Forty some years of Hemmings Motor News,any late ideas on best place for them to go?

[sagefinds]

I've got boxes and stacks of them,rarely ever look at a back issue,it's about time for them to go but any good place besides recycling? Library? Research project? Young club member with interest?

[alsancle]

4 minutes ago, sagefinds said:

I've got boxes and stacks of them,rarely ever look at a back issue,it's about time for them to go but any good place besides recycling? Library? Research project? Young club member with interest?

 

What is the date range?

[sagefinds]

54 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

What is the date range?

I'd probably want to hang onto the last four or five years so it would be from around 1976 to 2018 or 19.

[Hans1]

from 60's

 

[TexRiv_63]

Hate to say it, but - recycling bin.

 

[plymouthcranbrook]

I learned a long time ago that saving old magazines and catalogs is just not a good plan for me. I almost never looked at anything and finally decades ago I got rid of what I had.  I am even thinking of getting rid of old newsletters I bought about owners Plymouth experiences because again, I never re-read them. Looking to the future I suppose…

[rocketraider]

3 hours ago, sagefinds said:

Young club member with interest?

It would only break their hearts and demoralize them when they saw what prices were all those years ago.

[TAKerry]

Maybe looking at  back at some early ones just to see what the prices were would be interesting. Other than that I dont know. I used to save everything I got. I had Fine Woodworking back to the beginning with magazines that dad had saved. If something hasnt been relevant within the last week my wife will throw it away. A few years ago she cleaned my office and all of the fine woodworking went to the bin. I was upset at first, then realized anything I really needed was online. Lots of extra shelf space and no clutter. I havent even looked back. I get a few car magazines every month. I go through the pile every few weeks and will give them one last look over, if something peaks my interest I will read that again, otherwise they go with the trash. Only thing I keep is Crankshaft. I just put a stack in the trash this morning.

[John_S_in_Penna]

6 hours ago, sagefinds said:

Young club member with interest?

Mainstream car magazines, such as Motor Trend from the 1960's,

are worthwhile for history, but even they may be a challenge to find a home for.

 

Collectible car magazines are next in line in popularity--such as

Cars and Parts and Collectible Automobile.

 

Club magazines, such as a Plymouth club magazine from the 1980's,

are very hard to find a home for.  Many are disposed of.

 

Hemmings is out of date very quickly, as cars are sold.  Someone

might want a few examples to peruse, but not boxes full of 500 issues!

No parent would want his child to fill his room with hundreds of these.

I agree (sorry to say) that recycling would be best.

[John Bloom]

I struggle with this too. It is made more complicated by the fact that I’m not able to act logically regarding what to do with them. I can remember 45 years ago spending the night with a close friend whose dad was a big car collector and had a warehouse full of fabulous stuff. His dad had Hemmings motor news delivered first class mail so he would get it a couple days before everybody else did. I would spend the night on a Friday night and we 

would stay up till 1 AM eating junk food and pouring through all the pages of the newest Hemmings. We would marvel that a Dusenburg sold for 10 times what our parent’s family car cost.  I still have vague memories of a conversation one night when we had seen an ad for an auburn boat tail speedster that was advertised for $50,000.  Craziness!  We were probably in sixth grade.  Hemmings motor news is such a huge part of my childhood falling in love with cars. To put it in the recycle bin and move on from it is declaring that earlier simple life is over. Which it is. I am just in denial.

[1937hd45]

I'm happy with my lifestyle, couldn't live in others. Hemmings Motor News was a big part of my early days in the hobby. Back in the early 1960's you were given a copy by someone locally that figured you might be interested in the hobby. Sure, I kept it, I can find it in less than an hour, but that doesn't matter to those that throw away keepsakes. They were little magazines back then, the size of "Little Pages" Hot Rod magazines that were popular on the news stands. Bought my first car a 1926 T Tudor from a Hemmings ad and had it delivered on New Years Day 1967, great deal for $220.00. The new stuff took over and I dropped Hemmings 30 years ago or so. Great while it meant something to me, that is why all the old issues are still with me. 

