52 replies to this topic

[rl1856]

I have accumulated a large collection of old automobile magazines.  They are currently stacked inside of 2 bookcases that have closing doors.  The magazines are exposed to the atmosphere in a cilmate controled environment- in essence slowly decaying.  At some point over the next few years, we will be moving into a different house, so I will have to move the collection.   

 

I am looking for a more protective storage method after the move.  Any suggestions regarding cases, binders, jackets etc ?

 

Thanks,

 

Ross

 

 

 

 

[Sharman]

Mine are all in the garage, and I'm lucky to be able to keep them there. Women in general, are a bit odd about things men like to keep, I had a year out from playing Rugby when I came out of the army, and put my two pairs of Cotton Oxford boots (blagged out of the Regimental Institute) in the loft of my parents home. I was invited to turn out for a President's 15 and went to get them. Not only had Mother thrown them out but she had also disposed of all my MotorSports. She couldn't understand why I was pissed off....and the old man who did understand having been a Lacrosse International kept his head down a pretended he wasn't there. Then my ex chucked all my photos away when we parted.......

[arttidesco]

I acquired a 20 year collection (1960 to 1980) of MotorSports recently having no garage to keep them in my only option was to put them in relatively air tight plastic Ikea boxes, called 'Snålis' product code 14139 Bar code 801.301.30.

 

Each box holds around 10 years worth and though I can't move them when full, they do stack conveniently. Most important the library smell is kept entirely with in the box, unless the lid is taken off to access them  

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

...in the dustbin when the good wife and I moved out of Bracebridge in '96.  Got tired of dragging around years' worth of R&T's, C&D's and SCG's.  Regretted it ever since. 

[275 GTB-4]

I acquired a 20 year collection (1960 to 1980) of MotorSports recently having no garage to keep them in my only option was to put them in relatively air tight plastic Ikea boxes, called 'Snålis' product code 14139 Bar code 801.301.30.

 

Each box holds around 10 years worth and though I can't move them when full, they do stack conveniently. Most important the library smell is kept entirely with in the box, unless the lid is taken off to access them

 

Can I ask, do you put anything like desiccant or anti-paper mite/moth treatment in said box's?

[raceannouncer2003]

We had renovations to our house in 2008.  I had to remove my old magazines, etc. from the old crawl space.  I organized them by date and they are now in the new crawl space, which has a concrete floor and heating.  They are in plastic units with 3 sliding drawers, each drawer big enough to hold two stacks of magazines.  However, the units are probably made for lighter things, are not standing up too well.  I may have to remove the three drawers from each unit (at least some of them) and stack them on top of each other.  Almost all of the magazines, papers, etc. are holding up quite well, though they have that distinctive smell !

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 20 November 2013 - 07:30.

[RTH]

Not ideal as you can imagine

 

[kayemod]

I used to keep mountains of old magazines around the place, but I saw the light several years ago and got rid of almost all of them, and I can't honestly say I've regretted it. When Motor Sport arrives each month, provided I've read everything in the old one, that goes for recycling.

 

Yes, that shiny thing over my head is a halo, I had my wife's permission to add that bit.

[D-Type]

I don't have that many magazines.  I keep them in plastic "magazine" boxes - the open-topped half boxes that take about a year's worth.  These live in the loftor on top of the bookcase.  With a bit of overspill in a pile on the floor (waiting for some more boxes to become available for 'liberation' from work).  I have considered the IKea cardboard or wooden ones.  As they are open to the air they don't get that musty smell.

 

The best thing I ever did was to board out the roof space, it gives us plenty of dry storage space.  As the insulation is laid flat between the joists the loft area isn't insulated and varies in temperature - roasting in summer and cold in the winter - but not that cold. 

 

On a parallel topic does anyone know how to deal with the smell of old magazines and books, e.g. charity shop or boot sale acquisitions?  All I know is to leave the book or magazine in a dry room with the pages spread out a bit to allow the circulation of air to dry it out.  It's viable with the odd book, but not really with magazines.

[275 GTB-4]

Not ideal as you can imagine

 

 

Fire Safety 101: Spontaneous Combustion...when dry paper is stored in piles and compressed by its own weight, heat can be generated and fires are not uncommon...

[Tim Murray]

I blame TNF. Before I was introduced to it I was starting to lose interest. I passed up the opportunity to acquire a large collection of early Autosports at a good price (they found a good home with another TNFer) and was seriously contemplating getting rid of most of my collection. Then along came TNF, which reignited my enthusiasm, and I now regret all the magazines I threw out in the past. (I've still got every copy of Motor Sport I ever bought, though.) To answer the question, I'm like RTH - stacks of magazines on every available shelf and then piled on the floor.

