How long do you keep a magazine issue?

[mloik]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Nora

Until one of my kids shreds it. That's usually about four minutes...

My 2 year old son is potty-training, and he reads all my MR and Walthers catalogs while "waiting". He's pretty rough on the covers, and when they come off, the pages soon follow. Then it's off to the recycling bin. I usually keep the newer issues for about three or four months before it gets to this point.

[passengerfan]

Have every issue of trains, every issue of Railroad, Classic trains, Passenger train journal, Railroad Railfan, and several other rail publications. Gave away all of my aviation and ship collection magazines, also gave away all of the MR and RMC . My wife calls me a pack rat I can't understand why all of my things are junk and everything she saves dolls etc are heirlooms anyone explain the difference to me.

[DanRaitz]

I've got MR's that are older then I am. I have every issue from 1946 to current. Plus every issue of the "Gazette", all Mainline Modelers from #1 to Dec, 2002, all RMC's from 1966 to current, most issues of Prototype Modeler, and thats just the begining.
Get rid of them? NO WAY!!!!
Dan

[Grinandbearit]

I have Trains mags complete back to 1973 and some individual copies to 1969.

[CSXrules4eva]

QUOTE: Originally posted by conrailman

I keep mine every 10 years then start over again, I Recycling mine old Trains and other Magazine every 10 years or so. People please Recycling save the Trees and the earth. Take your old maz to your Local Recycling Center in your town. [:D][:)]

I AGREE recycle when ever u can!!! It's very important!!

[CSXrules4eva]

Any trains mag I get I keep it for life. I first subscribed to TRAINS Mag in 2001 and I haven't tosses one. I also have Classic Trains which I subscribed to last year. I'm going to keep it until I die. "It's a train thing" LOL I also have model railroader mags from the 1950's I picked up at a train show. However, my other mags like Popular Mechanics, and Engines I throw out when I'm done reading it, unless it has a really good article in it. My trains catologs get throw out when I receive a new one.

[conrailman]

I keep mine every 10 years then start over again, I Recycling mine old Trains and other Magazine every 10 years or so. People please Recycling save the Trees and the earth. Take your old maz to your Local Recycling Center in your town. [:D][:)]

[Sterling1]

A friend shipped a January or was it December 1996 issue of Railroad Modeler Craftsman and a Model Railroader magazine while I was in Asia. I have the June 1999 RMC and from April 1999 through November 2002 MR. I have the September 2002-present Trains magazines. I've had to juggle the organization of these magazines requiring me to push out all unnecessary past childhood books and momentos into the boxes.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by corailfan

I believe the saying "You'll have to pry it from my cold dead hand" would best describe me. I currently subscribe to three mags: National Geographic (have been subscribing for 10 years now and have back issues complete through the 70's with stray ones farther back), Architectural Record (have been subscribing for about 3 years now) and Trains (my one year anniversary will be in March!). I have no intentions on ever getting rid of any of them and to only have them grow (with both new and back issues). I'm sure one day my basement, with any luck, will look a lot like Big_Boy's (just maybe not as cluttered![:)])!

Hey fellow Artichoke,

Wait till you have 10 years of Arch Record and your bookcases collapse in a terrible roar...[:0]

I had Arch Rec, Architecture and Progressive Architecture going back to 1984, had to dump them all about 3 years ago, I simply had NO place left to store them, I wanted to donate them but no one would take them. I just concentrate on books now and use the office magazine subscription to stay current.

I also got rid of several years of that Yellowback magazine, Mountain Bike Action, This Old House, Sunset, and Martha Stewerts Living ( my wifes but dont tell her!). It just gets to the point where you have to ask yourself just what purpose will the garage serve...store the car? or the dang magazines!...Our local recycler was most happy to see us...[;)]

I kept my old National Lampoon's and old Mad magazines, ( wouldnt you?)[:p] I also kept my collection of Shortline and Narrow Gauge Gazette going back to '97 (I'll never give those up!) and pick any back issues I find at shows. [:D]

I only have 3 subscription now,all bi-monthly. American Bungalow ( for the proud owners of homes more than 60 years old.) , the Gazette of course, and Garden Railroads. (I do large scale modeling) i doubt I'll get rid of any of them. I pick up Classic Trains, and Model Railroader if an issue has something I like in it,[8D]

[jockellis]

Throw out an old Model Railroader? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard of. You never know when you might get an inspiration from perusing one. I often find things I need today in articles published many years ago. I, too, started buying MR in 1962 at age 14 when I was earning $3 a week cutting grass. I also saved up and bought a Mantua Big Six 0-6-0 which I also still have and am planning a switching layout around it. I've found information on the operations of such a layout in a 10-year-old MR.
Jock Ellis

[Anonymous]

I'm keeping all of mine till the day I die! I currently get every issue of Trains, Classic Trains, Classic Toy Trains, The Railway Magazine (the British equivalent of Trains) and Steam World (the British equivalent of Classic Trains, except just steam). I also have a variety of other miscelaneous train magazines. I buy any train magazines that I find in used book stores, so I've got quite a collection going. My oldest issue of Trains is from 1968. Train magazines aside, I also have a small collection of old Popular Mechanics dating from the 1930's-1950's. And you don't want to know how many National Georgraphics I have! Am I a pack rat? You bet!

