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Given that it has been 50 years since the NGS created a reprint run of the early issues, what would you think if they decided to do a new, archival-grade, strictly limited number run?  Instant classic collectible?  Heresy to even mention such an idea? 

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John,

I really have no opinion one way or the other.

It would be just another item, in a world of many thousands of items, available for collection.

I probably would not purchase the set, but then, I've purchased things NG that I really hadn't given any thought to purchasing until the bug bit me.

Interesting question though...

Mel

John,

We have enough reprints. We do not need any more at this time ..

Phil

I don't know of any plans to do this so we are probably safe!

Hmm, I thought this was an interesting question John (maybe I'm even surprised it took so long for anyone to pose it on here, heh).

I've actually had for a length of time a strong desire of: "if only they had done the reprints in 1964 up to/through 1912" so that it would have been the first 25 years, It's so hard to get issues for 1908-1912 (heck, even 1913, and '14) in even at least good or very nice condition. Since I do love to read those early years and refer to them frequently (i.e., 1888-1907), it would be practical and useful to have '08-'12 or beyond as official, quality reprints. 

I actually do have very nice copies for my 1908, 1909, and 1910's. It's my 1911-1914's that could stand an upgrade, but for the time being I am satisfied that I have at least all of them. My April 1913 for instance, is pristine -- very happy. 

The downside to the reprints --the bound copies that is-- is that I do feel that the volumes for 1899, and 1905-1907 are a bit heavy and quite wide to comfortably hold and read them quickly, or for length of time. This is where I would have made the case that they should have broke up their volume-numbering ...and hence, the size of any one bound year... sooner than they did; that being having Jan-June be Vol. 1, and July-Dec. as Vol. 2 for any given calendar year as opposed to having all 12 months be one volume, since in the early days, that was tantamount to "1 volume ='s 1 book bound".

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I don't think it's "heresy" at all. I think a lot of people would be thrilled for a new/another chance to get early years in great condition. At this point though in 2014, I feel very confident to say there's no way the Society would undertake such an expensive, time-consuming endeavor again. And, there's no way if they did that they wouldn't be so high-priced as to kill a high qty. of them being sold. Plus, we're in the era of downsizing and people don't want back-catalogs of magazines or books. A minority do of course, but a minority demand would not have gotten the 1964 project off the ground either. 

IF there was a new reprinting (or expansion of the existing set), I think in due time it would become a "collectible" and reach a point of being more money to obtain than the issued-price ...much the same as what did happen with the 1964's.It only cost $315 - $350 to acquire the '64 reprints, either the single copies, or the bound, respectively. Amazing.

Try buying a set now for $350!

    ~ Scot S.

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