[kayemod]

I blame TNF. Before I was introduced to it I was starting to lose interest. I passed up the opportunity to acquire a large collection of early Autosports at a good price (they found a good home with another TNFer) and was seriously contemplating getting rid of most of my collection. Then along came TNF, which reignited my enthusiasm, and I now regret all the magazines I threw out in the past. (I've still got every copy of Motor Sport I ever bought, though.) To answer the question, I'm like RTH - stacks of magazines on every available shelf and then piled on the floor.

 

 

I assume from that last bit that you aren't matrimonially attached...?

[Tim Murray]

Indeed - although there is a woman in my life who complains bitterly about them from time to time.

[kayemod]

Indeed - although there is a woman in my life who complains bitterly about them from time to time.

 

She's probably only jealous, and wishes her own Womans' Weekly collection was equally large.

[nicanary]

I just can't stop keeping them. We're supposed to be getting all "modern" and using CD-Roms, but there's nothing like the tactile feel and smell of an old magazine. I've got 40 years' of Motor Sport and every Classic & Sportscar since it started, all stashed under my bed. They used to be kept on bookshelves in my study at the last home, but I'm in a small town-centre apartment now - I've made half-hearted attempts to sell them, but the aforementioned CD-Roms have scuppered that plan.

 

I could never "dump" them, even for recycling. My heart wouldn't allow me. The next step is sealed boxes in the loft, like others have mentioned.

[foxyracer]

I can relate to some common themes here.  Yes, I am a hoarder and yes, my wife complains.

 

I have Motor Sport dating back to 1966, about 10 years worth of Practical Classics and about 2 years of Autosport.  With the latter being weekly keeping more is just too much.  They are all in cardboard boxes in my loft but now I'm retired I would like them to be more accessible.  I have a number of Motor Sport CD ROMS and while they are great for searching, the scanned quality isn't as good as I would like.  So, I will keep the printed copies indefinitely I think. 

 

A few years ago I bought 3 Meccano CDs.  They were fine to start with but now refuse to read.  The discs have gone quite transparent even though they have not been exposed to excessive heat or light.  Best part of £50 down the drain and a warning that CDs are probably variable in quality.  I have music discs dating back to the 1980s that have been stored under the same conditions and still play fine. 

 

I guess the ideal scenario would be for magazine subscribers to be able to access back issues online.  I know this is happening increasingly, e.g. Autosport. 

[fbarrett]

About 10 years ago, my magazine library had exceeded 35,000 issues going back to before 1900. I had a large office with IKEA-type bookshelves, and the magazines were arranged alphabetically by title, then chronologically, in cardboard slipcases called Magafiles, made by a small company on a back street in Vandalia, Missouri. The slipcases were available by mail in various sizes, came folded flat, and cost very little, so I was happy to have them. Unfortunately, Magafile went out of business about then, so now you have to buy the more expensive slipcases. These days much of the collection is at Auto-Archive in Denver, and where possible I have substituted digital files.

 

Frank

[garyfrogeye]

Do be careful storing magazines in lofts. Apart from water tanks which usually have strengthening, in most cases lofts simply aren't designed to take that much weight especially concentrated in a small space. As you are aware, a tall pile of magazines really is very heavy.

I'm too embarassed to show a photo of my study but my wife's eyes just roll on the rare occasions that she ventures in.

[arttidesco]

Can I ask, do you put anything like desiccant or anti-paper mite/moth treatment in said box's?

 

Desiccant yes but nothing to fight bugs if any show themselves the whole lot will be taken down to the tip pronto.

[D-Type]

That's a valid point about the weight. The design load for the loft joists is very low - particularly in more modern houses.  Obviously concentrated loads are worse than distributed loads and joists are happier loaded near the supports rather than at midspan.

 

Curiously, the only crack in the ceiling we have is where there is no load above!

[kayemod]

Do be careful storing magazines in lofts. Apart from water tanks which usually have strengthening, in most cases lofts simply aren't designed to take that much weight especially concentrated in a small space. As you are aware, a tall pile of magazines really is very heavy.

