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What to do with old magazines


Bill Stoneberg

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I am cleaning out my office today and wodering if anyone has any good ideas on what to do with old magazines ? I hate to throw them away, but they take up entirely too much room.

Is there a way I can get them to the troops somplace ? I have Road and Track, Street Rodder, Rod and Custom, Hot Rod, etc.

My wife gives all her magazines to a girl's mom who ships them to Iraq. She doesn't want the car magazines though.

Any ideas are welcome...

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I'm in something of the same situation, Bill. I used to try to take them to some area Half-Price Books stores and sell them to them, but now they all but say "No thanks" when you bring in a box of magazines, unless they are like two months old. Even at the highly marginal price they desire to give for them, it wouldn't pay for the gas to go to the store (even several years ago!). I emailed the main office about the situation (nicely and respectfully), but got a similar "they take up too much space" answer . . . as if they'd rather sell the more trendy electronic stuff now.

Back when the chain was getting going in DFW, it was like a treasure hunt to go to the stores and look for vintage car magazines. You could many times find the ones to fill in the gaps in a collection OR find ones you never did buy back then. Not that way now, unfortunately. It has been a good place to find some factory service manuals, not just the Clymer or specific model Motor books, but real factory manuals (as if they bought them from Helm or similar as overstocks).

There are some car magazine buyers, though, who resell the magazines at car events and shows to those looking for a specific road test or vehicle article. There used to be a man in Arlington, TX that did that, but I don't know if he still is around. Kind of like the vendors that resell old license plates of particular years and types.

I suspect that Bill and I are not the only vehicle enthusiasts in this situation. I hate to put them in the recycling bin, but that might be an unfortunate alternative. I have thought of (at some point in time) seeing if I could find a facilitator to put them on eBay or similar for me, but that might be hard to do as there is no "big money" involved in such a situation.

NTX5467

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Leave them in hospital waiting rooms the next chance you get (You may want to cut any mailing labels off first). They'll disappear into rooms with people who'll really appreciate them while the <span style="font-style: italic">Highlights</span> and <span style="font-style: italic">Modern Maturity</span> mags sit in the waiting room and gather dust! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I like the idea of leaving them in Hospital waiting rooms. I can never find anything when I have to go. </div></div>

That sounds more like you are talking about the hospital restroom. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Just kiddin'

Mike

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A few more Ideas ..

local high School shop classes

NEVER let any kid walk by your swap meet space empty handed !

Our local library has a spot for donated magazines dont start with 4 boxes full drop of 10 or 12 at a time a week apart if this still doesn't

eliminate the pile try the library in the next town over...

But do try to get aleast some of them into YOUNG HANDS

thanks for helping out our future Car Collectors <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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  • 1 month later...
Guest COMPACTBC

Donate them to your car club chapter. We have a CHAPTER SWAP SPACE at our local car show each year where we sell car stuff for the chapter treasury. It has been a pretty good money maker for us. You can either sell the magazines real cheap or give them away to anyone, especially young kids, who stop by your booth. Good way to promote the hobby! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

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Our chapter will collect them and take them to swapmeets, etc and hand them out to folks that seem interested in the club or have stories about their old Buicks. You never know who your going to bring into the hobby when they can get "dad's" Buick in the buy/sell for alot less than they think!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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