How long do you keep a magazine issue?

[Anonymous]

Just curious how long you all keep an issue of Trains, Model Railroader, or whatever? Are you the read it a few times and out with the garbage it goes or are you the pack rat where you can't throw anything away.

I tend to fall in the pack rat category. I keep a magazine until something disastrous happens like ripped pages, something spilled on it, or the pages start to stink and fade. lol

Right now I have my soon to be 1 year collection of Trains Magazines in one of those fancy binders they sell in the back. Hopefully that will help to keep my references in check.

[dldance]

I generally keep them until I have to move again - so right now the average is about 7 to 8 years.

dd

[CShaveRR]

I've got everything I ever bought in the library down here; when you red my obituary I will have died under a collapsed set of shelves. I think my Trains collection goes back to about 1956, with some issues before that (I've bought a few back issues; started buying my own in 1962).

Move? Gee, I hope not!

[cnw1995]

I applaud your efforts to properly store your copies. I was fortunate to rapidly build a large collection as our local library thinned their back copies of magazines in addition to my own subscriptions. But I just stacked everything up in rough chronological order, and occasionally took an old copy to read on the train. Finally, I decided to simplify life by getting rid of practically everything - to the recycle bin, the Illinois Railway Museum, give-aways to youngsters, and now I'm leaving one copy behind at the end of my commute - my fellow train-riders pick up everything readable - maybe it'll spark something - heck, I fell into this hobby by coming across an MR. Eventually I'll just keep about a year's worth of CTT.

[jeaton]

Carl

I heard that the land under Lombard started to subside in 1962 and is now in danger of becoming an inner harbor of Lake Michigan.[:D][:D][:D].

I think I have 6 years back. The online "Index of Magazines" (See Above) allows for good back reference.

A little off the topic, but Northwestern University's Transportation Library has every issue from 1,1. There is probably a complete set located at a secret site in Waukesha, WI, but I'd guess permission to play in Mr. Kalmbach's sand box is rarely granted.

Among private collectors, I seem to recall Don Phillips reporting that Dave Gunn has a complete set. (Or maybe it was only a complete set of issues that have columns by Mr Phillips).

It would be interesting to see who among the forum members have the most years.

Jay

[Anonymous]

I keep them for as long as they hold up. But when the magazines lose their covers and the pages start to fall out, I try to order back issues.

[MP173]

I have never thrown away a Trains Mag. They are not take care of really well, but should be here. I started in May, 1972, the cover painting of a Hollywood female star detraining the Super Chief. That hooked me at the age of 16.

ed

[tree68]

Throw..................them................away?????????????????????????????????

Not yet, at least not on purpose. Same goes for fire service magazines. If push comes to shove - they'll go to an appropriate club or other organization. My RR stuff goes back to about 73 or 74, when I really discovered the hobbies, and my FD stuff goes to around 77, when I discovered Firehouse Magazine. And I have some older stuff I've managed to collect.

[Noah Hofrichter]

Tree:

QUOTE: Throw..................them................away?????????????????????????????????

I agree, I never heard of such a thing as throwing them away. By the way Doug, I've bought a good few magazines from the Illinois Railroad museum, so I bet a few might have formerly been yours. Don't knwo that for sure though.

Noah

[M636C]

I didn't buy every issue until about four years ago, but I bought all the "All Diesel" issues from No 3, and bought back issues to complete that set and some others back to 1962.

A lot of the 1960s issues lose their cover, because it splits down the fold, a feature of the heavy paper used. I've found ways to repair all of these (NEVER use tape!)

Trains is one of my smaller collections - I had every copy of "Modern Railways" from 1967 to 1998, and four Australian magazines for longer periods.

Peter

[kolechovski]

As long as they'll last

[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

[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.

[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]

[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]

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. [:(]

[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.

[cpbloom]

forever

since 1981

[Nora]

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

[Big_Boy_4005]

I think this speaks volumes.[swg]

[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![:)])!

[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]

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

[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]

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!!!

[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.

[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]

[BNSFNUT]

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

[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!

[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