Magazine scanning project

[Xenepp]

I saw this on UG and think it's a great idea

I have a few magazines to scan (only about 3-4) but I'm waiting until I can afford a proper scanner. The one I have now would take about a month to do one magazine. I never seem to find them on ebay either. If I do they end up making the sort of money I wouldn't be prepared to drop.

I think people have had problems in the past posting them due to the copyright still being actively enforced?

Future Publishing are pretty dumb with this but yeah, they have obstructed a lot of 10+ year old publications being scanned for no good reason. I have a full collection of ST Format magazines I wanted to scan in but didn't previously because of this.

That said, a couple of GM mags popped up on retromags a while ago and FP haven't asked them to remove them so maybe they have finally decided it's fair use. Why they wouldn't want this stuff preserved was beyond me anyway, especially since the older stuff is much better than the dross they churn out now.

[Exoddus]

I think they need to be direct downloadable. Not torrents.

[K1ngarth3r]

If someone's prepared to host that would be good, but that costs money and torrents don't

[SeeNoEvil]

If anyone owns a fair set of Gamesmaster Magazines and is interested in working with me, I have an A3 scanner and would be willing to put the time in scanning them, maybe the first 20 issues to start with just to get going? I can't remember if the magazine had a stapled or bound spine. A stapled spine will mean the magazine can be opened completely flat to scan it without any damage or creasing. A bound spine will mean opening the magazine flat enough to get a decent scan, which will probably make a break/crease down the spine, so a set in completely mint condition probably wouldn't be the best option. Anyway if anyone out there has magazines 1-20 and would be willing to lend them, let me know?

[K1ngarth3r]

The magazines are biounded together not stapled mate

It's good to see you wanting to scan them in, which a3 scanner do you have?

[SeeNoEvil]

It's a Mustek ScanExpress A3 USB Flatbed Scanner, which is just about the cheapest A3 size USB/non-SCSI scanner you're likely to find on Ebay. You can pick them up second hand for around £70-100. Cheap & cheerful, and no bells or whistles, but it works fine.

If the GM magazines are bound, it would be best to pair up with someone who has a less-than-mint collection.

[K1ngarth3r]

Would donations be a good idea?

Either site donations which would be used to buy GM magazines or magazine donations?

[SeeNoEvil]

Finding someone who didn't mind loaning their magazines would be the top option, as that would basically be free, just maybe some little postage costs and the time it would take to scan them?

[K1ngarth3r]

Im not sure if anyone would want to do that considering the magazines would be potentially damaged by the scanning

[Exoddus]

That's the problem. My magazines aren't in mint condition but I still don't want them damaged. The last couple of issues I bid on all went for over £10 an issue. So they are not cheap and the postage will cost a few quid as they are heavy. If this place had a decent website/following then I could probably be persuaded as long as I get a guarantee that the magazines wouldn't get damaged!

It's just not worth all the time, effort, money and potential damage of my magazines for this project in it's current state. Things need to change to make it worth everybody's time!