What Are My Pulps Worth?

What are my pulps worth? This is the most frequently asked question that I get. By whatever means, you have some pulps and you don't know if you are sitting on a gold mine or a trash heap. This page will give you the basics on how to determine the value of your pulp collection.

Condition

Condition is a huge determining factor when it comes to the value of a pulp. Location is key in determining the value of Real Estate the same way condition is key in determining the value of a pulp. To see an outline on how to grade pulps, click here. There are definitions for words like "Good" and "Very Good". "Good for their age" is a red flag to seasoned pulp collectors. Know what these terms mean before saying them. 

Rarity

Rarity is determined by how available an item is to acquire. Most pulps are not particularly rare, but some can be quite rare. This can have a substantial effect of the pulp's value. You may have something very rare and desirable. Do a search to see if we or other sites have what you have for sale. This will give you an idea as to how rare your pulps are.

Key Author / ARTIST

A key author or cover artist in a pulp can bump up it's value significantly. There are several authors in the pulps that dramatically influenced american literature. Having a story by one of these authors will make a large difference. If you have no idea of what authors to look for, go to the Pulp Magazine wikipedia page here. At the bottom of that page is a full list of key authors.

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Now that you know the determining factors of what makes a pulp valuable, lets look at the ways in which you can get the data about your pulps that will tell you if it is in good condition, is rare and or has a key author.

There is a great referance book called "Bookery's Guide to Pulps & Related Magazines" by Tim Cottrell. You can purchase this book on eBay for about $30. This book has just about everything you would need to know to determine the value of your pulps. However, it was last published in 2005, so it is a bit out dated. Most of the pricing holds true but, not all of it. One of the best ways to know what your pulps are worth is to see what they have recently sold for. At the end of the day, the value of anything is determined by what someone will pay for it. You can get this data by doing a search on eBay and refining the search to "Sold Listings". This will show you what those items have actually sold for and not just what people want their copy to sell for. 
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Last but not least, ask me. I love hearing from curious people. If you have pulps to sell, I will probably buy them or point you in the right direction on how to sell them. If you want to reach out to me then go to the Sell Your Pulps page. 

​I hope this helps.