Cheap and cheerful magazine binders!
 

By great good fortune I was able to obtain an intact set of "Television" magazines from Nov 1971- Dec 1980 at an NVCF event in, I think was 1994. I didn't have my own transport at that time and the seller wasn't prepared to split them. Our very own Heater Cathode Short kindly offered to store them for me and I was able to pick them up from Colliers Wood a year later. I'm still most grateful to him for this very kind offer of help. Cheers again John!

Inevitably, over the years the magazines, which were mostly in improvised wooden binders made by the previous owner, were starting to look tatty with the backs of some getting lost. I thought about proper binders for the magazines but imagine then being not easy to obtain nowadays and were/are usually rather expensive.

I eventually wondered why I never thought of trying the following before: On going to a branch of a well known supermarket I noticed them selling conventional paper files for as little as 40p each. They looked wide enough to hold 12 issues of the magazine. If more thickness is required a lever arch type could be put into use of course. If I was able to re-bind them with a file costing 40p plus conventional string a fortune can be saved!

The pictures showed what I did, starting with 1: The Nov 71- Oct 72 issues in the original wooden spine binder. Picture 2 shows them within a conventional A4 file with a line measuring the area needed to be removed for issues this size. Photo 3 shows the file cut to size and the ring pull "mechanism" carefully removed, then each issue tied in with conventional string. Photo 4 shows the new binder in use with 5 the spine of the binder as would be seen when in a bookcase. The parcel tape is very temporary. When I've finished doing this to many other volumes I'll improvise with more professional looking spines.

The above was done in around 15 minutes. In view of the low cost of the files I'm very pleased with the outcome and will hopefully preserve these excellent magazines for many more years to come.

Cheers,
Brian

Re: Cheap and cheerful magazine binders!
 

The finished re-binding next to issues already in official binders. Note a lever arch type file was utilised for issues November 1973 to June 1975 as the magazine changed size for the July 1975 issues onwards, hence the larger file needed.

Cheers,
Brian

Re: Cheap and cheerful magazine binders!
 

Good work. There's no point in having a big collection of stuff (of whatever description) if you can't lay your hands on it when you need to.

I used the "proper" Television binders for the last 10 years or so, but earlier ones are stored safely in magazine files like these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/pro...E256309_S4.JPG

You can get them in flat-pack cardboard form for very little outlay.

Nick.

Re: Cheap and cheerful magazine binders!
 

Many thanks Nick. These will be useful for the incomplete volumes pre 1963, which can be seen in a pile in the photo. I also have some missing issues between 1969-1971 which I'll be detailing in the "Wanted" section in due course.

Cheers,
Brian