Early Magazines in Your Collection (Astounding, Galaxy, etc.)

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I got three super old magazines delivered today. I like these three because they are so pulpy in production and artwork. They are larger format magazines, Super Science Stories from Nov 1949, and Thrilling Wonder Stories issues from Dec 1946 and June 1951.

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These all have especially good line ups. December 1946 Thrilling Wonder Stories includes Kuttner, Leinster, Vance, Sprague de Camp, and of interest, a story by Fletcher Pratt, who you don't see very much. The Vance here is Phalid's Fate - only his third short story to be published. June 1951 includes Son of the Tree, an early novella by Jack Vance. The Super Science Stories issue has an original Bradbury: Impossible, as well as a Frederic Brown novella.
 
There were some great cover artists in the past, my favorite was Hannes Bok, he had such an individual style!
 
I've got most of these in the original. I think I may be lucky.
 
I have been working on my Astounding collection for 30 years. I need 4 more to complete the run. Of course they are the hardest to find and most expensive. Number 1 Jan '30 and 2 Feb '3. May '30 and Feb. '36. I have 12 others I need to up grade to make the entire collection 7/10 condition.
Yes it is an obsession. I'm collecting from Jan 1930 to Jan 1961 when Astounding was dropped and it became fully Analog.

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The title of the magazine says it all. My jaw drops before a galaxy’s worth of amazing and fantastic reading. No ifs about it!
 
I'm sorting out some of my second and third copies to sell and use the money to finish the collection.

I completed my run of Stellar Science Fiction Series from 1929 to 1933. As you can see I need to upgrade a few titles but they are hard to find without age toning due to acid in the paper.

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K. Riehl said:
I have been working on my Astounding collection for 30 years. I need 4 more to complete the run. Of course they are the hardest to find and most expensive. Number 1 Jan '30 and 2 Feb '3. May '30 and Feb. '36. I have 12 others I need to up grade to make the entire collection 7/10 condition.
Yes it is an obsession. I'm collecting from Jan 1930 to Jan 1961 when Astounding was dropped and it became fully Analog.
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So this means you have July 1939? I'd love to own that but it's very expensive, if you can ever find a copy for sale.

Where do you tend to source them from, incidentally?
 
Mostly Ebay. I found a few at conventions but in the last 10 years I can't find them there either. I have a few Science Fiction dealers in the northwest that contact me whenever they get in Astoundings. I pay a premium but it's worth it to get a first look.

I got my July 1939 copy as part of a book lot. If you take the time to review book lots you often find interesting stuff tucked in with the drek.
The lot I bought was 3 Astoundings, 12 modern mass markets, and a couple of Book Clubs editions. I won the bidding at $29.

I will keep an eye out for a July 39. I sold my second copy to be able to afford a December 1930.

This was another find in a book lot. Ugly but very rare. They credited the editor( JW Campbell) as the author, thus they got pulled from the shelves and destroyed.
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For everyone who doesn't know about the July 1939 Astounding it is considered the beginning of the Campbell led golden age, a beautiful cover depicting The Dark Destroyer by Van Vogt, Greater than Gods by CL Moore. The Moth by Ross Rocklynne. Trends by Issac Asimov. City of Cosmic Rays by Nat Shachner. plus others.
This is my 7/10 copy. The pencil marks on the left, rough edges to the complete spine and light tanning to interior keep it from from grading higher.
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I have the facsimile of that July 1939 Astounding that was issued a while ago by a university press. I don’t suppose I’ll ever even lay eyes on an actual original copy, let alone own one.
 
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One might take a moment to think gratefully of the fans who preserved these magazines throughout the decades. I suppose (could be wrong) that nearly all of the old issues of Astounding that survive represent fan determination. Some of those fans were solo people, some were members of clubs. It's pleasant to see here at Chrons that that faanish priority remains. I'm sure it's mixed up sometimes with baser feelings and false priorities and so on, but I appreciate the effort. What a contrast to the attitudes described in Nicholson Baker's unforgettable book Double Fold, about the war on paper conducted by libraries!

DOUBLE FOLD | Kirkus Reviews

What a contrast, too, to the well-meaning efforts of the people who, one cannot doubt, surrendered copies of old sf magazines during paper drives. An historically-minded friend of mine says that a lot of the paper and metal thus contributed was never used -- the intent behind the drives was to make people feel they were doing something for the war effort. I'm hoping he can provide more information on that.
 
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K. Riehl said:
Mostly Ebay. I found a few at conventions but in the last 10 years I can't find them there either. I have a few Science Fiction dealers in the northwest that contact me whenever they get in Astoundings. I pay a premium but it's worth it to get a first look.

I got my July 1939 copy as part of a book lot. If you take the time to review book lots you often find interesting stuff tucked in with the drek.
The lot I bought was 3 Astoundings, 12 modern mass markets, and a couple of Book Clubs editions. I won the bidding at $29.

I will keep an eye out for a July 39. I sold my second copy to be able to afford a December 1930.

This was another find in a book lot. Ugly but very rare. They credited the editor( JW Campbell) as the author, thus they got pulled from the shelves and destroyed.
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Fascinating stuff. I need to look harder to source them - I hadn’t thought of scouring lots on eBay. I’d like to get a full 1939 run eventually, and there are also issues with specific famous stories worth seeking out.

That Brigands of the Moon looks very rare! What year is it?
 
Bick said:
Fascinating stuff. I need to look harder to source them - I hadn’t thought of scouring lots on eBay. I’d like to get a full 1939 run eventually, and there are also issues with specific famous stories worth seeking out.

That Brigands of the Moon looks very rare! What year is it?
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1945 Duchess Publishing, Canada
 
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