# What (real life) magazines are you subscribed to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2012, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590 "2012-05-21T11:24:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/61 "2012-05-23T01:55:04Z")
Wired (for many years), SciFi magazine and soon, Mental Floss. One mag I would love to subscribe to is the _ **ForteanTimes** _, except the subscription price is around $100.00 Bob ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/62 "2012-05-23T01:59:47Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I’ll say they’re hard up - Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, Men’s Health and Golf have all been showing up free in my mailbox for a while, and I never subscribed to them in the first place. That’s apparently how I started getting Rolling Stone out of the blue, three years ago. I suspect that they bought a subscriber list from Guitar Player, and gave me a complimentary subscription. I liked it enough that I renewed it when the initial subscription ended. My wife suddenly wound up with a subscription to Popular Science a couple of months ago, probably via the same sort of mechanism. Neither of us find it particularly interesting reading, and we’ll let it lapse. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/63 "2012-05-23T02:04:13Z")
Writer’s Digest for me. USA Hockey for the spouse. We both do most of our reading online these days. ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/64 "2012-05-23T18:24:42Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And then went to an online-only format in 2007 or 2008, when Wizards of the Coast ended Paizo’s license for the title (as well as Dungeon). I’m still technically a “subscriber” to both magazines, but they no longer fit the OP’s question. Have you tried Kobold Quarterly? Similar, yet different. We get National Geographic Kids, Discovery Girls (for the kids, obviously) and Mother Earth News. We keep getting free copies of Reader’s Digest, which embarrasses me no end. I don’t want any visitors to think that I pay for it! Got a random copy of Billboard recently. It had a Justin Bieber article. Squee, said my daughter. I never saw it again. Wonder whether it was any good. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/65 "2012-05-23T18:54:41Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > After reading the free copy of Scientific American I got at a recent science expo, I think I may treat myself to a subscription. I’ve heard, though, that it’s been declining in quality and becoming more shallow - thoughts? I also got a free “Science News”, “New Scientist” and “American Scientist”, all of which seemed pretty interesting. Does anyone have experience with those? Scientific American is still a fine popular science magazine. They still draw nobel laureates to write for them and they still have some of the best non-specialized coverage of science available on the newsstand. They’re not Nature or Discover, but they have some really good stuff. The handful of opinion pieces per issue tend to pretty much be completely about environmental issues or environmental policy issues, but that’s the only thing I’d say is shallow about the magazine. I’ve had some good experience with New Scientist, not so much with Science News or American Scientist unless they’ve changed in the past few years. I take Scientific American, Scientific American: Mind, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian, and buy occasional issues of National Geographic. I’m dropping Popular Mechanics because they seem to be moving more into a “Consumer Reports” type of model and less about actual mechanics stuff. Plus their “DiY” articles have been really terrible recently. I did enjoy the “Mythbusters” issue though. Is there anything Adam and Jamie can’t do well? Aside from Unchained Reaction of course. It’s possible the show will get better, but it’s just really one trick ponyish right now. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/66 "2012-05-23T19:06:56Z")
Currently: Cuisine at Home The Week Used to get lots more, fell out of the habit of reading 'em. Not enough time. In days of yore: Time, Newsweek, Nat Geo, Smithsonian, Atlantic Monthly, Discovery, Scientific American, TV Guide, National Lampoon. Still get sent to me at my office just because I have an MD after my name: Sports Illustrated, Boy’s Life, Car & Driver, Ebony, Highlights, Good Housekeeping, Essence, Field & Stream, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/67 "2012-05-23T19:13:16Z")
Sports Illustrated ESPN (2 weeks) Time TV Guide Entertainment Weekly Games (monthly, sometimes longer - I think it’s 8 issues/year) PC Gamer (monthly) Private Eye (British, 2 weeks) When Saturday Comes (British soccer monthly) (titles are usually weekly unless otherwise noted) Also, I get Via (“Westways for the part of California where the AAA trucks are yellow instead of blue”), but I don’t “subscribe” to it so much as get it for free as part of my AAA membership. ---
**Author:** ![Runestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Runestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runestar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/68 "2012-05-23T19:53:04Z")
Newsweek Smithsonian National Geographic Car & Driver Road & Track Automobile Roundel (BMW Car Club of America’s magazine) Consumer Reports PC Gamer Maximum PC ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/69 "2012-05-24T01:13:02Z")
Rolling Stone: I rarely give a crap about any of the music stuff, but damn they run some good articles. I like Wired, but I had to let my subscription lapse because I literally couldn’t read it anymore! Even with my bifocals, the print is just too f’ing small. So now I get for free on the internet what I was quite happy to pay for. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/70 "2012-05-24T01:23:54Z")
None. I almost bought a magazine for the first time in at least a couple of decades, just last night. It was Rolling Stone, which currently has Peter Dinklage on the cover. I was psyched…until I picked up the magazine. It seems to have become rather anemic over the years; wtf happened to Rolling Stone? You used to be able to beat off bears with it; now a mosquito would laugh at it. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/71 "2012-05-24T01:26:58Z")
The Economist Vanity Fair Consumer Reports Tennis (I get it for having a USTA membership) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/72 "2012-05-24T12:53:29Z")
Southern Living Martha Stewart Living Good Housekeeping Real Simple Architectural Digest ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/73 "2012-05-24T14:17:10Z")
Entertainment Weekly InStyle Midwest Living Martha Stewart Living Ohio Magazine Bon Appétit American Bungalow Style 1900 Cook’s Illustrated I recently subscribed to Vogue because I had some bonus points and got it for free. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/74 "2012-05-24T14:46:59Z")
> [@InsomniaMama](#): > > Have you tried Kobold Quarterly? Similar, yet different. I have. I was a charter subscriber, but I wound up letting it lapse a year or so ago. Keep meaning to get back to it. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/75 "2012-05-24T21:40:17Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > It seems to have become rather anemic over the years; wtf happened to Rolling Stone? You used to be able to beat off bears with it; now a mosquito would laugh at it. Vaseline works better. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/76 "2012-05-24T22:11:49Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > When Saturday Comes (British soccer monthly) I used to subscribe to FourFourTwo, another British soccer monthly, but stopped. I have thought of trying it again, how does WSC compare? ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/77 "2012-05-25T01:45:08Z")
Every last one of these are gifts: The New Yorker Better Homes and Gardens Family Circle Smithsonian The Atlantic The Economist (which my parents subscribe to and then send to us) We may still be getting Parenting? I let it lapse but it kept coming for a while. I think it stopped after our recent move. And for the kids (also gifts): Babybug Click Ladybug National Geographic Little Kids National Geographic Kids Highlights High Five Wild Animal Baby Big Backyard ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/78 "2012-05-25T02:07:24Z")
Barrons and Baseball Digest. I think Barrons is from unused airline miles, I’ve never paid for it. Baseball Digest is more focused on the history of the game or running player profiles, so the content never really gets outdated. It is bathroom browsing or something I’ll bring along if I want something to read, but don’t want to drain the phone battery. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/79 "2012-05-25T02:35:31Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Baseball Digest is more focused on the history of the game or running player profiles, so the content never really gets outdated. It is bathroom browsing or something I’ll bring along if I want something to read, but don’t want to drain the phone battery. Man, that brings back memories. I subscribed to both Baseball Digest and Football Digest all through high school (late 70s / early 80s). ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590/80 "2012-05-25T04:41:40Z")
_People_ and _Time_. I love trashy magazines. In addition to my subscription, I will often buy Us Weekly or some other similar garbage at the grocery checkout if the cover catches my interest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-life-magazines-are-you-subscribed-to/622590.md?page=5)