When I began picking up quilting magazines years ago, I started an index of types of quilt and u Dee heading lists the name of magazine, issue date, page #, designer etc you get the idea...saves a lots of looking for patterns and ideas I remember having. I no longer subscribe to quilting magazines for all the reasons already mentioned. I do enjoying the magazines I have in my library.

Judy in Phx, AZ

Jim got me a scanner a few years ago. I scan stuff and put it on a flash drive. Paper all gone.

I just get digital magazines!

I love magazines! Something about opening that mail box and getting a new one. But they do accumulate so once a year I go through all my mags and pull any that don't have at least 3-4 patterns that I love--I keep those and put in mag boxes--sometimes ones from previous years get toss the next year. If it only has one pattern I want to keep, I copy that and leave the mag intact cause I donate to our guild garage sale where they go for 10/$1.

My keeping only those that have 3-4 patterns I like also allows me to look at which magazine I really seem to like the patterns best--reason I dropped Love of Quilting, Quilting World (although I sometimes pick up a copy at the store) and plan to drop McCalls maybe.

I recently went through my Magazines and have two boxes to take to the quilt guild and give to others next meet. I have lots more and cannot bear to tear pages out.

What do you do with the pattern inserts? I found much of the magazines were ads and stuff I'm not interested in, so I take it all out, leaving what I want along with the inserts and with a nice cover page. Helps to make room for more. And yes, I too have decided to scan and put them all on usb - not so much for the kids to clean out (or hoard) when I kick the bucket. Don't worry, there's a long list to be completed in that bucket. lol

I started doing this when we were moving and I needed to de-clutter. Only got partly done and brought rest of small collection with me. Need to get back to it.
For many years I've digitally collected many, many patterns in sewing, quilting and knitting. If you bookmark a website with a pattern you like, months or years later you will find it has disappeared. Making a copy to keep in you computer is much easier. Now I have a digital hoard! At least it doesn't take up any space in my home.

I dog ear the pages, and then I put the magazine in a stack of other magazines with dog-eared pages. Periodically (no pun intended), when the mood strikes, I get down the stack and go through them again to see if the same patterns catch my eye. If they do, I keep the magazine. Sometimes I find a new pattern to like, reflecting my changing tastes and abilities in patterns. Sometimes I don't pause on any pages, even the ones I've marked previously, and those magazines get moved along.

Binder the patterns you like. The rest, scan and put on a thumb drive. Donate the magazines to the local guild.

I save them until I have certainty that I want to get rid of them. If I'm unsure, I keep them. I also give my old magazines to the quilt group my friend belongs to. Not everyone gets magazines and they love getting them.