I've often ask myself: "Why--I mean WHY--do I bother collecting crummy old magazines from a by-gone era that is permeated with useless history, diseased people, and topics that in no way apply to my life?" Well, perhaps that is the reason I collect crummy old magazines. There is no such thing as "useless history", and people "diseased" translates more fittingly to immortality. Immortality? you ask. I regard a person's passing as a concretion of their legacy. In other words: "I'd rather listen to a dead man than a live one who has the potential of making contemporary faults, "invalidizing" their creditabilty." The fact is, that we can see the personas of our ancestors and their mind processes, their habits, and also their interests that punctuates their society through the window that magazines provide us--a way so that we can better understand our heritage and the reasons why we are the way that we are. In all honesty, would you want your children's children to read up on the way you and your fellow denizens behaved in the 21st century? I would hope so. So, crummy old magazines can be a way to observe the behavior and mental processes of our ancestors--those who fought wars and those who battled for social reform, etcetera. I am particularly fascinated with antique magazines because they show me things that I thought were never possible in my pre-conceived notion of Victorian society. I had no idea that the first typewriter was made in 1863. I had no idea that umbrellas were used during rain showers and during sunny days. I had no idea that Rudyard Kipling's authorial symbol was a swastika--a figure so often deemed most applicable to Nazis. And I had no idea that our ancestor's livelihood were characterized by the similar craving for fashion, antiques, and entertainment (all in its most primitive form, by the way), that we so cherish to this day. So collecting antique magazines can be quite amusing and pleasurable. I highly advise that your own collection should be accessible to friends, family, and visitors whenever they should decide to stop by your dwelling, because it is their history as much as it is yours. Some people remove the colored covers of their magazines and frame them for all to see; some photocopy the textual contents to enjoy the material without risking further damage to the magazine; and some buy and sell their magazines so that others can enjoy. Whatever you do with your collection, or future collection, remember that pre-conceived notions are usually wrong. You have to wonder as history progressed over the decades how ultimately your livelihood is determined by your ancestor's. This compendium may or may not be convincing; neither worthwhile, but making the most of your antique magazine collection is a great way to understand the trials and virtues your heritage left you, while keeping in mind that as the supply of vintage magazines continues to dwindle at an astonishing rate, that your collection can be an investment monetarily.