I Still Read Glossy Print Magazines. But Only For Free in My Local Barnes and Noble.

by Andrew Meyer on June 28, 2008

Magazines don’t arrive in my mailbox (aka snail mail) anymore. RSS feeds, blogs and online versions of traditional magazines have quenched my thirst for wanting print magazines delivered to my front door.

But, don’t get me wrong. I still love print magazine gloss flipping through my fingers. It just doesn’t get delivered to my mailbox.

barnes and noble santa rosaWhen I get a hankering for some glossy print reading action I walk a couple blocks over to a Barnes and Noble near my apartment and head straight to the magazine section.

I do this every two weeks or so. I hold court in the magazine section and flip through print magazines soaking up their shiny, squeaky clean features. When I get my fill I walk back to my apartment not having spent a penny. It’s a solid routine.

Whenever I do this little routine I always come across a really good article, but have no way easy way to share it, bookmark it, etc. If the article is really good I pull out my iPhone and take a picture of the article so I can find it later online (Or, write a post on it).

Do you have print magazines delivered to your front door or do you just browse them occasionally in your local bookstore, supermarket, etc?

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been really interested in personal trends bullshit lately.

  • I have drastically reduced my subscription print content. I've cancelled 5 print mags in the past 2 years and just this month I cancelled my local newspaper edition. I decided that I only needed a headlines feed and 3 comics feed to replace it and I was weary of the recycling headache.

    I will say there are a couple magazines that are worth their pulp format. The first is Wired! Magazine. It is a stunning print mag that I gladly pay for the enjoyment. I still subscribe to Esquire but as they continue down the road of celeb worship I wonder how long I'll maintain my subscription.

    RSS is simply one of the most efficient and productive technologies I've implemented in my life. I don't see why more don't readily adopt it.
  • You're right. RSS has really made me an efficient and productive news consumer. Almost too productive. Sometimes I stuff my mind with so many feeds in the morning that it makes me feel like I just finished a Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Michael Murtaugh
    During my heyday I was subscribing to the following magazines.

    One, Be-Mag, Communication Arts, Print, How, National Geographic, and Lenswork.

    I am letting go or already have National Geographic, CA, Print and How. I'm keeping One and Be-mag because they are the only two magazines of an industry I really like to keep up on (rollerblading). Lenswork has wonderful reproductions, no advertisements, and recently pulled all their magazines off the shelves because of the enormous waste involved in that process.

    Right next to where I work (Apple store in a mall) I have a boarders albeit the handy "express" version which I visit on my break along with the occasional jaunt to FYE to listen to music. As your post notes its just to easy to find rich content online to justify buying magazines at 4.99 a pop that you will just throw in the trash or in your bookshelf.

    I wouldn't mind subscribing to a few other magazines. I think a lot of them are offering super cheap one year deals. Others are just way to expensive for my current budget. RIP print.
  • Yeah my last subscription (The Believer) just ended.

    The Barnes and Noble I use to fondle magazines for free doesn't have enough chairs near the mag section so I have to stand up in that awkward reading-while-standing-up position and my neck gets really sore. I take the pain because I still got to get me some fresh print in my fingers.

    As for all print dying... Print books > Kindle.
  • tuftsmania
    i do this exact thing, except i use a 3,500$ canon to take the pictures.

    tufts vs cits: we go all the way every day.
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