The vibrant colors of vintage fruit and vegetable crate labels offer a great decorating accent for today's kitchens.

Beginning in the 1880s, fruit and vegetable labels were printed in abundance to identify and advertise crate contents. In the 1950s the industry switched to preprinted cardboard boxes, which left thousands of crate labels sitting untouched in empty factories or even being thrown out. Only in the 1970s did they become collectible when a stash was discovered in an old California fruit-packing warehouse. Though it's rare to find a label affixed to its original crate, freestanding labels are readily available and perfect for adding a dash of color and character to your decorating. Certain categories of labels are more sought-after by collectors, including transportation images (trains, ships, etc.), images from specific states, funny cartoons, and pretty girls.

Any large antiques show will have a good selection, plus you will find them in abundance on eBay, says dealer Bob Carnegie of Vintage Paper Image in Massachusetts.

The majority of crate labels are completely affordable at just a few dollars each. Some rare, early pieces may be valued at several hundred dollars.

For vintage labels, contact these dealers:
. Bob Carnegie, Vintage Paper Image, 508/529-3971; vintagepaperimage.com
. Pat Jacobson, 530/637-5923; fruitcratelabels.com
. Michael Brailove, Antique Prints and Paper, 732/545-5223; mbrailove@verizon.net