Sports Afield 20-Issue Vintage Magazine Lot 1959-1967 Hunting Fishing Outdoor For Sale

DESCRIPTION

SPORTS AFIELD – 20 ORIGINAL VINTAGE MAGAZINES – 1959 THROUGH 1967

A great collection of 20 different original issues of Sports Afield spanning February 1959 through July 1967. There are no duplicate dates in this group.

Sports Afield is one of the great names in American outdoor publishing. Founded in 1887, the magazine became known for fishing, hunting adventure, wildlife, camping, conservation, outdoor travel, sporting dogs, archery and practical field knowledge. These particular issues come from an especially important period in the magazine’s history: Sports Afield reports that its circulation reached approximately 1.1 million readers in 1961.

The collection includes work and appearances by well-known outdoor writers and personalities including John Jobson, Jimmy Robinson, Jason Lucas, Pete Brown, Erle Stanley Gardner, Archibald Rutledge and others. The magazines also contain the wonderful period advertisements, illustrations, color artwork, photography and outdoor culture that make original mid-century magazines so interesting to collectors.

THIS LOT CONTAINS PRINTED MAGAZINES ONLY. No sporting equipment, parts, ammunition or other regulated merchandise is included. References to historical sporting equipment appearing inside the magazines are simply part of the original editorial and advertising content of these vintage publications.

ISSUES AND CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

1. FEBRUARY 1959
   A winter-themed issue with articles on the great wild cats, safari adventure, early-season fishing techniques and winter steelhead. Other features include foxes and fox hunting and an introductory archery feature. The striking illustrated cover shows a red fox crossing snowy country.
2. NOVEMBER 1959
   A classic late-fall outdoor issue featuring special deer material along with pheasant and duck coverage. Fishing subjects include salmon, sturgeon, carp and steelhead. The issue also advertises “The Indian Shikari,” giving readers an international outdoor-adventure story in addition to its North American material.
3. MAY 1961 – SPECIAL BASS ISSUE
   A major bass-fishing edition with an expert how-to section, a nationwide guide to 250 favorite bass hotspots, and a four-page full-color bass-fishing foldout. It also includes grizzly-country adventure and a world-record big-game story. Independent vintage-magazine records identify this cover as the May 1961 Sports Afield Bass Fishing Special.
4. JUNE 1961 – SPECIAL FISHING SECTION
   A strong freshwater-fishing issue covering musky waters, record pike and pickerel. It originally promoted a full-color musky painting suitable for framing and also contains Sports Afield’s 1961 Big-Game Guide. Additional articles concern a “ghost grizzly,” bluegill fishing and small-game field experience.
5. JULY 1961 – 18-PAGE ARCHERY SECTION
   Features an extensive special section devoted to archery and bowhunting. Fishing articles discuss a new lure and techniques for fishing deep water with lighter tackle. Another period feature examines unusual sporting equipment of the day. Excellent mid-century stream-fishing cover artwork.
6. SEPTEMBER 1961 – UPLAND BIRD SPECIAL
   A fall issue centered on upland birds, game-bird identification and field techniques. Other subjects include locating deer before the season, houseboat fishing and a feature concerning troublesome or dangerous dogs in the outdoors. The dramatic cover shows a flushing game bird and hunter in autumn country.
7. DECEMBER 1961
   The lead feature follows an Alaskan bear adventure with Pete Brown. Winter material includes catching more fish through the ice and practical ideas for staying warm in severe weather. A period biographical source specifically confirms that an Alaska Peninsula bear trip was the featured article in the December 1961 Sports Afield.
8. AUGUST 1962 – SPECIAL VARMINT SECTION
   Contains a special state-by-state small-game and varmint guide together with a long-range field-accuracy feature. John Jobson contributes a mountain-grizzly adventure. The cover itself is a fascinating piece of early-1960s outdoor photography showing the specialized optics and field setup used at the time.
9. JANUARY 1963
   John Jobson writes about pursuing the Western chuck. Fishing coverage asks where the bass are and includes a do-it-yourself feature on creating a picture fish trophy. Wildlife readers get a feature on the world’s wild cats, while the snowy cover story is titled “Hard-Way Hare.”
10. OCTOBER 1963 – DEER HUNTER’S SPECIAL
    A substantial deer issue featuring a 50-state forecast and six how-to features. Fishing material covers muskellunge and October trout. Other outdoor-adventure subjects include the Salton Sea and a dramatic first-person grizzly encounter. Outstanding double-deer winter cover artwork.
11. FEBRUARY 1964 – SPECIAL BIG-GAME SECTION
    Features notable trophy animals together with Sports Afield’s Big-Game Guide. Fishing subjects include “Counterfeit Bass,” jigging techniques and Nebraska winter steelhead. There is also a section on new boats and motors for sportsmen. The large mountain-sheep cover makes this an especially attractive display issue.
12. APRIL 1964 – PANFISH SPECIAL
    Five articles focus on catching panfish, including a “Panfisherman’s Manual.” Additional features cover a do-it-yourself convertible camper, the realities of owning a fishing resort, a Canadian fishing destination and Jimmy Robinson’s “Days of the Prairie Chicken.” Colorful illustrated fish cover.
13. MAY 1964 – BASS & CAMPING SPECIAL
    Includes a multi-feature bass section and John Jobson’s annual camping feature. Readers were also shown how to build a Sports Afield cabin. Mystery novelist and longtime outdoor writer Erle Stanley Gardner contributes “Poisoned Paradise,” a title that is also documented in Gardner’s surviving papers at the Harry Ransom Center. Another adventure feature concerns “The Bear That Walked Like a Man.”
14. JULY 1964 – ARCHERY, FISHING & NORTHERN ADVENTURE
    Features a special bow-and-arrow section plus July and August bass-fishing advice by Col. Dave Harbour. Other stories concern western camping, the mystery of the Back River trout and the killer whale. A separate archival reference confirms that the July 1964 Sports Afield also contained an illustrated northern fishing-trip article, making this an especially interesting fishing and travel issue.
15. OCTOBER 1964 – DEER HUNTING SPECIAL
    A fall deer issue with state-by-state information and additional special features. Fishing articles cover plastic-worm techniques and Jason Lucas’s discussion of hatchery trout. Other material deals with improving a bird dog and pursuing an exceptionally difficult trophy animal. Beautiful deer illustration with snow-covered mountain scenery.
16. MARCH 1965 – SPRING FISHING ISSUE
    Packed with spring angling information, including techniques for larger brown trout, methods for pursuing record-class bass and a survey of trophy trout. Adventure material includes “The Grizzly Trap” and a shark-tagging feature. The issue also includes instructions for making an inexpensive fish display and information on the Sports Afield Fishing Awards Program.
17. MAY 1965 – BASS FISHING & CAMPING
    Features six bass-fishing how-to articles and an all-new basic-camping section by John Jobson. Additional subjects include soft artificial lures, unusual boats, a summer outdoor adventure and a tiger-hunting travel story. “Demons of the Delta,” by noted outdoor author Archibald Rutledge, is independently documented as appearing in Sports Afield, Volume 153, No. 5, May 1965.
18. FEBRUARY 1967
    A broad winter issue featuring Pete Brown’s recommendations concerning big-game sporting equipment and Sports Afield’s exclusive 1967 state-by-state big-game guide. Fishing articles discuss turning fishing into a livelihood, high-water trout and a special carp lure. There is also a practical article showing how to construct a quick camp shelter.
19. MARCH 1967
    Combines spring fishing and spring hunting material. Angling subjects include methods for larger bass, expert spinning techniques and new lure ideas. Spring field features include a gobbler hunter’s handbook, desert hunting and advice for caribou country. Mystery writer and outdoorsman Erle Stanley Gardner also contributes period commentary concerning sportsmen and the public debate surrounding traditional outdoor activities.
20. JULY 1967
    An especially varied summer issue. The cover advertises a sportsman’s cabin that could then be built for $687. Fishing material covers bass, pickerel, trout and blues. A special bowhunting section includes expert tips, accuracy improvement, equipment selection and field tactics. The major adventure story concerns pursuing what the magazine called “the world’s largest sheep.”

