Model Engineer Magazine Collection

[mfengine1Participant @mfengine1]

Hi, in order to meet my uncle’s wishes, I have been trying to find a good home for his collection or around 2200 ME magazines from 1944 to early 2020 but hitting dead ends everywhere I try.

Do you know of anywhere that would purchase the complete collection? I’m not even sure if there is any value in them.

I also have ME Workshop vol 1 to 30 with only the last issue missing, and Eng in Miniature issue 1 to 284 with 3 issues missing.

Any advice will be appreciated, and honest opinion if i am spending more time than they are worth.

Thanks

[mfengine1Participant @mfengine1]

Just to add:

missing 1996 and about 6 random issues

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

The problem is that most people on this forum will most likely have their own so I suggest the bay and sell full volumes.

[Phil PParticipant @philp]

I sold my similar sized collection when we downsized house about 16 years ago, despite everyone telling me they were worthless, when I advertised them a guy in Australia bought the whole lot for £450, then paid to have them shipped over there as well.
I didn’t even have to pack them, he sent a courier who removed them from my shelves and I did not have to do anything.
I think I might have been very lucky, but you never know until you try.

Phil P

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Sadly their value is little. I have a collection of about the same size that I built up for the price of travelling to pick them up and I know of a collection that ran from No 1 ME that was passed on in the same way. Sold in volumes they may make a small sum but postage will be the stumbling block and you may well be stuck with many. Where abouts are you ? Good luck.  Noel.

[george baker 1Participant @georgebaker1]

Hi

I had loads of volumes on here a few years ago and someone offered to take them off my hands and to pay postage,  I asked the recipient to make a charity donation but dont know if they did.

 

Before I gave them away I removed the volume for the year of a mates’ birth and gave them to  him as a birthday present.

 

I have some more and plan to give them to a steam museum so they can sell to boost their funds.

 

George

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Maybe you could find a Model engineering club to take them, they will more than likely have the space. You could contact them via one of the Model engineering club federations, such as NAMES. This is what I plan to do when disposing of my collection, which is a complete run from first to last.

Chris Gunn

[IanTParticipant @iant]

I was fortunate enough to aquire a full set (complete to 2008) of bound ME’s from a lovely lady near Brighton. Her husband had a huge collection of various model, toy and transport magazines. Some of the ME’s were bound when he purchased them but others he had had bound himself.

She wouldn’t accept any money but we agreed on a donation to a charity that she liked. The books were stored in the attic on the third floor. I could just about carry 5 or 6 at a time, so made some 30-40 trips up and down those stairs! (I was much fitter back then) Half way through, I realised my car was starting to go down at the back, so paused for tea and checked the car manual. I estimated what I, my wife and the books would weight in total and it was just under the stated load limit. I drove home very carefully/steadily at 30-40mph with the car creaking just a little…paper is heavy!

I then took a day or two to unload and find somewhere to store them. I had quite a collection already of both bound and loose MEs, so spent some time working out what to keep. I advertised the remainder as ‘Free if Collected’ and a nice young guy drove down with his (somewhat bemused) girlfriend to collect them. He was very excited when he saw the piles of mags on the floor of our lounge!  🙂

Anyway, I have a complete ME collection now and still enjoy looking through them from time to time or when I need to reference something. Hopefully, someone else will want them one day too.

Regards,

 

IanT

 

 

[mfengine1Participant @mfengine1]

Hi Noel, located in Blyth Northumberland

[mfengine1Participant @mfengine1]

Thanks everyone for their advice, I really appreciate it. If only I had a similar hobby.  Similar to what Ian stated above, I think whatever happens I’m going to have a few trips up and down the stairs.

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

Good luck with selling, hope you get something for them.

I tried to sell a near complete set, 1974 to 1998 in, I think,  2005.  I tried everywhere, zero interest.   In the end a few went via eBay to complete collections, the rest to the local paper recycler.

 

[Norman Blackburn 1Participant @normanblackburn1]

If you are splitting the collection our ME club has a couple of missing volumes. one is Vol 124 ( i’ll check on Wed what the other one is).

Are they loose magazines or bound?

Tyneside club

[mfengine1Participant @mfengine1]

Hi @normanblackburn1

If I can’t shift them as a block by this time next week I’m happy to split them and give you the ones you’re missing. The are loose magazines.

Let me know the volumes.

I’m based in Heaton so won’t be far from you to sort getting them to you if needed.

I did find some Model Engineer books yesterday but not had chance to look at them but can let you know about them, happy to donate to a good home or club.

Michael

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