[46 woodie]

Several years ago I had boxes of Rod and Custom, Hot Rod, Street Rodder, and magazines from the club's I belong to such as A.A.C.A., M.A.F.C.A, M.A.R.C, and V-8 Club. I tried all over to give them away and could not find any organization to accept them, (that's another story). On a trip to the Speedway Museum in Lincoln NE, I mentioned that I had the magazines and they told me that they would take them. They sent me prepaid label's from UPS and even offered to pay for the shipping boxes, give them a try.

[Paul Dobbin]

I carry a 1967 issue on my glove box, just to keep me grounded.

[sagefinds]

I want to thank everyone that contributed to my post and all the good comments,sugestions and stories. There was a time when I had to have every part of every pre 32 Cadillac that was ever parted out. When the new Hemmings came,that was my required reading for the day. If I called on an ad of something I wanted the minute I saw it,if the line was busy it was Mel Patterson in Howell Mich getting it,if his call was busy,it would be me getting it. Then we might get together later and do some horse trading. I trucked back to his place more than once,when he came out to Denver to pick up a V-16 engine,I met him down there and got everything he brought out for me. Plus my hobby helped pay for itself with the Wanted Ads in Hemmings I could answer. Too bad the scammers have totally taken over that market now. The good news is that a researcher on prewar cars may want all my back issues so they may end up into a good home for now. Thanks again,Steve G.  Cheyenne

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Nice ending.  I staryed taking HMN at age 14, kissing 60 now.  After the first 10 years I recycled as no one wanted my back issues.  I keep one or two for each year, or try to anyway.  For someone with time and space, the pre Internet age issues especially are a great guide to market values, etc.  Plus you just might gain a parking space! 😁😁

 

Admittedly, my cartons of Cars & Parts have been untouched other than moving them from storage area to storage area.  Maybe I need to rethink that...

[alsancle]

35 minutes ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Nice ending.  I staryed taking HMN at age 14, kissing 60 now.  

Becareful, 60 kisses back hard.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

28 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Becareful, 60 kisses back hard.

I was reminded of that yesterday when on a walking trail and we encountered a bridge the Dane was not happy about.  110 lbs is not that heavy, but when she is fighting you and squirming it was a bit of a challenge.  Won but my back kept reminding me of it as the day wore on.

This was one of those steel grate deals, may have been a mistake, we are working her up to the footbridge at Hershey, she wouldn't cross it last year!! 

[58L-Y8]

2 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Nice ending.  I staryed taking HMN at age 14, kissing 60 now.  After the first 10 years I recycled as no one wanted my back issues.  I keep one or two for each year, or try to anyway.  For someone with time and space, the pre Internet age issues especially are a great guide to market values, etc.  Plus you just might gain a parking space! 😁😁

 

Admittedly, my cartons of Cars & Parts have been untouched other than moving them from storage area to storage area.  Maybe I need to rethink that...

Steve: 

Do you have the Cars & Parts issues from 1970-1981 with Hugo Pfau articles about the custom coachbuilders?   Definitely hang onto those!

Anyone having Special Interest Autos issues from 1970-1990, drop me a message.

Steve

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Yeah, I have many of those and Pfau's "Custom Body Era" as well as "The Coachbuilt Packard".  Great stuff.  I dropped C&P when it went from 75/25 in prewar/postwar content ratio to the opposite.

[TAKerry]

60!  I hit the wall when I turned 50. I will be 60 in Feb, I certainly hope its no worse!!

[1935Packard]

9 hours ago, sagefinds said:

I want to thank everyone that contributed to my post and all the good comments,sugestions and stories. There was a time when I had to have every part of every pre 32 Cadillac that was ever parted out. When the new Hemmings came,that was my required reading for the day. If I called on an ad of something I wanted the minute I saw it,if the line was busy it was Mel Patterson in Howell Mich getting it,if his call was busy,it would be me getting it. Then we might get together later and do some horse trading. I trucked back to his place more than once,when he came out to Denver to pick up a V-16 engine,I met him down there and got everything he brought out for me. Plus my hobby helped pay for itself with the Wanted Ads in Hemmings I could answer. Too bad the scammers have totally taken over that market now. The good news is that a researcher on prewar cars may want all my back issues so they may end up into a good home for now. Thanks again,Steve G.  Cheyenne

 

Is there a replacement for the pre-Internet feeling of excitement of when Hemmings arrived, and you had to very quickly scan the key sections to see if there was something of interest that you had to call about right away?  Maybe if you have en eBay alert for a description of a particular part?  Or the last few minutes of an auction on BAT or elsewhere?