 

 

Max Bygraves voice: " I'm going to tell you a stooorrreee..." Quite a few years ago, between marriages, I had a fairly intimate woman friend, it was never going to be permanent, but I often stayed the night at the large house she was arguing with her departed husband over while trying to sort out a very expensive divorce. This woman had three children, something like 18, 16 and 8, the oldest two having left home. Woman had never thrown out or passed on a single item of clothing or toys, they were quite wealthy, there was loads of the stuff, and every single item of grown-out-of or discarded clothing etc was stored in the roof space, and there were a hell of a lot of items, must have been something like half a ton. One night I was aware of creaking noises in the space over the ex-marital bed, but thought nothing of it. The next day woman was on the phone in tears, the whole ceiling had collapsed, made a terrible mess and punctured the waterbed, which is a phrase I don't think we've had on TNF before, so mark garyfrogeye's words, that's very sound advice. If that had happened a few hours earlier, gives a whole new meaning to "The earth moving..."

[nicanary]

Max Bygraves voice: " I'm going to tell you a stooorrreee..." Quite a few years ago, between marriages, I had a fairly intimate woman friend, it was never going to be permanent, but I often stayed the night at the large house she was arguing with her departed husband over while trying to sort out a very expensive divorce. This woman had three children, something like 18, 16 and 8, the oldest two having left home. Woman had never thrown out or passed on a single item of clothing or toys, they were quite wealthy, there was loads of the stuff, and every single item of grown-out-of or discarded clothing etc was stored in the roof space, and there were a hell of a lot of items, must have been something like half a ton. One night I was aware of creaking noises in the space over the ex-marital bed, but thought nothing of it. The next day woman was on the phone in tears, the whole ceiling had collapsed, made a terrible mess and punctured the waterbed, which is a phrase I don't think we've had on TNF before, so mark garyfrogeye's words, that's very sound advice. If that had happened a few hours earlier, gives a whole new meaning to "The earth moving..."

Are you Brian Rix?

[kayemod]

Are you Brian Rix?

 

No, but may the farce be with you.

[275 GTB-4]

I just can't stop keeping them. We're supposed to be getting all "modern" and using CD-Roms, but there's nothing like the tactile feel and smell of an old magazine. I've got 40 years' of Motor Sport and every Classic & Sportscar since it started, all stashed under my bed. They used to be kept on bookshelves in my study at the last home, but I'm in a small town-centre apartment now - I've made half-hearted attempts to sell them, but the aforementioned CD-Roms have scuppered that plan.

 

I could never "dump" them, even for recycling. My heart wouldn't allow me. The next step is sealed boxes in the loft, like others have mentioned.

 

You really have it bad, don't you....you can get professional help for this sort of addiction

[275 GTB-4]

Desiccant yes but nothing to fight bugs if any show themselves the whole lot will be taken down to the tip pronto.

 

I have been proactive and inserted some bug stuff inside each container....

[Lee Nicolle]

In my case poorly. Stacked on top of the wardrobes. They were in order but not now. Though all the different mastheads are in a separate pile.
Better than some it seems that have them in the shed!

[JacnGille]

 I've got 40 years' of Motor Sport and every Classic & Sportscar since it started, all stashed under my bed.

You must need a ladder to climb in and out of bed!

[eeyore48]

Thank you,fellow hoarders. I have tried to convince two wives(1 ex ) that it is normal for a man to keep his motor magazines but with little success. The first Mrs. eeyore48 dumped motoring News, Autosport and Motorsport and the second enforced disposal of MG club magazines (in club binders,too) and we are currently negotiating slimming my  collection of MaSCOT and assorted classic car titles. Only Motorsport (from 1966) seems safe but the loft is fairly full and I'm told too many are lurking in the office( disguised in box files on top of the filing cabinet and A4 paper boxes and undisguised in plastic storage boxes) and bedroom.(undisguised in magazine rack and box file). I can't understand what's not to love . I've tried displaying photographs beautiful cars, taken her to disused continental race tracks, wined and dined her at Le Mans, bought her a Sprite and MX5, accompanied her to the cinema to see "Rush", lent her my socket set  and even allowed her to look at my library BUT still she can't see the beauty in piles of print. I am sooo glad to know that I'm not alone.

 

eeyore 48 in cramped home office

[D-Type]

My wife asked me recently "Do you ever actually look at those old magazines?".  I mumbled a "Yes I do when I need to" but the honest answer is that although I do consult various books and my Motor Sport DVDs (1924-49, Fifties, Sixties) but I can't remember when I last looked for something in my magazines.  Browsing when I've nothing to do is a different story.

[Allan Lupton]

Years ago I recognised that as I myself did not want to live surrounded by heaps of magazines they were stored in the loft, therefore were not as accessible as I liked. The solution was to have 'em bound so they could be stored in normal bookcases in civilised rooms.

