posted on April 4, 2001 08:57:38 AM new
I have gotten some really nice LIFE magazines dated 1941-1944. They are in great shape and have lots of info about WWII. There are also some marvelous ads. My dilemma, to sell the mags as a memorabilia from WWII, or to snip and clip them for the ads. Now, I know my high school (long long time past) would be having a coronary about the prospect of cutting up magazines, but I would really like to get the biggest bang for my buck. Suggestions?????
posted on April 4, 2001 09:14:24 AM new
Without knowing anything on the subject, I would think that the intact magazine would have more value than if it was cut up.
You may want to ask around before taking a knife to it.
Best of luck. It sounds like you might have a nice item to sell.
posted on April 4, 2001 11:38:46 AM new
I would leave them intact and list them under WWII if they are heavily concerned with that. You might consider mentioning any prominent ads (coke, ?) in your description and possibly listing in 2 categories if there is a really good ad in order to get more bang for your buck.
posted on April 4, 2001 12:07:55 PM new
llamma_lady,
As one who deals extensively with magazine advertisements, let me assure you that you will get your most money by cutting out the advertisements and selling them. If you sold the magazines intact, you would probably get between $5-20 apiece for them (if you're lucky!) If you sell the advertisements seperately, you are likely to get between $3-20 apiece for EACH ad! Since the magazines probably have anywhere between 10-15 sellable ads... you could easily make anywhere between $30-300 per magazine by selling it in pieces. I know... it's a horrifying concept to think that an old magazine that has survived the ages is worth more in little pieces... but it's true! Just make sure you use a metal straight edge and sharp razor blade to carefully extract the ads. Good luck!
posted on April 4, 2001 01:08:11 PM new
Thanks all for your suggestions. I believe I will review to see which ones are heavily laden with WWII information. If the information outweighs the ads, I'll leave them intact, otherwise I may be try 'ekkk' cutting up one magazine to test the waters.
The magazines are fascinating. The ads on the other hand are soooo collectible. coke, all different car companies and oil companies, some companies I've never heard of and are 98% in great shape. No wrinkles, nips or tucks.
posted on April 4, 2001 01:48:56 PM new
Hi Llama_Lady,
I'm a seller in another category, but I BUY ads (Campbell's soup mostly) for my collection. At first, I was buying the ads and paying a hefty price, then realized I could buy the magazines for less than some of the ads, and turn around and sell the ads, that I didn't want, to pay for the magazines. I haven't started yet, but I am building up a nice stock. As hard as it is to cut those magazines up, you will do much better, expecially if there are WWII related ads in them. The best thing to do, is go do a search on the ads and the magazines. It blew my mind and probably will yours too. Good luck and have fun just reading them before you sell!
posted on April 4, 2001 02:31:38 PM new
rarriffle:
I sell almost exclusively ads from National Geographic magazines (they're cheap to buy, and have some great stuff in them!) The ads from the 20's have some good stuff in them! Here's a list of one's you should look for I'll start with the most valuable and work my way down:
1) Heisey Glass ads (list in the Glass:Heisey section)
2) Chris-Craft Boat Ads (List in the Transportation Nautical area)
3) Leica Camera Ads (List in the Photgraphic:35mm camera: leica section)
4) Any old car ads
I typically sell them in lots of four or more and get great responses. Make sure you cut them out with a straight edge and sharp razor. Ship them in plastic bags, inside sturdy cardboard mailers. Hope this info helps you out!
posted on April 5, 2001 06:09:19 AM new
llamma_lady:
Just thought you might want to know... I listed a lot of 24 WWII airplane ads, and they sold this week for $58.00. These were small ads from National Geographic. Your larger ads from Life could easily catch MUCH higher prices! Keep it in mind.
rarriffle:
Sorry for the delay in my response! You caught me at the end of the day yesterday. I'm glad to be of assistance. In response to your questions:
1) If the ad is not a full page, I usually cut it out and describe the dimensions of it in my auctions. That way I can still sell the other ads from the page at another time.
2) The Heisey ads are VERY collectible, and would probably sell well by themselves if you are knowledgeable enough to identify the glass pattern. If not, put them in a lot and they'll definately sell. I had a lot of 6 ads (not all of them full page) sell for $30.00!
3)Travel/Cruise ads don't sell that well by themselves... unless you start to market them for content material.... for instance there is a high market value for ads featuring Hawaii and Hula-girls. These ads should be listed under the Collectibles:Cultural:Hawaiiana section. Ads featuring surf-boards sometimes do better in the Sports:Surfing category. It all depends on the market! Train ads will do very well (I'm sorry I left them off my previous list... I'd actually put them between Leica camera ads and car ads). Especially look out for some of the full-page Santa Fe railroad ads with Indian Chiefs. Those can easily fetch $10-20 apiece.