[TAKerry]

I get Hemmings muscle and classic. I stopped the 'big book' a number of years ago and do not miss it. I think just about everything in it is on their webpage. The articles in the front seemed to be repeats from classic and muscle car mags. Plus the fact that the print was so small I literally could not read it even with my glasses! 

[John_S_in_Penna]

20 minutes ago, TAKerry said:

I think just about everything in it is on their webpage. The articles in the front seemed to be repeats from classic and muscle car mags. 

I get Hemmings Motor News magazine, and hope they thrive.

However, they are doing a very poor job with the magazine.

It's more than you say, Kerry--many, many ads are on their

internet site and never even get to the magazine!  The magazine

continues to shrink, and almost every issue is now a disappointment

to me.

[dl456]

One suggestion I haven't seen in this thread about what to do with your old car magazines or club publications.

These pile up rather quickly and if there is not a tech article or specific marque article that I prefer to keep, we offer these up 

to a local nursing home/ assisted living facility. 

I am told that they are popular and appreciated.

Beats the recycle bin.

Dennis

[John_S_in_Penna]

7 minutes ago, dl456 said:

...to a local nursing home/ assisted living facility. 

That's a good idea for a few recent issues, Dennis.

For 40 years' worth of out-dated ads, however,

I don't think a retirement home would want 500 issues!

[dl456]

Just a suggestion to avoid having 500 issues to dispose of.

[Bhigdog]

If you have a private wood lot bind them into stacks about 12" high with sisel or cotton twine. Tuck them under brush or trees. You will soon have a natural habitat for all types of flora and fauna giving back to nature from which it came..........Bob

[PWN]

Not terribly on topic but I just got a handful of 1920s National Geos and the car ads are awesome.

[John_S_in_Penna]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:23 AM, sagefinds said:

...any good place besides recycling?  Library? 

Before the garbage man comes, you could check with

the AACA Library in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Their

telephone is (717) 534-2082.  If any library wanted a set,

they would be the one to call;  and maybe they have a

few gaps they would like to fill in.

[46 woodie]

As I stated in my original post that In my area (Long Island), I couldn't give away boxes of old magazines. I tried calling nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. All gave me the same answer, "we can't take them because of liability reasons". I asked one lady if she was afraid of being sued if someone got a paper cut and incredibly she said yes, that's one of the reasons!

[Steve_Mack_CT]

On 5/23/2023 at 12:27 PM, PWN said:

Not terribly on topic but I just got a handful of 1920s National Geos and the car ads are awesome.

Not sure if he still does it but a fellow here in CT, Bill Mcbride was making a living in the 70s collecting old magazine ads, many from National Geographic, and selling them in HMN.  Some of that artwork right thrpugh the 60s is spectacular.

[sagefinds]

On 5/22/2023 at 7:30 PM, 1935Packard said:

 

Is there a replacement for the pre-Internet feeling of excitement of when Hemmings arrived, and you had to very quickly scan the key sections to see if there was something of interest that you had to call about right away?  Maybe if you have en eBay alert for a description of a particular part?  Or the last few minutes of an auction on BAT or elsewhere?

I turned 76 last Saturday so I don't get excited about much anymore. Three teens Cadillac projects survived the divorce and buying the ex's half of the house we had built and did a lot of the work on ourselves. I've really collected pretty much everything I need over many years with exceptions,getting some professional help on one of them. Have a shop in the backyard that needs some finishing and then really hope to get with it when I can set everything out. I have way too much trading stock and do have some things on ebay but really can't stand to deal with them. Seems like someone is always trying to justify their job by making things easier,yea,right. Just plug along. Oh,there is a '23 GMC out there and a '56 Diamond T truck on the list but we'll see.

