Charlie Hebdo Sold Out Within Minutes — You’ll Never Believe How Much Copies Are Already Selling For
It’s been a long time since newspapers or even a magazine have been attached to a headline like this, but this newest issue of Charlie Hebdo has sold out almost immediately at newsstands across France Wednesday morning.
French citizens began lining up as dawn cracked across the skies of Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities across the nation. Even some of those who came early left empty-handed as nearly ever copy of the first run of Charlie Hebdo‘s return issue sold out, reported The Guardian. Those who could not secure a copy of Charlie Hebdo before it sold out looked on as others shared the symbolic front page with their fellow countrymen.
The initial run of Charlie Hebdo typically prints about 60,000. This issue, marked by the attacks that left 12 staff members dead, was already planned to exceed that greatly: three million copies. After Charlie Hebdo sold out with such stunning speed, the president of the magazine’s distributor MLP Véronique Faujour has announced that even that increased circulation will be nearly doubled.
“The publisher has decided this morning to bring the print run to 5m.”
As Charlie Hebdo sold out, the popular item began to appear on Ebay for as much as $2,300, reported BBC News.
Issues of #CharlieHebdo quickly sold out in France on Wednesday morning. Some are going on eBay for as much as £1,500 pic.twitter.com/BRsdVutdkg
— BBC Trending (@BBCtrending) January 14, 2015
Vendors who typically sell the publication were obviously shocked to see the hoards of eager customers piling up outside of their stores so early in the morning. Such events dedicated to laying hands on the written word are usually reserved for blockbuster book series like Harry Potter or Twilight, but this, a shopkeeper told The Guardian, was different.
“It was incredible. I had a queue of 60-70 people waiting for me when I opened. I’ve never seen anything like it. All my 450 copies were sold out in 15 minutes.”
Though Charlie Hebdo is clearly sending a message to Islamic extremists about free speech, staff members also noted that they did not view putting Muhammad on the cover as an act of revenge. Staff member Zineb El Rhazoui, whose articles are printed in the sold out Charlie Hebdo, says that instead it is a call for forgiveness, just like the cover says in French, previously reported The Inquisitr.
“We feel that we have to forgive what happened. I think those who have been killed, if they would have been able to have a coffee today with the terrorists and just talk to ask them why have they done this … We feel at the Charlie Hebdo team that we need to forgive.”
Charlie Hebdo being sold out this morning also happens to fall on the same day that Yemen’s al-Qaeda branch has come forward claiming responsibility for the attack, reported Al Jazeera.
[Image via Charlie Hebdo and Vine]
