Old National Geographic Magazines

[CoElkHunter]

So, I rescued these from a school I used to work at about six years ago. They were emptying out a storage closet and we’re going to throw them away. I’ve had them stored in a box and they’re in remarkable shape. Mixed month editions from 1934 through 1946. The war year photos and commercials to buy “war bonds” are amazing. Some great African photos of wildlife, towns and people too. I’ll be sharing some here too. The point of this, is I don’t know what to do with them? I’m not throwing them away as some have told me to do. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Two African photos.

 

[Ravensview]

I had a lot of old ones that I was saving to do something with, then we decided to build a smaller house and downsize and ended up tossing them, my wife pointed out they were all out on dvd’s, I did cut out pictures and saved some key issues as well as the maps they used to put in them. We are at a stage where we want less stuff.
I know my answer is of no help, but good luck in your decision

 

[baxterb]

You might just list them on eBay for people trying to fill in collections. My uncle has every single issue except first couple years. I don’t know if people are collecting them still, but it is impressive to stand back and look at a complete collection of them.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I didn't know anybody "collected" them? I wasn't looking to sell them. I just didn't know NG had saved their copies and apparently have them on DVDs? I figured during the "fog" of the war years many photos would have been lost to time, but I guess not. Maybe I'll give them to a local school library. Thanks!

 

[Monsai52]

I subscribed for years and always saved each issue. I finally got to the point where I realized that I was never going to go back and reread or use any of the old issues for research or out of curiosity. Before I tossed them I checked with a local shop I knew that dealt in old magazines, newspapers, etc, and the owner told me that there was NO market for old National Geographic, because everyone always saved them so there were boat loads of them around. I felt bad for a few minutes after I tossed them. but haven't regretted it once since.

Same thing with old Sky & Telescope magazines. I'd been buying them since 1968 and had a huge collection. Only difference is that I found another amateur astronomer who wanted my old issues so I gave them away, except for 4 or 5 of my earliest issues. Again felt bad for a couple of minutes, then a sense of freedom for not having to worry about keeping or disposing of them.

Best regards,

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yeah, I don't know how anyone could possibly have enough room to collect decades worth of ANY magazine(s)? Most are "time" sensitive anyway, due to innovation and new technology. However, they still are interesting up to a point to see how far we've come. I'm going to take photos of all the African and WW2 stuff in the NG magazines I have and then donate them. Maybe I'll figure a way to have a couple of posters made from the photos and put them in my reloading "space". LOL. With a couple of exceptions, no one I personally know give a rat's a** about historical events, but I do.

 

[K E Johnson]

Not an expert, and this is older than @CoElkHunter picked up. This is a bound edition of July to December 1923. There are some great articles that are still interesting. Some information such has historical information is accurate forever. Outdated information is still a snapshot of that point in time.
The reason I bought this, and considered myself lucky, is it has an article on the automotive industry and tractors. As an antique tractor buff of long standing, I greatly appreciated this article. It has some great information and pictures from a special era in farming. Rumely “heavy weight” tractors are in featured in several pictures. They are one of my favorites.
There maybe articles in these magazines that @CoElkHunter has that may have interest to specialized groups as well. There is history in those magazines. These are not magazines from the 60, 70s or 80s. Fewer people could afford them in the 30’s and 40’s.

 

[CoElkHunter]

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Not an expert, and this is older than @CoElkHunter picked up. This is a bound edition of July to December 1923. There are some great articles that are still interesting. Some information such has historical information is accurate forever. Outdated information is still a snapshot of that point in time.
The reason I bought this, and considered myself lucky, is it has an article on the automotive industry and tractors. As an antique tractor buff of long standing, I greatly appreciated this article. It has some great information and pictures from a special era in farming. Rumely “heavy weight” tractors are in featured in several pictures. They are one of my favorites.
There maybe articles in these magazines that @CoElkHunter has that may have interest to specialized groups as well. There is history in those magazines. These are not magazines from the 60, 70s or 80s. Fewer people could afford them in the 30’s and 40’s.

Interesting. And the couple of photos you've shared and details of the farming practices of the 1920s in the accompanying articles, would have shed some light later as to why many acres of agricultural land suffered greatly during the "dust bowl" years of the 1930s. I have read where "flat farming" and not rotating crops helped exacerbate the problem? It's all history now, but they lived through it back in the day.

 

[Ravensview]

I googled National Geographic dvd’s and I dont think the format is supported anymore but a lot of copies out there for the whole set on dvd’s are for sale, looked to be like $30.00 or so, they go back to 1888.