Old porn mags - are they valuable?

[73north]

an update - its now far easier to sell on ebay UK
just make sure you time the auction to start at 10pm at night
so the ebay Police are in bed - and you avoid their radar
and no nudity on show and use a ' boring ' female figure - as the advert thumbnail
then a day later - if you want add a couple of cropped pictures of some of the models inside - note - I have noticed some insane prices being asked lately -
literally someone wanting $ 400 for 1 1970's Magazine

above all avoid ADULT in the item listing title like the plague
the phrase to go for is VINTAGE GLAMOUR then the year
use Adult in the title - and it gets pulled !

[burpman]

Originally Posted by stansmith57

I heard somewhere that the first edition of Playboy from 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover could be worth over $10,000. I wonder if anyone still has a copy somewhere.

The early years - read very early - are still worth money to some degree and the first edition in very good condition still fetches large sums. But as the decades roll on, their value drops precipitously and you find people can't fetch anything for the 70s, 80s and 90s stuff anymore. It's too ubiquitous and the internet really tanked the values years ago.

[jeany]

It's been almost 10 years since this post, and I realize that things have not changed that much. I bought a lot of hardcore magazine on Ebay (USA), mainly anal sex, which leads me to buy more Gourmet Editions, but also has other ones like Vision of Fantasy, Swedish Erotica, Connoisseur, Graficolor, Ultracolor, Magcorp, Mgn, PU, ​​All Color (Mysterious publication), which also has a good material in this category. I realize that the initial default value remains between $ 10, and spent on average between $20 and $25 per magazine. There are many sellers who sell magazines at a fixed price for $ 50 dollars or more, but I realize they are stranded for months or even years. Sellers selling from $9.99 at auction have great chances of selling, if more than one person has an interest in the magazine, it will probably reach $20, if you have 3 people with interest it could be as high as $30, but if you have someone who is very interested more than the normal, can get into a fight in the auction that will get close to $50, but will hardly spend $79. From my experience, I get the impression that the peak year of the magazines was 1985, after this year began to have a drop in the variety of sets of photos and magazines, and the magazines after 1989 tends to get stuck.
It is not usual for me to pay more than $50 or more for a magazine, but it has happened about 10 times. The most expensive price I ever paid was $ 77. Most of the time I paid more than $ 50, I regretted having my curiosity satiated when opening the magazine. Color magazines from around 1976-1982, are the ones that are most successful in sales. The less frequently they are listed on Ebay, the more the set of photos is unknown, but valued they are, the more they are disputed in the auction. Of course it has the issue of models who are many valued, but every buyer can have their model who is fissured. I myself seek to buy everything that Irene Wilson, but she is a little-known pornstar, despite being one of the most beautiful of the early 80's. Totally unfamiliar and beautiful pornstars have the curiosity factor and can sell. Although I do not like it, I realize that the Pretty Girls are very valued in the hardcore category, they sell for more than $ 50 and those who have these Pretty Girls magazines can sell that money.

Originally Posted by bygoneguy

Hi VEF,

I have bought about 200 mags on eBay over the last 3 years or so. A lot of 70s hardcore mags, as well as many mid-70s to mid-80s GENT, GEM, FLING, JUGGS, BUF, Cheri etc.

Generally the reserve is $9.99, but some specialty adult mag sellers like Astoria Books and Passaic Books start most of their listings at $19.99.

Sellers who don't specialize (say came across them at an estate sale or something) in adult mags will generally list with lower reserves, even 99c because the lower the list price the lower the list fee. If a mag doesn't sell, you still pay a list fee on eBay.

As others have stated in this thread, what a mag is worth is based on the content and the models in the mag. I have paid way more for a mag that is only 20 years than mags that are 30-35 years old. I have picked up mags that I thought should have cost me $30-40 for $10, and paid $60 for a mag that I thought should be $30 because I really wanted it and didn't want to wait for another copy to be listed.

If selling as a lot, don't expect much. If you get offered the list price of the mags from a dealer you have done well. The only way to get market is to auction individually, a pain for anyone outside the US because eBay is best for this.

For what it is worth, if I had to average out what I pay for retro mags it would be around USD $20 a mag.

Regards, -bg

[nudgenudge]

Mags listings that in the past would always get pulled from Ebay UK are now selling
I wonder if they've quietly dropped their puritanical listing rules.

[73north]

Originally Posted by nudgenudge

Mags listings that in the past would always get pulled from Ebay UK are now selling
I wonder if they've quietly dropped their puritanical listing rules.

I noted that - in my poor opinion sales are way , way down on ebay
so they are desperate for the fees - noted a lot of old sellers have fallen by the wayside - I certainly sell far , far less there - and I am probably bitter and twisted - but the nutcases you encounter more and more on the site over the last few years , really spoils it
plus the increase in fees ( eg Postal value added fee ) and the lack of sales when you do try to sell ( selling a normal book is a nightmare )

in short the glory days of ebay are gone

[Scooby-doo]

I just found this on an eBay listing

"***Please Note*** I have been instructed to censor my listings for men's magazines in accordance with ebay rules. Failure to comply will result in my account being suspended or closed for repeat offences. Therefore I have shown as much detail as is permissible. Obviously you will receive the magazine in it's original uncensored condition. Sorry."

Interesting if true and accurate. He has stated that eBay are aware of the nature of his listing.

I've tried to list adult men's magazine many times in the (mostly Fiesta magazine) past using different accounts and they have always been removed by eBay.

[Europa's Ghost]

Interesting, I've been selling small batches of Mayfair on Ebay for the last few weeks, all be it with three quarter covered front covers with no problems

[73north]

Originally Posted by Scooby-doo

I just found this on an eBay listing

"g.

I've tried to list adult men's magazine many times in the (mostly Fiesta magazine) past using different accounts and they have always been removed by eBay.

I think ebay have a red flag system - if you get a new account you won't have that problem
above all adding Adult to the Listing title is a big no-no - also another trick that works is using a boring clothed female model ( no nudity ) and starting the listing at 9 pm using their timed auction system also avoids the censors .

[Scooby-doo]

Any thoughts on listing over weekends? Less staff on duty to censor listings?

It's a shame this site doesn't have a marketplace section for sales.

[kenveco68]

Lots of vintage mags selling on ebay now, probably because they're stopping all adult mag sales mid June. Some sellers are setting up their own websites or not offering them anymore. Anyone know the biggest marketplaces beside ebay?