Where To Buy Charlie Hebdo: US Book Stores Scramble For Scarce Copies Of Magazine

The New York Public Library's periodicals section has a standing order for Charlie Hebdo magazine. Soho News International in New York City hopes to have the "Je Suis Charlie" issue commemorating the terror attacks that killed 12 on its newsstands by Saturday -- having received more than 200 calls requesting it on Monday alone, according to employee Jig Patel. And the American Booksellers Association is trying to find a way to get distribution to independent bookstores all over the U.S.

Although it's been reported that up to 3 million copies of Charlie Hebdo could hit newsstands this week, according to Reuters, and Michel Salion, a spokesman for MPL, which distributes Charlie Hebdo, told Reuters it's gotten requests for 300,000 copies from all over the world, magazine stores and booksellers in the U.S. can't promise customers when they'll get it, even in the media center of the universe: New York City.

"This magazine wasn't exported to the U.S. before," Mani Golcha, who works at Magazine Cafe in New York City, told International Business Times, "but since the developments in Paris last week, all of a sudden everyone wants to get their hands on it and want to know more about it. I've gotten hundreds of requests -- at least 50 to 70 daily."

Daniel Nelson at the McNally Jackson bookstore in Manhattan told IBTimes that although the store doesn't carry Charlie Hebdo now, they hope to in the future, and noted that Albertine Books and the French Consulate have copies -- possibly the only two places in New York City where the magazine can be found. (Update: Marine Doux, the French Consulate's Press Attaché in New York, emailed IBTimes following this report to say the French Consulate will not have any copies of the new issue of Charlie Hebdo.)

In the wake of the terror attacks at the magazine's headquarters in Paris last Wednesday that killed 12 people and followup attacks in the French capital, the world is curious about the satirical magazine whose cartoons were an equal-opportunity offender, but most infamously for its cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

For those who cannot wait for unpredictable U.S. distribution, there's always eBay. Pre-orders for the next issue, out Wednesday, are going for $210 an issue in one eBay auction. The seller already has sold 70 at the time of writing, with 31 buyers watching the auction and over 40 viewers checking it out per hour. And assorted auctions for single "Je Suis Charlie" copies of Charlie Hebdo, the most recent issue commemorating those who died Wednesday, are going for anywhere from $45 to $71 per issue.