Only a sample of the wealth of ephemeral printed material can be collected by libraries, museums and record offices. Posters, brochures, timetables, theatre programmes and other flimsy items are not intended for preservation but, where they survive, they are frequently attractive items and give a vivid insight into everyday life. Some material, such as the execution broadsheets, which survive in an unusual number for Exeter in the 18th century are flimsy, others such as estate sale particulars, can be quite substantial publications. Some ephemeral items are included in Devon's local studies catalogues and can be located with books and other monographs.

Election literature. This survives from the 18th century to date although there has been no systematic attempt to collect this type of material. In the days before the secret ballot such literature could include details of the numbers of votes cast, as elections continued over several days. Collections can be found in local studies libraries, record offices and museums. In some instances broadsheets and posters were gathered together in volumes.

Estate sale catalogues. These can be quite substantial publications, often with detailed plans and illustrations of the properties to be sold. Those which form part of the Devon Record Office's deposits are in course of indexing for individual properties by members of the Devon Gardens Trust.

Transport timetables. There are collections of these in the Railway Studies Collection in Newton Abbot and in the Westcountry Studies Library in Exeter.