4) Besides tears/writing on ads, you should also mention any creasing, brittleness of paper, odour, and staining that appears. Because national geographic magazines are so sturdy, I find that most of my ads are in excellent condition.
If you have any further questions, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. I'll be glad to help you out!
posted on April 5, 2001 06:44:39 AM new
Wow!! I guess I will be getting out that straight edge and sharp razor. I've been sitting on these magazines for quite a while not realizing what a little gold mine I have. Since I normally sell glass and pottery and expend a lot of time and energy on preparation and packing, this will give me somewhat of a break. cool.
Thanks You all have a marvelous week-end. Spring has sprung and I am going out to enjoy it this afternoon.
posted on April 5, 2001 07:37:47 AM new
llamma_lady,
Glad to help out! Just make sure you're equally as careful packaging the advertisements as you are with your pottery. It requires different packaging, but still a large degree of effort. First, make sure you enclose your ads in some sort of plastic bag (keeps moisture out). Then, with large ads you have two options.... LARGE sturdy-cardboard flat mailers, or shipping tubes. Most customers prefer their ads to be shipped flat, as rolling them in tubes can crease/crinkle the ads. Also, if you use cardboard mailers... make sure you mark on the outside to not fold or bend them. Despite the thickness of my mailers, I was shocked when a customer of mine reported that her postman had folded one to fit in her mailbox. (and then rather upset when she proceeded to leave ME negative feedback for her postman's stupidity!) If you follow the above sugestions, though, you should have no problem shipping the ads. Good luck!
posted on April 5, 2001 10:15:28 AM new
Regarding cutting of Ads: Is it okay to use the Fiskars paper cutters? These are the ones where you press down and roll a wheel across.
Also, in cutting the ads, should one leave a border around the ad or cut right to the edge? If border, how much of a border?
Finally, what ebay categories are the best for selling ads.
1) I would advise against cutting ads with the fiskars paper cutters. It's hard to position magazines on them without damaging the magazine. The best way is to get a metal yardstick ($3.00 or less at your local hardware store) and some razor-blade knives. (you can get a package of 12 or so at the dollar store for $1.00)
2) Leave as much border as possible when you are cutting ads. This allows for easier framing by your customers. When cutting full-page ads, cut as close to the spine as you can. When cutting smaller ads, try to leave a border, but make sure you don't damage the other ads on the page so you can sell them later.
3) Ebay has an entire Advertising section under collectibles. Ads sell very well there. However, don't underestimate their popularity in other categories as well. As I mentioned above... camera ads sell well under photography... hawaiian ads under hawaiian culture... you get the picture. Best thing to do if your not sure, is to search the completed items to see where other ads have sold.
Hope this info helps! (sheesh... I wish someone had given ME all this advice when I started selling ads!!!!)
posted on April 5, 2001 02:01:53 PM new
eauctionmgnt
Thank you for your help. I have several large bound magazine runs. Always want to break them up but never got around to it.
I will heed your advice on the Fiskars paper cutter and get some of the razor blades. I have in the past cut thin paper on there. But what I usually do is to lay a piece of paper underneath with what I am cutting to give it some thickness and prevent problems.
posted on April 5, 2001 08:53:53 PM new
Instead of razor blade knives, get a nice X-Acto at your local office supply store -- in the section with other graphic design or drafting tools. They usually come with a supply of No. 11 blades. Much better for cutting paper along a straight edge. Much. Change blades often enough to keep the blade from damaging the paper. (Paper is VERY dulling!) You'll also find many other uses for these marvelous little tools.
posted on April 5, 2001 10:05:17 PM new
I'm so glad you started this thread. It has been really helpful.
A year ago, some people were cleaning out an old cabin and had some simply terrible magazines from 1906 - 1915--mouse eaten, rain stained, chewed on, etc. We read a couple of intersting articles in them and agreed the magazines as intact objects were hopeless. So I went through and tore out about 50 ads, many of them in color. (The ads themselves were in pretty good condition.) They've been sitting in a file ever since; for a while I thought I'd paper a wall with them. Now I know what to do with them, so thanks tons.
(There are jello, old cars, cooking ranges, etc. etc. ads--a wide variety, with lots of women in stylish clothing, maids in uniforms, the whole schmeer.)
posted on April 5, 2001 10:12:35 PM new
Do not forget another great source of prints/plates for selling can be found in old dictionaries; I found the best (and sadly, verry messiest) way is to split the binding to the page just before the plate in question, then slowly seperate the pages. And it helps if you remove the spine before you even start. The ad thing I never realized, and I must be sitting on a gold mine-picked up over 200 Geographics from the 60's, and was wondering what to do with them.Thank you all!
