prosfinder | How to Buy a Zine?

Dumbo? Is that the name of a zine? Gosh, I'm dense because I can't find it on the lists.

The disney movie *g*

okay... I didn't get the reference. Told ya I was old and slow! LOL!

I buy zines all the time. Harlequin Airs is a great zine and I see it for sale at cons. I can look for you if you tell me your max price. I've bought several copies for $20US, plus a reissued one for $25 once. Somebody had permission to reprint it at one time. Don't know if they're still doing them. I have to think on that since it's been five or six years since I bought the reissue, which had a spiral bound cover, not the perfect bound cover that the original has.

I'm a cheap zine buyer, but it might be worth more to you than $20 or $30.

I'd ask at zinelist: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zinelist/

also I'd post a request at fandomswap: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fandomswap/

an LJ group to request, buy, sell: http://fandom-swap.livejournal.com/profile

I found that Kathy Snow had the reprint permission. Now finding her email might be harder. I don't have it that I can find.

Edited 2012-01-15 20:16 (UTC)

Thank you for the info! Someone in another comment has given directions for email for Kathy Snow -it's so helpful to have that information from you both! And thanks for the zine resources - I'll take a look. As I've said, I really didn't know how one began to go about this sort of thing! *g* The internet tells me that $30 is £19 which sounds reasonable to me.

Oh, good. It's definitely a zine any Pros lover should own. It's beautiful, well worth the price for the art alone. There are so few really beautifully illustrated zines done any longer so it's a treat to own something like this.

Absolutely agree with you! And I may try and connect with you before MediaWest regarding hunting zines. *g*

Sure. If I can find something you've been looking for, I'm happy to see if I can get it for you.

Two great places to find used zines (Harlequin Airs is out of print I believe).

Jim and Melody Rondeau (they agent for other people and are very reliable. You may need to check periodically on their website to see if a used copy is available)
http://www.crossovers.net/makeitgoaway/fanzinehome.htm

You can also join the Zinelist -a yahoo mailing list where fans buy and sell new and used copies of zines directly to each other.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zinelist/

There is also a LJ community called fandom swap.

Thank you for the info! This is what I really needed - testimonials for resources *g* I will have a look around!

A note about Zinelist: not newbie-friendly. People do advertise the zines they're selling there, but I'd avoid wading into any conversations...

Zinelist: What's the stock answer to someone from outside the US wanting to buy a used zine someone advertises as posting within the US only?

Actually there are two:
- too bad,
and
-get someone/a friend to get it for you and send it on

I can absolutely vouch for the Rondeaus though - terrific service.

I must admit I don't understand their reasoning! They have to go to the post office anyway, and if you're willing to pay the postage, why is there a problem? I'll grant that sending things overseas is a hassle, but so is sending things anywhere!

How to buy a zine - Harlequin Airs

Harlequin Airs is one of my favorite Pros zines and I've recommended it for years. Kathy Snow publishes authorized reprints and I cannot praise her efforts too highly. She does an incredible job and the price has always been very, very reasonable.

You'll need to email her for the current price, but for years it has been $25 which is more than justified by the zine size, the number of illustrations - including multiple color illos and a fold-out! - and the laminated color front and back cardstock covers. And IIRC, the original price for the zine was $30 back in 1990.

Frankly, I'm not sure that you could print out the story and art (including color) yourself and have it bound - with laminated color front and back covers - for less than Kathy has priced the zines. Even if you did, the color illo quality would not be as good.

Kathy does a great job with the reprints, hand inserting illos after color matching masters, as well as making sure the print quality is top notch. She also takes great care with the laminated covers to make sure the art doesn't suffer when the zine is bound. The comb binding is the correct size so that pages don't bunch up or tear - a major peeve of mine.

Kathy's email is in the Publisher's Contact Info list that you can find in the Proslib files or on the Proslib CD. Or you can email me at my LJ name at AOL dot com for the info.

Kathy also has the authorized reprint rights to another of my "must have" Pros zines, Master of the Revel by HG. If you can afford it, I'd strongly urge you buy both at the same time and wallow in Pros when they arrive. *g*

Like HA, MotR has fantastic Suzan Lovett illos and is an AU. Though in this case, it's a SF/F AU based on the film Facelift which starred Martin Shaw. HG adds in a Bodie-like character and takes the story forward from where the film ends. Great world building. If you want more info, there was a spirited discussion several years ago on Pros-Lit. MotR is not available online, nor is it likely to be any time soon, if ever.

Kathy does the same fantastic job with MotR as she does with HA. Again, there are color front and back color covers that are laminated, and all the art is quality checked. The font is smaller than I'd like, but that's the original font and to change it would mean retyping the entire zine - which isn't going to happen.

