Magazine / Catalog Storage Solutions?

[Justin]

Hey guys,

Do you have any simple / efficient / creative ideas for storing magazines and catalogs that you want to preserve for a long time? I've been reorganizing my closet and bookshelf, and I'd like some good ideas for how to store old magazines and catalogs.

I have a bit of a collection of classic gaming magazines, of course, along with thicker catalogs such as vintage Sears Catalogs, Sears Wish Book, and catalogs from other clothiers. Some of them I would like to display on my bookshelf along with books but before long they begin to collapse. I also don't just want to toss them in a box and warehouse them.

I'm curious to hear what ideas you guys have come across and how you guys store your old magazines.

[RickR]

30 minutes ago, Justin said:

before long they begin to collapse

I'm not sure I follow what you mean, Justin.  I've had very good luck just keeping old catalogs and books on a bookshelf.  In fact, I just went through a moving process for my bookshelves.  Everything was still in very good shape.  The key for me is to make sure the shelf is packed so that nothing can fall over.  I use metal bookends (the kind you'd see in a library) for those shelves that aren't quite full. 

Everything else that isn't on display is kept in banker boxes with several dessicant packs to keep moisture at bay.  That also works well.  And again, it's important to fill the box completely so nothing will bend over. 

 

[Justin]

3 hours ago, RickR said:

I'm not sure I follow what you mean, Justin.

Meaning, the older, heavier catalogs and some of the magazines begin to spread out at the bottom and fold over, almost as if melting

 

3 hours ago, RickR said:

The key for me is to make sure the shelf is packed so that nothing can fall over.  I use metal bookends (the kind you'd see in a library) for those shelves that aren't quite full. 

That's one of the ideas I'm looking for, cool ideas for book ends and how effective they are with catalogs and magazines.

 

3 hours ago, RickR said:

Everything else that isn't on display is kept in banker boxes with several dessicant packs to keep moisture at bay.  That also works well.  And again, it's important to fill the box completely so nothing will bend over. 

In the bankers boxes, do you have them stacked as they would be on a bookshelf, stacked flat one on top of another, or stacked with the spine of the catalog facing up so you can see what it is while looking down at the box

[RickR]

I will try to find time to take pictures later...but let me describe what works for me:

• Packing stuff tight on a shelf.  Use big hardback books to hold soft-back catalogs and books tightly upright.
• Bankers boxes - I put items so the spine is up (facing me if I'm looking down at the box.  Again, it's critical to pack it tight, or else the soft items will bend over.  Dessicant packs are critical too to keep out mildew and moisture.  It's nothing fancy -- just the packs you'll find in the box when you buy an electronic item or pair of shoes or whatever.  One or two of these per box.
• Any bookends work *IF* you use large hardback books at the ends.  Those big books help keep everything else flat. 

Pictures coming later. 

 

 

[socrates63]

19 minutes ago, RickR said:

I will try to find time to take pictures later...but let me describe what works for me:

• Packing stuff tight on a shelf.  Use big hardback books to hold soft-back catalogs and books tightly upright.
• Bankers boxes - I put items so the spine is up (facing me if I'm looking down at the box.  Again, it's critical to pack it tight, or else the soft items will bend over.  Dessicant packs are critical too to keep out mildew and moisture.  It's nothing fancy -- just the packs you'll find in the box when you buy an electronic item or pair of shoes or whatever.  One or two of these per box.
• Any bookends work *IF* you use large hardback books at the ends.  Those big books help keep everything else flat. 

+1 for Rick's first and second bullets -- that's what I do with magazines and anything that can't stand firmly on its own on the shelf.

[RickR]

Here are some pictures.  We are still in a huge transition state here, so I haven't put in the bookends yet.  But hopefully this is a little helpful.  FYI - we used to have three of these shelves crammed full.  I downgraded to two and donated/recycled a lot of our old books.  It's kind of liberating to get rid of stuff.

 

Here's one example:  Some of these Star Trek books are made like catalogs.  They're really old...from the early 70's.  But by keeping them squished between hard cover books, they stay pristine.

 

Same thing going on here.  I keep the sales brochure for every new car we've ever purchased.  This goes back to 1990.  Again, they have remained crisp.

 

And finally, here's a wood crate crammed full of old MAD and Compute! magazines.  I have banker boxes that are the same way, but this is easier to visualize. 

Good luck, Justin.  Let us see what you come up with.

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by RickR

[TrekMD]

2 hours ago, RickR said:

I will try to find time to take pictures later...but let me describe what works for me:

• Packing stuff tight on a shelf.  Use big hardback books to hold soft-back catalogs and books tightly upright.
• Bankers boxes - I put items so the spine is up (facing me if I'm looking down at the box.  Again, it's critical to pack it tight, or else the soft items will bend over.  Dessicant packs are critical too to keep out mildew and moisture.  It's nothing fancy -- just the packs you'll find in the box when you buy an electronic item or pair of shoes or whatever.  One or two of these per box.
• Any bookends work *IF* you use large hardback books at the ends.  Those big books help keep everything else flat. 

For storage, I use the a Banker boxes.  I do use cardboard magazine holders and the magazines all have their spine outwards, just like RickR does.  I can fit four of the magazine holders in a box and they are tight, so the magazines stay in there fine.  They are easy to move in the boxes as they have holes for handles. 

[- Ω -]

I use a lot of three ring binders...

[Justin]

10 hours ago, RickR said:

Same thing going on here.  I keep the sales brochure for every new car we've ever purchased.  This goes back to 1990.  Again, they have remained crisp.

Funny you brought up the car brochures, I also have a great number of them which are part of this lot that I will be storing. I put many of them in clear sheet protectors and put them into binders, but many are too big to fit.

Love seeing all of these ideas! 

[Mr SQL]

This is a cool thread! I used to have big stacks of BYTE, Personal Computing, Rainbow and Compute! 

My favorite way to enjoy old computer magazines and books is just to read them from the bookshelf and magazine stacks, but over time they disintegrated or were badly damaged. My copy of EDTASM+ Assembly Language programming by William Barden Jr. was probably the most severely dog eared damaged book I kept reading and rereading until it fell apart.

Preserving the stacks and books is a great idea, maybe put a few out on the bookshelf at a time to be able to peruse them and read them just like in the 80's, that's important imo. Books and magazines still have the best UI.

 

 

 

[DegasElite]

What about a file cabinet? One could be used to store magazines, couldn't it? I have one for other things, but I am sure that could be a viable option. :O)