Little is known about this magazine which promised "12 Smashing Murder Stories" in each issue. It began with vol.2 no.5 and so presumably replaced an earlier title, but it is not known what.

Began as a magazine for teenagers and even as a pulp concentrated mostly on sports stories, switched to a men's adventure magazine in the 1930s; published Jack London, F. Britten Austin, William Wallace Cook, Bertram Atkey, Johnston McCulley in early days; later H. Bedford-Jones, Antony M. Rud.

Larry Estep comments:

"Volume 1 has 7 issues. These were the dime novels. The pulp began with v2 n1 (October, 1910).

From May, 1914 through December, 1914 there were three issues per month. In January, 1915 there was only one issue, dated January 15, 1915. Beginning with February, 1915 they went back to two issues per month.

A very strange thing happens in September, 1914. Instead of three issues, there are actually SIX issues. After publishing three issues dated September 10th, 20th, and 30th, Street & Smith published an additional three issues with the same dates! They effectively inserted an extra month into the year.

The strangeness from this time from was not over with. Volume 24 contained only 5 issues rather than the standard 6. The December 15, 1915 issue was v24 n5. My best guess here is that the missing issue in January threw off their volume numbering and someone at Street & Smith wanted to start the new year with a number 1 issue.

Street & Smith did another strange thing in 1920. There was only one issue each for February and March. They were dated "February 1st & 15th" and "March 1st & 15th", respectively. These were not double issues like we sometimes see today. They just had two dates on them. The AH guide shows two issues in February, 1920, but this is incorrect.

The magazine was mistakenly cancelled following the 2nd issue of September 1928. The mistake was quickly overturned by the owner of Street & Smith who maintained this was one of his favorite titles. The title resumed publication with the 1st November 1928 issue.

The last issue of Top-Notch is the September-October, 1937 issue. It is v101 n2. With an average of 6 issues per volume, this comes out to 602 issues."

However, Monte Herridge has determined that there were actually four issues in May 1914.

Issues & Index Sources

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Online Sources

Canadian reprint edition of Top-Notch Magazine.

Issues & Index Sources:  Aug-1938? – Dec-1939?:

Western Fiction Index

Publishers:   Western Fiction (Martin Goodman)
Formats:   standard pulp
Mentioned in:   The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps, Ultimate Guide to the Pulps, The Pulp Western

"This magazine was a mixed bag of trendy early 60s action, and included fiction by Dave Gregg, Guido Maria Lion, and Don Rowell."

Issues & Index Sources:  1935:

FictionMags Index

Publishers:   Dean & Son
Frequency:   annual

Issues & Index Sources:  in 1930s:

FictionMags Index

(sample issues only)

Publishers:   Dean & Son
Frequency:   annual

Subtitled "The Entertaining Magazine for Men".

Reprint magazine selecting from Planet Stories.

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British reprint edition of Tops in Science Fiction.

Rebound unsold issues of Ranch Romances.

Issues & Index Sources:  Spring 1953 – Fall 1953:

Western Fiction Index

Publishers:   Flying Stories
Formats:   standard pulp
Mentioned in:   The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps, Ultimate Guide to the Pulps, The Pulp Western

Emphasis on fiction. Often publishes the work of one author per issue. Circulation 1,500.

Issues & Index Sources:  1950 – 1958:

Western Fiction Index

Publishers:   Standard Magazines
Formats:   standard pulp
Mentioned in:   The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps, Ultimate Guide to the Pulps, The Pulp Western

Issues & Index Sources:  1964:

Western Fiction Index

Publishers:   Popular Library, Inc.
Editors:   Jim Hendryx, Jr.
Formats:   pulp
Prices:   50c
Pagecounts:   100pp

Mentioned in first issue of All Detective (UK).