I would recommend you buy the authorized reprints from Kathy Snow rather than hunt for an original for several reasons. First is reliability. Kathy is a known quality with a great reputation and very reliable. She's also extremely good about communication and you always know what is going on. That's NOT necessarily the case with an unknown seller.

Second is timing. Kathy is very prompt with communicaton, though the zines may take several weeks as she sometimes waits to do more than one reprint at a time. But she'll tell you upfront how long it will be. If you're hunting an original HA or MotR, it could take months or even years.

If you are lucky enough to travel to cons - or know someone who does and will hunt zines for you - then your chances of finding a used copy are improved. Otherwise you'll have to rely on lists and LJs and eBay - though I would strongly caution against eBay. There are several big zine sellers on eBay who prices zines at outrageous prices - I mean up to ten times higher than you would find on a normal used zine!

Thank you this is very very helpful! This is what I needed - testimonials about resources - and thank you for all the detail! I thought getting hold of a copy might be nigh on impossible so to hear that there is a method is very encouraging - I think the price sounds very reasonable though I'll need to save and treat myself *g* I did take a look on ebay a while back and found nothing, but yes, I can imagine prices there being insane (although it's very useful that now I have a 'reasonable' ballpark) - Thank you!

I hear you about saving up for a zine treat. My discretionary spending - when it exists - is always for books and zine, and there are always more titles on my Wish List than I can afford. *sigh*

You mention a price in pounds above, so I'm guessing you're in the UK? If so, then you might want to contact Janet Ellicott. She's a longtime publisher/distributor/reseller of zines across fandoms including Pros. She used to be more active but although she's cut back, she does still handle some. Her contact details can be found on her posts in Zinelist - or email me and I think I have them. Janet's London based, so the postage would be cheaper than the Rondeaus, which are US based.

Alas, Judith & Richard Proctor have been shutting down Waveney Zine Shop over the past year, so very few Pros zines - really any zines - are listed anymore. They are based in England so the postage would have been better.

On the other hand, some of my favorite Pros presses that are still active are UK based - which kills me on the postage, but would work to your favor. If you haven't checked out Gryphon Press & Pear Tree Press (both run by Sara S.) or Dog-house Press (run by Elaine W. aka HG) then you really must do so ASAP! Great zines and great publishers. Flyers and press info can be found in the Proslib files or on the Proslib CD.

Re eBay prices - there are some sellers notorious for selling in-print used zines at prices higher than a new copy from the publisher! And I just saw two Pros zines listed at $150 each - when I've found the same zine recently for under $20!! That's ridiculous.

When you do the saving, remember to save for the postage. I started buying zines in this last year, and I have been astonished at the prices of posting zines (which are, after all, effectively large blocks of paper and therefore heavy) from the US to the UK. It's a nasty shock to the system, so be warned!

I totally agree with you about the postage and shipping costs. I am in Australia, and it was a shock with some of the postage costs being charged.

My advice is that if you are buying more than one zine, ask the seller whether they would consider posting the zines together to save on postage costs. Some seller will give you a discount on postage if you buy more than one zine, some will not.

I purchased approximately 8 zines from a seller at one time, and the seller charged the postage costs based on each zine being posted separately. I asked the seller at the time I ordered the zines whether they would consider posting all the zines together to save on postage costs, and was told by the seller that each zine would be separately posted to me, and no, they would not be sending the zines together. Of course, when it was time to post the zines, the seller crammed all 8 zines into one single USPS international flat rate box.

Thank you for that. I met Kathy Snow briefly at the last Zebracon and enjoyed the time my friends and I spent with her immensely. It's a nudge to get those two zines into my collection.

How to buy a zine - Harlequin Airs - Continued

Third is the issue of zine condition and art stripping. With older zines that have been sold or passed on several times, the condition of the zine can really suffer.

Also, the art may be missing - ESPECIALLY if it is by a well known and loved artist like Suzan Lovett. That's even more likely if it is a color print. I've seen this happen many times in both Pros and Star Trek:TOS. I know that many of the used copies of HA that have been for sale have had the color, two-page fold-out illo stripped from the zine.

Sometimes the reseller doesn't know the art is missing. The reseller might buy a zine used herself and not know there was supposed to be art (which isn't always listed in the TOC or they might not check closely) and so didn't mention it. Or if the reseller handles a large volume of used zines, they might not even look inside the zine, just make a cursory outside inspection for zine condition. Or if someone is selling off zines from which they removed art 10-15 years ago, they might genuinely not remember it.

Or they might just not tell you and figure buyer beware. That's why I think it's always a good idea to ask. The seller/reseller can than check and can't say they didn't know if there is a problem once you've received the zine.

