Up for sale is an extraordinary, historically significant archive documenting the fierce "Gray Market" watch wars of the early Great Depression. This unique grouping includes a massive 1931 L. & C. Mayers Co. (New York) Wholesale Jewelry Catalog, paired with rare primary-source ephemera showing a small-town Pennsylvania jeweler fighting back against big-city retail tactics.

What is Included in This Archive:

• 1931 L. & C. Mayers Co. Wholesale Jewelry Catalog: A large, heavily illustrated hardcover trade volume featuring thousands of Art Deco diamonds, silver, luxury goods, and premium watches (Elgin, Bulova, Hamilton, Longines). A fantastic reference guide for vintage appraisers.
• Original "Gifts and Prizes" Bulletin Board Card: Measures 9 3/4" x 5 3/4". This cardboard notice was distributed by L. & C. Mayers to manufacturing corporations, allowing factory employees to bypass local stores and buy directly from the wholesale catalog.
• Historical Jewelers' Correspondence Lot: Multiple original letters to and from local St. Marys, PA jeweler Leonard Lesser, Elgin Watch, Bulova Watch, and Hamilton Watch Co. The letters explicitly detail Lesser's complaints that Mayers was severely undercutting retail prices, and contain the watch companies' defensive replies stating Mayers obtained the goods through unauthorized, back-channel "straw buyers."

Catalog is in very good condition. Measures 12 x 9 and more than one inch thick.