Unearthing a cool fossil — A 1980’s letter shows furry fandom before the net.
by Patch O'Furr
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News tips from non-furries are often worthy. They won’t suck you into fandom-gossip, and they’re more likely to use the Dogpatch Press Facebook page than Telegram or Twitter. That’s how I heard from a New Jersey estate liquidator (someone contracted to sell off goods when someone dies or can’t do it themselves). They had binders of furry art, and I had experience in brokerage (my other fursona is a pack rat.) Was there worth in them?
They didn’t smell like money, but I knew they might have at least curiosity value for a handful of sources like Confurence.com, so I broadcast it and tagged them.
I see dates 1985-1999. I wonder if any of these are unavailable or are they photocopies of nothing too uncommon? @Skiltaire_Party @Bengaley @CulturallyFd pic.twitter.com/GD6uClFeuC
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) February 13, 2020
Indeed it was just sentimental-value stuff — not even original art, just photocopies — but Jerry Collins tied this to old guard furry fandom. I thought about how scrapbooks of gay culture from pre-1960’s had high curatorial value, and was reminded of a contact with an archive for 8mm home movies that were picked up this way and sometimes licensed for documentaries. I smelled news!
I asked about reaching the family to find out more about the collector, or make sure it was OK to share:
The house had Manga stuff and role play games. Owner was in his 50’s. Unfortunately the estate was handled by an attorney who had no personal knowledge. I do not see any issue with sharing the binder contents. Enjoy.
