Thousands of national geographics.

[Chris Elliott]

I have an incredibly large collection of national geographics is anyone is looking for something specific. I may sell some of the much older ones through an auction.

[Richard Kennedy]

Which issues prior to 1906 will you be selling?

[Mark Van Winkle]

[Mark Van Winkle]

Where is it possible to buy old National Geographics at auction, other than eBay?

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Mark,

I sent you a friend request with message if you're interested (1906 and earlier).

Otherwise, several years ago I answered newspaper ads (for private sales, garage sales and for local auctions) in the Maryland area while I lived there until 2013.

I purchased sets offered for sale as far away as Connecticut by following eBay auctions that listed for as long as a year without selling.

I was able to make some really good deals (from my perspective) because few people wanted to deal with the bulk of a complete set and the sellers simply wanted the collections off their hands.

Over 20+ years I collected a really clean set of VG or better issues from 1905 to present, and nearly completed my set back to 1900. The remainder of my collection and some of the finest issues (always scanning eBay for better quality issues than I have in my collection) have all been gotten off of eBay since December 2008.

I was able to assemble an additional six complete sets (plus hundreds of extras) of only VG issues from 1920 to 1995 that I was preparing to sell on eBay (not including the two complete sets I donated to middle schools - that almost no school will accept now {all digital}). Unfortunately, we needed to move before I could open my eBay store.

I could not give anything away - no one locally would take them. I also had only weeks to move - so didn't have the time to investigate.

I made a deal with an eBay dealer (if he would consign all the extras I had between 1910 and 1919) to take all he could carry in a van any and all issues 1920 and newer. He loaded the van he brought to the hilt.

I had to recycle three 55 gallon drums of NG magazines from the mid '50's to the mid '90's.

I brought my collection, along with all the extras older than 1910, with me to Texas.

Mel

[Mark Van Winkle]

Melvin,

I just now found the place on the site for Friend Requests. I'm such a tech dolt. But I didn't see a message. You mean you have a list of 1906 and prior issues for sale? 

I can see how you could assemble multiple sets over time. People are fleeing from print in droves. I can also see how you could assemble a really high-grade set by comparing one set to another and culling out the lesser copies. That's what I've been doing the past three weeks. I drove to El Paso and loaded a thousand pounds of NGs into a SUV I rented. My son-in-law went with me. I'm going to keep the A set and he is interested in the B set. Feel pretty fortunate to have someone close who might be interested. Well, honestly, I think he and my daughter just think it will look nice to have 100 years of NGs on shelves in their office. I can't say he's really interested in reading them. 

You're in Texas? Where? I'm in Carrollton, a northern suburb of Dallas. Boy, did I ever find out how big this state was when we drove 11 hours out to El Paso to pick up that deal.

Mark

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Mark,

I have ever so slowly been selling off my extras older than 1910.

I presently have all of 1906, and about 25 or so from 1894 through 1904 that are available. Included in this list is the January 1902 with both of the rarest loose issue maps in the NG Collection.

I also have as extras a good number of the volume indexes and nearly all the maps from 1917 through 1993, along with a complete set of Cumulative Indexes from 1922 through 1983.

We live NW of Houston, perhaps a 3 1/2 hr. drive from you.

FYI - my son is driving up to OKC this Friday...

Mel

[Richard Kennedy]

If you have any of the following for sale please quote price & condition. Thank you.

 

Vol. 7 - 1896

• January w/Map Supplement
• March w/Map Supplement
• December w/program

 

Vol. 9 - 1898

• April w/Map Supplement
• December w/index

 

Vol. 10 - 1899

• December w/index & Map Supplement

 

Vol. 11 - 1900

• September w/Map Supplement

 

Vol. 13 - 1902

• January

 

Vol. 15 - 1904;

• January w/Map Supplement
• March w/Map Supplement

[Pece Kocovski]

Love how you are measuring your extra National Geographic's in 55 gallon drums haha! :)

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Pece,

Those (placed in the 55 gal drums) were the extras the dealer could not load in the van he brought.

They were recycled - waste... what a shame...

I had more than 6000 extra magazines altogether, he took about 4500 plus 300 he was going to sell for me on a commission.

I kept about 250 of the oldest extras to sell when I could get around to it.

All told, in my two decades of gathering this collection of extras, I threw out almost as many as I kept. I discarded issues with torn or damaged covers, ripped or missing pages, or stained in any way.

It was a tremendous amount of work. I learned a great deal about the NGM and met and or worked with a bunch of great people. It was worth it!

I hope you're able to enjoy them as I have.

Yours in NGM,

Mel

[Pece Kocovski]

Incredible! Thank you for sharing Melvin.

I feel the level of collecting might not be as intense here in Australia (so far I am only hunting for magazines locally), but I am having lots of fun collecting them all the same. Looking forward to one day read them and enjoy them in that way too haha!