Keeping past SU/CTMH catalogs and mags??

[mobrien207]

Do you keep your old catalogs from SU or CTMH? For how long? How about magazines, especially those that are no longer with us? I have the whole series of scrapbook answers and probably 5 years of SU/CTMH catalogs. Among lots of other mags.

I organize them in magazine holders, but I don't really have the room to store them. I hate to part with them, but I don't find myself using them either. I wish I had the time to photograph and organize them like MsDixie is organizing her stamp inventory, but I don't.

I'm conflicted about storing them in the attic until I have time to do something constructive with them or giving them away to a school/day care.
MOB

[jeanstamping2]

I have a nice collection of magazines. I keep them stored above my stamping desk.

There is only 100 of them. I've only kept the ones I really LOVE.


As for Catalogs. I have almost all of the Stampin' Up! ones. Well from 2005 and up.


I keep them neatly in a file box that I made. And then look through them from time to time.


Close to my heart I only have 1 catalog


Other catalogs. From Companies no longer in business. I've recycled.

[red hat mary]

Magazines are also something I hate to part with. Mine are stored in stacks by season (winter, spring, etc) on a shelf. I love looking back through them but rarely have time. Wish I could cut out what I want and pitch the rest but I can't bare to cut them!!!

[crafterinnc]

I went through and got rid of a lot of my magazines, just kept some. If there was an article I really liked, I tore out the page, although it is pretty rare that I actually go through those pages. I have a few catalogs, and keep trying to get rid of more of those.

[Oddesigns]

I have all of the SU catalogs from the past 10+ years. I don't use them often so I'm thinking about moving them into a more remote location to clear up some space on the shelf near my desk. I won't consider getting rid of them. I may move them next to the mags I've stored in magazine holders in my office, which is next to my stamp room.

[contrapat]

I have old SU catalogs in an open top box, next to my computer desk. I'm a Ebayer, so I like using them as reference. Unfortunately (for my wallet!) I have found many older sets in them, which I then had to pursue on Ebay, lol! I've even bought the older catalogs on Ebay.

[neece]

I think it's fun to look through old mags & catty's, and they're good for reference.

If you decide to get rid of them, why not ebay the Scrapbook Answers mags in lots by quarter or by year. I haven't checked lately but they were selling on there last year.

Maybe you could try selling the catalogues too. You know what they say, one person's trash is someone else's treasure.

If you keep them, I vote for putting them in the attic since you said you don't have the room in your living space.

[NWstamper]

I keep old catalogs (I have a couple CTMH and lots of SU). I still pull out old catalogs when I'm trying to come up with a card or scrapbook page. Even if the stamp images or papers are outdated, I often see design ideas or layouts that are perfect to use with my current stuff.

Magazine I don't hold onto as much. I'm more inclined to rip out pages/pictures of projects that interest me and put them into a 3-ring binder and not keep the other ads/article/pictures that don't interest me.

If you are conflicted, I'd say hold on to them in the attic and after a while, pull them out and flip through them. If they inspire you then, keep them! If not, then think about donating them.

[craftyteaspoon]

Magazines: I cut out the pictures of cards or projects I like and have them glued into composition notebooks by catagory so I can just look at all the Get Well cards or whatever.
SU Catalogs: I only have 3 and I wish I could bring myself to get rid of them! I just can't seem to recycle them or even cut them up.

[happy-stamper]

This past winter I went thru some of my older magazines. I sticky-noted the pages that had cards or techniques I was still interested in (usually 6 - 8 things per issue) in ONE issue or catalog and then I used the inspiration for 1 or 2 cards. If I just couldn't make something from one of the marked items, I just figured it was a lost cause and moved on. That magazine then went into the garage sale box. Only then did I let myself move on to the next issue. It helped me get rid of some without too many "what if"s.

Of course I'm still accumulating magazines quicker than I'm clearing them out....

[ceramicat1]

So far I've kept (and bought) old SU catalogs. I'm also an EBay buyer so I have used them. I'll probably keep at least one copy of each catalog forever. Magazines I haven't gotten rid of yet, but once I get to sorting them I am sure some will go.

[craftyteaspoon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy-stamper

... That magazine then went into the garage sale box. ....

People buy magazines at garage sales??? I NEVER thought of that! Maybe I should stop recycling them and make a pile to see if I can sell them.

[Panda Bear]

I have kept all of my SU catalogs....I sometimes use them for ideas for older sets that I have. I have also used them to catalog my SU sets with the price paid for them. This is both for my insurance inventory,and just in case I want to sell my sets, or to find out what sets originally cost in the event I want to buy from Ebay.

[Allisa]

I keep all of my catalogs....but have finally managed to part ways with my magazine collection. I had all of CK from the very first issue, not to mention a few others. When things got cramped in my scrap space......they were finally given a new home. I have found I do not miss them. I do still use my catalogs from time to time to research old sets, so I keep those around.

