From the late 1800s to mid 1950s, fruits and produce were packed and transported to the marketplace in wooden crates with colorful, informative labels glued to the ends. These labels were an important part of enticing consumers to choose one brand over another and this competition kept packers working to design the most appealing labels. Crate labels were funny, decorative, serious or simply beautiful, picturing everything from the produce itself, to where it came from, to plays on words or puns.

By the 1950s, regulations and economy caused packers to begin using preprinted cardboard boxes instead of wooden crates with their beautiful labels. An American art form was lost with the crate and its label. Today, this artistry is finding new appreciation among collectors and anyone looking for unique vintage prints.

Where do they come from if they're lost?
Wooden crate labels had to be strong to survive the hazards of getting from packer to marketplace. They had to be able to survive rough handling and damp or even wet transportation by railroad or truck. Therefore, crate labels were printed on high quality, relatively acid-free paper.

Large produce companies packed up to one million crates and needed to keep lots of labels on hand. As the change from crates to cardboard took place, many leftover labels were forgotten in packing houses or printing warehouses. In some cases, thousands of labels were left. The very fact that they were forgotten and stored in quantity in dry packing and storage houses prevented them from quickly deteriorating.

A wide variety of sizes, colors and designs
The size and firmness of the produce determined the size of the crate and, therefore, the size of the label. For instance, tomatoes and grapes were packed in shallow crates, called "lugs," perhaps 3 to 6 inches tall by as much as 14 inches wide. Apple and citrus labels were about the largest, measuring up to 12 inches tall or wide. Slightly more delicate, pears were packed in smaller crates with labels about 8 by 10 inches, and vegetables even smaller, usually 5 x 7 or 7 x 9 inches.

Many labels are nearly alike except the background color or perhaps an item pictured is different, signifying different grades of quality. Also, label designs for brands that might have been sold for up to 50 years, would have been modified during that time to keep up with regulations or to update an image.

Plenty of reasonably priced labels available
The cost of vintage crate labels is very subjective, determined primarily by availability, quality, age and aesthetic appeal. Like most collectibles, price is an outcome of supply and demand. While some very rare and desirable labels sell for hundreds of dollars, many very old labels sell for just a few dollars.

How to know what you're getting
Old, original labels have a distinct look, feel and even smell. Often the paper will show signs of aging. If you look at the print through a lupe or magnifying glass, you'll see that very old labels look quite different from items printed today. Old stone lithography, for instance, is completely different from modern four-color process printing. Stone lithography used as many colors of ink as were in an image. Four-color printing combines just four inks to create all the colors on a print.

Precisely dating some labels can be difficult. Some include a print date but many have no indication of when they were printed. Among the clues available to collectors are: the information included on the label, such as legal information; what people pictured look like; typography; and other style changes.

As labels get newer, it becomes more difficult to tell original prints from reproductions. However, close inspection may show many of the same details as for older labels. Unauthorized reproduction carries the threat of legal action, since many labels include copyright, trademark, patent or license information.

Label art ...
This is just the basic story of crate labels and this all-but-lost art form. This is history. It is Americana. It is art. Enjoy!

Cynthia Pinsonnault, writer, designer, consultant. More vintage crate label articles by Cynthia Pinsonnault can be read at OobyNews: http://oobynews.blogspot.com/