‘OO7’ MAGAZINE SELLING FOR BIG BUCK$ on eBay!

The world of Bond collecting is constantly in flux, and what was yesterday’s trash is today’s hot collectible (and visa-versa). I’d like to report on the surprising state of the ‘fanzine’ (fan-specific publications, typically put out by a fan club) and, in particular, the longest running and most well known James Bond fanzine; ‘OO7’ MAGAZINE, published by The James Bond International Fan Club.

I’ve always collected fanzines not so much for their ‘collectible’ value, but because I love reading them. I think fanzines capture the mood of fandom at a specific time better than anything else. I love reading about how “For Your Eyes Only will definitely be Roger Moore’s last Bond as he will be too old to make another” (‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #5), and how Sean Connery will return in Octopussy…as the villain! (‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #9). LOL. Makes you view current fan ‘wisdom’ with healthy scepticism and with a bit of irony.
Read your fanzines and you will discover that “the past predicts the future.”

Anyway, like I said, I collect fanzines for the love…but little did I realize that my fanzine collection is becoming, pound for pound, one of the more valuable collectibles inside my Bond ‘vault’. In 2001 I found an issue of ‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #5 (the oldest issue I own) on eBay for $2.00. Just take a look at what some back issues of ‘OO7’ MAGAZINE (and not even very rare ones at that!) have been selling for on eBay lately.

‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #11 -- $186.86
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #10 -- $107.68
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #16 -- $102.59
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #26 -- $89.77
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #25 -- $87.94
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #21 -- $75.11
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #12 -- $74.79
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #19 -- $67.78
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #13 -- $65.95
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #15 -- $56.79
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #22 -- $56.79
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #39 -- $47.63
‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #18 -- $37.36

Even the now discontinued JBIFC newsletter, ‘OO7’ Extra has been fetching big bucks:

‘OO7’ Extra #1 -- $78.78
‘OO7’ Extra #2 -- $47.63
‘OO7’ Extra #3 -- $56.79
‘OO7’ Extra #4 -- $32.06

Why is this? Maybe the successful revival of The JBIFC has made people suddenly aware of this publication. Seeing as they’ve just published ‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #42, of course people are going to flock to eBay to find back issues. Also, with the rise of the Internet, I think fanzines are now seen as clearly on the way out; but that they are as unique and as illustrative of a time (and film) as any original movie program, and therefore now very collectible.

So is your issue of ‘OO7’ MAGAZINE #X now WORTH X-amount of dollars? Maybe. A collectible is only ‘worth’ what someone is willing to pay. Depending on the circumstances (and auctions in particular are very unpredictable) what sells for $200 one day can sell for $2.00 the next.
While I’ve highlighted the big-ticket sales here, there are some issues of ‘OO7’ MAGAZINE sitting on eBay with no bids. It’s a mysterious world in that way.

John Cox – www.CommanderBond.net

28th January, 2004