Classic Toy Trains Mag Collection - Your Input Needed!

[mobilman44]

Hi!

I have a sizeable postwar Lionel collection, and at this point have no desire to add to the collection - or sell it.  In other words, there has been little activity with it for some time, and I doubt there will be any of significance in the future.

I have subscribed to CTT since day one, and have all the issues in CTT binders (all in excellent condition).  They take up valuable space, and I am thinking of doing "something" with them.

One option is to sell them on Ebay, but I guess only the first few years would sell.

Another option is to go through the issues and tear out the articles that really interest me - such as repair diagrams and the like.  I did this with my 25 years of Model Railroader and other train mags and have the articles sorted in binders that make access very easy.

And of course I could just stop my subscription and keep what I have.

Folks, what do you think???

ENJOY,

Mobilman44

[sir james I]

You already gave all the right answers, so go with what you like and get rid of the rest. I too have all the CTTs and like you I am still  giving away MRs.,they go first. And then RMC.

[mobilman44]

Hi again,

I recall seeing in CTT (I believe) that a collection of the first ten years of the mag went for $1000 at auction.  Looking at Ebay sales over the last couple of years, you might be lucky to get 1/10 of that today. 

Mobilman44

[cnw1995]

I enjoy pulling out old issues and re-reading them, but I have an incomplete collection - I give away issues too.

[overall]

Here is another option;

 Do you have a railroad museum close by to where you live? You might donate your unwanted magazines intact to them. They could then sell them off at a train meet and make some money for their restoration projects. The museum I belong to does this and it makes a few bucks for them. I would hate to see you tear out the articles. I know your magazines belong to you and you have the right to do as you please, but, it would be like burning up money if you tear out the articles.

George

[laz 57]

Donating is good or just take em to your local barber shop if you have one.  I know lots o GIZ would read em there.

laz57

[mdainsd]

I just took years worth of magazines to the recylers. They take so much room and I found I never went back to them.

[Berk765]

I'm interested in the issues when they restored a Lionel 736 Berkshire.  If anyone wants to give it away I would be glad to have it!!

[IRONROOSTER]

It's a problem.  I have most of the CTT's, MR back to 1950, RMC back to the 60's, NMRA back to 1972.  I am also keeping Classic Trains and S Gaugian plus other railroad/model railroad magazines I buy.  I dumped over 30 years of National Geographic awhile back.  I have stopped saving MRN, Games, and Southern Living as well as well as the other non railroad/model railroad magazines I get. 

But the railroad/model railroad magazines I am loathe to get rid of because I do go back from time to time and look up articles (the index on this site helps a lot).  And it's not always the same articles.  So for now I save them - I can always get rid of them, but getting them back would take tme and money.

Not much help, but I would say since you are not sure keep them until you are.

Enjoy

Paul

[mobilman44]

Hi!

About 5 years ago, I made a very difficult decision that turned out to be a really good one (surprise!).  I had 25 years or so of MR, RMC, Trains, and NMRA mags that were just taking up too much space and were not easily accessible. 

I picked up two plastic file folder boxes (about 18x14x8) and a couple boxes of folders.  I then figured out all the categories I might file under and made labels.  Some examples are: DCC, wiring, benchwork, model locos, model cars, proto locos, RR structures, non-RR structures, etc. etc.  I ended up with about 40 categories.

Then I went thru the mags, and pulled the articles I thought I would eventually need.  Given that I have been a train nut since the mid 50s, this was a pretty easy task as my interests are pretty much formed. 

One good thing was that the pages easily tore out of the mags, and a scissors was never necessary.  I then stapled the pages together if more than one was used per article.  Another good thing is that rarely was there two different articles on the same page (one on each side).  If necessary, I would Xerox that page.

Ok, its been 5 years since I started that, and each December I go through the years mags from 3 years ago (I keep the last 3 years on hand as hardcopies).  And, several times since then, I have accessed the files and found just what I was looking for - very easily.

While the above is an option for my CTT collection, I am reluctant to do it as I have all the issues since "day one".

Mobilman44 

[kehoesj]

I also have every issue of CTT as we were 1 of the premier subscribers.  True it takes up a lot of space - all preserved in rubber-maid containers - but so does all of our Lionel boxes.  While I was also a subscriber of OGR for a period of time, I opted to go just with CTT so I cut down on all the magazine storage.  I also have saved all the LCCA Lion Roars,  CNW Historical Society mags, and Classic Trains mags from the beginning (helps that they are quarterly!)  But I could never come to dispose of them.... they'll just wait till my two sons inherit them... hopefully they will enjoy them, as they did while they were growing up.  CTT has always re-inforced my passion for electric trains, it would be like getting rid of our family dog after so many years.. no way!  Enjoy!

[jms2222]

My father in law worked for Sears from the mid 50's to the early80's as a store manager and kept in his basement every catalog that was put out by Sears during that time.  Also had 25 years of National Geographic Magazines all in pristine condition.  SIt was his request that they all be given to some library or something like that at his death.  Two years after he died of calling eveyone within 200 miles offering to deliever them no one wanted them each saying they had no room to store them. They ended up in the recycling center.

