I have been seeing an increase in postings offering free MRR magazines.
May I suggest you consider giving them to VA hospitals. The patients I am sure would appreciate something different to read/look at.
And who knows, it just might get them interested in Model Railroading as a hobby.
Good idea if someone will take them. I’ve been going thru my old ones, cutting out articles that i think I’ll use & throwing the rest away. I was able to give some away but my friends are now maxed out. I store the articles in clear plastic protectors ( 2 articles in each protector) & put them in a looseleaf notebook,which are stored, back up , in a filing cabinet according to subject. So far ,so good. I would love to keep all my old mags,but I’m into the thousands & something had to be done. was also thinking of scanning them onto a disk if I run out of filing cabinet room. jerry
When I finish with my latest issue, I take it to work and leave it in the men’s room stall. Someone apparently always grabs it and takes it home…my little promotion of the hobby…[(-D]
Another great place to leave the older copies is at the dentist or doctor’s offices on their magazine table. The boys and men are tired of looking at Better Homes and Woman’s Day mags. LOL
Our town holds a community garage sale twice a year. I save them up and put them in a box, with a sign telling people to help themeselves. Last time, the local MR club took them all, for reading and info at the club.
I have an idea… scan them in and place them online. Oh, wait, you would probably get sued by Kalambach for that…they would hate to make it easy for us to reference old material. Seriously, when is MR going to go digital??? Sometimes it drives me nuts. 99% of the magazines I subscribe to let me search AND get free print of old copies… Granted, many of these cost a bit more (medical journals), but how hard can it be??? With all you guys giving them away, it seems that Kalambach’s master plan of selling them for a profit is kind of silly…
Brian
There was actually a forum a while back where someone had come up with an address to send moral packages (and actual model kits) downrange to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was named " Interest from our Men and Women in Uniform." I suggested that when I was there (both places) I would have loved to recieve copies of MRR to pass the time away and there is a good chance that some new folks would get into the hobby as a result. I believe there is an address listed in the forum, but I know they would appreciate something to read other than Scars and Gripes (Stars & Stripes). I always got tired of reading the same old malarky that was always in thoses papers and besides, the news is almost always negative… they need some cheering up every chance they get.
MPF
Like Jerry, I cut out articles that interest me or may be used in the future. It was not easy to cut them up the first time I did it. But I had a stack of magazines almost 2 feet high, which was reduced to a couple of inches when I was done. Much easier to store and find what you are looking for, not to mention getting the wife off your back about all the magazines you have stacked everywhere.
Randy
I keep all my issues intact – so now I have MR solid back to 1950 with scattered issues before then – and that is way more than 2 feet of magazines by the way! probably more than 20 feet! But while I understand cutting out articles and placing them in files (which is what I do with the NMRA bulletin/Scale Rails) because it makes it so quick to find things by topic, keep in mind that what you find interesting now might be something you would discard ten years ago. In my case, I would have carefully saved all the Pennsylvania RR articles and plans from 1964 to 1995 and thrown away the Chicago & North Western and Milwaukee Road and Soo Line stuff I now find much more interesting.
Dave Nelson
Hello all How about jr high school or elametery school libray or art class that way more kids will see them [:)] frank
If you have a nearby railroad museum, often the docent’s lounge is a great place to deposit extra railroad magazines. Where I volunteer, there is often a pile of old MODEL RAILROADER, TRAINS or CLASSIC TRAINS, RAILROAD or RAILROAD & RAILFAN, TRACTION & MODELS, etcetera–I have donated more than a few myself, and I must admit that I have picked up a few too!
My LHS sells old back issues for $1;00. I buy them, then bring them back when I’m finished so other people can read them. Otherwise, they’d take up too much space at home. Jim
I guess I’m the bad guy, I keep all my old ones, and am always looking to fill out my collection. And I read the old ones regularly.
You might be amazed at how much is not really ‘new’.
If I pick up a large lot and end up with duplicates, I’ll give away the extras though.
–Randy
There have been some good suggestions posted on this thread concerning what to do with old MRR magazines.
Here in AZ we have a chain of used book stores called ‘Bookmen’s’. They also carry used magazines.
They have thousands of various magazines including Model Railroad magazines from about 1950 through 2006 of current and fallen publications.
I get many of my older hobby magazines there and when I take any old unwanted hobby (R/C, Model Boating, HAM, etc) in for trade, sometimes they have too many of a particular issue. Those issues can be designated for distribution to local hospitals, including the VA hospital. They provide this service free of charge.
This is where I got the idea to post this thread.
I keep mine intact as well, storing them in plastic magazine holders (1 year/holder) under my layout. When I read them I always make my own intex of articles that I think might help me in the future. I have been subscribing for a little more that 10 years now, so these days every month after I read my new MR I pull out the one from that month 10 years ago and read it. It is amazing how much one forgets in 10 years.
Ron
Shadownix:
I’m an internist–you’re right, being able to download PDF’s, e.g. from NEJM, etc. is nice and the “modern” way to do things, but i think you hit the nail on the head–NEJM subscription rate is a lot higher than Model Railroader, plus Mass. Medical Society has lot of other revenue streams besides that one publication. Suspect there’s also some sign. up front costs to set up a downloadable PDF system, but it would be nice.
Jim
A can of gas and a match comes to mind.