CF buyer’s guide
With auction sites like eBay and retro game stores operating online, it’s never been easier to get hold of any issues of Commodore Format missing from your collection. But the prices […]
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With auction sites like eBay and retro game stores operating online, it’s never been easier to get hold of any issues of Commodore Format missing from your collection. But the prices […]
With auction sites like eBay and retro game stores operating online, it’s never been easier to get hold of any issues of Commodore Format missing from your collection. But the prices vary as wildly as the condition. So what should you be paying and how should you be safeguarding yourself? The Commodore Format Archive asked a group of fans, all of whom have entire collections and have spent years in the process. Here’s what they told us.
If you’re looking at buying back issues of CF, here are the need-to-know basics:
Some issues of CF came with a freebie in addition to the covertape. Add an extra 50p to £1 if these are present, and another few pounds if still stuck to the front (make sure the buyer hasn’t just reattached them!). The same goes if it is a copy of the magazine bought via subscription and comes with the subs newsletter. These freebies are:
CF4 (Corker/UBI Soft badge on lucky dip basis), CF7 (tips book), CF13 (Imageworks stickers), CF15 (Heroquest hologram stickers), CF19 (Space Crusade / Addams Family badge on lucky dip basis), CF20 (Indiana Jones door hanger), CF21 (Steg hi-score card), CF38 (Alien 3 stickers). Check what all of these freebies look like here.
SOME OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER
Bide your time. Every issue of CF comes up multiple times a year. It’s exciting to see an issue you haven’t got, especially if it’s the only one you need to complete your collection. But anyone charging upwards of £10 for any issue of CF is ripping you off. Don’t bite – another copy will be along soon.
BUT I’VE GOT £20 AND I WANT TO SPEND IT ON CF61. I CAN AFFORD IT. WHY SHOULDN’T I?
Nobody’s stopping you. It’s all about what you’re prepared to pay, really. But paying sky-high rates pushes the price of Commodore Format up for everyone across the board, and keeps them out of the hands of people who’d really enjoy them. By paying sensibly, the entire C64 community benefits. CF