# SF magazines in my attic! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455 "2004-07-10T18:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/1 "2004-07-10T18:17:06Z")
So I buy this old house in Marietta, OH. 100 year old place. I’m having some wiring and new AC put in (to make danceswithcats feel better) and I’m poking around in the attic and _I come across two large cardboard boxes behind some old panelling…_ “What ho?”, I cry, “What treasure awaits?” Magazines. **Digest-sized** magazines. I just grabbed a handful and brought them down to my office. They’re old SF magazines from the 50s through the 70s (so far). There must be a couple of hundred. I just grabbed five from the top to list them. _Galaxy_ - September 1972. Cover text: “Rendezvous with Rama - Pre-publication scoop!” _Analog_ - March 1972. Cover text: “The Fold at the Starbow’s End - Frederick Pohl” _Worlds of If_ - October 1971. Cover text: “Big new Retief Novel, complete in this issue! THE ALTOGETHER PLANET by Keith Laumer” _Worlds of If_ - December 1971. Cover text: “The Real People - J. T. McIntosh” _Worlds of If_ - August 1971. Cover Text: “Occam’s Scalpel by Theodore Sturgeon” It looks like mostly ‘Worlds of If’ and ‘Galaxy’ with a bunch of oddballs thrown in going farther back. There must be a couple of hundred of them. Hee hee hee. I’m so happy! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/2 "2004-07-10T18:43:42Z")
So, may Fenris also kiss your Lens of Arisia? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/3 "2004-07-10T19:35:41Z")
Hmmm. If the Galaxies go through 1975, I have the lead story in one. Clever in a juvenile sort of way. Galaxy really started to go downhill around that point. (Not my fault: they had just merged it with Worlds of If and stopped paying authors). Up until 1975, say from 1962 through 1973, was a second golden age of the sf magazines. You’ve got some good stuff there. Nice find. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/4 "2004-07-10T22:15:10Z")
We bought my grandparents’ house. It needed (and still needs) a lot of renovation. But my grandmother included my grandfather’s collection of books and magazines in the sale. My husband, who is not a reader, did some work on the house while I was away on a trip… I come back to find that he’s thrown out the ENTIRE collection of Galaxy and Playboy. The Galaxy was a COMPLETE run, and the Playboy was a run from the very first issue to sometime in the mid 70s. He threw out a bunch of books and other magazines, too. I came home to find these boxes of books and magazines standing out in the rain, thoroughly soaked. Once books and magazines are that well soaked, they are less than worthless, as they WILL mildew and contaminate other items. I still might kill him. If I do, I want all of you to be my witnesses that it was justifiable. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/5 "2004-07-10T22:30:35Z")
There’s twenty bucks in it for you, plus my paying for shipping and handling – if you have the April 1957 issue of _Super-Science Fiction_ magazine with an intact copy of Harlan Ellison’s short story “Invulnerable” (a Superman/Krypto pastiche). I have been dying to read that thing since I was 17. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/6 "2004-07-10T22:41:56Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > We bought my grandparents’ house. It needed (and still needs) a lot of renovation. But my grandmother included my grandfather’s collection of books and magazines in the sale. My husband, who is not a reader, did some work on the house while I was away on a trip… > > I come back to find that he’s thrown out the ENTIRE collection of Galaxy and Playboy. The Galaxy was a COMPLETE run, and the Playboy was a run from the very first issue to sometime in the mid 70s. He threw out a bunch of books and other magazines, too. I came home to find these boxes of books and magazines standing out in the rain, thoroughly soaked. Once books and magazines are that well soaked, they are less than worthless, as they WILL mildew and contaminate other items. > > I still might kill him. If I do, I want all of you to be my witnesses that it was justifiable. Actually, death’s too good for him. I suggest destroying something of his equally precious and _then_ killing him. No jury would ever convict you. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/7 "2004-07-10T22:57:54Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > So, may Fenris also kiss your Lens of Arisia? Better that than Occam’s Scalpel. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/8 "2004-07-10T23:29:18Z")
Thread title changed at OP’s request. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/9 "2004-07-11T00:04:12Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > My husband, who is not a reader, Well it’s your own damn fault for marrying him then! [sub]waits with trepidation to be banned posthaste ;)[/sub] Ah, just tell him that 10 issues of the 1958 run of Galaxy magazine are selling on eBay for $35… ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/10 "2004-07-11T00:18:53Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > I come back to find that he’s thrown out the ENTIRE collection of Galaxy and Playboy. The Galaxy was a COMPLETE run, and the Playboy was a run from the very first issue to sometime in the mid 70s. He threw out a bunch of books and other magazines, too. I came home to find these boxes of books and magazines standing out in the rain, :eek: As an eBay seller and bookaholic, I’ll testify on your behalf! “He had it comin’, your honor!” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/11 "2004-07-11T00:36:47Z")