Same goes with the actual zine - is it a used original, an authorized reprint, or merely a pirated Xerox copy? Pros has a LOT of pirated Xerox copies of zines floating around, particularly with OOP, older, Australian zines. Always ask! A reputable seller will never take offense and should be willing to describe the zine and its condition so you can check.

Not that I would dissuade you entirely fron hunting and buying used zines. Hunting used zines is something I've done for decades and it can be a source of great joy - and great frustration! There are zines on my Wish List that I've been hunting for literally years - over a decade in some cases. But with over 800 Pros zines (novels, anthologies, multimedia, letterzines) published over the last 30 plus years, it can be a wonderful hobby.

But if you want a high demand zine quickly, and want to be sure that condition is good, and all the art is intact, than dealing with a reputable publisher with authorize reprint rights has much to recommend it.

Keep in mind, though, that not all authorized reprints are of the same high quality as Kathy Snow provides. Some publishers are notorious for reprints which no longer include the original art, or which have variable or poor print quality.

Have you checked out

loiteringpalely? It "is a community dedicated to fanzines for The Professionals - what's available, how to find them, whether zine dealers and publishers are reputable. If you have zines to swap, if you're hoping to buy or sell - then hopefully this community can help!"

It would be a perfect place to post your question re HA or any future zine questions. There are literally decades of zine buying and trading experience there and folks are happy to share their knowledge. *BG*

I'd strongly second

morgandawn's rec for the Rondeaus. I've dealt with them for years and never had a bad experience. Prompt, reliable, and very helpful in tracking down zines. Always willing to answer questions and check zines for specific issues. Keep in mind though, that they agent for others, so the owner sets prices which can be variable although they are usually reasonable. But some owners are always high, so it pays to check who is selling a zine.

The best mailing lists for zines in many fandoms are probably Zinelist and Slashswap (or its mirror list FandomSwap). But for Pros zines, I'd also include Pros-Lit and some of the other Pros-specific lists. New zines are usually announced on Pros-Lit and Proslib. All these lists can be found through Yahoo Groups.

Amongst LJs you can find posts announcing new zines and post for selling used zines at

the_safehouse,

ci5hq and, of course,

loiteringpalely. I think zine posts are also allowed at

teaandswissroll but I'm not sure if I've seen many there - though I may just be spacing it at the moment.

Whew, went on there a bit *g* so must run - but try out

loiteringpalely.

Edited 2012-01-15 23:01 (UTC)

FYI, slashswap had some big problem with mod access and hacking so I believe it was abandoned a few years ago. I know I had to delete it from my groups a while back.

There's a new replacement called fandomswap on Yahoo. I put the link above. The new group is moderated by myself and Lorraine Brevig so we keep an eye on things.

I'm going to ditto on the Rondeau site also mentioned above. I've bought zines from them at very reasonable prices. They have a ton of zines but only a few Pros.

Totally seconding loiteringpalely (the LJ comm) as a recommendation. I only started buying zines recently, and I could have done with knowing about loiteringpalely before I started - it would have reassured me no end!

A thing to know about the Yahoo mailing lists (quite apart from how to find them - the Yahoo search engine was curiously reluctant to admit that some of them existed) is that zines can go very very fast. I saw some stuff on sale on slashswap the other day, contacted the buyer to ask about half a dozen things, and by the time I had done that, the one thing I particularly wanted had gone (if anyone has a copy of Classified looking for a home, do let me know...) And I had emailed less than three hours after the post hit the list.

On the other hand, the first time I went for something I saw off one of the Yahoo lists, I wasn't in a position to buy it (actually, "they") for a week. At the end of that week, they were still available. I don't know which experience is more typical.

I also missed out on the Classified when it was listed for sale last weekend. If anyone wants to sell their copy, I am very interested !

Brilliant question. I shall write a more coherent answer later (after reading what everyone else has said :)) But you've now done what I am starting to think is the most important thing: let it be known that you are looking for a particular zine.

I was looking for a particular zine from a particular publisher without success, eventually told friends and made a post on LJ, and within hours started to get emails of "I know that person, I'll check they're okay" and "I have a copy you can borrow" and "can't help with that zine, but a friend is about to sell a related zine: are you interested?" If I had just kept looking on my own, none of that would have happened.

So yeah, extrapolating from that, you just did the important thing :)

I would like thank everyone for posting the information on how to buy a zine.

Its only in the last 12 months that I have started buying zines, and of course, most of the zines I wanted to buy are now out-of-print. So the information provided here have been really useful.

So thank you everyone for helping us newbies by providing us with a list of zines resources, and for telling us the traps and pitfalls to avoid when buying out-of-print zines.

How to Buy a Zine?

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Want to Buy - Classified

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