There’s nothing I love as much as old collectibles than old magazines about old collectibles! And recently I was able to pick up thirteen issues of Collectors’ Showcase, ‘America’s Premiere Pictorial Magazine for Collectors’. Long name, great content!
Now why are these old and out of date magazines of value today? First, a collector can use them to source and identify hard to find or difficult to classify items. Often there will be articles about specific items giving date of manufacture and company names. Second, if the magazine records prices, a collector can track values over the years. Third, due to the advertising of new-at-the-time collectibles, original pricing can be determined for many items.
And of course, Fourth, a collector just loves to look at old toys!
Hey, it’s Disney!
Being a Disney collector, I obviously like to look for old magazines that feature Disney items, like the one above. Here are a few items I found in these thirteen issues:
How many Disney buttons can you find?
Collectors’ Gallery featuring the Mickey Mouse Handcar
Awesome to see such rare items!
Everyone loves movie posters!
I mentioned earlier that magazines of this type, although mostly out of print today, are also valuable for the advertising spreads within. Have a look at a few of my favorites:
Where: Disneyland Hotel, Embassy Room
Must. Have. These.
Walt Disney World Tencennial products
19,700 hours to make? I don’t want to know how much this cost!
These magazines are packed with wonderful collectibles from everyone’s childhood, no matter what generation you are from. The articles are insightful. The images breathtaking!
And just how much did I have to pay to obtain these windows into the past? They originally sold for $4.00 to $5.00 between 1982 and 1986 but I paid only $1.00 for three so less than $5.00 for the whole batch.
FUN FACT: Do you remember Shields and Yarnell, the pantomime couple from the 1980’s who were on just about every variety show going?
Yes? Well, then did you know that they were sometimes billed as ‘Living Puppets’ and so, as collectors themselves, had a vast collection of marionettes and other puppets, including Pinocchio? It’s true according to the January/February 1982 issue of Collectors’ Showcase!
