When do YOU start collecting beautiful old passports?
When do YOU start collecting beautiful old passports? Take a closer look at this article to learn more about the topic.
My name is Tom Topol, and I research and collect old passports. What is a passport collector? Well, that’s someone who collects old historical travel documents, commonly known as passports. After leafing through some old passports at a flea market in Kyoto, Japan, I began my collection since I have visited many flea markets searching for travel documents. My collection/archive contains more than 800 passports and is always growing.
I was a member of the Ephemera Society in the U.K. and the U.S. Meanwhile, I am a well-recognized expert on passport history with several publications, often for the security printing industry. I consult collectors, foundations, museums, and news agencies on the topic, but I also cover current news on passports and visas, border security, and security printing.
My core focus is on German passports. But history’s wars, shifting borders, and evolving political systems have left behind passports from places that are now known by different names or defunct at all. Such documents tell the story of an ever-changing world.
One of the most interesting specimens of my collection shows how different travel and security may have been within the German Empire in 1916. A document issued from Duchy Saxe Coburg-Gotha features a photo of a young woman with her dog. Clearly, rules about passport photos were less strict than they are today. My website explains that passport pictures were introduced in Germany in 1915, and any picture, so long as they fit on the document, could be used at the time.
Fast-forward 43 years, and a passport from East Germany issued in Berlin shows a stricter organization. The passport featured in the slideshow was issued to a dancer who traveled quite frequently. One of her trips was to Iraq, which was unusual in 1959.
Another interesting travel document was a passport from the Free State of Fiume, an 11-square mile Italian territory between 1920 and 1924. The area was renamed Rijeka after World War II and is located in what is now Croatia.
Old passports are ‘artworks,’ as I describe them. Why? Because no passport looks the same at that time, as they were issued manually and not automatically like today. Back then, you had beautiful hand-writing, colorful border stamps, and the passport picture was always a highlight”. “Today, you are not even allowed to smile in your picture. In the U.S., you are now not even allowed to wear your eyeglasses.”

Studying passports for 15+ years has given me a sense of if the document’s bearer was someone special. The type of passport, family name, and stamps all give the collector clues whether I should begin digging deeper to find an interesting story. The huge passport from 1915, for example, belonged to a German ambassador in former Constantinople, Count Hans von Wangenheim.
The photograph alone is the size of a postcard. Wangenheim witnessed the Armenian Genocide and passed away days after returning to Constantinople with exactly this passport. I also own passports issued to Elton John, Robin Williams, Glenn Ford, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and British Secretary of State Arthur Henderson. Henderson’s passport had a stamp from Sweden when he traveled to Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize.
As you can see, passport collecting is a broad topic. If you want to start your own collection, then I can support you. My strict advice is to always “Collect QUALITY before QUANTITY.” No matter what you collect, a collection is always also an investment, and you would like to gain value with your collection over time – not lose value.
“Define a collection focus.” This is essential as; otherwise you get lost in buying everything, and that costs money. Educate yourself on the things you collect. Knowledge is as important as a precious collectible itself. Check your local flea market, garage sale, etc. Online auction platforms are a great source. Please explore my website as you will find astonishing stories and great collectibles. See these old passports by yourself, and you will understand why I am so passionate about old travel documents.
“Tom’s website, Passport-collector.com, is a goldmine of information on historic and important travel documents.”
– Businessinsider UK –
Drop me a line if you have further questions.
Passport-collector.com is an extensive online platform dedicated to the study, preservation, and appreciation of passport history. Founded in 2010 by passport history expert & author - Tom Topol, the site offers a wealth of educational articles and resources that explore the origins and evolution of passports, their historical significance, and the impact of global events on travel documentation. With over 950 meticulously researched articles, Passport-collector.com not only serves as an essential repository for collectors and historians but also provides insights into the role of passports in shaping national identity and cultural heritage. Passport history, vintage passport collector, collectible documents, travel history, i94 travel history, passport collection, passport, diplomatic passport, passport office, famous people passports, celebrity passports, vintage passport, travel document, vintage passports for sale, old passports for sale, value of old passports, Reisepass, passport fees,