Missing issues

Combing through the sites and lists to find issues to replace missing ones can sometimes be amusing and sometimes it can be frustrating. Picture finding a small needle in a haystack...and you have the general idea on how the task presents itself. Most journal or magazine publishers sell their overstock to dealers who resell them to libraries at astronomical prices. These particular dealers also will create reprints of issues for a similar astronomical cost.


Yes, I understand that the dealers have overhead and shipping and handling to worry about. However, I think $280 for a 45 page issue borders on usury. The most I have ever paid to replace an issue is $16.98 ($10 for the issue and the rest was shipping and handling).

And then there was the missing issue that I tried to locate for 3 years before a helpful librarian at another school let me know that the issue was never published. I had combed through OCLC and other library catalogs but had never come across a note to say that Journal X did not publish issue 4 of v. 63....!

Sometimes working in serials I have sympathy for Sisyphus.....!