It makes photocopying less easy but otherwise, 40 years after I started the process, my Motor Sports still prove useful and are within reach. I did sell off my bound Autosports quite some time ago, however. Pity about that.

[Sharman]

That's a valid point about the weight. The design load for the loft joists is very low - particularly in more modern houses.  Obviously concentrated loads are worse than distributed loads and joists are happier loaded near the supports rather than at midspan.

 

Curiously, the only crack in the ceiling we have is where there is no load above!

 

Now Duncan, think like an engineer. If you have enough of them, you can build a "pit prop" out of magazines at the point of greatest loading thus safely increasing the capacity of the loft. Of course you will still get complaints at dinner party time or doing a Geronimo from the wardrobe to the bed dependant on the location of the prop. At my age the latter wouldn't bother me and the first situation means that there is always something to read if the conversation palls.

[david5]

I just keep buying filing cabinets, I only have three though, it's the model cars, VHS tapes and DVDs which are a drama....and the prints, posters, wheels, bits of racecars....did I mention the firemans helmets....

[kayemod]

....did I mention the firemans helmets....

 

Ok, so I'll admit that I started all this by mentioning waterbeds, but then we had Geronimo leaps from the wardrobe to the bed, and now "helmets" nudge, nudge. Where will it end? Makes me wonder what kind of er,"magazines" some have been referring to in earlier posts.

[Vitesse2]

Somewhere under these piles of books and magazines which surround me there may be some furniture and the occasional rug ...

 

(I am, before anyone asks, unencumbered by any sort of female attachment, but on the odd occasion when women have ventured in they've scuttled out pretty quickly bearing tales of unimaginable horrors to their friends. I'm pretty much in agreement with Quentin Crisp on the subject of dust too. )

[Michael Ferner]

Yes, my dear friends at Anonymous Magazine and Book Collectors, my name is Michael Ferner, and I am an alcoh... sorry... I am a collector! There, I said it. Currently, I'm in the process of moving home, and from surroundings very similar to those so nicely pictured by fellow AMBCer Richard, to a shiny new appartment with a 90 square feet room that will become my new "office" :love:, and next week I'm going to buy a brand new shelf (240 x 230 x 40 cm) with doors and drawers that will become my main storage unit. The old cabinet in which I used to store my magazines (about 180 x 180 x 40) before it overflowed, will go down to the basement and serve as a backup - I guess I am going to need it!

[RTH]

I have bought a set of cupboards and shelving to put them out of sight  - but it is still all in its flat pack  boxes and I didn't buy them this year! Just sorting 40 years worth in to years alone will be some task. - trouble is when you start - you get distracted in to reading them !

[condor]

I use 6 bottle wine boxes Cut shorter box side straight across approx 3 inches up. In effect, if the wine was in there you'd have 2 facing wine bottles with their labels visible. Then cut a diagonal path, of the longer side, from there to the top of the back. Used to be an easy way for displaying wine when I ran off-licences - but also is very handy for storing magazines.

Edited by condor, 22 November 2013 - 11:13.

[david5]

Ok, so I'll admit that I started all this by mentioning waterbeds, but then we had Geronimo leaps from the wardrobe to the bed, and now "helmets" nudge, nudge. Where will it end? Makes me wonder what kind of er,"magazines" some have been referring to in earlier posts.

 

As long as there are no reference to Batman suits we'll be fine.......Alfred.

[Suzy]

Mine are currently in the attic or in a watertight shed.  Not entirely sure what to do with them all to be honest.

[DogEarred]

I use 6 bottle wine boxes Cut shorter box side straight across approx 3 inches up. In effect, if the wine was in there you'd have 2 facing wine bottles with their labels visible. Then cut a diagonal path, of the longer side, from there to the top of the back. Used to be an easy way for displaying wine when I ran off-licences - but also is very handy for storing magazines.

 

After drinking 6 bottles of wine, there's no way I'd be able to do that...

[DogEarred]

Ok, so I'll admit that I started all this by mentioning waterbeds, but then we had Geronimo leaps from the wardrobe to the bed, and now "helmets" nudge, nudge. Where will it end? Makes me wonder what kind of er,"magazines" some have been referring to in earlier posts.

 

So, you're a bit of a playboy are you? I bet you've lived in Mayfair & been a bit of a hustler in your time. That's no way to keep up your health & efficiency! Some of this forum's reader's wives will be embarrassed by your comments.

