How to deal with hopeless fashion magazine addiction?

[ThickGlossies]

I have been addicted to fashion magazines for about 15 years (started reading Teen Vogue and soon graduated to Vogue) and been buying multiple mags a month for the last 10 years. I buy mags in bulk both in bookstores and online and I feel completely unable to contain myself when I see shiny colorful covers with my favorite celebrities and models on them. I also can't ever see myself selling my mags and much less throwing them away. I am especially crazy about European and Asian magazines and I even buy issues I already have (I have 3 of Jennifer Lawrence's September VOGUE issues because I'm crazy about her) and I don't like subscribing to them because I actually prefer to go to the store and buy them. I try to limit my expenditure to 200 dollars a month but I'm always going over and would probably spend all my money in beauty and fashion mags if I didn't contain myself. I am in college for fashion journalism and because of that I kinda have a compulsion for buying fashion mags. If I'm not studying for college I'm reading my mags and I can never keep up because I'm always buying new ones almost every day. It's not causing me any financial trouble at all and I'm not in debt, I just feel like I should be getting worried about my fashion mag craze. What do I do?

 

[kokobombon]

You can always download digital mags for free (from certain sites, google can show you) and only buy your absolute favorites.

 

[TZ001]

You can always download digital mags for free (from certain sites, google can show you) and only buy your absolute favorites.

Could you please name some?

 

[kokobombon]

ebook3000
downmagaz

 

[ThickGlossies]

You can always download digital mags for free (from certain sites, google can show you) and only buy your absolute favorites.

Digital is not the same thing, print is what I like.

 

[russianelf]

I hear you, I also used and sometimes still do spend too much on magazines alone in a month for my collection (like when you see an extra good deal on vintage magazines on ebay that you just can't pass that up... several times a month lol).

Eventually I had to cut down on certain titles and celebs/models I used to buy on regularly. The main reason was all the room the magazines take in my flat. I thought to myself, what's the point of having soooo many issues, if they are sitting in stacks on the floor. Instead it's better to have less, but have them lined up on the shelves. Now that's a beautiful sight. But my shelves are getting cramped again and it seems it's time to trim the fat.

The hardest thing was to let go of that feeling of regret for not buying a certain issue. As a solution to this problem, I just go to the magazine store and do some window shopping - take all the issues I want, flip through all of them and maybe read a few tidbits and put them back on the shelves.

 

[aracic]

Oh honey, you're so not alone in this! However, I absolutely envy you! I am obsessed with magazines and as you already said, digital is cool when you're running a blog or want to save and organise pictures or see some pictures from issues that you don't have but nothing will ever change the feeling of holding a Vogue in your hands. I still remember the first time ever I received Vogue as a Christmas gift from a friend, I was 14 and it was British Vogue, Freja on cover. Absolutely mediocre, looking back at it, it totally s**ked. But I've never been so happy in my entire life, it was so overwhelming! The fashion, the beauty and all of the models and big photography. I'll never forget that.

Shortly after, I bought 9 carefully chosen issues of Vogue Italia, some of my favorite issues ever. I remember it included Kristen's controversial oil spill issue and the supermodels rehab issue. I spent around 100€ on the whole packet, with money I earned on my own. Going through that iconic rehab editorial in person, seeing my favorite models in bath tubs, being dragged over the halls, naked in the back seats and with their heads shaved. I'll never forget that feeling! It gave me such pleasure and joy it's just hard to describe. Shortly after I started buying books which had an even stronger impact and one thing led to another, I found myself buying someone's entire collection - 100kg of various Vogues from 2010 to today. I'll never forget the man's look when he carried out the boxes from the mail van. I've never been so happy in my entire life!

The thing is, buying old magazines in bulk is the only way I can have them. I don't have access to any fashion magazines anywhere near my city, ordering online results in paying 25$+ for a single issue and buying old magazines from eBay or Amazon books is just... such a pain in the a*s. I remember when I bought the Christian Dior anniversary book on sale for 60 pounds and I ended up paying over 100 because of the shipping. I don't work, I'm a senior year in high school and I quit doing what I used to do for money. My family isn't supportive and I've had a fashion drought for past six months or so. I'm trying my best not to spend 80$ on a single book from Amazon as a treat for Christmas and it's taking all the power I have in me (I'm saving for John Galliano for Dior book that's coming out next year).

