record collecting magazine archives

buckeyebeat

Tennalaga Class
Joined
Apr 24, 2011
I've decided to get rid of all my record collecting related material, primarily record collecting magazines - Goldmine, Discoveries, and a few short lived castoffs (anyone remember RPM from the 1980s?).

It would be nice to have this material preserved somehow. I would like to have them scanned and digitized like other publications (Billboard) that have been digitized and made available. Unless someone has a LOT of free time I would suggest that a some kind of business be used. So, that would require money - I'm willing to spend a little but not going to pay for the whole thing.

So, is anyone else interested in this? One idea I had was to create a crowdfunding account, say if 50 people paid $$$ than each of them would get the digitized collection to use. Certainly not the only idea, though, and I would rather a different idea be used.

Better yet would be "That's already done, or in process"

Oh, if anyone wants to get the 'zines from me, let me know.
 
I'd go in on the crowdfunding account or contribute to a similar venture.
(I won't bring up the k-word though.)

And I do remember RPM. If I recall, issues just started showing up in my mailbox for free; I never subscribed.
 
I'd be interested in the crowd funding route. I've already scanned all the RPM issues, but only the articles that were of specific interest to me...
 
That'd be a good use of crowdfunding I think! My interest is pretty much limited to 60s magazines so I wouldn't be that into your area (although I used to get Goldmine off and on).

I wonder if anyone would want to start something for the 60s mags? Some of them can be a bit pricey. I have complete runs of Beat Monthly/Instrumental and Rave up to late 60s or very early 70s, and the first few years of Hullaballoo, also loads of '60s Pop Weekly, Teen Beat (U.K.), Cheetah, Teen Screen, Hit Parader, Big Beat (not as many of them as I'd like), various Annuals and 60s fashion for men and women (Petticoat had a lot of Pop content)... just when I started getting heavy into this stuff my nice large flatbed scanner developed a fault where the edges come out dark yellow and distorts colours... I haven't been able to fix it either. :^( I have scanned selected articles and covers anyway, but could make entire issues of mags into pdfs with 'cute writer pdf' program.
 
I wouldn't mind scanning some selected thing from GM/Discoveries - however, they use a page size (forgot the technical term) that is much larger than standard consumer scanners, which at the most handle 11x17. RPM used 81/2x11 and most of the 60s mags and 70s/80s fanzines were the same while the UK/Euro used the A4 (I think that is the size) which is very close. Other than effort, the size is the problem. Even "the worlds largest engineering company" where I work doesn't have scanners with the capability.

Along with the articles and columns, I wanted to scan/preserve the record ads.

Anyone seen scans/PDFs of Rock Marketplace? That would be worthwhile....
 
I've found pdfs of early Ugly Things, KRLA Beat, San Fran Oracle, and of course Mojo Navigator. Used to have some Bomps and one of the Cream Puff War zines until I got the actual ones.

Anything above standard page size (U.S.or U.K) is a two or more part scan for me, so those tabloid/old Life or Saturday Evening Post sizes would qualify. The Pop Weekly and early Beat Monthly are National Geographic or comic book sized, they're easy scans, and Teen Beat was even smaller, as was Derek Jacobs' DJ magazine.
 
I picked up about 100 late 50s and early 60s mags like TV Radio Mirror, Movie Mirror, Teens, Teens Today, True Experience, Screen Stories, and a few Dig. Do have any interest in these?
 
I wouldn't mind scanning some selected thing from GM/Discoveries - however, they use a page size (forgot the technical term) that is much larger than standard consumer scanners, which at the most handle 11x17. RPM used 81/2x11 and most of the 60s mags and 70s/80s fanzines were the same while the UK/Euro used the A4 (I think that is the size) which is very close. Other than effort, the size is the problem. Even "the worlds largest engineering company" where I work doesn't have scanners with the capability.

Along with the articles and columns, I wanted to scan/preserve the record ads.

