Keeping magazines?

[cnw1995]

Do you keep all your trains-related or toy-train-related magazines? If so, how are they organized? Do you find yourself referring back to them. I was puttering around the basement this weekend and realized I have about 7 years worth of Model Railroaders, Trains, OGRs and CTTs. - not sorted in any way - just in boxes or piles. (I've gotten most of them from our local library before they throw them out at the end of each year). I usually cycle through re-reading a host of them on my train commute from year to year but have gradually come to the conclusion that I'd like to live a little 'lighter', and will give most of them to the Illinois Railway Museum to re-sell (not the library ones - which I'll recycle). I've kept all of my CTTs and a pile of my favorite MRs (the passenger train operations issues, looks at John Armstrong's layout, etc.)

[spankybird]

I also keep all my train magazines. They are sorted by Name, Month, and Year, which for modern times goes back to 1997. I also have some Model RR which goes back to 1946 (before I was born).

I do uses them for reference, trying to remember when it was printed it the biggest challenge.

[coalminer3]

I used to hand onto them, but only save ones that have articles on topics of interest to me. I agree with what CNW says abt. traveling "light." I do save material on operation, modeling of urban areas, etc.

work safe

[Anonymous]

I save all of my magazines (which I have an awful lot of). I often go back to them for reference or to look over articles that I've enjoyed. I have them all piled up on the bookshelf here in the computer room. I have a stack for each magazine and they are in order, with the oldest at the top. There are some that I actually haven't read yet, due to the fact that I once bought over 100 assorted train magazines all at once from a bookstore, so often I'll just pull out an old magazine that I haven't read yet and go through it.

[lionelsoni]

Oldest at the top? I put the newest on top. It's much easier.

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The [}:)] Doctor is in!!! I keep CTT's in cardboard magizine file boxes. Filed by year.
They are most handy for repair articles. I being also a semi-retired magician remember
a quote by a magician (Mr.Electric) who said "your best investment is your library" This
is true in both hobbies as I have found out many times over. Just my three cents!

Till My Next Missive, I Remain The Humble Yet [}:)] Doctor !!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Not only do I keep them, but I have them all in binders. I have every issue of CTT, and every issue of MR back to 1950. I have TCA Quarterlys, NMRA Bullitens, RMC's, Trains Magazine, PTJ, Railfan & Railroad, and a lot of books. Oops, I forgot OGR.

I've never stopped to count, but I suspect I'm getting close to a total of 2000 pieces. That's a lot of reading.[swg]

[dougdagrump]

I save all of the magazines , woodworking and trains, but I use the plastic organizers from office supply stores. They can be upright for magazines or on their side for catalogs. Just label with year and brand. Keeps them all nice and neat. [^]

[3railguy]

I have every issue of CTT since day 1.

[FJ and G]

Yes.

How are they organized?

They are not.

[Dr. John]

I have every issue of Model Railroader since 1973, all issues of CTT except about 3 or 4, about 10 years worth of OGR, and a hodge podge of Railroad Model Craftsmen, RailModel Journal and Model Railroading. They are stored in airtight plastic containers but are not organized by year, just by title.

[prewardude]

I have all of my CTTs, too. Like FJ and G they ain't organized, though. I really should do something about that, I guess.

[Anonymous]

I keep all train rerlated material. I have no certain method to organize them.

[cnw1995]

Wow, I'm impressed with all your organization schemes and thoroughness. Another poster emailed me that he just stacks his magazines in rough chronological order and uses the online index to find an issue.

[4kitties]

In my HO scale days I kept the most recent 5 years of magazines, and saved the articles I liked best from the older ones. Since I switched back to O gauge, I've kept every CTT and OGR. I don't get tired of reading them.

[Algonquin]

I try to keep all of mine. However, over the years I have had to thin out the magazines I was not going back to from time to time. I have all the CTTs going back to 1989. I keep them in the CTT binders sold by Kalmbach. I do occasionally pull some of the old ones and re-read them, most of the articles are timeless. The on-line (Acrobat format) indexes of CTT are very useful in tracking down information. I have not found the general index of all railroad magazines as useful, but I have only tried it a couple of times. I keep all my magazines and toy train books relgated to a single 6-shelf cabinet.

Elliot - Your reference library is quite impressive.

Regards,

Tim Pignatari

[Back2Trains]

I have very little interest in most of the content of my magazines after they are more than a year or two old. I plan to go through them, flag articles of interest, scan them into my computer and create an archival disc of articles. I will then give the magazines to my grandchildren or to friends. Another idea for magazines, catalogs and other train literature that you no longer want to keep is to give it away at shows. We have a show here in Florida (Port St. Lucie) which has a tablefull of donated magazines, catalogs, etc. which are available free to whoever wants them. This is a great way to share with those new to the hobby or the magazines and the kids love them too. I have found some very valuable articles in this way which I never would have seen otherwise.

[TexasEd]

I am planning on thinning my collection out. I will probably start with the Model Railroaders and cut out the articles of interest and throuw out the rest.

I may keep the CTT & OGRs intact for a while longer.

[MA and PA JCT]

I have all the CTT from the beginning, including the "Premier Issue".
Which leads me to a question I need answered. Putting Magz. in binders is fine, but I'd like to keep dust, mildew, etc off them too. WHAT king of cover, etc, should I use to preserve the magazine? Any suggestions?

[alton6]

Marty....You might want to look for archival sleeves. They should be available in standard magazine size with holes for binders. Unfortunately, I don't know of a source off hand. Try a web search under museum supplies.

Carl

[Dave Farquhar]

Marty, I'd try a comic book store for different types of archival storage methods and supplies. Comic books are prone to exactly the same kind of damage as magazines, and most big cities have at least one comic book store.

[MA and PA JCT]

Karl/Dave,

TWO excellent ideas, I'll, do a search tonight, see what I can find.Thanks![:p]

[dougdagrump]

If nothing else what about Zip Lock Bags?[%-)]

[Anonymous]

I keep them, and I'm trying to put them into the official binders.
-Daniel

[Anonymous]

And by the way, don't recycle any of them. I'm sure there's someone in your area who's only starting in the hobby, and would like to have them much more than the recycle bin would--who knows, you might start some little kid in a hobby to be enjoyed for years, just by giving, instead of throwing, away those magazines.

See you around the forums,

[Anonymous]

In an effort to get students to read more, the local school library has developed reading carts, stacked with a variety of materials, that they pu***o various classrooms through out the year. I have donated many model train magazines for this use over the years...who knows what kid will see a magazine that raises his interest in model railroading. Also, I have taken surplus magazines to the hospital. They place them in the various waiting rooms. These or other places might welcome magazines that pelple are going to pitch...and I know I personally feel good that someone else gets to enjoy the magazine again.

[cnw1995]

I also shipped a whole crate over to the chaplain at Rhein Main (sp) hospital in Germany.

[railfan23]

Marty, Try Empyre Comics in Glen Burnie. I buy my bags, backing boards and storage boxes from them.