Help with Maps

[LetterLuxe]

Hello!

I've been selling decorated nursery letters here on Etsy for several years now. Finding Etsy and taking the leap to open a shop has truly changed my life in wonderful ways I never imagined! I just celebrated my 1100th sale!

I've recently started offering letters made with maps. Example:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/185018701/map-custom-wooden-letters-nursery-name?ref=shop_home_active_1...

They're really fun and now I'm starting to get requests for specific cities. I haven't had much luck finding reasonably priced PAPER maps that are pretty enough to use on my letters. Any recommendations? I find a lot of city maps that are laminated, but I can't use those.

Anyone else out there use maps in their art? Ideas?

Many thanks in advance for advice!

[Former_Member]

Have you checked the local book stores?

What about checking with your local AAA office? Do you have a membership?

Or even contact the Head office? They update their maps every year so I imagine that there are quite a few that are destroyed each year.

[Former_Member]

You can print the maps on nice paper, and make laminated.. dont know in your country the prices... You can add a few $$ for personalized maps.. if you gonna print it!! Think its the best things... Some maps are really difficult to find!
Best!

[LeedsRadio]

Buy old (pre-1990) Atlases. Before cartography turned all digital the fonts they used were really nice and the maps themselves works of art.

The pages are big and since they are in book no folds or creases.

[LetterLuxe]

Thank you all for the ideas!

[ArteOfTheBooke]

Lots of online paper shops have printed maps, some antique, some new. Look for decorative papers at Hollanders, for example.

[heartsabustin]

I think you also need to be careful about infringement - some maps can be used, and other mapmakers will not like it. Someone who is (used to be?) here makes cufflinks and such using maps, and I remember her saying she had to be careful about using certain maps from certain makers.

[LetterLuxe]

Hollanders is a great find! Thanks for sharing. :)