Old Cardboard Magazine - $20 lifetime subscription

[slidekellyslide]

Anyone else notice that Old Cardboard is offering a lifetime subscription for 20 bucks? I have heard they are going to one issue a year though with the thoughts they will do it at least 10 more years. Sounds like a good deal to me.

[jcmtiger]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Anyone else notice that Old Cardboard is offering a lifetime subscription for 20 bucks? I have heard they are going to one issue a year though with the thoughts they will do it at least 10 more years. Sounds like a good deal to me.

I don't know, I think there might be problems.

Of course $20.00 bucks is not going to break anyone.

Joe

[bdk1976]

I'm tempted, but I've been burned before by similar deal in a couple of my other hobbies (i.e. $40 for two year sub for a high end magazine and received 1 or 2 issues before it folded).

[gnaz01]

IDK, but I bought it. Great deal and faith in the Hardeman's.

[MVSNYC]

They also have a "power pack" deal, $160 for all 31 past issues and all future issues. I got this package. Can't wait to get them.

[Rich Klein]

Print is not a profitable venture but for the work they do on their web site, this is an investment worth making.

Figure you are paying to keep their website going with their great checklists and images, not for the magazine and I think you'll feel better

Rich

[Leon]

I spoke with Lyman last week. He is doing fine and as Rich says, printing is not very profitable nowadays. I think they are in it for quite a few more years. They will be at the National this year and Lyman is my back up speaker in case any of the others can't make the Dinner....

If any of ya'll know Lyman you know he is not taking money while thinking he might not do this for quite a while longer. You can feel safe that your $20 will be well spent.

[brass_rat]

I agree with what Rich said.

I made the $20 purchase thinking that I have already gotten a lot out of their work, and if this is what it takes to potentially keep it going, I'll pay it for the value that I have, and will, receive.

Best regards,
Steve

[darwinbulldog]

They kept sending my issues to the wrong address after a move seven and a half years ago. This was particularly disappointing as it was a birthday gift from my wife, and we had very little money in those days. I contacted them expecting to receive an apology and the back issues. Instead I received this generous offer (copied from the 2008 email):

If you renew for two years ($47.50) in the next week we will send you the last several issues you missed complimentary of OC (please let us know which issues). Please include a copy of this correspondence in your order, or if using PayPal send a reply email once you have done so and we will take care of you.

Regards,
Brett

I declined. All of these are just statements of fact, but if I need to put my name by them, fine.

[Al C.risafulli]

As someone who has been the publisher of a hobby magazine in the past (Collector Magazine), I can tell you that you're almost guaranteed to lose money with each issue; it's SO hard to sell enough advertising and subscriptions to cover the printing and postage costs.

Brett and Lyman have done so much for the hobby, and I use their awesome website (which is free) almost every day. I'd have no problem ponying up $20 even if I never saw another print issue; for a publication that was eight well-spent dollars anyway, $20 is nothing for a lifetime subscription, even if "lifetime" were to only constitute one more issue.

-Al

[sycks22]

sign me up. Love those magazines.

[Orioles1954]

Their website is now down.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

Their website is now down.

I just spoke with Lyman. They are unaware of it being down and he is looking into it now. It was up earlier today.

[MVSNYC]

Probably crashed due to everyone getting subscriptions.

As mentioned, I'm psyched to get all 31 past issues...

[freakhappy]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

Probably crashed due to everyone getting subscriptions.

As mentioned, I'm psyched to get all 31 past issues...

You should be, Mike...a lot of great info in there, not to mention several Net54 members that contributed in many issues. My favorite is the collector's dugout section...love it!

[lhardem]

First, Brett and I want to thank you all for the many very positive comments of support above. It is much appreciated. We can now report that the Old Cardboard website is back up. Thanks for your patience.

I would also like to clarify the status of Old Cardboard magazine and our intent going forward:

Brett and I started OC Magazine in 2004. It was primarily a "retirement project" for myself and Brett agreed to help in handling some of the important but perhaps less rewarding administrative aspects of the endeavor. As vintage collectors, we have always viewed this project more as an extension of our hobby than as a profitable business (I have always joked that it is only profitable if we figure our time at less that 50 cents per hour, but unfortunately that is true). Nevertheless, we are now preparing Magazine Issue #32 for distribution in several weeks.

Quite honestly, I am as surprised (and gratified) as anyone that with your support we have been able to continue now for more than ten years. Health permitting, we intend to continue indefinitely as long as we receive the overwhelming support that we have enjoyed to date from our authors, subscribers and advertisers.

We also plan to continue our free monthly eNewsletter (this month will mark the 131st consecutive monthly issue) and we will continue to expand an already massive website of vintage material at www.oldcardboard.com (also free).

