Where to Buy a Magazine Back Issue
I have to say that the only time I ever thought someone would want to buy a magazine back issue was if they actually appeared in it and wanted to distribute extra copies to their friends and family. But after recently helping my mom clean out her basement, I discovered that she had boxes and boxes full of old Time, Life, and National Geographic publications. Some of the copies were in great condition and she couldn't bear to just throw them all away, so I went to work trying to find out what she could do with all those magazine back issues. Here's what I learned.
First of all, most people who are interested in purchasing magazine back issues are collectors. Some issues of famous publications become pop culture icons after many years have passed, which makes them very valuable. For example, any Rolling Stone issue with the Beatles on the cover or any retrospective issue following the death of a rock star are highly collectible items. Other magazine back issues might contain literary, artistic, or historical value. Fans of author Ernest Hemingway would love to get their hands on publications containing his short stories. Similarly, Norman Rockwell aficionados have been known to pay very high prices for old copies of the Saturday Evening Post featuring his cover art. As you can see, there is a large market for magazine back issues among collectors.
Another reason someone might be interested in purchasing a magazine back issue is for research purposes. Genealogy is a very popular pursuit among hobbyists, and sometimes very old magazine back issues can provide an excellent snapshot of what daily life was like in a given era. This can greatly assist both amateur and professional genealogists in reconstructing a family's history.
Finally, some people might purchase a magazine back issue for the sole purpose of using the cover or inside photos as decorations. I used to live next to door to someone who was a big Michael Jordan fan. He would purchase any publication that featured Jordan on the cover so that he could remove the cover and have it professionally mounted and framed. My neighbor constantly looked through lists of magazine back issues to find any Jordan covers that he might have missed. I have heard of people doing the same thing with covers of their favorite movie stars, singers, or other celebrities.
So after all this research, I've decided to list a magazine back issue or two from my mom's collection on an Internet auction site to see if anyone's interested in purchasing them. If the first few auctions go well, I'll go ahead and list the rest. I suggest you do the same thing if you have any magazine back issues that you think other people might be interested in or if you are looking to purchase a magazine back issue to round out your collection.
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