For millions around the world, the record sales of Charlie Hebdo and the Twitter campaign #JeSuisCharlie was a means of showing support for freedom of speech after a series devastating terrorist attacks, but for several enterprising Craigslist sellers, it’s also a means of turning a quick buck.
The New York Village Voice reported that people were selling Charlie Hebdo‘s Issue 1178 — the first issue printed after a multiple murders at the magazine’s office — for prices ranging from $35 to $1,500. Issue 1011, with the illustration said to have incited the attack, is selling for a lot more.
Issue 1011 depicts a grinning Mohammed promising “One hundred lashes if you don’t die laughing.” It was published November 3, 2011.
The seller, who identifies himself as Patrick Legrain, is offering the issue for the low low price of $500,000. That makes a secondary listing asking $10,000 for the issue seem comparatively reasonable.
Legrain lives in Paris, but chose to list the issue in Craigslist for the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In an email to the Village Voice, he said the the item is still for sale, although he had received one email expressing interest.
On Ebay, a search for the magazine brings up 434 active auctions with asking prices ranging from a penny to $120,000.
While the asking prices are high, it isn’t clear how many of these sellers are actually selling for these prices.
A Jan. 14 Ebay listing did close a sale for $20,000, but over time the market seems to have cooled down. Several of the listings on the site haven’t received any bids and if they have, they typically closed in the $100 to $150 range.
Does reselling the magazine dilute its free speech message? NYC bookstore owner Chris Doeblin doesn’t think so.
“The only sacrilege is telling people what they can’t do,” Doeblin said. “If they want to pray, they should. If they want to be Muslim, they should. If they want to sell this to make money, they should.”
