Toy soldier Mags, worth it? (1 Viewer)

[jrsteel]

Does anyone subscribe to Toy Soldier & Model Figure magazine? I'm thinking of subscribing but wondering if it's worth the price. There are so many images and info online for free and with this forum you can see all the new releases. If I'm going to spend $100 for a subscription, I'd like to know it offers something unique.

 

[jac28]

I think it's an excellent magazine.. Of course, you'll find articles in the magazine that you won't find anywhere else and the photography is great... And they cover a wide variety of toy soldiers styles and topics including mat finish, glossy, how-to's on painting, etc.. It's a great resource.

If you're concerned about the subscription price, you could do what I've done and get the subscription to the iMag version.. You can then read the issue online, or download it to you computer and read it w/o having to be online.. I believe there is a version available for some eReaders as well..

My opinion is that either way you go, it's worth the price of admission...

Regards,

Jim

 

[jazzeum]

In my opinion, no. I had one but dropped it. Didn't think the articles were anything special and it was way too expensive.

 

[theBaron]

Yes, it's worth it. I've subscribed to TS&MF since it premiered, except for last year. I let my subscription lapse and dawdled on renewing, so now I have to track down issues 172 through 177. I also subscribe to Toy Soldier Collector, I have since that one started, too, and to the venerable Old Toy Soldier, now published by Ray Haradin. I used to get Bill Grey's Toy Soldier Review, till it ceased publication. TSR and OTS were the premier magazines for the hobby, before the advent of the Web.

True, with the Internet and all the content you can see free online, hardcopy may seem obsolete. For newspapers, I agree. But for hobby mags, I still like to have something that I can hold in my hand and read at anytime, free of electronic media. And there is some content that is still available only in the hard copy and nowhere else.

I also have small collections of magazines that were published for many years, before I was a collector and was aware of them, Campaigns, for example, and Military Modeling. I never subscribed to either, but I started buying old copies at shows, because of the articles and photographic content. They've been very useful in ID'ing old figures, for example. Not that I'm a Luddite, though--I have the fun run of Campaigns on disc, which saved me from having to track down a couple of missing numbers. I also have the early years of the online mag Internet Modeler on disc. I will probably buy the disc for FineScale Modeler, too, even though I currently subscribe to that one, to get the back issues.

So, it's a personal preference, but I enjoy curling up with the latest issues, when they arrive, and I recommend TS&MF. You also get premiums for subscribing, little tokens, but nice nonetheless. I've got some castings of a Napoleonic Old Guard by our forum brother Martin Tabony, General Wolfe, and Winston Churchill, for re-upping, and this time around, they gave out thumb drives shaped like dog tags. A nice gesture on the part of Ashdown Publishing.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Mitch]

Not for me. sadly, the nature of them means they are behind the times with what they are telling you is happening and, much of what is in them is stated on here or by the manufacturers so, its like paying to be reminded what you did last month. However, saying that it was laziness and waste for me as I only recently stopped getting both the brit mag and the US one. No they are just sitting on a shelf doing nothing. Should have really spent the money on TS than mags about them!!!
Mitch

 

[Louis Badolato]

I think its an excellent magazine, but I never had a subscription. When Classic Toys was open in New York, which carried the magazine, I would check each issue, and buy the ones which had interesting articles on manufacturers I either collected or wanted to collect. I learned about Pipeline, Bengurion, and Heco Tinplate Models from this magazine, and got tons of expanded information about King & Country before there was a forum or an internet.

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

It's a nice magazine, but the information in it is months behind what you get on the Internet.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

I have a number of past issues of TS&MF magazine and I pick-up issues then and again if I have access to them at a show but I am not a subscriber. As mentioned, the popular toy soldier reviews are somewhat dated. They should continue with the reviews but I would also concentrate the magazine on featuring collectors and their collections or even museums that have collections which you don't see very often on the internet. Features on cottage-industry makers could generate more interest as well as "behind the scenes" at the major manufacturers. Interviews with actual sculpters and painters would be an interesting read to give collectors insight to the business.

 

[Leadmen]

I renewed my subscription, but was not going to renew but thought I have every issue since the beginning, so I renewed again this month. I like the feel of the magazine and enjoy it more then on line version. I figure it is something I enjoy every month even though it is expensive. But, so are figures now days. J

 

[Deitz]

I renewed my subscription a few months ago. I do not keep any of the back issues, when I am finished with them I pass them on to my nephew. Although, I keep the issues that have articles on Little Leagion and Britain AZW sets.
Brian

 

[jazzeum]

If anyone is interested, I have PDFs of some of their Trophy articles, courtesy of Damian. If anyone would like them, please send me your email.

 

[jrsteel]

Thanks for your input guys. Think I might go with Old Toy Soldier mag. I like the antique soldiers too and that probably has more info than I can find online.

 

[TomB]

Does anyone subscribe to Toy Soldier & Model Figure magazine? I'm thinking of subscribing but wondering if it's worth the price. There are so many images and info online for free and with this forum you can see all the new releases. If I'm going to spend $100 for a subscription, I'd like to know it offers something unique.

Magazines are forever...the news maybe old but it is always at your fingers tips....if you have time to spare its fun to go through old mag's and compare now and the present thoughts on things and in the case of TS,,how the figures have progressed ...and how much better they are today...etc.....etc .....It is cheaper on the internet...more up to date sure...but reading from a screen aint nothing compared to curling up in a comfit able chair and being able to oick and choose or just rampantly flip through the pages.....I am not in favor of subscribing as you pay for a lot of stuff you aint interested it....if I see a mag I like I will buy it...comfitable in the knowledge I can read that mag anytime I wish and where I wish....unless you have a laptop its a bit hard carting your PC onto a bus or train to read an article on the way to work....my thoughts only...cheers TomB

 

[marco55]

I bought some issues a few years ago and found them interesting but not enough to pay $100 to subscribe.
Mark