What I'm thinking is, they know most of the patterns are rehashes of traditional blocks, and if you look at them you can reproduce them without buying the magazine.
Or else, they have something special in there, that they know you might be able to reproduce without buying the book - either way, they don't let us see the insides.

I've noticed that too and I find it SO frustrating. Sometimes my local news agent will deeply discount back issues of quilting magazines and and put them on a rack outside the shop unwrapped. I try to pounce then.

The other thing I've noticed is that those magazines that get bundled together in plastic wrap seem to have a fair bit of content that's very similar across the publisher's different titles. Seems to me they're recycling content.

Other than that I agree that books are much better value for money.

I use http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ for books. Free postage. Gotta love that!

Ditto what you all said, especially about the patterns that continue in the next issues. I have ipad but prefer books that are paper and holdable. I like to go to the bookstore and wander the shelves. When I pick up a book I can read the jacket and get a sense of whether I like it or not. The info on the computer does not help me decide. I like to watch the other book buyers and what sections they are in...biography, crafts, hobby...gives a sense of who they are. Nosy I guess or just like being around people who like books. I like holding the book to my bod and carrying it to my car and sitting on my sofa with a cushy pillow and the book in my hand. Guess I'm proof you can't teach an old dog new tricks. The quilt books are lovely. If a magazine has at least 5 items I like or one I'm enraptured with I will buy it. I do no buy wrapped ones either except the cross stitch ones which are lovely and always have patterns I like. I once bought a wrapped magazine and someone had slit it and removed the free item. I didn't notice til I got home and the store replaced it. The quilt shops have great patterns and books, more than I can afford but browsing is nice. The internet patterns are a treasure chest waiting to be opened.
When I am being economical, I search the book store for what I want and then ask the library to get it for me. It has boomeranged on me a few times because I liked the book so much that I went later to the book store and ordered one for myself after seeing the library copy. At our library you can donate money for a book on a topic like quilting and they will let you read it first. That way I do not have it hanging around and others share it at my expense. I can only do this once a year. I must say that knitting and crochet magazines are quite original and mod. I love the styles they are coming up with.

Well, I subscribe to 4 of them and some come in plastic once in a while and i see no reason for it. Then mostly they come as is. So who knows. I am thinking, no more subscriptions soon, they are getting repetitive.

I stopped buying magazines when I was piecing a top from F and P and the instructions were wrong. Never again.

Magazines are just eye candy to me. I have never made a quilt from one. Instructions are usually not the best way to make a block anyway.
Im down to 2 mags now and will keep one just for something to look forward to in the mail.

Barnes & Noble, cup of coffee and a couple of quilt mags. My idea of a perfect rainy day.
And I put them right back where I got them.

Is it possible that they are wrapped in plastic because 'some people' were removing the pattern inserts and then the mags were not sellable.....my goodness people are stealing newspapers for the coupons....you can not put anything pass people in todays economy.

garysgal,

It was F&P with the clothes catalog inside. On Monday night someone at Guild had mags. for $1 and I bought 6 - all my cash. F&P was there.

The DVD's cost them about 10 cents. No worry if you keep something that you did not order.

Quilter68

When I first started quilting, I thought I had to subscribe to every magazine out there. So, I ended up with tons of mags which I just recently gave away. I also have probably 20+ hard back books. Now that I'm back into quilting, I sort of regret giving away all my magazines before I went through them and cut out some patterns I really really liked. Oh well, such is life. I have just subscribed to one magazine again, American Patchwork & Quilting. They had an offer of a free year with one year purchased, so I am getting 24 issues for $24. Not too bad a deal. And as far as plastic wrappings, I like to get my magazines wrapped so that they are not torn when I get them. I am a great respecter of books and magazines and don't like them to get damaged. Cannot stand to turn down a page corner in a book. (A little OCD I guess.) I think with these new mags, I will clip any articles or patterns I want, then pass them on.