[nblum]

The reality is that for modern publications, hard copy is going to be dead in our lifetime.  Storage space and retrieval ease are just vastly inferior to digital storage.  Already, all of OGRR magazines are available on CDs.  Someday, if the demand is there, all of CTT will be similarly available. So don't count on your hard copies being of value to anyone.  If you need the money, sell the first issue or first year or two on eBay, but otherwise, either donate them, recyle them or strip out the articles of interest, or just hang on to them and let your heirs recycle them.  There's no right answer for everyone, but I like just hanging on to them so far.  I did sell a duplicate copy of the first CTT issue on eBay a few years ago for about $100.  I think the going rate now is probably much less, but hey, you might get lucky :). Whatever, just enjoy your solution to the issue and don't look back, for all the usual reasons.

[Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760]

I am not sure about anyone else, but I am trying to collect all of the issues of CTT.

I am also working on getting all of the issues of TRAINS. I have the complete first year, about 3/4 of the issues from the 50's, about 1/2 of the issues from the 60's and 70's, about 3/4 of the 80's and 90's and almost all of them from the last 8 years.

The oldest CTT issue is from 1991, but most of them are less than 10 years old.

If you were to sell, I would be interested in buying.

I would not advice trying to cut apart magazines, as that would ruin them for future generations.

Some of the older issues of trains I have were glued together and put into the binders that TRAINS sold back in the 50's, unfortunately, the person doing the gluing did not make sure that the issues were in order, or even from the same year.

I know that is just my opinion, they are your issues and you can do with them as you see fit.

I am not sure about anyone else, but I do enjoy reading older train magazines and seeing how the industry has changed and in other aspects, stayed the same.

Keep on steamin' (or dieselin' if it suits you more)

James

[nscsxcrrailfan]

Hi, this is my first post in the Classic Toy Trains forum.  The magazines you are talking about are yours to do with as you please, but I will describe to you what I do with my magazines.  The only magazines I collect are Railroad and Model Railroading Magazine.  As of now, I have subscriptions to all of Kalmbach's 5 RR magazines, Classic Toy Trains, Classic Trains, TRAINS, Model RR, and Garden RR.  Some of my magazines and books were in my basement which is relatively dry.  Over time, I noticed some moisture building up on the magazines.  I decided then and there to do everything possible to preserve my magazines.  I am an avid reader, I read more about Model Railroading and TRAINS than I do railfanning or model railroading.  I have a goal to collect every railroad and model railroad magazine pertaining to North American railroading in my lifetime.  I keep all of my magazines in my closet, sealed in plastic sheet covers, double protected by manila folders, each labeled.  Before I handle them, I wash my hands and keep them far away from any liquids.  I am constantly adding more magazines to my collection.  I refer back to old issues all the time, I couldn't get by without them.  If I were you, I would take the magazines you have and store them away for a while and hang onto them.  I wouldn't make any decisions too soon.  If, after several weeks you still want to get rid of them and you know 100% that you do not want them anymore then take them and sell them on eBay. 

Hope my opinion helps. 

[Joe Hohmann]

Ebay is a tough place to sell magazines, especially in bulk. The shipping cost can equal or exceed the value of them. I've bought back issues at train shows for a dollar or less. I use them for "john reading", and have gone through each one 3 or 4 times over the years. What I HAVE realised is that an article that had no interest for me 3 years ago, may be just what I'm looking for now. I also have over 200 Life magazines from 1936-70 (most from the '40's). I can't bear to toss them. Joe

[SotaPop]

Hi!

About 5 years ago, I made a very difficult decision that turned out to be a really good one (surprise!).  I had 25 years or so of MR, RMC, Trains, and NMRA mags that were just taking up too much space and were not easily accessible. 

I picked up two plastic file folder boxes (about 18x14x8) and a couple boxes of folders.  I then figured out all the categories I might file under and made labels.  Some examples are: DCC, wiring, benchwork, model locos, model cars, proto locos, RR structures, non-RR structures, etc. etc.  I ended up with about 40 categories.

Then I went thru the mags, and pulled the articles I thought I would eventually need.  Given that I have been a train nut since the mid 50s, this was a pretty easy task as my interests are pretty much formed. 

One good thing was that the pages easily tore out of the mags, and a scissors was never necessary.  I then stapled the pages together if more than one was used per article.  Another good thing is that rarely was there two different articles on the same page (one on each side).  If necessary, I would Xerox that page.

Ok, its been 5 years since I started that, and each December I go through the years mags from 3 years ago (I keep the last 3 years on hand as hardcopies).  And, several times since then, I have accessed the files and found just what I was looking for - very easily.

While the above is an option for my CTT collection, I am reluctant to do it as I have all the issues since "day one".

Mobilman44 

As a busy parent I get a few minutes before bed to quickly scan through my CTT magazines.

Weeks later I will recall a particular article, but cannot recall which months copy contained it ... and sometimes which year.

Here's the revenue generator for Kalmbach - Create a CD or DVD which contain a decade of CTT magazines with a good search engine.  This would be available to current subscribers at a discounted rate .  I suppose you could also have each year on DVD too.  Either way - this would give subscribers the option to retain their magazines on DVD and to discard the hard copies ... if they wish.

Then when you can't remember which month you saw the article in - you plug in the DVD and search on the desired topic and Wa-La, you get a list of articles to click on and then actually open up the article.

... actually sounds like a fun project.  Any computer guys looking for work?

[RockIsland52]

Welcome nscsxcrrailfan   (what a keyboardful ! ). 

Jack