How to Find Old Magazines

Go online to the auction site eBay if you're interested in purchasing an old magazine or are curious about what's out there. You can search for a specific time period, publication or just browse through the portion of the site labeled "Old Magazines."

Extend your online search to Craigslist.com. Search by the same criteria mentioned in Step 1 and limit the search to just your city or to the U.S. as a whole.

Visit your local library. Unlike online, at the library magazines are well organized by title and year. Plus, you can flip through the pages and read them to find info you're looking for. However, if you want to purchase magazines you'll have to look elsewhere as they aren't for sale at the library.

Search through area yard sales. As the warmer months come around, people begin cleaning out their homes, and old books and magazines are usually put out for sale. It shouldn't be very difficult to find magazines at a yard sale in your area. Better yet, you may even be able to negotiate prices. Check local newspapers for yard sale listings.

Visit area antique stores and thrift stores. You'll likely pay more for magazines there than at a garage sale, but odds are they'll be in better condition. Thrift stores can be a more cost-effective alternative to antique stores, but require more searching as they aren't as focused on antiques and older items as an antique store. Look through your local Yellow Pages or search the web to find antique and thrift stores near you.

Talk to an elderly relative. Chances are your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles or other older family members will have older editions of magazines around their house or in storage. This could have been a magazine they subscribed to or just bought off the newsstand during coverage of important events such as wars or presidential elections. And when you display your interest, they may even give you the magazines for free!