmark, rare stamp or interesting handwritten message may be even more valuable to a collector than a similar one in "mint" condition that was never "used". Written / Unwritten and Posted / Unposted are therefore given separately for postcards and are not taken into account in the condition rating.

DIECAST CONDITION RATINGS

These are rated 1-9 (with 1 being best) and are based on standardised descriptions familiar with model collectors:

1 Mint & Boxed (MB or MIB): The prime examples in their original box or packaging - must be "as new" with no paint faults or blemishes from use or handling.

2 Very Near Mint & Boxed (VNMB / VNMIB): May have tiny chips to very limited areas or factory flaws / blemishes from rubbing on the box. Must still be in original box or packaging.

3 Mint Unboxed (M): AS MB without the original box or packaging.

4 Very Slightly Chipped & Boxed (VSCB / VSCIB): May have chipping to edges and raised areas. May have been "played with" but must still be very presetable with at least 80% of the paintwork intact and have original box or packaging.

5 Very Slightly Chipped (VSC): As above without the original box or packaging.

6 Slightly Chipped (Playworn Good / SC): May show more wear and paint chips - must have at least 50% of the paint remaining on the model.

7 Chipped (Playworn Reasonable / C): Heavily chipped or with significant areas of paint loss. Must still be presentable structurally - must be basically sound and intact with no structural damage. These models would restore well with repainting.

8 Poor (Playworn / P): May show significant paint loss or some damage to the model.

9 Spare / Repair: Needs complete restoration or used as a source of spares to restore another model.

The above ratings apply only to the model. Any box or packaging will also have it's own wear condition so it is possible to have a 1 rating with a slightly damaged box for example. If the box / packaging exhibits anything other than the condition of the model that it contains, this will be described separately and will be easily seen in the accompanying picture(s).

Please note while we always do our best to describe items accurately and thoroughly, individual perception always varies, thererfore these descriptions are provided as a guide only, and should be used as such. We always provide images and advise you to review these carefully to be able to make your own judgement.

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