Anyone seen scans/PDFs of Rock Marketplace? That would be worthwhile....
Rather than scanning, I would use a modern high resolution digital camera that has manual controls. Set up a copystand arrangement with even lighting and you can copy any page size you like, faster than a scanner. The camera files can be processed and the saved as jpegs or pdfs. A DIY copystand should be reasonably easy to make if you don't have a proper one. Basically a stand that can hold the camera looking straight down and even light from both sides.
 

Off topic, but... I got banned from waxidermy (some Michael Jackson fanatic with powers gave the reason as 'u mad'. I said James Brown was doing the 'moonwalk' first, oops) so kind of funny there would be 'punk' rock info and posts there. :wtf:

Thanks for that second link!

I'm not sure if I get Dig and Flip confused sometimes. The U.S. teenybopper celeb mags are kind of another category (16, Tiger Beat). I'm never sure about any info printed in those things as being true, and not a whole lot about music really for geeks. The old Go newspapers seem a bit more worthwhile.
 
Thanks a lot for the idea. I don't know how to implement the specifics but I can appreciate how simple it would be to set up a jig and start turning pages and shooting, a lot easier that waiting for a scan, I have some acquaintances that can advise me on this.

I have no interest in 1960s teen/pop mags. I'm really tired of looking at 1960s pop culture ephemera.

Rather than scanning, I would use a modern high resolution digital camera that has manual controls. Set up a copystand arrangement with even lighting and you can copy any page size you like, faster than a scanner. The camera files can be processed and the saved as jpegs or pdfs. A DIY copystand should be reasonably easy to make if you don't have a proper one. Basically a stand that can hold the camera looking straight down and even light from both sides.
 
having a site for 60s teen mags would be rad! people often forget that there were some quality rags out there, like HIT PARADER or FLIP. and even with the big ones, you'll find your odd, never-seen-before stones/beatles/raiders pic in any issue.
 
I have more Goldmine and Discoveries than I have room to keep. If anyone one wants some, I can ship them to you for the cost of the media mail postage, nothing extra, starting with some 2004-2006 issues and continuing as I work backwards. They're in very nice shape with few exceptions.
 
I'll make an offer. I have published nine books using old artifacts and fan magazines as the source for the content. You can find them on Amazon as Beach Boys Archives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 and Jan & Dean Archives 1, 2 and 3. I would be willing to scan old teen magazines in super high resolution and can scan anything up to tabloid format (13" x 19") in a single scan. I have two books on the Monkees in progress and have the entire run of KRLA Beat I am working with now. Would love to find Beatles Monthly and Monkees Monthly. I did get rid of most of my materials for space reasons as well.

I will give the person who sends the materials to me a copy of all of the files in jpg or pdf format. If I do prep them for printed books, I would send you a copy of the resulting printed book.

I'll pay for shipping if you send ground from within the U. S. Just two things: if you want the materials back, you have to pay the return shipping, otherwise I would just dispose of them. The scanning takes a huge amount of time (it is all manual, one scan at a time) so you have to be patient as I fit it around my other life events and responsibilities. I would do 50s, 60s and 70s mags and stuff that are related to music. Flip, Tiger Beat, Fave, Sounds, Cash Box, NME, Record Mirror, Sounds etc etc.

Chas, I would probably be interested in the Goldmine and Discoveries as well but I can promise you that I would not scan the ads, only the articles. All other fan mags I would scan everything, including ads.

If interested, write me at [email protected] so we can exchange phone numbers and talk on the phone to arrange things. I like the idea of an archive of the fan magzines.
 
Rather than scanning, I would use a modern high resolution digital camera that has manual controls. Set up a copystand arrangement with even lighting and you can copy any page size you like, faster than a scanner. The camera files can be processed and the saved as jpegs or pdfs. A DIY copystand should be reasonably easy to make if you don't have a proper one. Basically a stand that can hold the camera looking straight down and even light from both sides.

A camera will typically give you a blurry image for text