US Airways Collectibles

US Airways Collectibles

There are a number of varieties of US Airways and airlines memorabilia available for collectors around the world. This includes vintage airlines collectibles as well as collectibles related to carriers, airports, and aircraft. Collecting celebrates the history of airlines and flight.

Many collectors of American airlines memorabilia are generalists, collecting everything related to one carrier, such as US Airways. Even when a collection primarily consists of one type of item, such as plates, adding a pair of aircraft seats with complete place settings on trays expands the display.

Some possible flight collectibles from US Airways include toys, aircraft models, flight timetables, validation plates, pilots manuals, clothing worn by US Airways and American employees, china plates and silverware, glasses, giveaways to passengers, airport posters, airplane cards, swizzle sticks, flight duffle bags, and countless other items. You may even find something removed from a decommissioned airplane, such as a passenger seat, a window, or part of a wing.

Vintage collectibles include a wealth of airlines collectibles from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Airlines public relations departments gave away Welcome Aboard kits, liquor glasses, salt and pepper shakers, and many other freebies during that period. These collectibles also include printed flight schedules, manuals, signage, and other company and airport advertising from this period.

Many American Airlines collectibles dating before the 1950s are still available, but older items are not as plentiful. After the 1970s, American carriers were typically fighting to survive and many merged. Both before and after a merger, a company typically cut costs, substituting plastic plates for china and eliminating giveaways, for example.

Collections tend to expand over time as more airlines information is learned. Since an airline could merge and merge again, collecting items from one airlines history almost inevitably leads to including items related to many airlines. Here are a few tips to effectively display a collection of airlines and flight memorabilia.

• Use a solid color for the backdrop. While white is a common choice, if there are many white or light-colored items, select a dark color or black to highlight the items.
• Use a flashlight to decide whether the collection shows best when lit from above, underneath or behind. Look at where the shadows appear when deciding on item placement and lighting.
• Vintage clothing, such as a jacket worn by a US Airways mechanic, can be hung and used as a backdrop for related collectibles. Rotate items periodically to freshen the display.
• Protect valuable and fragile items behind glass doors.
• Hang models of American Airlines, US Airways, and other American aircraft as if theyre in flight.