Many stock and bond collectors also collect railroad magazines (among many other specialties.) I have sold newspapers and magazines for many years, so decided to include them on my Coxrail web site strictly for information purposes.

I informally track Railroad Magazine and Trains Magazine. I have historically cut off my magazine sales at about 1980, so I have not yet recorded anything later than that date. (Selling younger magazines is not really worth the effort.) If, however, you'd like to contribute images of younger magazines, I'll be glad to include them.

Click the following links to get to the special listing pages.

A word about conditions. It is obvious that the better the condition, the more valuable the magazine. Remember that magazines were never intended to last more than a few weeks or months. The majority of railroad magazines I've encountered have condition problems. Except perhaps for pulp true crime magazines from the 1930s, railroad magazines generally have more condition problems than any other types of magazines I've encountered.

Torn and distressed covers are extremely common for Railroad Magazine. Trains Magazine can be typified by detached covers. If you own issues in intact conditions, make sure you protect them in poly bags to prevent further deterioration. Among recent issues less than thirty years old, one accidental mis-handling can decrease value to zero.

Tape of any sort decreases value. Tape is nothing more than restoration, no matter how well-intentioned. In other words, tape is meant to fix damage. I am warning about all tape, from yellowed cellophane tape to well-applied professional quality book tape. Feel free to buy taped issues as space fillers, but remember that they are simply space fillers. When it comes time to sell, professional buyers will pay little if anything for taped magazines unless those issues are extremely scarce.

Don't believe my warning? Then ask yourself, in how many hobbies do collectors willingly pay for damaged collectibles? Glassware? Coins? Stamps? Furniture? Quilts? Guitars? Watches? Insulators? Modern art? Navajo rugs? Chinese vases? Stocks and bonds? (Okay, automobiles, perhaps, but the point with that hobby IS restoration.)