[BNSFNUT]

I will keep mine untill I die or the house caves in from the weight.
I wonder what that creaking noise was?[:)]

[locomutt]

I wiil keep them pretty much 'forever' myself. And I'm sure I'll
hear a few people scream,but after several(define several)yrs,
I will slice the pages out,a file the articles that I want to save.

I also do have a few complete issues of "Model Railroader"
and "Model Train" from the early 1950s that my Dad had
gotten,when he was trying to indoctrinate me into railroading.[:)]
Like he had to twist my arm,real hard![:D]

[daveklepper]

I keep them "forever" and if I have to conserve space I find the right library where I can continue to access them and that will accept the donation.

[Anonymous]

Wife found the back issues and made me recycle most of them. I have a big move coming soon so all old magizines are gone!!!

[Anonymous]

I have TRAINS going back to the first episode I bought in 1959, when I was 9 years old. Bought it at the corner drugstore on the northeast corner of 72nd and Exchange, across from the IC "South Shore" station. It has an article about a fantrip on the IT, and something about steam in England. It's precious to me. I have piles of them next to the john (no puns, remarks, funnies, or other slogans of humor please.)
Episodes of RAILROAD Magazine also survive from as early as 1960. Editions of RAILROAD from the '70s have a special place.
Mitch

[Anonymous]

My back copies usually stay in the house until May, when my wife confiscates them. She teaches summer school to elementary school kids... in a school right next to the Norfolk Southern line from Birmingham to Macon. They do a lot of activities with them.

Erik

[Mookie]

Trust me - it's a "guy thing". (Except for Kathi - and she needs them for research)

I read mine thoroughly (and Classic Trains, too) and then give them both to my boss. Always get good reviews, too!

Mook

[Anonymous]

I believe the saying "You'll have to pry it from my cold dead hand" would best describe me. I currently subscribe to three mags: National Geographic (have been subscribing for 10 years now and have back issues complete through the 70's with stray ones farther back), Architectural Record (have been subscribing for about 3 years now) and Trains (my one year anniversary will be in March!). I have no intentions on ever getting rid of any of them and to only have them grow (with both new and back issues). I'm sure one day my basement, with any luck, will look a lot like Big_Boy's (just maybe not as cluttered![:)])!

[Big_Boy_4005]

I think this speaks volumes.[swg]

[Nora]

Until one of my kids shreds it. That's usually about four minutes...

[cpbloom]

forever

since 1981

[Anonymous]

All of you go back further than me. My first year with Trains was '99 and my last year was 2003. I still have every one of them along with all the catalogues and X Mas cats. They're just not in any special order.

[Anonymous]

Haven't thrown one out yet.

Though I did leave an issue on the roof of my car by accident, and never did see it again. [:(]

[feltonhill]

Although Trains is older than I am, I made a major effort in the late 1970s to complete the set and finally found all of them including Vol.1#1. It took almost a year to track down a decent copy. I use the mags as a reference so they're not a pristine, plastic envelope bound collection by any stretch. I still haven't sprung for the preproduction sample (Vol.1 #0??) even though I've seen two of them at a show. I was afraid to ask the price for fear I'd do something stupid! It's been an amazing run for one magazine.

[Anonymous]

I have full years of "Trains" going back to 1977, and odd issues as far back as 1971.
I also have about 5 straight years worth of "Model Railroader" from the late 80's-early 90's. And now "Classic Trains" from the first issue on.
I also have complete years of "Railfan" back to 1984, and odd issues back to 1977.
Also add in "CTC Board", "Extra 2200 South", and several years worth of the "CNW" and "Soo Line" historical society mags, and I've got quite a collection, with very little storage space.[V]

[espeefoamer]

I started buying Trains in the 1960s and still have every issue. some are not in very good shape[:(]. I still have an issue my parents bought me when I was 4years old!Needless to say,it looks like it has seen much hard use.It looks like an old SP unit that hasn't been painted in many years and most of the lettering
has faded away.

[Kathi Kube]

When I moved from my old office to this one, I inherited a nearly complete set of bound volumes. I'm missing only volume No. 55, which was 1995.

Granted, I need to be able to reference articles from older issues as we put out new ones, but I do love looking back and learning not only about railroading, but especially about the people whose thoughts and hands went into creating each issue. It's very humbling to follow them.

... which I really need to get back to. February's calling...

Kathi

[kolechovski]

As long as they'll last