Our addiction is expensive and it's useless - it's stacks of paper laying on our shelves - but what matters is that it brings us joy! We're happy when we can buy our favorite magazines and collect them and look through them. Everyone has a hobby, and this one is ours! People collect watches, stamps, coins and they invest fortunes in their collections. We are collectors of fashion magazines and we shall invest whatever the hell we want and can into it so what I have to say about your hopeless addiction is - you go, girl!

 

[tigerrouge]

Magazines becoming hopeless is what cured me.

I started buying back in 1990-1991, and not for one moment do I regret the time, money and lengths I went to, to get hold of those dreams in printed form.

But these days, most of the people involved in the print business don't seem to believe in what they're doing, and the dreams are long gone.

 

[russianelf]

We are collectors of fashion magazines and we shall invest whatever the hell we want and can into it so what I have to say about your hopeless addiction is - you go, girl!

I have to disagree with this. The moment you yourself can call your passion or hobby a hopeless addiction is when you have to stop and think. It's ok if you are fully enjoying it AND can afford it without any repercussions, but if it's starting to give you negative thoughts then there's a reason to try and seek change. Reckless consumerism is never the answer.

 

[Srdjan]

It's important to separate passionate collecting and collection nurturing from impulsive purchasing and hoarding.

 

[aracic]

I have to disagree with this. The moment you yourself can call your passion or hobby a hopeless addiction is when you have to stop and think. It's ok if you are fully enjoying it AND can afford it without any repercussions, but if it's starting to give you negative thoughts then there's a reason to try and seek change. Reckless consumerism is never the answer.

I totally agree that having negative thoughts and spending money you don't have is an important alert that some changes and reconsiderations shall be made. Re-reading my last sentence I see how it can be seen as support to reckless consumerism which wasn't my intention. What I'm supporting is a hobby which is perfectly healthy as long as you can afford it (and as mentioned, they can), from ThickGlossies message, you can tell that they used to enjoy collecting magazines but now they're having doubts. As Srdjan wrote, the important first step in solving ThickGlossies problem is to separate passionate collecting from impulsive purchasing. I projected my personal views and situations in my statement but I could've been wrong. My reason for supporting ThickGlossies collecting habits is that whenever I doubt whether I should keep buying magazines or not, the cloud of doubt over my head is my mother who is very against that. I personally don't think that your parents or anyone else should dictate your passions and what you do with your money in your free time. However, I can separate passionate collecting from impulsive purchasing as I can stop myself when I know I have to. It was wrong of me to assume ThickGlossies can do the same! What we should do to help them out is listen a little more to figure out whether this doubt is coming from an inside or some outside source and what we can do to help! If it's a realisation coming from their heart, maybe the best thing is to consider a change or slowing-down, organising priorities and buying less to start with.

 

[JPineapple]

ebook3000
downmagaz

Pdfmagazines.club or vogue fun club in vk too!

 

[Hafyiez wafa]

ebook3000
downmagaz

Pdfmagazines.club or vogue fun club in vk too!

Print is dying now and you tell us free download website.. lol

Btw sometimes I also use that web too..

 

[Hafyiez wafa]

I also subscribe "Magzter gold" and be premium member for pdfmagaz.in website

 

[Hafyiez wafa]

Readly app also good because they have unlimited access to over 3,211 magazine just you need to pay for 1 month only.. soo cheap

 

[SLFC]

mercurymagazines usually has free magazine subscriptions. They are all US editions unfortunately but its something and they don't come out with them as often as they used to. So it is something but you got to wait.

 

[AbbeyRoad]

I used to be that way as well but I trained myself to read them on the computer/iPhone and I save hundreds of dollars a year now. I got the texture app which is 20 bucks a
Month and doesn’t give you access to European/foreign titles but has really paid off for me. Because let’s face it- they are expensive and I’m (arent we all here?) also addicted. I barely have time to read them but I push off other obligations to read my magazines

 

[Royal-Galliano]

Magazines becoming hopeless is what cured me.

I started buying back in 1990-1991, and not for one moment do I regret the time, money and lengths I went to, to get hold of those dreams in printed form.

But these days, most of the people involved in the print business don't seem to believe in what they're doing, and the dreams are long gone.

same here. i don't remember the last time i actually enjoyed having bought a print magazine. now i'm facing another problem - what to do with the collected magazines. i have so many memories connected to particular issues i find it really hard to just throw them away, let alone take the trouble selling them.

 

[Blayne266]

Relating this this post partially after realising I have 140 magazines, currently having the biggest clear out!

 

[Srdjan]

I started buying back in 1990-1991, and not for one moment do I regret the time, money and lengths I went to, to get hold of those dreams in printed form.

How many magazines do you have in your current collection? Cca.