When we made the difficult decision last year to cease printing regular editions of Anthill Magazine and look to the digital future, we consoled ourselves with the knowledge that loyal subscribers had their well-thumbed back-issue archives (resting on mantles in pool rooms around Australia and beyond) to keep the memories alive. We know of at least one Anthillian who has vacuum-packed his collection of all 32 Anthill print editions, confident, perhaps, that the resale value of this pristine archive might buttress his retirement.
Anthill print editions always had a pass-on rate — i.e. how many people read the same copy — that was well above the industry average. In other words, they had a great shelf life. However, it seems that, in some people at least, the desire to continue sharing Anthill back issues is more pressing than the desire to wait patiently for their collection to mature into a golden egg.
We recently discovered that someone was selling second-hand Anthill back issues on eBay for a starting bid of $0.99. What a trooper! Not only were they attempting to spread past Anthillian goodness, they were asking for but a fraction of the true value — an administration fee, really.
Alas, issue 28 (seen below) was passed in without a single bid. On the bright side, 4633irene gets to keep it a little longer, to read whenever the urge strikes her. (Irene, page 26 should put a smile on your dial.)