 

Yes, I'm wondering too, what kind of magazines?

[DogEarred]

Mine are currently in the attic or in a watertight shed.  Not entirely sure what to do with them all to be honest.

 

Until recently, I kept Autosports & other things since the 1970s, wrapped in batches with supermarket plastic bags, then stacked in plastic crates with lids on.

Kept them in various garages & lofts & they survived very well.

 

Then one day I realised I hadn't looked at them for 30 years & thought what's the point? - I gave them to a good home.

[kayemod]

Then one day I realised I hadn't looked at them for 30 years & thought what's the point? - I gave them to a good home.

 

That's exactly how I figured it, cleared almost everything out, only keeping one or two classic Motor Sports like the May 2005 issue, Sir Stirling's Mille Miglia anniversary, and I've never missed them at all, haven't regretted it for a moment, and my bedroom ceiling was grateful for the relief.

 

Err, please could one of you give me a leg up onto this wardrobe?

[garyfrogeye]

eeyore 48 Said  "currently negotiating slimming my  collection of MaSCOT"

Be very careful, certain editors (post June 2008) could get very upset

[2F-001]

We had renovations to our house in 2008.  I had to remove my old magazines, etc. from the old crawl space.  I organized them by date and they are now in the new crawl space, which has a concrete floor and heating.  They are in plastic units with 3 sliding drawers, each drawer big enough to hold two stacks of magazines.  However, the units are probably made for lighter things, are not standing up too well.  I may have to remove the three drawers from each unit (at least some of them) and stack them on top of each other.  Almost all of the magazines, papers, etc. are holding up quite well, though they have that distinctive smell !

 

Vince H.

 

For anyone else who might be interested in utilizing the space beneath their floorboards for storage (and still have items fairly accessible), this little film clip may be instructive...

 

[Jack-the-Lad]

I’ve decided to bin about 35 years of Classic and Sports Car. I can’t find anyone within a reasonable driving distance who wants them. I’ll keep both of my Pedant of the Month caps,* though, including the coveted Pedant-in-Chief cap.

I’ll retain my full set of Supercar Classics, Cavallino and perhaps Octane, TNF’s Most Hated Periodical.

*For those who may not read the magazine, this is a monthly award to a reader who essentially does the editor’s job for him, correcting errors of fact in previous issues.. Actually it’s a pretty good idea, although sometimes shocking how wrong they get things.

Edited by Jack-the-Lad, 29 August 2020 - 20:53.

[Tom Glowacki]

I saw two problems with my collection, besides the smell. It took up a lot of space and getting at what I wanted to get at was difficult. One of my hobbies is building model cars, mostly of the 1950s and 1960s. While the
old R&T, C & D, MotorSport, etc., articles were very helpful, trying to remember where they were was a problem. While I retained the pre-1970 R&T collection, I went through the rest, cut out the articles I wanted to keep, and put them in binders, arranged by subject. All the Chaparral, Scarab, Lotus, Eagle, stuff is in dedicated binders and I no longer have to wade through 1973 Simca road tests or pretentious R&T articles on the thermodynamics of tire valve stems, to find what I want. All the rest went to the recycling people.

Edited by Tom Glowacki, 29 August 2020 - 14:48.

[E1pix]

I’ve decided to bin about 35 years of Sports Car.

I’d take them myself but can’t now.

My entire collection is in the temporary custody of a restoration shop and historic research concern. I bet they’d want your Sports Cars, PM if interested.

Edit: I’d personally *love* to have issues covering the SCCA Runoffs, especially the ‘70s races! (several friends won races in those years)

Edited by E1pix, 29 August 2020 - 15:47.

[D-Type]

My wife asked me recently "Do you ever actually look at those old magazines?".  I mumbled a "Yes I do when I need to" but the honest answer is that although I do consult various books and my Motor Sport DVDs (1924-49, Fifties, Sixties) but I can't remember when I last looked for something in my magazines.  Browsing when I've nothing to do is a different story.

That was SEVEN years ago and to be honest I haven't looked at any since.
Free to a good home (you collect)

[Jack-the-Lad]

I’d take them myself but can’t now.
My entire collection is in the temporary custody of a restoration shop and historic research concern. I bet they’d want your Sports Cars, PM if interested.
Edit: I’d personally *love* to have issues covering the SCCA Runoffs, especially the ‘70s races! (several friends won races in those years)

I apologize if my post was a bit misleading, I should have been less lazy and written “Classic and Sports Car” so as not to give the impression that I have any old issues of “Sports Car.”