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Do you think there would be interest in...
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...a magazine dedicated to modern vintage (i.e. 1951-1979)?
Lee's suggestion on my Topps Mexican thread that I write an article about the set got me thinking about the fact that there is not really a magazine that focuses on this era. Old Cardboard focuses on pre-1950, and lots of magazines focus on modern (i.e. post-1980), but there isn't really anything out there that focuses on "modern vintage".
Now I know next to nothing about magazine publishing, but it seems that given all the test and regional issues that were released during this time period, as well as the variety of sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, boxing, golf, soccer, multi-sport) and manufacturers, that there would be no shortage of potential interesting topics.
In the back of my head, I've always wanted to write about the sets/players I collect, and I'm sure that there are many other people who do too.
So do you guys think that:
a) there would be a market for such a magazine
b) that such a magazine could be published profitably
Thoughts?
Matt
Lee's suggestion on my Topps Mexican thread that I write an article about the set got me thinking about the fact that there is not really a magazine that focuses on this era. Old Cardboard focuses on pre-1950, and lots of magazines focus on modern (i.e. post-1980), but there isn't really anything out there that focuses on "modern vintage".
Now I know next to nothing about magazine publishing, but it seems that given all the test and regional issues that were released during this time period, as well as the variety of sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, boxing, golf, soccer, multi-sport) and manufacturers, that there would be no shortage of potential interesting topics.
In the back of my head, I've always wanted to write about the sets/players I collect, and I'm sure that there are many other people who do too.
So do you guys think that:
a) there would be a market for such a magazine
b) that such a magazine could be published profitably
Thoughts?
Matt
0
Comments
Steve
They publish a lot of magazines, to be certain, but as far as I can tell they do not publish a multi-sport one devoted specifically to this era.
A typical issue of the type of magazine I'm pondering would include two or three set profiles from different sports, a couple of collector profiles, maybe a player profile, and an interview or two with people from the industry, past and present. Think feature-length articles like the ones that appear one per issue in SMR, except six or seven of them per issue and no price guide.
A typical article lineup might be:
1961 Fleer Basketball
1971 Kellogg's Baseball
Sportcasters
1968 Topps Football Team Cards & Patches
Player profile of Roberto Clemente
Interview with collector
Interview with someone who designed cards for Topps in the 50's
Whaddya think?
Matt
Matt
Just a plug.
Beckett is notorious for leaving us out.
Or Regional Canadian Baseball Issues?
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Wouldn't you run out of topics eventually? It's easy with something like beckett where you have new players and products coming out monthly. However, with vintage everything is said and done and after some time, you'd probably end up repeating sets, years, players, etc.
It would make an awesome e-zine though. Distribution and production costs are so much lower that I expect selling ads would be sufficient to support it and maybe even turn a reasonable profit.
Nick
Reap the whirlwind.
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Given the number of sets that were produced by the various manfacturers during that 30-year period, I think that it would take 5-6 years before you ran out of topics. With that long a lag, you would have new readership and could begin to repeat topics. Just between Topps & OPC you've probably got 100+ sets when you include all the test issues and sports.
Nick,
Agree that the start-up process would be the most challenging aspect. Defintely would plan on having a website/e-zine, like Old Cardboard does. However given the type of potential demographic that such a magazine would attract (older with $$$ to spend), I would think that all the auction houses and dealers who specialize in Vintage (and advertise in Beckett & SMR) would be interested. Would have to offer low ad rates initially while building a subscriber base.
The voice of experience is speaking to you.
The only thing harder than trying to start a restaurant that will last six-months,
is trying to start a magazine that will last three-months.
Start a website, instead. Click-ads will pay for it.
<< <i>The problem with such a magazine nowadays is in getting sufficient ad revenue. SCD et al. have suffered greatly from the internet proving a more advantageous place for most advertisers, and getting dealers, auction houses, etc. to fork over substantial sums to buy ads in something starting off with no subscription base. >>
There's always Coach's Corner...
All I know is that since I collect a lot of the test issues I'm interested in it, but I don't know if anybody else is.
More than a magazine, what I really have always wanted to do is to develop a website with a well-researched article about every single set (regular/test/regional) from the big four sports (baseball/football/basketball/hockey) from 1951 to 1979.
Would people be interested in collaborating on such a project?
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Bear in mind that Beckett Hockey is the only mag I can get on the shelf, so I don't know what's out there.
The reason I'd want to focus on modern vintage is because:
a) it's what I collect and am knowledgable about
b) there already is a magazine/website for the pre-Topps era, Old Cardboard