$500 Car Magazine? It’s True
Check out eBay if you want your mind blown!
How can a dog-eared car magazine be worth more than the paper it is written on? Believe it or not, some old car magazines have a good deal of value to collectors of nostalgia. That’s if you’ve kept them in very good condition.
The image you see is Volume 1 Number 1 of Mini Truckin’ magazine published in 1988.
It was a spin-off of the long-running Truckin’ magazine that had been around since the 1970s. It recently sold on eBay for more than $300. Yes, for a single issue.
That wasn’t the only one. I saw another on eBay that sold for more than $500. Yes, for a single issue! Condition is everything. Rumors are that this particular magazine, if found, regularly reaches $500 to $600 in near-mint condition. Full Transparency: I was the managing editor of the Mini Truckin’ magazine in 1988.
Not all car magazines are going to be worth that kind of money, not even the most famous brands like Road & Track or Car and Driver.
But there are plenty of buyers searching for particular issues of older car magazines and typically they sell for $10 on up. If you happen to have the first edition of a rare car magazine it could be worth a small fortune to the right buyer.
But collectors are looking for the best possible condition. If they are torn, ripped, or written on then the value sinks. If they are missing pages, then they become almost worthless. I was surprised as the next person that an old car magazine could be worth hundreds of dollars. It’s a factor of supply and demand.
Niche magazines like Mini Truckin’ hold value because there are plenty of enthusiasts that still want to read the magazine, no matter how old it may be. So certain car magazines are like classic comic books. Some issues will continue to increase in value and collectors will continue to snap them up when they become available.
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Larry Saavedra
Subject Matter Experts. Specializing in content for automotive and outdoor projects.