[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'242799\' date=\'Jun 20 2010, 05:03 PM\'][quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'242795\' date=\'Jun 20 2010, 03:45 PM\']If the winning bidder got the entire run of the digest-sized TV Guide for $3200, he got a steal ... either that or the value of old TVGuides has gone way down from where it was just a few years ago.[/quote]
The latter is certainly true. Go on Ebay right now and search "tv guide" and 1953, and you'll see dozens of issues with a 'Buy It Now' price of less than $20, some around $10. And they're available, meaning no one is buying them even at that price. Meanwhile, I keep an old 1993 dealer catalog I use for reference, and those prices -- from nearly twenty years ago -- are at least two or three times higher.
Now sure, even at $10 each, it doesn't take long to get to $3200, so if you wanted an instant, complete collection, this was a great deal. If you're buying them to resell, though, it's probably going to take quite a while to get your investment back.
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Over the last several months, I bought 9 Cleveland area TV Guides from 1954-56 for a total of about $35.00 off Ebay..If I had interest (and the money) in buying that entire collection, I would have..Thing is, my interest is primarily Cleveland programming listings..
The Akron/Summit County Library has most of the issues in paper form from 1959-2005 stored in their basement..I've told them I'd take the issues through at least the 1980's off their hands if they ever got TV Guide in Microfilm..They told me that would be unlikely with Ohio Library budget cuts in recent years..The Cleveland Public Library has all the small-digest issues from 1953-2005 in Microfilm..
One more thing I wanted to mention..If anyone here sells TV Guides on Ebay..Please mention the name of the City/Regional edition you are selling..So many dont include that info..Unless they include an image of a programming page, its hard to guess..