Why There's No Sense in Grabbing Extra Copies of the Obama Times
Back away from the newspaper
 

The New York Times, which is meeting its expected influx of web traffic with a revenue generating interstitial ad, is also celebrating another victory: incredible sell-thru. Visit any newsstand, bodega, Starbucks, or executive's desk in New York City, and you'll notice all the Times have been picked up, snatched, and hurried away to places unknown. Everybody wants to keep a keepsake announcing Obama's election win, the same way they wanted a 9/11 paper (or rather, a 9/12 paper), a JFK assassination paper, or, for the truly obsessed, a "Spitzer resigns" paper. Many of you are snapping these up thinking, one day, you'll be able to sell them on eBay for huge returns. Except that's the funny thing about milestone newspapers: Everybody grabs extra copies, which inevitably end up in a box in their basement. But when the time comes, in a year or 10 years or 20 years when you're ready to sell your stash to meet your mortgage payment, the supply will be great, and the demand low because everybody who wanted a copy already has a copy, and the newspaper you thought would fetch $250 goes for less that it costs to pick up that day's copy of the Times. On the bright side, in 20 years the cover price of the Times will probably be $5, if it's even around at all. So go ahead, keep hoarding.

Nov 5, 2008 · 3 views (beta) · Link · 5 Responses
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Comments (5)

No. 1 · cathy

if you didn't post your ny times immediately on ebay with a one-day auction, u missed the boat. many DID sell as high as $500, maybe more, but i bet those buyers are already regretting their pricy purchase. still, they are selling for 50 bucks on buy it now, which is still an awesome ROI.

Posted: Nov 6, 2008 at 10:44 am · @Reply · [Flag?]
No. 2 · Anita

Though you make a good point. Did you ever stop to think that not everyone grabbing up papers are trying to make a profit. I just simply want to have a record of this historical event to pass down in my family. I could care less about selling something on ebay. My copies are not for sale. That was never the intention.

Posted: Nov 6, 2008 at 11:23 am · @Reply · [Flag?]
No. 3 · Chris

I agree with Anita. "Milestone" papers as you call them are saved for historical value by a lot of people. I still remember my parents showing me some historical newspapers and thinking it was really neat.

There's a difference between reading about something in history books and seeing how it was viewed at the time of the event.

My "milestone" papers are also not for sale.

Posted: Nov 6, 2008 at 11:56 am · @Reply · [Flag?]
No. 4 · Christi

I am just glad that you can back order any issue with any paper you desire. I felt so much better once I had that bit of information. I was tired of people raping my efforts at having a piece of history by putting an exorbitant price tag on it. This day means a lot to a lot of Americans but some people unfortunately are always looking to make a quick buck.

Posted: Nov 6, 2008 at 7:31 pm · @Reply · [Flag?]
No. 5 · power

I know we live the the technological age, but not everyone who bought a paper bought it to sell on ebay. Some of us wanted it for our own personal collections or for scrap books or to have something for our children and grandchildren to read. Stop being so cynical. Either enjoy it or STFU

Posted: Nov 7, 2008 at 12:56 pm · @Reply · [Flag?]
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