Are old Ebony Magazines (1945-Modern) and Jet Magazines (1951-Modern) worth anything?

While African-American media have a much longer history and such newspapers as the Chicago Defender and The Abolitionist have had significant effects on American social history, the advent of Ebony in 1945 and Jet in 1951 brought African-American magazines to a mass audience. An interesting part of these magazines that seems to slip by many social historians, but not past collectors, are the ads that pioneered in their pages. For almost a century, the image of the African-American in magazine ads was typified by Cream of Wheat or Aunt Jemima. The success of Ebony and Jet in terms of circulation brought home to the advertising industry the neglected market of an emerging African-American middle class. For the first time, African-Americans were featured sipping a popular soft drink, dressed in the latest fashions or driving a car.

Both Ebony and Jet played a significant role in the civil rights movement. Collectible issues focus on both the historical aspect of their civil rights artciles and the socially significant effect of their advertisements.

The first issues of these magazines have the most monetary value, fetching as much as $20-$30 each to the right collector. The older issues are more valuable than the more modern ones, obviously. And, as in every thing, condition of the magazine is vital. Examples in extremely fine or near mint condition are collectible, while worn and tattered copies have little or no value.

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