Random THought: Keep old stereo mags or dump em'

[ibilisi]

So I have almost every issue of Stereo Review and now the renamed Sound&Vision since I started reading the mag like 5-7 years ago. Is it worth it for me to keep these around anymore? I was originally thinking I could reference them in the future but now I'm thinking, that by the time I have enough cash to buy anything really hi-end, info will be on the web.

ANyone else ever run into these issues? I have a year of audiophile and Stereophile as well.

I won't actually dump them, but I will recycle!

Thoughts?

[H.Donald]

I read Sound and Vision...it hangs around my coffee table for a while,then underneath with several other magazines.When things get out of hand...I recycle some,others to my wife's office.

[Burke Strickland]

What to do with old magazines does pose a dilemma. Even when they are out of date, we keep thinking we'll need to go back to them as reference or to catch up with some articles of interest, having not had time to read them when they first arrived.

However, they can represent a considerable investment in space, crowding storage areas and even walk ways, if the collections really get out of hand. That even outweighs the money spent on them, given todays "give away" subscription prices. (I can't imagine anyone paying news stand retail for more than a couple of issues to "try out" an unfamiliar magazine.)

With regard to Stereo Review, it was way more than just "renamed". Stereo Review had featured extensive reviews of classical music discs, which is the primary reason I was a subscriber for 30 years. When Sound and Vision came along, they abandoned classical music (a review of one disc a month is not very useful).

On the hardware side, they also lost their focus on stereo or even home theater, and started trying to cover a much wider swath of "cool" electronic gear, thus not really being able to handle anything with much depth. I haven't picked up an issue of "Unsound and No Vision" :>) since my subscription forced by the makeover ran out, so if they have shifted direction again, they have done it without my being aware of it.

A few of the older issues may have some historical or nostalgic value. For instance, I still get a kick out of the issue of Stereo Review from the late 1960s where they put down the Beatles' then-new "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" as being too contrived, and gave the featured "album of the month" spot to an album by Herman's Hermits. I still have both albums in my vinyl disc collection, but I haven't listened to the "album of the month" since about the time that review came out. But I digress.

For the most part, HT magazines (like car magazines) fade quickly in relevance, particularly with hardware, due to the changing models and rapidly advancing technology. Also, although music performances may still be of interest years later, the disc identification numbers or even the labels they are published under will probably have changed, so the reviews are of limited use in helping to track down a particular selection. (Discs come in and out of the catalog quite frequently, especially with classical music.)

As you pointed out, much of the information is on the Internet now anyway. So keeping stacks and stacks of old magazines makes less and less sense as time goes on. I've been recycling tons of magazines recently. I've tried offering them to libraries but these days, they seem to prefer electronic archives. (That also makes sense.) So the trash haulers get to break their backs tossing the magazines into the paper recycling bins. :>)

Good luck,

Burke

[George Bellefontaine]

I keep magazines around for a few months then go through them and put those I'm not interested in keeping in the recycle bin for collection. There are some mags I keep on reviews when I know I am going to upgrade a piece of equipmnent. Other mags, like the now defunct AUDIO VIDEO INTERIORS, I tend to keep some issues with nice looking home theaters. I enjoy going back through old issues and looking at those gorgeous theaters.

[Nick M]

I usually go through all my magazines ans set a few aside that I know I want. Then I go through the others with a razor and cut out everything I want (photos, articles, adverts, etc). This system works well for me.

[David Meek]

I keep the individual issues that have articles/reviews I want and dump the rest.

[JetFlyGuy]

I make Monk look like a packrat.... Dump 'em

[Lex]

Since this was first posted, I've filed 843 magazines, 115 periodicals all on 1 microdirve disc. Just kidding. I'm throwing crap away I Thought I'd want. But as the clutter of saving stuff has shown up in my life in a big way, I've about decided to trash a lot of stuff, mags included.

Lex

[Snap]

I did what Nick does. I have a 3 ring binder and I cut out certian stuff and put it in a binder. That way I can throw away all the other junk.

[audioqueso]

Don't cut them. Keep them. Could become a big collector item.

[bigburner]

I have dozens and dozens of old Private Eye mags, and I've never referred back to a single issue. Won't stop me keeping them though.

[IntegrateMe]

I've been collecting all my Widescreen Reviews since 2000 and I think it may be time to toss 'em!!

[Clive]

Recycles through the magazines racks installed in my two washrooms..........for those peaceful moments :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: