Old Magazines

[bob turner]

The Greek is after me to dump stuff. So, after decades of storing old MRR magazines I have started the process. Every now and then I spot a drawing of something I might want to keep. But I am now sort of shocked and surprised - most of what I have been saving are pages and pages and pages of advertisements!
My recycling can will be very heavy for the next several weeks. I will probably keep some MM and O Scale mags, but the rest are goners.

[ScaleCraft]

Did that years ago Everything except some from the 40's and early 50's went to the free recycle bins at the dump.
When my buddy pulled up and moved to Tucson, he had a pickup load of bound volumes MR, RMC, CTT, TCA mags......all gone.
NOBODY wants them

[healey36]

Scan the stuff you want to a thumb-drive, then pitch the hard-copies. Going through that process now with fifty years worth of Miniature Wargames magazines. Hadn’t looked at the mags in years and I’m probably unlikely to look at much I’m saving on the drive, but it’s been fun looking back through all of that stuff.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Scan the stuff you want to a thumb-drive, then pitch the hard-copies.

I think that's where I'm going to have to be at soon for my RMC. Never going to see that one on DVD, etc...

But pitching the hard copies will almost certainly take place 2-3 days prior to needing an article that I did not scan in,

Trolley Talk, Traction and Models........those 2 are a lesser issue on space.

That's also true for a complete set of OST and near complete set of OSN.

No use for almost all model RR'ing mags.....only one that used to be re-sellable was NG&SLG.......used to be.

Once upon a time there were libraries where you could get back issues of just about any publication...............sigh

[up148]

I've dumped twice in the last 20-25 years and threw away many bankers/file boxes full of old mags. Very painful to let them go, but necessary. It's amazing how infrequently I referred back to them and the nostalgia value of seeing old ads, layouts and projects wasn't worth the effort of moving them from home to home.

I have now acquired the most complete collection of UP books and dedicated mags of my entire life, but I doubt they would have much value to most modelers today. Few modelers today really care how the hobby started/evolved and there are better ways to do almost anything we did back in dark ages. But, it was a great ride and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

[De Bruin]

Sadly my abode/house has multiple drainage issues that facilitates the controlling(as in eliminating) the long term bulk and retention of a lot of my magazines. Basement flooding in particular as well as the occasional ceiling leak. Typically it wipes out the boxes with the stuff I really did want to save as in lot's of soggy boxes of RMC's, Mainline Modeler, Trains etc. to the landfill. I started bagging the storage boxes decades ago, but they still get knackered.

That said I still have a big pile of (dry) stuff that will go to the dumpster eventually. I can't even give it away at my sales table at the all scale shows anymore. Few care at all while the ones that do assume they can always find it all on the internet.

I have very little hope for my book collection too, but that's a different post.

[healey36]

But pitching the hard copies will almost certainly take place 2-3 days prior to needing an article that I did not scan in,

Especially a risk with stuff published in serialized format. Either one neglects to scan part two of three, or never had part 2 to begin with (or inadvertently pitched it in a prior purge).

Another problem I've run into is European mags printed in an 8-1/4" x 11-3/4" page size (which I believe is/was their standard). Everything has to be resized to 93% to fit a scanned page.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Another problem I've run into is European mags printed in an 8-1/4" x 11-3/4" page size (which I believe is/was their standard). Everything has to be resized to 93% to fit a scanned page.

A4 paper.....used to have a ream of here.

[sarge]

I keep a full set of "Mainline Modeler" and "OST". I'd pay the postage on any 48/ft anyone wants to recycle my way, though.

For prototype info, its books and the internet (one of the very few positive uses I find for the net).

[ScaleCraft]

I keep a full set of "Mainline Modeler" and "OST". I'd pay the postage on any 48/ft anyone wants to recycle my way, though.

For prototype info, its books and the internet (one of the very few positive uses I find for the net).

welcome back, sarge!

[bob turner]

Yeah - welcome back. I found more bolsters, and may have duplicate 48/ft. around here.

[E7]

An old collection of OSN 48/ft. I purchased from Bob Hess was my introduction to O scale. I liked Greg Heier's style a lot.

[up148]

I agree, OSN was a good magazine and my introduction to O scale as well. We had the best of all worlds for a couple of years with OST and OSN.

Bob Hess, there's a name from the past. I had to sell off all of my O scale back in the late 90's and Bob bought it. He drove from PA and I drove from KC and we met in a parking lot in IN. Long day trip for sure.

[E7]

Bob Hess, there's a name from the past. I had to sell off all of my O scale back in the late 90's and Bob bought it. He drove from PA and I drove from KC and we met in a parking lot in IN. Long day trip for sure.

Funny thing....when I bought those mags, Bob was in the process of selling ALL his stuff!

I drove from PA to St. Charles, Ill. a couple times. Took 11 hours and only required 2 turns once on the PA Turnpike the 2nd trip!

[E7]

`I am now sort of shocked and surprised - most of what I have been saving are pages and pages and pages of advertisements!

That's how they made their bucks, wasn't from your subscription.