5 Valuable Old Magazines That Sell for a Surprising Amount

Did you know that your old magazines could be worth thousands of dollars? If you’ve kept popular brands of magazines, including Sports Illustrated and even National Geographic, you could be liable to earn some serious cash for them. Depending on its rarity and condition, these old magazines are worth a surprising amount of money.

5. Monster Parade 1958

Monster Parade was an American horror magazine published by Magnum Publications from 1958 to 1959. While a short span of publications, it’s now one of the most valuable old magazines that collectors are trying to get their hands on. One that has the most value is the first edition, which is around $150 on eBay. Heritage Auctions sees the first four for around $350.

4. Cosmopolitan April 1972

The Cosmopolitan is a women’s fashion and entertainment magazine first published in New York City in 1886. It started as a family magazine but later transformed into a literary magazine, and in April 1972, one of the most valuable magazines was released. Inside this edition, fans saw the rugged actor Burt Reynolds, known for Smokey and the Bandit and Deliverance, almost completely bare. While completely nude, not everything is showing, but it still caused quite a scandal. While these usually sell for around $150, sometimes they sell for a bit more.

3. Harper’s Weekly 1864

Harper’s Weekly: Journal of Civilization was one of the most popular print magazines during the mid-19th century. Thanks to their dedicated coverage on political and military events, they flew into stardom, while many other papers fell during the Civil War. And now, they’re considered one of the most valuable old magazines you can find, with 1st Dibs auction having one from 1864 for $1,200.

2. 1954 Sports Illustrated

Of course, first editions are always going to be worth more than later publications. And for Sports Illustrated, this is the case as well. August 16, 1954, was the first publication of the well-known magazine, and its worth is only rising, with it currently selling for just under $450 at certain auction houses.

1. 1953 Playboy Featuring Marilyn Monroe

Playboy has a plethora of old magazines that are worth a fortune, but we won’t go over all of them. One of the most valuable magazines is the 1953 rare edition featuring Marilyn Monroe. The volume 1, issue 1 magazine is one of the most recognized prints, and featuring the iconic singer and actress only hightens the value. You can easily see this edition, when in good condition, sold for nearly $4,000.