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The Onion has published a request for selected print issues to help fill gaps in its archive. Owners can submit information through a Google Form; the newspaper says its archivist will contact people whose collections may be of interest. The company has not published prices or promised to buy every offered issue.
The Onion is seeking specific print issues for its archive and is asking readers who own them to provide details through a Google Form. The list covers complete annual volumes from several years, as well as individual issues from other years; the publication says an archivist will contact owners if their collection is of interest.
The request, posted on The Onion’s archive page, says the publication is looking for copies spanning 1988 through 2013. It seeks all issues from Volumes 14 through 19, covering 1988 to 1991; selected issues from Volumes 21, 22, 29, 33, 39, 42, 44, 45 and 46; and all issues from Volumes 47 through 49, covering 2011 to 2013.
The publication asks prospective sellers to identify copies using the volume and issue numbers, along with the date printed on each issue. It notes that the numbering can appear in different places on the front page, and that some special issues use a format such as “22-01” rather than spelling out the volume and issue.
People with requested issues are asked to complete the form and provide as much information as possible. The Onion says copies should be clean, readable and in good shape. It also says its archivist will reach out if a collection is of interest, and that the more of the publication’s gaps a collection can fill, the greater its interest may be. The page does not state a price or guarantee a purchase.
The Archive’s Missing Print Runs
The appeal gives collectors and former readers a direct route to alert The Onion about older print copies that may help complete its records. The request is selective: it names particular volumes and issue numbers rather than inviting submissions of every issue, indicating that the publication is looking to address specific gaps in its holdings.
For people considering a sale, the distinction between submitting information and completing a transaction matters. The form is an initial contact step; The Onion says an archivist will assess whether a collection is useful and follow up. It does not say that everyone who submits a copy will receive an offer, or explain how any sale would be priced.
The stated condition requirements also shape who may be eligible. Copies that are clean and readable are more likely to meet the request than damaged or incomplete examples, though the page does not provide a grading scale or define acceptable wear. Owners should check the printed identifiers before contacting the publication.
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Which Issues The Onion Wants
The listed material is concentrated in two broad periods: a run of earlier volumes from 1988 to 1991, plus selected gaps and later complete volumes extending through 2013. The request names all of Volumes 14 to 19, then singles out particular issues in several intervening volumes. It seeks all of Volumes 47, 48 and 49.
Among the specific requests are Volume 21, Issue 12; four issues from Volume 22; two each from Volumes 29; and one issue each from Volumes 33, 39 and 42. The page also lists issues 49 to 52 of Volume 44, parts of Volumes 45 and 46, and full annual runs for Volumes 47 to 49. The supplied report does not explain how the archive gaps arose or describe the archive’s overall size.
The page tells owners to use the identifying information printed on each issue rather than relying only on a publication year. Its examples show that front-page layouts vary, and that a volume number can be paired with a date range. That guidance may help owners distinguish an issue the archive is seeking from another copy from the same year.
1988-2013 newspaper archive collection
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Purchase Terms Remain Unstated
The request does not give prices, payment terms or a purchase timetable. It is not clear how the publication will decide what a particular issue or collection is worth, how many copies of each requested issue it wants, or whether it will consider offers for single issues as well as larger collections.
The page also does not say how long the form will remain open or provide a deadline. It says the archivist may contact owners if their collection is of interest, but gives no estimate of when that review or follow-up might happen. Owners should not assume that submitting the form means The Onion has agreed to buy their issues.
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Owners Can Submit Issue Details
Owners can compare their copies with the requested volume and issue list, check the front page for the identifying numbers and date, and submit details through the Google Form linked by The Onion. The page asks for as much information as possible; photographs or other supporting information are not specified in the supplied report.
If a collection appears useful, The Onion says its archivist will contact the owner and may ask follow-up questions. Anyone considering a sale should clarify the offer and terms before transferring an issue, since the publication states that copies it buys become its property and cannot be returned. No further schedule or next announcement is identified.
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Key Questions
Which print issues is The Onion looking for?
The list includes complete volumes from 1988–1991 and 2011–2013, along with specified issues from several other volumes. Owners should consult The Onion’s archive page for the full issue-by-issue list.
How can I tell whether I have a requested issue?
Check the volume number, issue number and date printed on the front page. The Onion says their placement varies and some special issues use a compact number format.
Does submitting the form mean The Onion will buy my copy?
No. The form lets owners share information. The Onion says its archivist will contact people if their collection is of interest; it does not promise to purchase every issue offered.
What condition should the issues be in?
The Onion says requested issues should be in good shape, clean and readable. It does not provide a more detailed condition scale.
What happens if The Onion buys an issue?
The publication says an issue it buys becomes The Onion’s property and cannot be returned. The request does not state prices or payment terms.
Source: hn
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