This, the February 1935 number, is the last issue of THE FANTASY FAN.
The life of TFF has extended over exactly one and a half years--since
September 1933, and during that time we have learned that there are not
enough lovers of weird fiction who are interested enough in the subject
to pay for a fan magazine. We may call it an experiment that failed.
We have done everything in our power to keep TFF from going on the
rocks, but our worst fears have been realized. Our printer, a fantasy
fan himself, gave his services for an amount far below that charged by
others so that TFF could exist from the first, but a steady increase
in well-paying jobs has deprived him of the time he usually devoted to
printing it.
Our greatest regret is the necessity of breaking off H. P. Lovecraft's
"Supernatural Horror in Literature" in the middle of it. Dozens of
short stories, poems, weird articles and columns will have to be
returned to the authors. Writers who would like their unpublished
material to be turned over to the editors of _Fantasy Magazine_ should
advise us of it, all other contributions to be mailed back before May
first.
Subscribers can help us and themselves at the same time if they will
accept back numbers of TFF in payment for the future issues that they
cannot receive. This will lighten the burden upon the editor who has
already lost a couple of hundred dollars in the venture, and will
provide readers with the issues they missed or duplicates of those they
have. In the latter case, they will find that back issues of TFF are
steadily increasing in value. The first issue, September 1933, which
is out of stock long ago, now markets for a value between 50 cents and
$1. per copy. Prices of back numbers are as follows: Oct., Dec., 1933,
Jan., Feb., Mar., June, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., 1934, Jan.,
Feb., 1935--10 cents each; Nov., 1933, Apr., May, 1934--20 cents each;
Sept., 1933, July, 1934--out of stock. We would appreciate it if you
will take your refund in back issues, which, as we said, will soon
prove of considerable value. Subscribers who would not like to do this
will receive a refund in cash, charging them ten cents for each number
received in their subscriptions. All returns will be made before May
first.
So, good-bye, friend reader--it's been nice to have met you!
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