Are Newspapers Going To Just Be History's Souvenirs?

Are Newspapers Becoming Nothing But History's Souvenirs?
The front page of the Washington Post newspaper as seen in a newstand, August 6, 2013 in Washington, DC, the day after it was announced that Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos had agreed to purchase the newspaper for USD 250 million from the Graham family. Multi-billionaire Bezos, who created Amazon, which has soared in a few years to a dominant position in online retailing, said he was buying the Post in his personal capacity and hoped to shepherd it through the evolution away from traditional newsprint. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
The front page of the Washington Post newspaper as seen in a newstand, August 6, 2013 in Washington, DC, the day after it was announced that Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos had agreed to purchase the newspaper for USD 250 million from the Graham family. Multi-billionaire Bezos, who created Amazon, which has soared in a few years to a dominant position in online retailing, said he was buying the Post in his personal capacity and hoped to shepherd it through the evolution away from traditional newsprint. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

It's been said that newspapers are the first draft of history. And while we hope Jeff Bezos' announced purchase of the Washington Post for $250 million wasn't just a sentimental gesture by a collector of historical items, that's what newspapers have become for some.

While readers have drifted away from having print editions delivered to their driveway, interest remains keen in acquiring front pages of newspapers when there are major news events. Experts say that newspapers make affordable souvenirs of real-life events and many people buy them to preserve and leave to their children. When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, the line for a copy of the print newspaper stretched around the block at the Los Angeles Times' Times-Mirror Square. Interest was so high that The Times now sells a framed copy of that edition for $39.99.

Prices of old newspaper vary, depending on the magnitude of the event and, of course, what the market will bear. As for the best place to find them, without any intended irony, we'd have to say: Look online.

What other famous front pages would you like to own, and what do you think of these prices? Too much or not enough?

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