I have a friend who has come into dozens of old weird tales magazines from the 1920’s through the 1950’s. She is looking to sell them but isn’t sure how to tell what they are worth. A look on ebay shows a wide swing in prices, and I am not convinced that ebay is the best place to sell them anyway. Anyone out there a collector with some experiance in this sort of thing. I haven’t looked at them, but am told that they are all in fine to very fine condition with some of the ones from the 50’s being in near mint.
[ComicBookGuyMode] Whatthat junk, I’ll give you $18.50 for the lot [/ComicBookGuyMode]
Now Serious: The Price varies tremendously. This should give you some ideas.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&fcl=4&fnu=1&from=R10&satitle="weird+tales"&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&bs=Search&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&fgtp=&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP%2FPostal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=
The ones with Famous names can be worth a lot. Look for Robert E. Howard & Lovecraft. Look for Pratt & LeSprague De Camp. Etc.
I hope this helps a little
Jim
(I really will buy the lot for $18.50)
Wow that is really weird, when I opened the thread I only had the first 2 lines show. I am sorry about that.
It seems I forgot to mention that many/most of them have lovecraft stories. Not sure how I left that out. She inherited them from a relative who was a lovecraft collector. That’s what made me turn to the boards in the first place, I know there are many Lovecraft fans here and I figured there was a good shot some of you were collectors as well.
Thanks
See if you can find any titles on Amazon.
Look at some of these sites and forums
http://yog-sothoth.com/modules.php?name=Forums
http://lovecraft.cjb.net/
Not a very popular set of News Groups but you can also look at alt.horror.cthulhu preview at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.horror.cthulhu?lnk=srg&hl=en
Lovecraft only lived until 1937. While he may have had a few stories in inventory at the time, you need to assume that only the issues published by Popular Fiction out of Chicago have Lovecraft originals. Any printed after that point are likely to be reprints. That makes the 1950s magazines much less valuable.
This page, while dated, has a long list of prices for Weird Tales. I don’t know whether they are Lovecraft issues or not. Note that almost all of them are in at least very good condition. If your early ones aren’t, their prices will drop considerably.
You can generally assume, however, that the older the rarer and therefore more valuable. However, other variables, like Margaret Brundage covers, are gaining favor today sometimes even over the story contents.
eBay pricing doesn’t look out of line to me. Don’t forget that if you sell them to a dealer, you will get half or less of their retail cost. However, if you don’t want the time and work that selling them individually will entail, that might be your best bet.
jrfranchi: you miserable piker! Shame on you.
NAF1138, I will gladly pay your friend *twenty-five * dollars for those magazines. Plus shipping costs. And, of course, I’d be happy to match that amount to compensate the efforts of whoever convinces her to accept the deal, wink wink…
Your friend does know that all *Weird Tales * magazines from that era are cursed, right? Yep, madness and sterility are virtually certain results of extended ownership. Tell her that. Plus, they emit radon.
point of order: August Derelith published some canon. I believe, in Weird Tales.
I didn’t know any of that. I will be sure to let her know imediatly that she should sell them to the first person who makes a good offer. I like your offer of $25 and the kickback to me and think we might be able to work something out. Truely you are a brave soul to take on these cursed radon emitting books.
On the off chance that she may want to get more than $25, and is not afraid of the certain maddness sterility and radon exposure… does anyone know how you determine the condition of the magazines? Does it work the same as with comics, because I know how to deal with comics. I am just not 100% sure if pulps and comics are treated in the same way, or if the market would be more similar to that of used books (which I know nothing about).
Thanks for the help guys, the links were very useful.
For what it is worth, the scale is the same, but Mint condition pulps are not expected. The Pulps were the equivalents of a “readers digest” or “TV Guide”. So Good condition would be the typical high-end price on a pulp. Pulp value is about the authors in them in most cases.
I have never seen an example of bought, never read, and placed in protective cover. At best is not read and put on a shelf. So overall it is not as exacting a standard.
Jim
Hey I’ll go to $35 with the kickback. I have a special containment room built already and I can rid the earth of this menace. I even recently built a 1920’s style death ray base on Tesla’s drawings. I am well equipped to handle this mission.
Oh nice try jrfranchi! Suddenly we’re all concerned about the safety of others, are we? And yet earlier you never even bothered to warn about the terrible, terrible danger these magazines pose to NAF1138’s friend every second that they remain in her possession. I feel certain that NAF1138 recognizes your feeble gambit for the transparently manipulative ploy that it is. It sort of makes one wonder what your *real * plans for those pulps are, were they ever to fall into your diabolical clutches.
However, I’m prepared to spare your victims their hideous fate by increasing my offer to 40 dollars, plus shipping, and matching third-party renumeration. I’d much rather sacrifice my own meager funds than stand by and watch **NAF1138 ** and friend fall prey to some dreadful scheme. My mind won’t rest easy until I know for sure that they’re out of harm’s way; that’s just the kind of person I am.