I got an email yesterday on the day of the country’s rejoicing over Osama Bin Laden’s demise from a man who had a newspaper with news of the killing. He was thinking strategically:
“I have the newspaper from Cincinnati, Ohio, when Barak was made president. Can anyone tell me if it is worth anything. I have also collected the paper for Bin Laden. What will this be worth over time?”
When I read the email, my quick response to their value was “not much.” Or “not any more than the 50 cents you paid for each of them.” These two historical events were too new, I said to myself.
Barak Obama’s election as the country’s first black president happened only three years ago. People from around the world – and even more so in this country – have likely tucked away many copies of newspapers reporting his ascendancy. That doesn’t include all the commemorative items that were made and bought.
Bin Laden had been killed only the day before. There must be millions of copies of newspapers lying on kitchen tables or dumped into trash cans, or set aside for safe-keeping. (You can see front pages from around the world on the Newseum site.)
Then I began wondering if I was right in my thinking. From my auction visits, I knew that people collected just about anything – new or old – and newspapers were among them. Were people already selling and buying newspapers with headlines blaring “Bin Laden Dead” or “Got him!” or “Rot in Hell?”
So, I decided to check the one place where you can buy or sell just about anything: eBay. I started with Obama’s election, and found that some papers were up for sale but very few people were buying. The highest price was for a set of three from the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and USA Today dated Nov. 5, 2008, that sold for $32. The least paid was $3 for a set of three inaugural Washington Times newspapers from Jan. 19-21, 2009.
I guess people are saving those Obama newspapers to someday fuel their retirement.
Bin Laden newspapers were doing a brisk business, with most of the sales for New York papers. An “unopened” copy of the New York Post had 21 bids and sold for $121 in an apparent one-day auction, which drew 270 lookers. A set of six that included the New York Times sold for $46. The cheapest price was $3.99 for a single newspaper.
Apparently, my emailer had the right idea. I’m not sure, though, how valuable his Cincinnati newspaper is or will be someday, but you never know. All you need is one person who wants it. The Cincinnati Enquirer produced an eight-page special edition.
I have picked up old newspapers before at auction. Once, I bought someone’s collection or stash of papers from the day of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 for a few bucks as part of a box lot. The owner, though, didn’t do a good job of preserving them: They were folded, torn and yellowed. They were in awful shape.
If you’re going to collect newspapers, read as much as you can about whether it’s worth it, what they are likely to sell and how to preserve them. According to the site historybuff.com, collecting and holding on to them isn’t very lucrative because even the oldest ones were produced in millions of copies. The site offered a guide on collecting.
Also, just because a newspaper is old, according to the site, doesn’t mean that it’s worth anything. Example: A newspaper from the 18th century may bring you $25 while a 1941 newspaper on the bombing of Pearl Harbor could sell for up to $700 (the authentic papers, not reprints or reproductions), according to the site.
If you do plan to collect, be sure to preserve and store the newspapers well to prevent discoloration and other problems. Start with archival paper. Here are some guidelines for storage.
And here’s a quick and easy way from Heloise:
“Lay each section flat between sheets of acid-free paper (available at stationery, office supply and arts-and-crafts stores) in a cardboard box. Keep them in a cool, dry closet or cupboard – not in your basement or attic, where dampness or extreme temperatures may damage the contents.”