posted on April 5, 2001 11:49:00 PM new
With National Geo's it is best to open the front and back covers and carefully remove the staples. The mag then separates easily. This will leave you with the whole page when separating (the staple holes are ok in the ad) instead of just part of it. The ads are always contained in the front and back so no need to go through the middle. Also I recommend setting up a file cabinet with alot of files early when getting into selling ads......otherwise you will have a pile of ads that seem overwhelming. This will allow you to go to a file and make groupings of ads that sell well that way instead of alone too. Please note ad buyers are more then willing to pay for photo mailers in addition to their shipping. Packing is essential to these collectors and you will hear about it quickly if it is shipped carelessly. In some magazines it is best to split the spine and remove ads that way when possible and removing staples from mags like Lifes is best so you can cut the page at the seem and make a nice clear cut. Don't become lasy when going through the mags and tear and then cut because it is easier...you will by no doubt wrinkle, tear or in some way mess up a once in a lifetime found ad.
posted on April 6, 2001 02:39:24 AM new
GREAT thread! I have what is probably a dumb question. How do you list your ads? I don't meant the category; what words do you use in your titles? Do you use "ad, ads, adv, advertisement"? I guess I mean "key" words. Thanks
posted on April 6, 2001 03:57:56 AM new
You've made ad selling sound like so much fun, I've just invested $5.70 of my grocery money in an old 1958 magazine with lots of car ads. We'll see if I can make that back or if I'll mess this up and add it to my growing list of Ebay goofs.
Thanks to all of you for your advice. I'm really just a "closet cleaner outer", but this little venture makes me feel like a real seller!
posted on April 6, 2001 05:24:38 AM new
Believe it or not, selling articles from magazines can also be very profitable. A fellow ebayer cuts out "How-To" articles from 1970's and 1980's Hot Rod magazines and sells them separately. He regularly gets $8 to $10 for a 4-page article and has had several finish in the $40 to $50 range! These are magazines he paid $2.00 each for!!
posted on April 6, 2001 06:54:31 AM new
mapledr1216:
Great idea with the articles! I'll have to look into that a little more.
misscandle:
I'm glad you've decided to venture into the world of advertisement sales. You should be able to get your money back easily from your investment. However, I think you may have overpaid for the magazine (an easy trap to fall into early on.) I think this would be a good time to discuss which magazines should be sought after for advertisement sources. Always stay away from the more collectible magazines (such as LIFE & Post) Instead, buy similiar magazines of the same era (such as LOOK) that don't have as large a collectors following. They'll have the same identical advertisements! You can buy those magazines for MUCH less... ($.50 - $1.00) and therefore have a higher profit margin. As a rule of thumb, I never pay more than $2.50 per magazine, and then only if it has some extraordinary ads in it!
Clevergirl:
Exacto blades are, without question, great! But, cheap razor blades from the dollar store will most definately get the job done... at a fraction of the cost. For $1.00 you can get enough blades to safely cut through THOUSANDS of advertisements. Just make sure you change blades often, to keep the knife sharp. As you state, paper does dull the blade!
posted on April 6, 2001 01:40:56 PM new
Eauctionmgnt: I think I did overpay, but there is still hope. The price of the mag was $1.25, but the seller added a hefty Priority shipping & handling fee. He says in his TOS that he will ship cheaper, if the buyer asks. I think I'll see what he can do to reduce this amount without damaging the magazine.
Thanks again for the great tips & ideas. I'll just have some fun with this and then go back to my closets. My oldest is going to college this fall and there is GOLD in that there closet!
posted on April 10, 2001 07:09:16 AM new
Another question: Where do I find the plastic bags to put the ads in? I also have sheet music that I need these for also.
posted on April 10, 2001 07:34:05 AM new
rainbowman11:
Typically, an archival plastic bag (acid free) would be best for the ads if they are to be stored in the bag for a long period of time. However, if you are just concerned about preventing possible moisture damage during shipment, any bag will do fine. I buy my bags and other shipping supplies in bulk from Quill at:
They have great prices on bags, and stay-flat cardboard mailers to ship the ads in. The bags are cheap. (I haven't bought them for awhile... I think they're $.03 apiece or less...) The stay-flat mailers are more expensive ($.50-1.00) but are well worth the investment. If you buy stay-flat mailers, make sure you buy the self-adhesive kind. If you buy the kind with tabs, you could accidently damage the ad when closing the mailer (found that one out the hard way!) Hope this helps!
Just make sure you're equally as careful packaging the advertisements as you are with your pottery. It requires different packaging, but still a large degree of effort. First, make sure you enclose your ads in some sort of plastic bag (keeps moisture out). Then, with large ads you have two options.... LARGE sturdy-cardboard flat mailers, or shipping tubes. Most customers prefer their ads to be shipped flat, as rolling them in tubes can crease/crinkle the ads. Also, if you use cardboard mailers... make sure you mark on the outside to not fold or bend them. Despite the thickness of my mailers, I was shocked when a customer of mine reported that her postman had folded one to fit in her mailbox. (and then rather upset when she proceeded to leave ME negative feedback for her postman's stupidity!) If you follow the above sugestions, though, you should have no problem shipping the ads. Good luck!