Motorcycle Magazines

[Woodstock]

I sometimes tend to be a little on the obsesive/compulsive side of things with collections, and I need some advice. I have every motorcyclist and cycle world magazine since 1992, taking up space in an upstairs bedroom bookcase that is running out of space (along with my Newsweek's since 1980, Air/Space since 1990, etc (you get the idea). My wife is trying to rationalize with me that doing that, is, well, not to put too fine a point on it, but "stupid".

On one hand, I agree, I've gone back and looked at reviews/articles, maybe a year back, but probably not too much more.

With respect to the bike mags, should I...

...toss them all, and read and toss each month.

...keep a year's worth, maybe two, toss older ones.

...keep them all, after all, they could be worth something sometime.

...keep them all, just "because".

...other?

 

[twowheelnut]

Donate 'em. Local tech school library, young wannabe gear head... You get the idea.

Me? I have a contractor who's doing the 'family' thing and can't afford a motorcycle. He's also a major gearhead and automotive junkie. He gets all my old mags...

 

[FJRottie]

I used to do the same thing, but in the long run they are not that much use.

Donate or toss them. Keep a years worth or two.

Mainly you will just have old pictures if you keep them. Usually the topics or tech tips keep coming back after a while anyway....but in the end it's your choice.

I don't know what kind of value the would have.

 

[Woodstock]

Just been through them all (kids helped sort new stuff...). I've got...

Newsweek since 1980

Sports Illustrated since 2004 (just started getting)

Motorcyclist since 1992

Cycle World since 1992

BMW Owners News since 1995

Air and Space Smithsonian since 1992

NRA magazine since 1990 :trinibob:

Linux Journal since 1994 (Since the beginning!) :yahoo:

I think I need help. :bigeyes:

 

[snowmonkey]

What no Easyriders or Supercycles..,then as far as the old rags go toss 'em to the recyclers

 

[Rogue]

Well I've got boxes of old mags in the garage so I'm the wrong one to ask.

 

[Woodstock]

Well I've got boxes of old mags in the garage so I'm the wrong one to ask.

Yea, well, the mags in the "garage" are a whole differnent issue.

 

[gasman]

My boxes are in the attic. JB

 

[BlueWing]

I take all my 'old' magazines to the local hospital. I just black out the address portion. They seem happy to get them & I can recall a few trips to their establishment when I would have loved to have a good magazine to read.

 

[Myles, Myles at Speed]

I've just sorted mine and decided to keep only those with reviews of bikes I'd like to buy (or at least dream about buying) and sell the rest at an All-Japanese swapmeet our club's hosting this fall.

If I get a buck or two apiece for 'em I'll be happy, and this way guys (and gals) who want to read about their dreambike(s) can do the same.

FWIW, I won't be selling any mags with articles about 900RR's or Triumph Speed 4's <_<

 

[Woodstock]

FWIW, I won't be selling any mags with articles about 900RR's or Triumph Speed 4's <_<

Or R1's??

 

[Woodstock]

Taking them to a hospital for waiting room material actually is the best idea here. It also has a potential "charitable contribution" angle.

 

[gypsy]

My wife is trying to rationalize with me that doing that, is, well, not to put too fine a point on it, but "stupid". 

Woodstock have you given any thought to a new wife?

gypsy

 

[twowheelnut]

Sports Illustrated since 2004

Urmmmm. Can I have the swim suit issues? :dribble:

 

[teerex51]

Some of the mags featuring road tests of cult bikes etc. could be auctioned off on Ebay (for that matter, you could sell the whole collection on Ebay)

Stef

 

[f1fan]

I was wondring when that would come up.

I recently tossed all my mags that I had collected, which included Cycle World, Motorcyclist and Sport Rider. My wife urged me to purge the stack in the office. After a few back and forthsI finally went ahead and threw all of thos old mags away. The thing is, in reality you don't pull those old mags for anything you look for anyway. Especially since it is easier to find on the web nowadays.

I feel that I haven't really lost anything by throwing the stack. Now if you are collecting them and you want to seel them for twice or three times the price you bought them for, in let's say twenty or thirty years, that's a different story. You might want to add a storage building to your estate.

I'd say pitch it, donate them to the local library, or sell them on ebay.

 

[Geezer]

I like to take a magazine or two with me to the doctor and dentist to read while I am waiting. If I finish with one while I am there I leave it behind. They are a lot more interesting and usually more current than the ones I find on the waiting room table.

 

[Woodstock]

Sports Illustrated since 2004

Urmmmm. Can I have the swim suit issues? :dribble:

Hehe. I think we're going to stop getting SI once this subscription period runs out, I get enough sports on the web these days. Plus, I think my wife doesn't want to get started on another weekly collection. The Newsweeks take up a whole lot more space than the monthly stuff.

 

[ionbeam]

I recently had a problem and just knew I had read about it in a magazine. I addressed my 'library', several stacks of magazines that were creating a bow in my office floor. Hmm, the search is on.. what year was it? Recent I think, sometime after 1995. Dig, dig, dig.

Let's see, I found a magazine article on how to adjust the points on my former RD400, a neat trick to perform on two-stroke reed valves, how to hop-up the Carter 2BBL carb on a Chevy small block (how did that contaminate my motorcycle magazine stack?), how to true the spokes on my wheels and prevent chaffing of the inner tubes.

So ya got the info, find it, I dare you :beee:

I sorta figured out that keeping magazines 'for a while' may not be as cool as I thought. At this point it is easier to find stuff on line and it is usually more up to date. Failing that, write to a forum. Along with the flames, tangent replies and wise guys there are still a lot of meaningful responses

[it must be true, I read it on the web! :arrowhead: ]

Alan