Annual Index

[Jim Smyth]

Does anyone have the following years available to sell:1994,1995,1996,1998,2001,2007,2008,2009,2010?

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Check out this site:

http://jbcarey.net/

or

look in the dealer's directory link, upper left margin of the main page, for Nick Koopman.

These dealers "could" have what you're looking for.

Mel

[George Thomas Wilson]

Jim,

I have extras for 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2001.  Do you have a 2006?

Tom

[Jim Smyth]

I only have a photocopy. I can send you a copy if you like. What price for your extras?

Thanks

Jim

[George Thomas Wilson]

I don't need any money.  I was hoping for a swap, straight up, 5 for 1.  I need 2006, 2007, and 2009.  Since you didn't list 2006, I assumed you had that index.  Anyway, if you want to discuss it more my email address is: [e-mail]

Tom

[Lee silverstein]

I have the all the NG form 1976 through 2010.  all are in perfect condition, some never opened.  Maps have been taken out and are stored separately.  I'm in NY.  Lee

[Jim Smyth]

I'm looking for Indexes only. Do you have any of these, in particular 200072008,2009,and 2010?

[George Thomas Wilson]

Jim,

It is unclear from your discussion whether you collect NatGeo magazines or just the indexes.  Mike Christie, a member here, has a website that allows you to document and display your collections online: XYZCollectibles.com   He has just added the NG index collection to his website allowing me to display my metadata collection.  If you are interested, check it out.

Tom

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Tom,

I hadn't visited the web site for some time - thanks for bringing to my attention.

There are, however, at least three paper supplement indexes missing from the list: 1898, 1899, & 1905.

Of course, then there's the question about the indexes provided for the other years that were issued (usually) in the last issue of the volume. They were removed and used for binding purposes, sort of like a map supplement that was bound in the issue.

I'm assuming you had this discussion with Mike?

Mel

[George Thomas Wilson]

Mel,

As always, I will defer to your expertise in this matter since I am still a relative novice at collecting National Geographics.  Were these indexes in addition to, or in place of bound in issue indexes?  I'm sure Mike will be more than happy to add them to the list. Also if you have them and can provide images of the covers, I'm sure he would be grateful.  He also needs an image of the 2009 annual index.

Tom

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Tom,

The short of it is, as I've discovered many times, nothing is absolutely positive.

But in my research for my new guide (that I had to put on hold because of other priorities for a few months) I've outlined discrepancies between Buxbaum, Nathan and "reality."

Often, all three agree, sometimes two of the three agree, and less often, none of the three agree - as I have thus far been able to validate.

There are four pre-1910 annual indexes published as paper supplements (instead of being bound into the last issue of the volume): 1898, 1899, 1900, 1905.

I have seen no 1898, nor 1899 index bound within the December issue. I have seen so few of these issues I cannot say with any reasonable certainty that bound indexes within the issue do not exist. I have seen a few of these without the index, but none of these observations have been of good issues where the covers weren't separated. Hence, I reserve judgment that there ever was a bound issue published (you'll understand why when I get to 1905).

On the other hand, I have two sets (one for my loose collection and one for my bound collection) of loose paper supplement indexes for both of these years. Since neither Nathan nor Buxbaum identified these indexes as being loose paper supplements, there are some questions yet to be resolved.

As for 1900, I feel I have observed sufficient December issues, bound issues AND the 1964 reprint issue "all without" the index to identify this year as a definite paper supplement. And at least Nathan says it was. I have two paper supplements of this issue also.

Now we get to 1905. Nathan says this was issued as a paper supplement. I have two paper supplements.

I have had at least three December issues without an index bound within (I still have one).

"BUT" I also have two December issues with the index bound within!

The devil is in the details. Where the index was bound within the last issue of the volume (applies only to the first 20 volumes of the NGM) the index falls immediately behind the last numbered page of the issue and continues the Arabic numbers. Then came ad pages (if included). The title page, contents listing, and illustrations (in Roman numerals) fell behind a blank page which was placed behind the index and/or last advertisement page of the issue.

This is not the case with the 1905 December issue. All of the items: index, title page, contents listing and illustrations (even in the bound reprint issue) fall behind the last advertisement page - as if to indicate that some December issues had these items placed in them as an afterthought at the last minute - which would imply there was an original intent to publish only a loose supplement.

Buxbaum didn't like the annual indexes and believed the NGS should do away with them (and got his wish). Nathan stated only the 1900 and 1905 were issued with paper supplements, but I can prove he got one of those years wrong. Nathan states the 1898 and 1899 issues were bound within the last issue, but I have in my possession paper supplements and have never observed a December issue (that was complete and bound) with a bound index within.

When you add to the mix that neither author writes anything about the 1896 index NOT being published in the December issue BUT rather in the February 1897 issue you begin to see there is still a lot of "little stuff" to be resolved.

For whatever reason those two heavy weights in all things NG collecting did not address the particulars of this issue.

When I get the chance, I will get Mike pictures of the loose supplements.

Yours in collecting,

Mel

[George Thomas Wilson]

Thanks again Mel for all the wonderful information.  And a belated thanks for directing me to Nick Koopman.  He has been a great source for these hard to find items.

Tom