Need help appraising(or selling!) an extensive collection.

[Bee B.]

Hello everyone, 

I recently came into possession of a VERY extensive collection of National Geographic issues, with copies dating back to 1916 at least. The collection is way too big for me to store or keep anywhere for long-term, so I've been looking into selling it. Looking on sites such as Ebay or Craigslist gives me very inconsistent pricing points, though. I've seen a collection of just 1975-present for $700 USD and a collection of only the 1920's issues for $7000 USD. I've contacted one of the dealers in the official Dealer's Directory for help pricing, and I found this forum which seems to be a perfect place to ask as well. If anyone has a baseline idea of around how much a collection of this scale may be worth, or if anyone is interested in purchasing the collection, please let me know! Attached is a general image of the collection. Thank you very much!

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

The answer to your question is complicated - way too many variables...

For insurance purposes, i.e. replacement cost, a collection, complete with all issued supplements in very good condition from 1916 through Dec 2020 would be roughly $8,000.00.

Unfortunately, you will never find a buyer to purchase your collection for that amount of money.

Please review in detail the following:

A Guide to Selling National Geographic Magazines (Revised 19 Januar...

I was in the process of revising this when we suffered a family trauma - the revision will have to wait.

But from observation of your photo, your collection, as a whole, is in fair to good condition. The most valuable issues are in the worst condition.

I would suggest $300 - $500 as a starting price with free local pick-up. Shipping the entire collection would be exorbitant.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have after reviewing the selling guide.

[David Manney]

Where are you located?

[Bee B.]

I am located in central Colorado.