Featured How to find old handwritten Diaries/Journals?

I've been looking for antique or vintage handwritten diaries/journals, but have had no luck finding any. Is there anywhere in particular I should be looking?

 

I haven't had any luck with those either. The closest I've come are old postcards.

 

Yeah, me too! I found 6 bundles of 60 old handwritten postcards the other day. I'd say that's a pretty good alternative

 

Thank you, I'll have a look at that!

 

That's good advice. I was going to say that these things are often findable on eBay. I was also interested in old autograph books for just a short while and found some on eBay. However, there were more people bidding on those than I thought. I also found some autograph books in vintage/thrift shops but I don't think I've seen many diaries in that type of shop.

 

Autograph books are really interesting too! Try looking on Etsy for them, I'm hoping to buy one from there tomorrow if it's still available

 

Estate sales can be a good source as well, and occasionally yard sales........hit or miss!!!!!

 

Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for those now

 

I’ve seen quite a few on eBay lately and I’m also surprised at the interest level.

 

Yeah, it's very surprising! Good to see people are interested in them though

 

It is. All such things need to be saved, cared for and loved.

 

I have a big shoe box of postcards from one person that tells the story of a budding romance, young love separated by war, and a long life of wedded bliss afterward with children and all the bells and whistles when one studies them from the early 1900's and going for many years. Every bit as good as a diary and honestly something I should attempt to find surviving family members and gift to them. It was passed to my husband with no explanation from his father upon his unexpected death so I never tried to return them to the family as there were not a lot of mementos.

 

Wow, that's incredible! It would be so fascinating to read through all of them, especially in the correct order (or as much as possible). Hearing that finding postcards with those kind of things is possible inspires me to continue collecting

 

I was floored when I put them in order and read them. Check those big boxes of post cards carefully at sales. This woman had kept every one she received and the ones she sent her husband are there too making an awesome story.

 

That would be brilliant to look through. It's wonderful knowing that all of them were kept for so long!

 

The 1958 travel diary mentioned in my siggie below was an estate sale purchase. I loved it so much I had to share! (And I keep up the payments for the web addy so others can continue to enjoy it, too.)
I also found, at a different estate sale, a completely handwritten 1927 cookbook with bunches of recipes. It's a treasure!
At yet another sale, I purchased a box of scores of little love notes a 1940s woman wrote to her future husband. Cute, but not a lot of variety or interesting info. Though the lipstick kisses on the papers are amusing!
It's amazing the family "treasures" that people DON'T want to keep... some people just aren't sentimental (or perhaps the author of the diary/notes was not a well-liked person). At each sale, I specifically asked if the item was wanted by the family and it was declined.

 

World war 1 and civil war diaries are still out there. Look at yard sales and buy items "by the box" when you see old Stuff. If you want more common life diaries try estate sales?

 

I’ll have to try and dig out some of the things like this that I have including old scrapbooks.

 

That's fantastic! So many unique finds, they all sound so interesting