TL;DR
The Onion has posted a request for copies of specific print issues it is seeking for its archive, spanning volumes published from 1988 to 2013. Owners can submit details through a Google Form; the publication says its archivist will follow up if a collection is of interest, but it has not published purchase terms.
The Onion is seeking copies of selected print issues for its archive, asking readers who own them to provide details through a Google Form. The requested material covers volumes from 1988 through 2013; the publication says its archivist will contact owners if their copies are of interest.
The request, posted on The Onion’s archive page, ranges from complete volumes to individual issues. It seeks all of Volumes 14 through 19, dated from 1988 to 1991, as well as selected issues from several other volumes. Later requests include all of Volumes 47, 48 and 49, dated 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Among the specific gaps listed are Volume 21, Issue 12; four issues from Volume 22; two from Volume 29; and single issues from Volumes 33, 39 and 42. The request also covers issues 49–52 of Volume 44, issues 1–20 and 33–43 of Volume 45, and issues 3–52 of Volume 46.
The page instructs owners to check the volume and issue numbers, which appear on the front page, though their placement varies. It notes that some special issues use a combined format such as “22-01.” Copies must be clean, readable and in good shape. The Onion says issues sold to it become its property and cannot be returned.
Filling Gaps in The Onion’s Archive
The request offers readers a direct way to help preserve parts of The Onion’s print history that the publication says it is seeking. The listed material stretches across decades, including early volumes and issues from the 2000s and 2010s. Locating specific missing copies could help the publication build out its holdings, although the page does not explain how the archive will be used or whether the issues will be digitized or made available to the public.
For people with old copies in storage, the list provides a practical check: an issue’s date alone may not be enough to determine whether it is wanted, so owners are asked to match its volume and issue number. The request is also not a general call for every past issue. The Onion is seeking only the listed volumes and issues, and says interest may depend on how much of its identified gaps a collection can fill.
The Onion vintage print magazine issues
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How to Match an Issue
The Onion’s instructions emphasize that every issue has a volume number, issue number and date, but those details can appear in different places on the front page. The examples on the page include a 1992 issue labeled Volume 21, Issue 18, and a 1997 issue labeled Volume 32, Issue 4. Special editions may display the numbers in a shortened form rather than spelling out “Volume” and “Issue.”
That identification process matters because the request is specific: for example, it asks for all of some volumes but only a handful of issues from others. The page directs owners to submit information using a Google Form and to provide as much detail as possible. It does not say that submitting a form guarantees a sale or that every copy offered will be accepted.
rare newspaper archive storage boxes
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Purchase Terms Are Not Listed
The page does not specify what The Onion will pay, how prices would be set, or whether it intends to buy every copy that meets its condition requirements. It says the archivist will contact owners if a collection is of interest, so the outcome appears to depend on the submitted details and the publication’s needs.
No deadline, response schedule or shipping instructions are included in the supplied material. The page also does not explain how the archive gaps were identified, how many copies are missing, or what will happen to issues acquired through the request. Owners should treat the form as an offer of information, not confirmation that a purchase will follow.
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Archivist Reviews Submissions
People who believe they have a requested issue can check its volume and issue number, assess its condition and submit details through the Google Form linked by The Onion. The publication says its archivist will follow up if the collection is of interest and may ask additional questions.
The next step for prospective sellers is therefore contact from the archivist, rather than an automatic transaction. Price, logistics and timing remain unspecified on the posted request; owners will need to wait for follow-up to learn whether The Onion wants their copies and what a sale would involve.
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Key Questions
Which Onion print issues are being sought?
The list includes all of Volumes 14–19 and 47–49, along with selected issues from Volumes 21, 22, 29, 33, 39, 42, 44, 45 and 46. The archive page provides the specific issue numbers.
How can I tell whether I have a requested issue?
Check the front page for the volume and issue numbers, which may be positioned differently from one issue to another. Some special issues use a shortened number format, such as “22-01.”
How do I offer an issue to The Onion?
Submit information through the Google Form linked on The Onion’s archive page, providing as much detail as possible. The publication says its archivist will contact owners if their collection is of interest.
Does The Onion say how much it will pay?
No. The posted request does not state prices or other purchase terms. It says only that the archivist will follow up with owners whose copies may be useful.
Can a sold issue be returned?
No. The Onion says that an issue sold to the publication becomes its property and cannot be returned. The page also says copies should be clean, readable and in good shape.
Source: hn
