Magazine collections

[wkrass]

Does anyone have an idea of what complete collections of Trains and Railfan magazines would be worth? I have been unable to get reliable info from classified adds and eventually would like to dispose of my collection.

[cbq9911a]

Post 1980 used magazines usually go for a buck a piece. 1960 - 1980 used magazines go for two bucks. Older ones go for more. These are retail prices for magazines in good condition. Magazines in bad condition are worthless.

Complete runs and bound volumes are worth more.

As with other collectibles, you sell at wholesale; probably 30% - 40% less than retail.

[Anonymous]

First of all I wish you good luck on selling your collection. All the situations I have come across anyone trying to sell off old magazines has no luck in any case but when someone comes across them and needs a specific issue for plans or something or other. You might have better luck of course going through the magazine ads than everyone I know.
Fairmont Motorcar Fan

[dknelson]

Through careful dealing I have been able to acquire Model Railroader complete back to 1950, with spottier coverage in the 1940s and isolated issues from the 1930s. I have the reprint of the 1934 Vol. 1. My experience is that there is value in having entire sets by year but that isolated issues can be had for as little as 25 cents a copy, even for the oldest, at swap meets, although higher prices are more normal. The problem with the Kalmbach bound volumes by the way is that prototype plans that spread over two pages tend to be unusable.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

i enjoy reading model railroader and garden railways magazines but i never can semm to get my hands on any. As a result i only have 4. I have june 2002, spetember 2002, october 2002 and december 2002, although i also have great model rialroads 2003, Does anyone have this mag i reckon it is suberb

[Anonymous]

While not exactly on subject, I was wondering...
I have several magazine issues which seem to have fallen prey to, I guess its mildew.
Does anyone know how to save these magazines?
Hank Morris

[Anonymous]

The best that I can offer is to find a dry place in your house, open the mag CAREFULY, set it out to dry for awile, and keep doin so until either the mag is dryed (or ruined). I had to deal with a simular problem with some of my colection also, so I feel your pain. I'd also recomending buying a large Tupperware air tight storage bin. And of course find a DRY place in the house for storage.
Good Luck!
Icemanmike-Milwaukee

[dknelson]

One of the problems with a mildewed magazine is the SMELL. I read years ago of a guy who buried his smelly magazines in a layer of fresh cat litter (obviously this works best if you do NOT own a cat that wants to use that litter!) and the litter absorbs the odors.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

Fortunately, I have no sense of smell. (Some say I have no sense--period.)
Has anyone tried one the anti-mildew sprays used in bathrooms? Their experience could save me from further damaging the copies or encourage me to try it.
Thanks for the help.
Hank Morris

[Trainnut484]

I'm fortunate that my Trains, MR, and other train magazines have not been damaged. Just recently, I moved my collections to big rubbermaid type storage bins from various old printer paper boxes. Since magazines lean to one side when stacked high, I put a piece of styrofoam (still wrapped in its shrinkwrapped package) in between the stacks to keep them standing. The styrofoam can be bought at craft stores. The reason why I keep the shrinkwraping on the stryrofoam is to keep the magazines from being "scratched" or marred by its rough surface. The rubbermaid bins can be bought at Wal-Mart.

Now..I gotta get an idea for those old printer paper boxes..my wife is eyeing them for something...LOL [:D][:o)]

[AltonFan]

I am told local hobby dealers buy used railroad magazines at a nickle each and then sell them for $1-$2 a copy. I've also run into instances where used issues of Hundman's magazines were being sold at cover price. They justify the mark-up by the fact that old magazines tend to sit on shelves for a long time, and tend to be damaged by customers riffling though them to get the one issue they are looking for. (And once a copy has lost a cover, it is practically unsellable.)

I would imagine that value could be added by having the magazines in year sets, perhaps in binders. ISTM, if retailers would take the time to at least organize their stock by title and year, they might be able to sell more used magazines faster.

When I was in the market for used copies of Model Railroader, I would have been willing to pay up to $15.00 for complete year sets, single issues or in binders, rather than having to hunt through individual issues to fill in the gaps in my collection. If I were going to sell my stuff today, I would definitely try to sell complete years sets, and sell only my odd issues and doubles by the issue or as a lot.

[CBCNS]

Just wondering if anyone out there has the complete Volume 1 of Trains for sale or if they may know where I may find one.