I’ll buy all the issues of _Analog_/_Astounding_. Send me a list of what you’ve got and we’ll negotiate a price. I’ll also buy any issues of _Interzone_, although the stuff you have is apparently too old to be _Interzone_. Again, send me a list and we’ll negotiate a price. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/12 "2004-07-11T01:05:28Z")
Thanks for changing the title, Ike. It seemed mean-spirited to pick on Fenris there. Wendell, I still have to go over what I have and I’m not sure I’d be selling in the first place. But I’ll catalog it and we’ll see what’s what. Why the Analog fixation? And Lynn? I’d have killed him on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/13 "2004-07-11T01:10:11Z")
Poking through the storage unit yesterday, I found my stash of _Twilight Zone_ magazines. One of them has _In the Sunken Museum_, where E.A. Poe visits an undersea city. We used that issue as a prop in our film _Mutilation Maniacs_. I also have a collection of _Heavy Metal_ I know I have two of Issue #1, but last time I looked I could only find one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/14 "2004-07-11T01:37:07Z")
Back from the attic: General impressions: Some ‘Sky and Telescope’ from 1970-73. More ‘Worlds of If’. December 68 features Asimov and Ellison. On the Analog Front it looks like it might be 1969-76 complete. Lotsa Poul Anderson stories. ‘A Bridle for Pegasus’ by Anne McCaffrey. Frank Kelly Freas writing an article about designing the shoulder patch for the Skylab crew… Pournelle and Niven…seperately. **AN EDITORIAL BY ROBERT HEINLEIN!!! AHHH!!!** That’s odd…there’s a whole bunch of ‘Tropical Fish Hobbyist’ in here. Bova all over the place… Blish novels (complete in this issue!)… Stanley Schmidt sure seemed to get a lot of covers in ‘Analog’… Piers Anthony was published as far back as 1970? I have the complete serialization of ‘I Will Fear No Evil’ in the Galaxy’s. Alfred Bester and James Tiptree, Jr… That’s from half the first box. I think I’m having a love affair. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/15 "2004-07-11T01:38:11Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > I still might kill him. If I do, I want all of you to be my witnesses that it was justifiable. Justifiable? Are you kidding? May I please assist at his execution?! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/16 "2004-07-11T01:43:40Z")
Just a sort of arbitrary choice of what to collect. I just happened to find a lot of 1950’s and 1960’s _Analog_/_Astounding_ issues (and scattered issues after that point) at some point and decided to buy them. I have nearly the entire run of _Interzone_ also. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/17 "2004-07-11T01:48:47Z")
I’m glad someone who can appreciate them found them. That’s got to be a super-rare happening. I’d say most people would react like Lynn’s husband, a smaller percentage would see dollar signs, and a very, very, very small percentage would react like Jonathan. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/18 "2004-07-11T03:43:53Z")
> [@](#): > > I come back to find that he’s thrown out the ENTIRE collection of Galaxy and Playboy. The Galaxy was a COMPLETE run, and the Playboy was a run from the very first issue to sometime in the mid 70s. He threw out a bunch of books and other magazines, too. I came home to find these boxes of books and magazines standing out in the rain, thoroughly soaked. Once books and magazines are that well soaked, they are less than worthless, as they WILL mildew and contaminate other items. > > I still might kill him. If I do, I want all of you to be my witnesses that it was justifiable. The horror. The horror. Lynn unfortunately, you’ll never be able to explain to a non-reader the enormity of his crime. But at the very least, find out what the resale value of those magazines was and point that out to him. Ordinary issues of Playboy from the fifties generally run in the fifty to one hundred dollar range per issue. Issues from 1954 will go for ten times that price. If there actually was a first issue from 1953, it was worth in excess of five thousand dollars. And these are the prices if sold individually; if sold as a complete collection they’d go much higher. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/19 "2004-07-11T04:03:22Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Once books and magazines are that well soaked, they are less than worthless, as they WILL mildew and contaminate other items. Uhh, maybe I shouldn’t tell you this now, but they still could have been saved. It takes some time and effort, but they were salvagable. Even if mildew has started, you can often bring them back to decent condition. Museums have developed techniques to save paper items after floods that use rather low-tech methods since many museums can’t afford fancy equipment. It’s perfectly within the reach of most homeowners to be able to duplicate them. Just for future reference . . . ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455/20 "2004-07-11T04:44:00Z")
**Lynn** , I would have killed him on the spot, and immediately regretted it, because it would mean I wouldn’t be able to draw out his suffering further. But then, I never would have married such an uncultured lout in the first place. Ah, what the heck. I’ll kill him even without being married to him. And **Jonathan Chance** , I truly envy you. Were I in your place, the first thing I’d do would be to go out and buy a few months worth of provisions. Then, I’d drag the boxes and the provisions into the most comfortable room in the house, and lock the door. The provisions might not even be necessary; I’m not sure I’d stop to eat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sf-magazines-in-my-attic/254455.md?page=2)