What's this worth? Bonsai Today

Walter Pall

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Someone wants my old bonsai magzines. He found the most valuable ones. But what exactly are they worth?

Bonsai Today, #1 to 27 + 38, good condition. #1 is the first print!!

Bosdsai Club Germany magazine issue 1 fro 1978 in very good condition
issues 21 - 36, 1984 to 1987

Does someone have an idea of what to charge?

walter@walter-pall.de




Da will einer meinen alten Bonsaimagazine kaufen. Er hat sich natürlich die wertvollsten heraus gesucht. Hat da jemand hier eine Vorstellung, was das kosten könnte

Bonsai Club Deutschland Zeitschrift:
Heft 1, noch ohne Nummer, bestens erhalten, Dezember 1978
Hefte 21 bis 36, 1984 bis 1987, gut erhalten

Bonsai Today: Heft 1 bis 27 plus 38, gut erhalten, Heft 1 ist die Erstausgabe (nicht der Nachdruck)

besten Dank für die Hilfe.
 

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rockm

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Someone wants my old bonsai magzines. He found the most valuable ones. But what exactly are they worth?

Bonsai Today, #1 to 27 + 38, good condition. #1 is the first print!!

Bosdsai Club Germany magazine issue 1 fro 1978 in very good condition
issues 21 - 36, 1984 to 1987

Does someone have an idea of what to charge?

walter@walter-pall.de




Da will einer meinen alten Bonsaimagazine kaufen. Er hat sich natürlich die wertvollsten heraus gesucht. Hat da jemand hier eine Vorstellung, was das kosten könnte

Bonsai Club Deutschland Zeitschrift:
Heft 1, noch ohne Nummer, bestens erhalten, Dezember 1978
Hefte 21 bis 36, 1984 bis 1987, gut erhalten

Bonsai Today: Heft 1 bis 27 plus 38, gut erhalten, Heft 1 ist die Erstausgabe (nicht der Nachdruck)

besten Dank für die Hilfe.
I've seen those run from $7 to $20 per issue on ebay here. #1 is probably worth more. The complete set #1 through #27 might bring $100-$150, maybe $200. You could probably get more if you added an autograph or two.

A search on Google found that Dale Cochoy asked $1,000 for an entire collection #1-#133. Don't know if he got it.
http://bonsaistudygroup.com/general...ollection-of-bonsai-today-magazines-for-sale/
 

JosephCooper

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I don't know how much they are worth, but #1 could easily go for more than $40
 
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My dad always told me “it’s only worth what someone will pay you for it,” I think when trying to talk me out of spending my lawn mowing proceeds on baseball cards. When I try to value something that has a limited audience I also go to ebay.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Bonsai Today #2 is worth the most, if people are trying to get a complete collection, because they had two production runs of Bonsai Today #1 (an original, and one that says "second edition" on the cover) so there are more copies of #1 floating around out there.

You will always get the most money for the earlier issues (#1 - 12) if you sell them separately. However I have recently seen a lot of complete sets being sold on eBay, and I have a feeling that many people who wanted a complete set now have one. You probably have to find someone getting into the hobby who wants to buy a 30 year-old set of magazines... and I don't know how many of those people there are out there.

When I have something that I don't know the value of, I simply put it up on eBay with no reserve price. I have never been disappointed in the final value that I receive, because the "no reserve" tends to get the largest audience interested in the auction.
 

River's Edge

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Someone wants my old bonsai magzines. He found the most valuable ones. But what exactly are they worth?

Bonsai Today, #1 to 27 + 38, good condition. #1 is the first print!!

Bosdsai Club Germany magazine issue 1 fro 1978 in very good condition
issues 21 - 36, 1984 to 1987

Does someone have an idea of what to charge?

walter@walter-pall.de




Da will einer meinen alten Bonsaimagazine kaufen. Er hat sich natürlich die wertvollsten heraus gesucht. Hat da jemand hier eine Vorstellung, was das kosten könnte

Bonsai Club Deutschland Zeitschrift:
Heft 1, noch ohne Nummer, bestens erhalten, Dezember 1978
Hefte 21 bis 36, 1984 bis 1987, gut erhalten

Bonsai Today: Heft 1 bis 27 plus 38, gut erhalten, Heft 1 ist die Erstausgabe (nicht der Nachdruck)

besten Dank für die Hilfe.
If you establish a price for the first group, i would appreciate the opportunity to bid on them.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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I have been helping a widow sell her husband’s bonsai collection and sold his Bonsai Today magazines in several small sets, on eBay and on $.99 Auctions on FB in February, and here is what they fetched in USD:
FDB71034-E42F-47A4-9522-B51C21425548.jpeg
Average of $8.42 each, and $210.50 for 1-25. #2 has been the rarest for a long time, but currently, 12 and 20 are the more sought-after issues. Like anything, the prices fluctuate and it seems lately, they’ve been on the low side.
 

keri-wms

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Prices are all over the place aren't they! Bonsai Today seem to be worth more in the USA for sure but the postage from Europe sucks......
 

bonsai-ben

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I bought my full set, all issues, from Josef on FB Auctions, $400 delivered. Prices vary widely....
 

keri-wms

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I bought my full set, all issues, from Josef on FB Auctions, $400 delivered. Prices vary widely....

Nice, mine cost me a lot more than that!!! I had to pick them up mixed in with book job lots, as one-offs from nurseries, and as incomplete collections - I got to about 200 issues before I had an actual full set, not what I had in mind when I started.
 

Walter Pall

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Thank you all for your help. With all this information I am now offering the set at "Bonsai Auction" at facebook.

Find the auction here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bonsai.sales/



Bonsai Today magazine #1 to 27 plus #38. All in good condition. Number 1 is the first issue! There was a reprint which is offered for way over US$ 100 already. The original issue should be worth a lot more.
Besides the value as collection these magazines are full of information which is still quite valuable.

The magazines are in Germany now. The buyer has to pay shipping. To North America this would be US$ 48.- To Europe it would be 18 Euro. Paypal accepted.

Starting price US$ 390.- no reserve
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Hope you get your price. I was approached after one FB auction with a lowball offer from some random, which I politely countered, and then proceed to sell the magazines for over 3x his offer. He later attempted to engage me in an unsolicited, rather protracted, pompous, condescending, unpleasant and one-sided rant through Messenger. Which I largely ignored, other than to tell him to harass someone else, and then to laugh at the low value he continued to place on his own time. His first name was also Brian, in case you hear from him.
 
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