Shoudl I re-order some old MR issues I cannot find after my house move? I like having "complete" years to consult when I need suggetions, to read about trains, etc. I cannot determine whether I ought to save $20-30 on the magazines that I might not need.
Get the online archive from Kalmbach Media.
I don't worry about holes in my collection, or damaged issues any more.
And... it takes up no space.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
If anyone still has them, at trains hows you can often get huge stacks for a few bucks, because no one want to pack them up at the end of the day and take them back home if they don;t sell.
Or you could just subscribe to the archive and read any issue you want.
I got the original 75 year collection back when they sold it, so I have every issue from the first right at hand. Recently they released a fill in, 201-2019 10 year collection and I have that, too. One time purchase instead of monthly subscription to the onlien archive, plus it's on my computer so I can always access it, even without internet.
I used to have a rather complete collection back to the 60's plus other older ones I kept picking up at train shows. 3 bookshelves worth, all in magazine holders by year. It's all gone now, AND i have more issues thane ver before. I've been on digital subscription for a number of years, so going forward I may not need to purchase a DVD of the issues - however I am at the mercy of Zinio for access to all my previous digital issues, so having them all locally and readily available regardless of the future of Zinio might be worthwhile.
They just annoucnes a 25 years of Model Railroad Planning, I intend to get that as well, though I have all but one or two issues in there. Hard to believe they've been producing the MRP yearly issue for 25 years.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
kasskaboose Shoudl I re-order some old MR issues I cannot find after my house move? I like having "complete" years to consult when I need suggetions, to read about trains, etc. I cannot determine whether I ought to save $20-30 on the magazines that I might not need.
I know that feeling that there is just something "wrong" about having most of but not actually a complete year of a train magazine. Perhaps a slightly obsessive mind set.
I have noticed at some trains shows that a complete year of a magazine tied together is sold for more than individual issues x 12, and those vendors refuse to break up a complete year set. What they are hoping for is an obsessive who wants a few issues from that year but is willing to overpay considerably!
From time to time I can tell from letters to the editor or whatever that a prior issue I don't have might be worth checking out, or it is a multi part article and only have one part and want the rest. I keep a list when I go to train shows of issues I would like to at least page through and then decide. If they are cheap enough -- magazines are sometimes free at shows -- I'll just grab it if I see it.
I am not obsessive enough to pay a lot for an old magazine but if it is cheap enough, read and toss is still OK. The one thing I did deliberately seek out to have a complete set of is Model Railroad Planning, but even then I passed up very expensive copies of things I lacked. What I should probably try to accumulate is the entire Ted Culotta essential freight car series that RMC had years ago. I read too many references to those articles while trying to detail models so I know that those articles have stuff I want and don't have.
Dave Nelson
I believe that Kalmbach no longer retains hard copies of older issues.
Only the OP can answer that question...
On the MR Website, it says that you can order issues back to 1986. I assume they can reprint these versions from an electronic source. I ordered a back issue a few years back and it certainly looked like a re-print.
Simon