Magazines and Maps Slipcases

[Abramo Russo]

I wish to know which year the Society started with the Magazines & Maps slipcases.

I'm aware of two kinds..(the brown with proper year printed, and the burgundy with only 19__) there is any other? 

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Abramo,

I do not know when the NGS began producing the brown slip cases. I began purchasing them around 1980 +/- a year or two. They can be purchased from the NGS beginning with the year dated 1950 (two per year).

Undated slip cases can be purchased to complete your library earlier than 1950, but then you get into the problem of not being able to fit an entire volume within a slip case. The undated cases are the same size as the '60's and newer, unlike those dated 1950's which are actually wider to accommodate the thicker issues back then.

I have no idea about the map slip cases. I've acquired them through auctions and never bothered purchasing them directly from the NGS.

I tried doing a quick search through the database to see if the NGS may have advertised their slip cases, but found nothing. I did not spend a lot of time doing the search.

As far as "types" of slip cases: there is the burgundy one and a yellow one (twice the width of the burgundy). There was also a "binder" type of case. This was something like the old library newspaper files, i.e. you slip the holder into the middle of the issue and lock it into place (top or bottom) adding issues to complete the binder. I had one of these a couple of years ago with the date pre-stamped on it. If I remember correctly, it was a 1930's volume.

There were also several varieties of map slip cases. One of the older styles was a binder with multiple pockets in it and a blank index on the inside of the front board for the owner to list the contents.

I would bet there are many "other" varieties of both cases we haven't seen (or have forgotten we had seen).

Mel

[Abramo Russo]

thanks Melvin for updating me with this precious infos!

Abramo

[Scott T. Shier]

Abramo,

Here's a few quick links, of how some various binder/cases are structured, as well as I'm attaching a few pictures of some of the Map holders that I've had recently in my store on eBay. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390423278136?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&am...  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111481582223?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&am... 


That should illustrate a portion of what Mel was referring to. Tidbit: Early in my NGS collecting I obtained a few of just about every type of holder/binder/case/file, etc., to see what they were and which ones I liked best. As I grew more aware and got my collection well under way, I made a habit of discarding extras and things I didn't want to keep ("discard" means I trashed it if it was in rough condition; otherwise I sold them on eBay). 

At a minimum, I really regret not photo-documenting these kinds of things, for reference. It would be neat to have good quality photos of comparison images, to show a set of various slipcases, Map holders, etc. It helps later when new 'Corner members join and start asking questions, too  : )  

      - Scott 

[Scott T. Shier]

and--->

note that the prior photos are the NGS issued "Map Files" which were made during the mid-1940's thru to early 60's. These were designed especially to hold not just the maps, but their corresponding Index booklets.

The pics in this reply are from a 3rd party (forgot name at moment), and I do not have an exact time frame handy. I lost all the .doc files I had compiled telling me such things : (      But, this variety is also "vintage". I do not actually have this one anymore either, but did save the pics....

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Nice work Scott!

I am constantly reminded of all the NGS "stuff" out there...

And yes, I surely wish you had photo-documented all the stuff you got rid of (and me too).

Mel

[Michael G. B.]

Abramo, I have been getting the brown 6 mouth slip cases since 1982, I think that they started in the early 80s based on the fact that coming across pre-1980 slip cases (at least in my area) in thrift and second hand shops is rare.  When I see them I pick them up and just put a label on the outside for the year I stuck in it.  I have also found yellow front 12 month paper and cardboard slip cases (I will try to post an image later) as well as red paper and card board slip cases that hold six months like the brown ones they sell today.  I do find it interesting however that I pay more each year for the slip cases than I do for my magazine subscription.  

[Michael G. B.]

Here are a couple of shots of the yellow slip case I was referencing.

[stephen zamarin]

Hi,

National Geographic started issuing the Burgundy colored map slipcases in 1985. As for the Burgundy colored magazine slipcases, it was likely during the first half of the 1980's.

Stephen