[STAMPTAYLOR]

I just cleaned out seventeen years of magazines, Taste of Home, Cooking Light, Southern Living, and several others. Clearing the space was fantastic. I just took the book, clipped out what I wantd, then threw it in a crate. I found spiral notebooks, used label punch, sorted out recipes, decorating ideas, exercise, Christmas. I have not started on SU yet, but have another notebook for it. Three shelves in our guest house cleaned out, hubby was so glad.

[goodlicorice]

I was keeping at least one copy of each SU catalog since I first discovered the company (I think the oldest was from 1998!), until a friend came and helped me clean out my incredibly messy and cluttered craft space. She, the voice of reason, questioned why I'd even need some of the older catalogs. At first, I was shocked she'd even suggest getting rid of them, but then I finally realized she was right. We looked through them one last time, laughed a little, and pitched 'em (in my recycling bin). If I really need info about a stamp set, I figure I can come here and ask, no need to hang on to old, dusty, dated catalogs just in case.

Oh, and I wondered if I should try giving them away or selling them, but decided it really wasn't worth the time or effort to me.

If you don't have the space, and aren't completely attached to them, it's probably time to part with them.

[Jana Z]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crafterinnc

I went through and got rid of a lot of my magazines, just kept some. If there was an article I really liked, I tore out the page, although it is pretty rare that I actually go through those pages. I have a few catalogs, and keep trying to get rid of more of those.

This was what I did too. I did keep some (Paper Crafts, Simply Scrapbooking and some special edition ones), but it felt great to purge. There is so much out there now for ideas (here, blogs, websites) that I found I wasn't using them much, and I haven't missed them.

[pbft]

I haven't been able to let go of the catalogs yet. In fact, I referenced my old SU catalogs recently when I started a big project of loading all my stamps into a database. My magazines were sorted and purged a few months ago. I looked through any that were over a year or two old. If they didn't have a really good article or several inspirational ideas, I put them in a stack and gave them to my mom. When she was done with them, she passed them on to a stamping group at her church. Old magazines - the gift that just keeps giving! lol

[Aaronne]

Cut what I want from magazines and catalogs and put them in my version of a smash book.

[RJP111]

I got rid of my magazines a couple of years ago; don't miss them at all. I will not part with my SU or CTMH catalogs, though.

They are not really organized - most are in a box and the others are on a shelf in my craft room closet.

[Cathy H]

Magazines - don't really enjoy them as much as before I found SCS but still get them and even subscribe to 2. I only keep 3 years worth of any magazine though. So when I get my July 2012 issue, I read it, then I read the July 2009 - 2011 issues (kind of breeze through them BUT if there is anything worth keeping in the 2009 issue, I tear it out and file it away before tossing (or giving away) the 2009 issue. This way they don't pile up. I have limited space.

Catalogs - need to purge. Have some old ones - don't need them very often. Maybe soon. . . .

[Cartermrc]

I too have limited space so don't save more than a year of magazines and no old catalogs. I'll go through them and save projects I like, but those are few. With catalogs I figure most of the contents are longer available and the prices are out of date-I don't need to be reminded of how much the cost of all this stuff keeps rising.

[stampersim]

yes, I absolutely keep every single SU catalog. I keep them in a bookcase that I have inside my closet. I also keep 1 of each mini catalog, SAB catalog, etc. and I keep those all inside of a photo storage box (love those boxes ... i have a ton of white ones that I keep on my shelves to store all kinds of things ... paper scraps, ribbon scraps, misc. crafty things, etc.) and they look very neat and tidy. I used to have a ton of stamp magazines but I threw those all out last year as I ran out of room. I was weighing them as I recycled and I think I got up to something like 68 pounds. It felt good to purge so much !!!

[stampersim]

I also threw out a ton of old SU catalogs (extras that I had bought for customers and had too many) . I couldn't GIVE them away . No one wanted them ... and those that did (they were free) didn't want to pay to have them shipped. So I trashed them.

[Allistamps123]

I keep my SU catalogs. It's so fun to go down memory lane and look at past years! Mine go back about six years. I've never used the catalog for inspiration, but there's lots there if I ever wanted to!

I don't buy card magazines.

[vdoyle8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobrien207

Do you keep your old catalogs from SU or CTMH? For how long? How about magazines, especially those that are no longer with us? I have the whole series of scrapbook answers and probably 5 years of SU/CTMH catalogs. Among lots of other mags.

I organize them in magazine holders, but I don't really have the room to store them. I hate to part with them, but I don't find myself using them either. I wish I had the time to photograph and organize them like MsDixie is organizing her stamp inventory, but I don't.