[sagefinds]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:25 AM, JBP said:

@sagefinds You might want to consider reaching out to Hemmings and asking if they have any need for them (they may keep one hard copy for archival purposes) or they may know of someone or some collection that might be receptive to taking them from you.

I'll bet Hemmings gets 40 calls a week about their old issues. I've seen ads just like mine off and on for the last 30 years. But maybe they do have an outlet so it's worth considering.

[Terry Bond]

Look at it this way - what will happen to them once you're gone?  Will anyone be glad you saved them?  I think we've already established there isn't any monetary value.

Terry

Edited May 27, 2023 by Terry Bond (see edit history)

[The 55er]

No brainer for me, those would have gone to the recycle bin a week ago and whatever storage space they were taking up would be now utilized for something else that's worh saving. 

[John Bloom]

One mans trash.......another mans treasure. I still enjoy pulling out an older one from 1979 and seeing a Packard 740 touring for 17K, or a 69 Boss 302 for 8,500.

 

 

[Marty Roth]

10 hours ago, Terry Bond said:

Look at it this way - what will happen to them once you're gone?  Will anyone be glad you saved them?  I think we've already established there isn't any monetary value.

Terry

Yep !

 

Several years back I faced the same concern with Hemmings, as well as Old Cars Weekly issues - every issue going back to around 1969 when I moved south, having given away ALL magazines prior to March, 1969.

Nobody wanted the issues, so reluctantly I backed both Suburbans (1977 and 1978) into the driveway, folded down the center seats, and removed the 3rd seats.

One was filled, driver seat to tailgate, floor to ceiling with Hemmings Motor News-

The other was filled the same way with Old Cars Weekly.

My son and I drove both to our local trash facility as recycling had been eliminated at that time. It broke my heart to see all that history destroyed.

 

Now that I'm in my 9th decade I face the same issue with :
Hemmings Classic Car

Cars & Parts

Buick Bugle

Cadillac - The Self Starter

Vintage Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA) Bulb Horn 

Horseless Carriage Club of America (HCCA) Horseless Gazette

Antique Automobile (AACA)

VCCA Generator & Distributor

Oakland (OCCI) Club

Packard

CCCA

Four (4) Local clubs plus Louisiana Region and 3 Chapters

CCCA

HCCA 

Hudson

And several others ...

 

This is all above and beyond the hundreds of marque specific, and general antique automotive books, Motors Manuals, Chilton's, Dyke's, etc...

Not only is my personal library becoming unmanageable - it could even become a fire hazard

 

Regrettably, the entire collection sans hardcover, and with the possible exception of the most recent 3 or 4 issues of each, will be sent to be recycled,

and even that is expensive, but better than worsening a landfill.

 

Funny how even the most careful can turn into a packrat !

[TOM H. S.]

Hi 40 some odd years worth, You could be put them up for sale on Ebay in 5 to 10 year batches. You could cut out your favorite articles and scan them on your laptop. You could offer them for free or a small fee on Craigs List. Offer some to your local Library as references of how they looked. Offer Hemmings the option of first refusal. Best Wishes

[JamesR]

I had about 7 or 8 years of HMN. Like Tex, I decided there was just no purpose in me keeping old issues, and everyone else I tried to give them to was of the same opinion. I put them in recycling. I've kept my old issues of Hemmings Classic Car, but I just can't be an archivist for tens of thousands of outdated car ads. 

[Paul Dobbin]

Hemmings material is dated offerings information that is actually out of date when it arrives.   Classic Car Articles are timeless, not just current offerings.  Before the pandemic, I was welcome to leave them in Doctor's office's and various waiting rooms.  Later they said no due to germs.  Have not tried that latley, but non-subscribers never turn me down, same with our AACA Magazine.   It's harder to give away the Early Ford V8 Times because of all the Non-Reader S.O.B. owners.