posted on September 6, 2001 04:41:05 PM
I have come into 4 old, 1920's Pictorial Review and Ladies Home Journals magazines complete.
I don't want to cut and slice the old ads. I believe these are a piece of our history with many old stories, art, etc.
Pls advise me, they are oversize. The completion auctions are no help. How can I advertise these to maximize profit? Huh?
Thank you.
posted on September 6, 2001 05:04:27 PM
Glassperson,
I understand your dillema. I am a huge comic book collector (I have over 5000 comics in my collection). I often buy in bulk and then sell off the duplicates. Anyhow, one day I found out that while some of the comic books I had were worth only $.50 - $1.00 apiece... the ads in them were selling for $10 - $20 apiece! To make a long story short... while it was very difficult for me to destroy a comic to sell the ad... I quickly got over it. I now sell hundreds of dollars worth of magazine advertisements every month. Let me assure you.... you will make more money if you cut up the magazines for advertisements. Indivually, you will be lucky to get $5.00 - $10.00 apiece for the magazines. If you sell the ads... you could easily make $50 - $100.00 per magazine in advertisement sales. While it is painful to separate a paper collectible in this manner... the profits are well worth it. If you don't do it.... it's very likely that whoever buys it from you will. At least you can take pleasure in knowing that advertising collectors are just as appreciative of one complete ad as magazine collectors are to have a complete magazine. Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck!
posted on September 6, 2001 06:14:57 PM
I may regret this but the proper way to cannibalize a periodical is to separate it at the spine into the folds. (You can do this by removing the staples,or if it is glued by gently removing the cover from the spine and prying apart the sections.) Then open the 2 page spread that has the page you want to cut, there should be a defined fold to use as a guide. The intrinsic value of the periodical is gone with the ads removed so it doesn't matter that it has been taken apart.
From a conservation view point the only time a periodical should be cannibalized is when the overall condition is so poor that the only thing worth saving are the ads or whatever. From a research standpoint cannibalizing periodicals, or any printed matter is anathema.
posted on September 6, 2001 06:38:23 PM
Susan1232,
The best way to cut magazine ads out is to use a metal straight edge and a sharp razor blade. Do NOT remove staples from the magazine if your interest is in the advertisements. Often times the staples will stick (especially if they are rusted) and you will damage the paper. Simply place the straight edge as close as possible to the inside spine, and run the razor blade along it as a guide. Be careful with your fingers though.... I learned that the hard way and have the scar and a $500.00 emergency room bill to prove it! ;(
The best ads to look for are any train, car, plane, boat, cigarette, beer, liquor, watches, perfume... ok... I think you get the idea... just about ANY ad is collectible! Do a completed search on eBay and you'll see what I mean.
Smw,
I must disagree completely with you. I do not think your methods for removing advertisements are either safe or time effective. I also do not believe it is wrong to cut up the magazines if they are not already in poor condition. The advertisements themselves are well worth it to someone specializing in the subject matter of the ad. Often people use advertisements for research & restoration aids, and of course decoration. Just because a magazine has been cut in pieces, doesn't mean those pieces are being wasted. In my opinion, it is better for 20 pieces of a magazine to go to twenty different people who will appreciate them then to have one magazine sit in a basement gathering mold unread. Just my personal opinion.
posted on September 6, 2001 10:57:03 PM
People who are trained to handle old paper remove the staples from periodicals before pages are cut. If the staples are rusted there are ways to get rid of the rust without damaging the paper before removing the staples.
It is very safe if you know how to do it and have the right tools. It may take a little more time, but the page that is to be cut is less likely to be damaged if it is cut from a flat 2 pages spread than trying to maneuver an Xacto knife or a straight edge razor inside of a bound periodical. Also there is less risk of cutting or damaging other pages when the binding is removed.
Removing an ad from a complete periodical, and whatever remains of the periodical after the ad is removed, generally invalidates both the ad and what remains of the periodical that places the ad in a context as a source document for research purposes. Research does not exist in a vacuum, it exists in a context.
Also I am confident that old magazines that are used for research are not stored in environments that would allow them to grow mold.
Obviously you and I share different viewpoints on this matter. My statements are based on years of personal experience. My methods work, and I have described the procedures clearly so that others can repeat my methods. Your methods may work, however what experience are you basing them on? Also, can you explain your methods more clearly? How do you get rid of the rust on the staples? What are the proper tools used to remove them? If you could clarify these procedures, I think it would be helpful.
I also re-read your first post on prying apart the pages if the magazine is bound with glue. It is my opinion that this is far more dangerous then using my method of a razor blade and metal straight edge ruler. Even if you do this slowly and carefully, you run the risk of tearing the paper when you try to separate it.
As for the research end of things.... it all depends on what type of research you are doing. If you are doing research for a scholarly article, then an intact magazine certainly does have its own value. If for no other reason, it is easy to reference the articles in a bibliography. Yet, I stand firm that magazine advertisements have their own place in research. For the car restorer, an original car ad can answer many questions in the restoration process. For the photographer, a camera ad can explain operation procedures and camera features. For the theatrical costume designer, ads can help illustrate the fashion of the time. The list goes on and on. There are a lot of advertisements out there with very valuable information, as is obvious from the amount of money collectors are willing to pay for them.
posted on September 7, 2001 04:39:42 PM
Uh..it looks like I must cut up our old history to make money?
Nope! They didn't cost my bread, therefore I will keep them intact. When my Social security checks run out, then I may consider it! Now I must convince my partner in this endeavor. Thank you all for your input!
posted on September 7, 2001 05:55:29 PM
Anyone know if old magazines with a funky smell can be rehabilitated? Doesn't seem to be mildew but sure reeks. My nose is very sensitive but I had my sister check them and she can smell it, too. (that's what sisters are for!) They smell OLD and MUSTY.
I tried interleaving them with fresh newspaper pages and waiting a few months, no help at all.
posted on September 7, 2001 07:23:56 PM
Heck, you dont need no stinkin' knife!
Just yank the staples, split apart the pages and TEAR carefully along the fold!
I only wasted about 211 pages before I got it right! LOL
But now I can tear one right nice!
(I would recommend the razor method, however. And replace the blade often.)
For the stinky ones, try sealing them in a bag with either activated charcoal, or with a Febreeze saturated cloth. LEave them a few days.
Personally, I will tear a magazine without too much angst. I hold to the "20 ads in 20 hands" is better than the magazine sitting on my shelf.
But I will not tear a book unless it has fallen apart already. I have one book that I can not GIVE AWAY on auction, and I see maps pulled from similar books selling every day.
Bummer....
