I live in the Springfield, Ma metropolitan area and went through the same thing about five years ago. Lots of model railroaders in the area plus the club I use to belong to has a full library. Tried Facebook. I got many issues from a local library over the years so libraries do not want them. Recycled all.
About five different MRR companies including a lot of NMRA magazines. Some stuff back in the early 1950's.
This is not unusual in this day and age.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Hi Enzoamps and hello to everybody else as well.
First post. I'm a car guy and a train guy, and I've been lurking for a year now and have learned alot, and I hope to get to building a learning layout this winter. The reason I dug up this thread is that I am in the Lansing area (Holt) and would like to take you up on the magazines, if they are still around.
Thanks
Tom
For the last several years, I have been giving the various magazines I don't feel like keeping to my local library. The librarians have told me that they appreciate this very much!
I think they are more interested in current issues than collections. I have both bought and sold books and magazines on Ebay. That is a way to turn them into some money. On a personal note, I enjoy the older Model Railroaders, before the RTR craze took over. I like to build models, not just buy them.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
I sporadically give them to my nephews and then they become my brother's problem.
LION has 30 year supply. All neatly stacked in boxes. They are free if you want them but shipping will run into the hundreds of dollars.
I gave some away to a kid who wanted them, but that was a long time ago and now he has grown up too.
I guess when I die, somebody will toss them in the dumpster.
When I start having open houses for my layout, I'll give them away to kids who are interested.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Won't do you any good, but our club accepts magazines. We give them out during our open houses. Every kid gets one or two, and they're happy as they believe that the received something during the visit.
Moldy is another issue. Sometimes the folks offering the magazines have gotten used to the smell, and therefore will tell you that they (the magazines) are not moldy. I had one specific instance last year where I specifically mentioned the smell issue to the person wanting to donate, and she assured me that they were fine. Went to her house and immediately could tell that we would not be able to give the mags away. So I took them home and into the recycle bin they went.
Alex,
I'll send you a PM... I just happen to be cleaning out some old, musty, dusty railroad stuff (I think they call it ephemera on Ebay just to make it sound valuable)
Ed
My Layout Photos- http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/ajwarshal/library/
Nursing homes can alway use some new reading material for the residents. They won't want 10 years worth, but give one year's worth to 10 homes will get rid of them all.
Steve S
joe323 This is exactly why I switched my subscription to digital. The magazines were starting to take over and I don't want the SIW to look like an eposode of Hoarding Buried Alive. I take them with me to the podiatrist or other doctor and leave then there,
This is exactly why I switched my subscription to digital. The magazines were starting to take over and I don't want the SIW to look like an eposode of Hoarding Buried Alive. I take them with me to the podiatrist or other doctor and leave then there,
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Joe Staten Island West
Again, thinking outside of the box, you may check with the local elementary schools. They could be made available for art projects. They would end up being cut up into pieces, but it would be for a good cause.
Richard
Hey thanks for reminding me, today is trash day and I got a stack no one wants!!!!!!!!!!!
I do the same thing as Mr. Beasley and take old magazines to the VA hospital and scatter them around the various waiting rooms, or to the local VA clinic or my dentist's office.
We had a rather extensive collection of train-related magazines at our model railroad club that we couldn't give away during open houses; the local library wouldn't take them, and neither would any of the schools. We wound up throwing most of them into the recycle bin.
When you go to the doctor or dentist or even the barber shop, take a couple with you and leave them with their pile of magazines. Don't tell anyone; just do it. I usually get stuck reading a year-old copy of Time. I won't touch Parenting or People, which is the crap my dentist has.
I bring out-of-date copies of the Walthers flyers, because they're free and useless to me, and leave them in waiting rooms.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
In addition to the other reasons listed why a local club may have seemed not eager to accept your donation, I have learned over the years to be leary about old magazines because often they can have a powerful "wet basement" odor that is very long lasting and nearly impossible to eliminate. I just passed up on a wonderful collection of RMCs from the 1950s to 1980s and a seemingly complete set of Mainline Modelers for that very reason.
Dave Nelson
When I no longer want to keep magazines I can usually find someome who wants to read them and will recycle them. I have also been visiting a few doctors for some minor ailments lately and I take some of the magazines (MRR, Trains, RMC and others) to their waiting rooms and mix them in with the other reading material hoping someone will get the bug.
Your local hobby shop (if you have one) might be willing to put them out as freebie (or nominal charge) for their customers.
Good luck
Paul
Perhaps think slightly out of the bun:Instead of MR clubs and the like, perhaps boy scout troops or grade school libraries (perhaps schools associated with churches - not sure if public schools will take them).
Or a local library.....
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Try the local VA hospital or any hospitals in your area.
There's a few reasons why a club might not want your magazine collection:
As a club member myself and past Librarian, I know my club won't take any more unsolicited magazine donations. We have an almost complete set of MR, Trains, RMC, Railpace, Diesel Era, Model Railroading, Mainline Modeler, NG&SLG, Classic Trains, Great Model Railroads, Model Railroad Planning, NHRHTA "Shoreliner", PRR "Keystone", Anthracite Roads "Flags, Diamonds & Statues", etc. You name it, we probably have it. We don't need any more.In fact, a couple years ago, we had to rent a dumpster to get rid of the overstock, that's how bad it was. Why? Because everytime a member moved (or moved on), either he or his estate would give us the collection. Eventually, we had to say, "Enough!" and now we are very, very picky about what we take, and only to fill in holes in our collection.
Paul A. Cutler III
I'm in the Lansing Area-ish, so if you would like to shoot me a PM (personal message) I would love to talk.
-Alex Warshal
This is not a sales pitch.
I have a large pile of Model Railroader, Trains, Classic Trains, and others like the Trains special issues. Most from the last 10 years. I no longer want to store them and would hate to just recycle them. I looked online for model railroad clubs in the area and offered to give them to them. Wouldn't cost more than the gas to drive over and pick them up.
I emailed one club, eventually got a reply that said they would have to take it up at the next board meeting. Really? To accept free magazines? never heard back. So I emailed another local club. I got no response at all.
I suppose there is always Craigs List. But am I doing something wrong? Are free back issues of railroad magazines not of interest anymore? ANy suggestions on other groups who might want them on a local basis? (I am not looking to sell them for money, nor do I want to ship them, they weigh a ton) Do I need to throw in a bag of rail spikes or a pound of coffee? I bet some young railroad fan would love them. A club full of fans would be even cooler.
Lansing, Michigan area, if you know anyone there. Thanks.