CONDITION AND BINDING

These magazines are approximately 59 to 67 years old and are being sold as vintage reading and collecting copies rather than high-grade newsstand examples.

Overall condition is approximately Fair to Good vintage condition, varying by issue.

The photographs show normal to substantial age and handling wear including cover rubbing, scuffs, creases, edge wear, corner wear, small tears, chips, wrinkles, surface marks and age toning. Many issues retain their original period mailing/address labels on the lower portion of the front cover.

Spine and binding condition varies considerably. Some bindings remain relatively sound, while other issues show noticeable rubbing, fraying, chipping and paper loss along the spine/binding edge. Several have small splits or looseness along the cover-to-spine area. Some covers and spine edges are more heavily worn than others. This is clearly a group that was read and stored rather than preserved as untouched collector copies.

Interior paper should be expected to show normal age toning. I have not represented this lot as mint, professionally graded or individually page-counted. Please examine all photographs carefully for the actual condition of the covers, corners, labels, spines and binding areas.

Despite the wear, this is an impressive 20-issue collection covering eight years of classic Sports Afield history, with excellent period artwork, outdoor photography, advertisements and articles covering fishing, wildlife, camping, archery, sporting dogs, conservation and outdoor adventure.

DATES INCLUDED:
February 1959 • November 1959 • May 1961 • June 1961 • July 1961 • September 1961 • December 1961 • August 1962 • January 1963 • October 1963 • February 1964 • April 1964 • May 1964 • July 1964 • October 1964 • March 1965 • May 1965 • February 1967 • March 1967 • July 1967

20 DIFFERENT ISSUES – NO DUPLICATES.