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Massive, Multifarious National Geographic Collection - $850
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A staggering treasure trove of fascinating, informative, educational, exquisitely-crafted, and expertly-written articles illustrated and illuminated with some of the best photography, cartography, and infographics in existence. For anyone interested in the myriad world- (and even universe-) spanning subjects covering practically all facets of culture, geography, science, discovery, wildlife, history, and exploration, you simply can't beat the high quality and standards that have made National Geographic the premiere institution of disseminating knowledge and information about the world, as well as environmental awareness and stewardship, since 1888.
This is a ready-made library, providing a literal lifetime of enrichment, enlightenment, and edification for anyone with interest in the ever-changing world around us, with easily-digestible articles and engaging visual accompaniments. The older issues are fascinating windows into the past, not only in terms of what was going on at the time, but the perspectives which are taken and the ways in which they are covered (not to mention a bit disheartening considering the undeniable superiority with which those of yesteryear wielded the English language). Even the advertisements are often nostalgia-soaked treasures or unexpectedly delightful curiosities. In this increasingly toxic environment of mis/disinformation, partisan political lies/manipulation/gaslighting/obfuscation, and AI-generated slop, National Geographic's time-honored, accurate*, fact-based articles and undoctored photos are a breath of fresh air and a precious source of sanity and reliability. (*One of my favorite anecdotes is that while the July 1964 issue was being printed, they had the presses stopped at a cost of $30K when it was discovered that the engravers had eliminated a single comma that affected the meaning of a sentence.)
This collection spans more than an entire century and contains an unbroken 69-year run of their legendary flagship magazine from 1956 to 2024, inclusive (1071 issues in total), as well as dozens of issues before and a few after (see issue matrix for specifics), including the legendary June 1985 issue with the iconic Afghan Girl cover, as well as other key historic issues such as those covering the 1954 first ascent of Everest, the 1969 moon landing, Jane Goodall's immersive study of wild apes, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the breakup Soviet Union, as well as countless others. Each issue contains several different articles in addition to the cover story.
Most of these issues come with the original accompanying maps and supplements that so often get lost or separated from the magazine through many years of handling. In addition to the issues indicated in the matrix, also included are color printouts of Apr-Dec 1914 from the National Geographic Online Archive; issues 2-58 & 64 (nearly the entire collection) of the gorgeous, large-format History magazines; deluxe editions of 18 of their renowned hardcover books; 53 School Bulletins from between 1963 and 1968; and a comprehensive 1215-page index published in 1988 on the 100th anniversary of the magazine, enabling one to quickly find any article published up to that point by either subject or author. Altogether, 1210 items. Slipcases, resembling richly-bound books, able to hold the entire collection properly and conveniently on shelves, are also included. These truly are publications of enduring value that will be treasured for decades to come.
The reason I'm selling these so cheap (70¢ per item) is that they are not all in mint condition. Some are missing back covers/spines, are a bit worn or damaged, or have an occasional page or segment cut out (very rare and usually advertisements/coupons only). The overwhelming majority of them, however, are in great shape and have their full content intact. Unlike what's shown in the photos, these are actually stored flat with the spines alternated and the supplements separated so that the magazines stay in as flat and pristine condition as possible. Unlike the typical collections you'll almost invariably find on Craigslist (in poor, mishandled, and carelessly-stored condition), these have been lovingly handled, curated, and cared-for by a longtime collector who truly appreciates their value and hopes to see them go to someone with a likewise appreciation.
While every effort was made to ensure the information in the matrix is accurate, I cannot guarantee with 100% certitude that a few very minor errors are not lurking in there. The buyer is free to inspect the issues before purchasing, but these are being sold as is, all sales final, and prices are firm. Selling full lots only, not specific issues or partial runs. Finally, please be aware that these are on the heavy side: 17 boxes, each weighing about 50 pounds, for a total of over 850 pounds. I'll gladly help you load them out, but this is something to be aware of with regard to transportation, movement, and storage considerations. The slipcases (boxed separately) are very light.
For those not interested in such a large, premium collection, I have a few smaller lots available (generally speaking, quality diminishes with each successive lot, though some deviations no doubt exist):
• Lot 3: 791 issues (1934-2022) plus 16 History issues and the 1947-1983 index, 13 boxes, $300 (37¢/item)
• Lot 4: 713 issues (1955-2022), 11 boxes, $150 (21¢/issue)
• Lot 5: 604 issues (1959-2020), 10 boxes, $75 (12¢/issue)
• Lot 6: 376 issues (1966-2015), 6 boxes, $30 (8¢/issue)
• Lot 7: 185 issues (1968-2010), 3 boxes, $10 (5¢/issue)
• Lot 8: 86 issues (1970-2000), 2 boxes, free
• Lot 9: 37 issues (1970-1993), 1 box, free