I'm conflicted about storing them in the attic until I have time to do something constructive with them or giving them away to a school/day care.
MOB

I, too, had a pretty large stash of reference magazines & catalogs. I found that my style - and the craft - had changed over the years and the older publications were really no longer useful. I donated them to a local senior citizen craft group. It felt great to clean out!

[LaLatty]

I have all the SU catalogs from 1996 to present and I'm a pretty sure I have all the minis in between and honestly the only time I use them is to look up things for people here

[bluesh4rk]

I keep the catalogs, have the Stampin' Up! catalogs from like 1998 or so and on. I also keep any CTMH or TAC or CM catties. I recently started going through all the mags though and just rip out the stuff that I like or want to reference later. I'm planning on organizing it by theme in a three ring binder. Though I made the mistake of stapling everything and that adds too much bulk so I may have to remove all those staples!

[caostampin]

I keep all of the SU catalogs as well and have them spiral bound with covers. This way I can use them as a reference tool and they won't be damaged as much.

I have a subscription to Cards magazine and keep those in my bookcase. Other magazines I clip out articles/layouts and out them into an idea notebook.

[LindaBabe]

I would LOVE to get my hands on some old SU catalogues! You can bet I DO save the ones I have, and use them too.

My back issues live in magazine holders on a shelf in my book case. I also have a clips file box. I sort and purge about once a year. There aren't too many recent issues in it - i haven't been impressed with the latest issues of any of the few remaining magazines. My older issues of Paper Kuts and Simple Scrapbooks though, still have a lot of relevance to my style.

[Joan B]

No, I used to but found that I never referenced them, so I stopped saving them.

[jent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaLatty

I have all the SU catalogs from 1996 to present and I'm a pretty sure I have all the minis in between and honestly the only time I use them is to look up things for people here

My collection of catalog is like yours, plus one or two years earlier. Seems like once or twice through the winter I will look at some of the older ones. It's fun to see how much our beloved craft has changed and grown!

Janice

[gramofsam]

I got rud of all old catalogs and magazines. Space is too valuable for usable supplies. I reference Internet for ideas. Love all that extra storage!

[STYXROCKSME]

I keep SU catalogs. For paper crafts, I take out the pages I like the most. I would never part with Scrap and Stamp mags or the UK crafts mags. The UK magazines are so pretty and have great ideas. Wish the USA would make magazines like that.

[SweetMissDaisy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftyteaspoon

People buy magazines at garage sales??? I NEVER thought of that! Maybe I should stop recycling them and make a pile to see if I can sell them.

You can even sell them on ebay.

[stampencamper]

I used to sell magazines on ebay, but when figuring in shipping it gets expensive and has been hard to sell them. I no longer even look at magazines in the store. I just save favorite blogs to a google reader and pinterest; and it's like having the magazines without the cost and advertising. Haven't missed them. the old magazines, didn't even sell at a garage sale. I am trying donations to thrift store for craft magazines and a tax write off for donaion.

[RosieLP]

I kept years worth of SU catalogs until just a few weeks ago. I went through all the catalogs and ripped out the pages of the stamp sets that I'll look to buy through ebay or here and then tossed the rest out. I'm not a packrat with anything else so for me getting rid of the old catalogs was long overdue.

[auntyelaine]

I love craft magazines and keep them for a while and then have a giant cleanout - I'm in the throes of doing it at the moment.

I have donated stacks to a friend who works at a school and the kids love them. I know they do cut them up for different things, but I don't want them anymore so they can do what they like.

I have also donated heaps to my local Ronald McDonald House to put in their craft room - even the older ones are most appreciated. They let the families take them home if they wish.

[ieajudy]

I just moved and I got rid of all my SU and CTMH catalogs plus almost all my scrapbook, card, and cross stitch magazines. I emptied 3 file cabinet drawers and 3 bookshelves. So far, I haven't missed any of them as I hadn't looked at most of them in years. Goodwill received them all plus a few more carloads of "stuff". Yes, I was a bit of a pack rat and paid for it dearly when it came time to move. Two months after the move and I still have boxes everywhere and my car can't get into the garage. More "stuff" has to go. And I gave away a ton of scrapbooking supplies to friends and a local elementary school. It has been quite liberating.

[Retired Nancy]

Thank you all for the inspirations! I am a pack rat, but at my age and with my arthritis, I can't do the heavy lifting anymore. I have half my magazines cleaned out to donate to my public library for their sales. I have kept all my SU catalogs and minis, which I have strung on giant rings to hang on hooks in the closet. The catalogs, all since 1999, with available supplies lists, are all spiral bound and in magazine holders on my bookcase. Now I just have to do a little each day to purge the rest of my mags. Dear husband has the strength to carry bags to the car for me! It's hard parting with so many old friends, but I am resolved to stop saving everything. We plan to downgrade in size of home and property in about seven years and I hate moving! Nancy B