Do you buy a magazine anymore?

[Tent Keague]

The missus works in this industry for a big firm.
In short the industry is f*cked and been in decline for the last 25 years.

The only things that sell these days (and nowhere near the numbers you'd expect) are the really niche titles.

Homes and gardens and stuff like that hold their own and decorating stuff goes in cycles.

Adult (not nude, just more tricky to do) colouring books had a spell about a year ago.

Kids things and the old dears quiz books still shift.

But overall nothing is really shifting in the numbers required to make anything a go of it so they'll keep adding adverts and dropping prices until there just isn't a point anymore.

Music, sport, celebrity is out of date before it's been printed. They can't even give them away.

[RientO]

I have had some subscriptions to Total Film, Empire, Classic Rock and Mojo as £5 trials in last few months but always cancel before I pay full whack. Understand why magazines are dying as internet is more immediate. Similar with newspapers. Only ones I read are free. Next to no value in the printed word these days.

[Tent Keague]

I have had some subscriptions to Total Film, Empire, Classic Rock and Mojo as £5 trials in last few months but always cancel before I pay full whack. Understand why magazines are dying as internet is more immediate. Similar with newspapers. Only ones I read are free. Next to no value in the printed word these days.

Good point. At the start of lockdown there was massive surge in subscriptions. But now they're all being cancelled.

[Thor]

Used to subscribe to BMW Car and Total BMW and I’ve hundreds of them. Still get Too Gear and Auto Express. Down the years I’ve had private eye, new scientist, the economist.

[BIGRON]

I subscribe to the monthly mag Improve Your Coarse Fishing , ........No it's hasn't improved my fishing I still catch tiddlers

And of course Pandemonium

[johnko]

I subscribed and had delivered Trout Fisherman for over 10 years. It covered still water (lakes) fishing for trout. The publishers decided to merge it with Salmon Fishing and said how good it would be.
Really good news. I live in Suffolk, the only salmon round here are tins leaping off the local co-op shelves

[greyhound]

used to by all angling papers and magazines until they out priced themself.
some of the magazines went up to £3 50.

[aylesburyos]

Have got subscriptions to World Soccer & the Cricketer & have had for years. Both have lots of stuff not found online. Still prefer the paper versions

[EH16]

The production, transport and recycling have an impact.

As do the materials necessary to produce the machinery to create digital copies as well as the materials used to create the digital device you read it on. To say nothing of the often non recyclable nature of many digital devices. I'd need to see a full cost analysis before being convinced digital is greener.

[EH16]

Greener? Nah, mags all get recycled. Cheaper? Maybe so but, personally, I'm happy to pay a bit more to get them in my preferred format.

The mantra is reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce is the best option. Recycling though great consumes a huge amount of energy and sometimes chemicals.

What about the chemicals and other materials used in creating digital devices?

[EH16]

The missus works in this industry for a big firm.
In short the industry is f*cked and been in decline for the last 25 years.

The only things that sell these days (and nowhere near the numbers you'd expect) are the really niche titles.

Homes and gardens and stuff like that hold their own and decorating stuff goes in cycles.

Adult (not nude, just more tricky to do) colouring books had a spell about a year ago.

Kids things and the old dears quiz books still shift.

But overall nothing is really shifting in the numbers required to make anything a go of it so they'll keep adding adverts and dropping prices until there just isn't a point anymore.

Music, sport, celebrity is out of date before it's been printed. They can't even give them away.

I don't primarily but the mags I subscribe to for the news value. Mojo especially, you get more in depth commentary than is available on the net as well as new things you might like being brought to your attention. With regard to WSC you often get a different perspective on football issues so happy to continue with them.

[Long slender neck]

The production, transport and recycling have an impact.

As do the materials necessary to produce the machinery to create digital copies as well as the materials used to create the digital device you read it on. To say nothing of the often non recyclable nature of many digital devices. I'd need to see a full cost analysis before being convinced digital is greener.

I suspect your print copy is made using the same computers. You obviously already own a digital device seeing as you can access this forum.

[mildandbitter]

I bought loads of magazines over the years. Music, football and guitar mainly. Now I pay for the Readly app. 7.99 a month and they're all there on your phone or tablet or whatever.

[EH16]

The production, transport and recycling have an impact.

As do the materials necessary to produce the machinery to create digital copies as well as the materials used to create the digital device you read it on. To say nothing of the often non recyclable nature of many digital devices. I'd need to see a full cost analysis before being convinced digital is greener.

I suspect your print copy is made using the same computers. You obviously already own a digital device seeing as you can access this forum.

I doubt print copies are produced in the same way as digital. As to owning a digital device, again you don't drill down far enough, for example what's the usage of power if I read it online as opposed to zero consumption of energy reading a paper copy?

[Long slender neck]

Why do you doubt it? It's the same magazine.

For both sides there are numerous steps that would impact on the environment. But I think digital comes out on top still.

Print- produce paper, ink, printing, transport of materials and final product. Recycling/disposal

Digital- energy consumption of server that hosts magazine, energy consumption for client device.

[EH16]

Why do you doubt it? It's the same magazine.

For both sides there are numerous steps that would impact on the environment. But I think digital comes out on top still.

Print- produce paper, ink, printing, transport of materials and final product. Recycling/disposal

Digital- energy consumption of server that hosts magazine, energy consumption for client device.

Well, for a start print copies are actually printed. Text may be the same but the production process will be different. Anyway, still not convinced so best leave it there.

[Long slender neck]

I was referring to how it is written

[EH16]

I wasn't.

[KC & sunshine band]

only for me gun

[cymruO]

I've been subscribing to a magazine from the USA since 1991 - America's Civil War. There have been other subs but only this one remains. 30 years of this magazine and a lot of other study has convinced me that all most Americans know about their history is sound bytes from the voice that matters most at the time.