I don't think that we have posted it here on Net54, but we now offer a lifetime subscription to the magazine for just $20 (in effect, it's now free too). If you are not already subscribed, I have no reservation in saying that you should be. And if you want your subscription to start with the current issue (Issue #31), do it soon! To subscribe, go to www.oldcardboard.com/subscriptions.asp.

Again, we sincerely appreciate all of your support.

Happy Collecting,
Brett and Lyman

[toppcat]

I just lifetime subbed-dealio...

[Jason]

I am too. I got a few of the back issues I wanted not to long ago and look forward to the new one coming soon.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

As someone who has been the publisher of a hobby magazine in the past (Collector Magazine), I can tell you that you're almost guaranteed to lose money with each issue; it's SO hard to sell enough advertising and subscriptions to cover the printing and postage costs.



Brett and Lyman have done so much for the hobby, and I use their awesome website (which is free) almost every day. I'd have no problem ponying up $20 even if I never saw another print issue; for a publication that was eight well-spent dollars anyway, $20 is nothing for a lifetime subscription, even if "lifetime" were to only constitute one more issue.



-Al

Amen. I ponied up the measly $20 a while back when I first saw the email advertisement. Don't hesitate guys.

[gregr2]

I jumped on the bandwagon about a year ago. Glad I did and glad I could help out.

[ValKehl]

Hi Lyman,
When you said, "... and we will continue to expand an already massive website of vintage material at www.oldcardboard.com (also free)," I recalled my long-standing wish for something resembling a Wikipedia for vintage baseball cards - an online place where all the important, meaningful information (including galleries of cards) regarding each vintage baseball card set was accumulated, continuously updated, and made available to us hobbyists. There is a tremendous amount of valuable info that I have read in hobby pubs and auction catalogs over the last 30+ years and more recently on online forums such as Net54, but my pathetic memory is incapable of remembering most of it. I would gladly pay a reasonable annual fee to be able to access this vintage bb card Wikipedia, and I think a great many other collectors would as well. IMHO, the organization that is in the best position to accomplish this and hopefully make it financially viable is OC, because of all the information that OC has already accumulated. Just my 2 cents!
Best,
Val

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

They kept sending my issues to the wrong address after a move seven and a half years ago. This was particularly disappointing as it was a birthday gift from my wife, and we had very little money in those days. I contacted them expecting to receive an apology and the back issues. Instead I received this generous offer (copied from the 2008 email):

If you renew for two years ($47.50) in the next week we will send you the last several issues you missed complimentary of OC (please let us know which issues). Please include a copy of this correspondence in your order, or if using PayPal send a reply email once you have done so and we will take care of you.

Regards,
Brett

I declined. All of these are just statements of fact, but if I need to put my name by them, fine.

This is probably none of my business, but since it was posted here, I have to ask... was this ever resolved?

[ullmandds]

The Hardemans are good guys...and they do a great job...and it's only $20.

[Mikehealer]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

They kept sending my issues to the wrong address after a move seven and a half years ago. This was particularly disappointing as it was a birthday gift from my wife, and we had very little money in those days. I contacted them expecting to receive an apology and the back issues. Instead I received this generous offer (copied from the 2008 email):

If you renew for two years ($47.50) in the next week we will send you the last several issues you missed complimentary of OC (please let us know which issues). Please include a copy of this correspondence in your order, or if using PayPal send a reply email once you have done so and we will take care of you.

Regards,
Brett

I declined. All of these are just statements of fact, but if I need to put my name by them, fine.

At least you don't hold a grudge

[freakhappy]

If I would have known it was only $20, I woulda jumped onboard a lot sooner. I purchased the special they had a few years ago where you get all of the back issues for $100...well worth it. The lifetime subscription is a must and I'm one that would easily pay a yearly fee to be able to access the old cardboard website/data. A lot of priceless research for everyone to enjoy and so easy to search and find whatever you need. Thanks for your hard work and efforts!

[bretthardeman]

Hi All,

I am the Subscription Manager, among other things, at Old Cardboard Magazine. If anyone moves, just send me an email and we will take care of your subscription forwarding to new address. It's that easy. Please don't post and complain about something that happened 7 years ago with no idea if a resolution was ever reached.

Thank you to everyone for the compliments in this post. Issue #32 hard copy is due out in about a month. If you have let your subscription lapse email me directly at brett@oldcardboard.com and we will look up your current status... and if you move don't forget to let us know.

Thanks for pointing out this post as I do not get on this message board regularly, and I apologize for the post-killer tone of this message but I had to chime in.

Brett Hardeman

[detroitbaseball]

This month I subscribed to Old Cardboard Magazine's Power-Pack (full run of all past and future issues). I received all 32 issues last Thursday. I just flipped through a few of them and I'm impressed. There's some interesting articles, excellent photos & helpful information. I'm looking forward to reading them in depth. They're going to make for some great reading during the winter months.