Price List

[TED WILLIAMSON]

Would someone be willing to share an up-to-date price list for earliest NG's through 1920? Many thanks.

[Philip Riviere]

Hi Ted

the following material is from this site and contains info you are looking for. It was compiled by Mel from this site:

Value:

 

Generally speaking, I have found the following decades (per issue) in the VG condition described above go for (sliding scale downward as you reach the end of the decade):

 

1910 - $28 {this beginning value for the decade edged up $3 in 2013} (with war years sometimes asking more)

1920 - $13 {this beginning value for the decade edged down $2 in 2013}

1930 - $10

1940 - $7.50 (with war years sometimes asking more)

1950 - $5

1960 - $2

1970 - $.50

 

Missing covers, except for the first 20 years or so, make the magazine nearly worthless whereas a magazine in better condition than the VG described above, even marginally so, may enhance the value immensely.

 

Go to eBay and do a search for “National Geographic Magazine.” You’ll find upwards of 20 thousand items listed. Where do your items fit in the scheme of things?

 

Buying or selling on eBay can have unseen hazards for the uninitiated but a cautious and determined approach for either selling or buying has its rewards.

 

I've seen a Jan 1921 go for $50 with the picture supplement included. I've seen Aug 1914 with map supplement go for over $100. But I've also seen a Fine August 1905 with map supplement go for $27. It’s all in the timing.

 

I acquired a beautiful 1907 leather bound complete year with all covers, ads, index and map for $202.50 on eBay. I had attempted to purchase a damaged bound 1907 just months prior to this from a book dealer. The front board was off the book; the binding was falling apart; the covers and ads (as is normally the practice with bound NGMs) were missing as well as the one map for the year and the index. The dealer was asking for $300 and would not negotiate. I’m glad I waited for the right eBay moment!

 

I’ve recorded a validated first issue, October 1888, selling for just over $6,000. A book dealer would have probably demanded $10,000. I’ve recorded an entire bound first two volumes, the first 9 issues complete with covers and maps, selling for just over $20,000. A book dealer would have asked twice that much.

 

Generally speaking, a book dealer will offer you far less to purchase your item than you can sell it for on eBay. He will also charge you far more than a like item you can purchase from eBay. Please keep in mind that dealers are in the business to make money.

 

Recorded eBay Sales:

 

Since February 2009, I’ve maintained a spreadsheet on eBay sales for the first 18 volumes, twenty years of NGMs. I have captured the “highest” three sales per issue per year (discarding lower priced sales). This spreadsheet allows me to average both the issue (month) and the entire year to develop a high-water mark for “my” purchases. Please note there exist many subtleties/variables too numerous to outline in this guide that may alter any given issue’s value.

 

Here are the eBay “high-three” averages for the first 20 years of NG magazines:

 

            As of 10 December 2013                                Change per issue from the Dec 2012 revision of this guide

1888 - $5,670.22 (only one issue published)             no sales observed

1889 - $643.32                                                            (-10.39) one sale observed

1890 - no sales observed                                            no sales observed

1891 - $490.67                                                            no sales observed

1892 - $500.00                                                            no sales observed

1893 - $382.50                                                            no sales observed

1894 - $430.99                                                            (-$35.33; one sale observed)

1895 - $295.67                                                            sales observed but none qualified for high three

1896 - $226.46                                                            (+$6.50)

1897 - $171.20                                                            (+$.54)

1898 - $252.80                                                            (+$.76)

1899 - $389.97                                                            (+$3.34)

1900 - $163.65                                                            (+$.06)

1901 - $174.11                                                            sales observed but none qualified for high three

1902 - $177.80                                                            (+$13.36)

1903 - $201.35*                                                          (+$43.60)*

1904 - $218.14                                                            (+$1.14)

1905 - $117.66                                                            (+$1.91)

1906 - $69.21                                                              (+$7.68)

1907 - $51.35                                                              (+$10.27)

 

*A bidding war on “just three sales” doubled one and tripled two other previous highest sales for each issue being bid on for 1903.

 

New Data:

 

In August 2012, I expanded my data collection of eBay sales to include the years 1908 through 1917 inclusive. As with the previous data collection I maintain “only” the highest three sales, discarding any lower sales data. The information listed below is “preliminary,” i.e. it takes one to two years of sales for VG or better quality magazines to populate the database. Sales to date are mostly of Good or worse condition. As of Dec 2013, 1911 is the only year NOT populated with supplement sales, i.e. supplements issued in 1911 are hard to find.

 

To assist with interpreting this preliminary data I’ve included a Ratio = (# of VG or better magazines recorded for the year / Total # of magazines recorded for the year).

 

Year – Avg. Sales                                                       Ratio

1908 – $34.83                                                             23/36

1909 - $37.83                                                              20/36

1910 – $27.79                                                             21/36

+1911 - $28.33                                                           8/36

1912 - $23.31                                                              11/36

*1913 - $49.46                                                            11/36 (with April + supplement included)

           - $22.82                                                            9/33 (with April + supplement stripped out)

1914 - $19.19                                                              10/36

1915 - $19.46                                                              21/36

1916 - $17.55                                                              24/36

1917 - $14.52                                                              16/33

 

+ Supplements for this year have become difficult to find. Only 5 of 12 issues published with supplements sold on eBay with these supplements included.

 

*A Good April 1913, with map supplement, has become hard to find. The average for the top three sales “just” for this month with supplement is $342.50.

I hope this helps you out,

Best,

Phil

[TED WILLIAMSON]

Many thanks, Phil.