SGC Collector Magazine

[e107collector]

Did anyone get a copy of the summer 2009 issue of SGC Collector Magazine? I got the spring issue regarding the centennial of the T-206, but haven't got one since.

Thanks,
Tony

[Jim VB]

I'm not 100% sure but I think they cut back to only 3 issues per year, so I'm not sure what the timing is.

The T206 issue is the last one I received also.

[barrysloate]

Old Cardboard cut back to three issues a year. Did SGC do the same thing?

[Jim VB]

I didn't know Old Cardboard did it too, but, I think I remember Brian D coming on the board and answering this question before.

[cozmokramer]

SGC website still says quarterly magazine.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by cozmokramer

SGC website still says quarterly magazine.

OK. My memory's shot, but the Net54 search function works well.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...t=sgc+magazine

Note posts #13 and #14. It was actually ME who was complaining (That's the part I forgot.) and then Brian D explains their changes in the next post.

[e107collector]

I spoke with Sean Skeffington from SGC at the Valley Forge Show in December, and he said the new issue should be released at the end of January 2010. It's almost March, and still nothing.

Tony

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by e107collector

I spoke with Sean Skeffington from SGC at the Valley Forge Show in December, and he said the new issue should be released at the end of January 2010. It's almost March, and still nothing.

Tony

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that SGC has farmed out the magazine to new ownership. If I'm correct, it's now owned by a board member, but I'll let him come on the board and say something when the time is right.

I assume that the transfer has slowed down publication.

So we should probably all be patient. I'm sure that they did NOT run off with our subscription money.

[Rob D.]

Jim,

Do you collect those magazines, too?

[Clark7781]

I signed up to receive this magazine less than a week ago. About two days ago I received an email from SGC saying that they were delayed in shipping the magazine, but that it would be going out within the next week. Unfortunately, I deleted the email.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Jim,

Do you collect those magazines, too?

(Note - I quoted you as you asked.)

Yes. I collect them also. I have 2 or 3... somewhere.

[Al C.risafulli]

Hey folks:

The next issue of Collector is just about done, and it's going off to the printer early next week. We had a couple of minor setbacks in the design stage this time around, so we're a little later than we thought we'd be.

Thanks for being patient!

-Al

[Rich Klein]

Just as a suggestion -- the next time this happens (if it does again); you might want to make sure all the subscribers (like myself) knows about the delay. Keeping consumers informed is very important in business.

And I wil bring up my constant aggravation with PSA here as well. I actually paid for a sub to SMR -- and never recieved any renewal notices; to me that was throwing away money on their part.

Trust me, I understand from my years in publishing that for both SGC and PSA the publishing is very secondary to their primary business of grading cards; but one should remember some people just like to read about cards as well.

Regards
Rich

[Clark7781]

Here is the email I got announcing the delay:

Dear Collector Subscriber:

I am writing to thank you for your subscription to Collector Magazine, and to let you know where things stand.

Toward the end of 2009, SGC approached our company and asked if we would be interested in assuming the role of publisher of Collector magazine. As the company that has designed and produced the publication since 2005, we were obviously thrilled with the idea, and immediately dove into the role.

We are in the process of finishing the first issue of 2010, which would be the first issue of your new subscription. I wanted to reach out to you personally to let you know that it's heading off to the printer this week, and that you should expect to receive your first issue in late February or early March. Thereafter, we will be issuing the publication on a quarterly basis.

Since the issue is a little late, I thought I'd just reach out and let you know when you could expect to receive it.

Thanks again, and warmest regards,

Al Crisafulli
Co-Publisher

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Clark7781

Here is the email I got announcing the delay:

Dear Collector Subscriber:

Blah blah blah I am weak. And drunk.


Thanks again, and warmest regards,

Al Crisafulli
Co-Publisher

This is what I saw upon reading that.

[barrysloate]

Looks like Al was on a bender again...and I don't mean Chief.

[Jim VB]

He should have gone with the broken leg excuse.

[dstudeba]

I don't understand, I guess I missed an episode of Seinfeld. Thanks in advance for not filling me in.

[Al C.risafulli]

I am NOT weak.

-Al

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Just as a suggestion -- the next time this happens (if it does again); you might want to make sure all the subscribers (like myself) knows about the delay. Keeping consumers informed is very important in business.

And I wil bring up my constant aggravation with PSA here as well. I actually paid for a sub to SMR -- and never recieved any renewal notices; to me that was throwing away money on their part.

Trust me, I understand from my years in publishing that for both SGC and PSA the publishing is very secondary to their primary business of grading cards; but one should remember some people just like to read about cards as well.

Regards
Rich

Rich,

Since you started me on PSA...

I didn't get an official renewal notice either, but I did get a card that treated it like a new subscription, rather than a renewal. It said the cost was $100 for the year. I sent them a check. I get my stuff in the mail and the next month I get a bill for $6.60 "Past Due." I call. They said it's Sales Tax. I ask to speak to a supervisor. No one is available. Leave a number. No return call. Next month, another bill, "Over 30 Days Past Due." I call again, no one can explain it to me.

(For those who don't live in Texas, the state Sales Tax is 6.25%. Local counties and cities can add up to 2.0% more. There should be no way it's ever 6.6%.)

I call the Texas State Controllers office. No one named PSA or Collectors Universe is on file here as collecting Texas Sales Tax.

I send an email to Joe Orlando. A month goes by, no response. This week I get another bill and I'm now "Over 60 Days Past Due." I intend to trash them every chance, until they take the time to respond to my inquiries. I've let them piss me off over $6.60!

Think they'll send a collection agency after me?

[Rob D.]

Prediction: A new business, Dorskind Collection Agency, is formed before the end of the month.

[barrysloate]

Bruce is busy on the Trader Speaks thread...I don't think he has the time.

[Jim VB]

Please note:

Rob D and Barry have come on here and made Dorskind jokes! NOT ME!

Somehow, I will get the death wishes.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Prediction: A new business, Dorskind Collection Agency, is formed before the end of the month.

Do you think it's a $5 million opportunity?

[barrysloate]

I've got death threat immunity.

[ethicsprof]

since it is now an Al Crisafulli product, i am happy to wait for as long as it takes!!!!
Top Drawer is always worth the wait.

best,
barry

[John V]

Regarding the Spring '09 issue, I have one if someone wants it. GONEJohn

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Just as a suggestion -- the next time this happens (if it does again); you might want to make sure all the subscribers (like myself) knows about the delay. Keeping consumers informed is very important in business.

And I wil bring up my constant aggravation with PSA here as well. I actually paid for a sub to SMR -- and never recieved any renewal notices; to me that was throwing away money on their part.

Trust me, I understand from my years in publishing that for both SGC and PSA the publishing is very secondary to their primary business of grading cards; but one should remember some people just like to read about cards as well.

Regards
Rich

A couple of years ago, I sent in a check for like $40 to subscribe to Beckett Elite, and more than 3 or 4 months went by with nothing. Granted, I knew this was a quarterly Magazine, but after still another couple of months goes by and finally that piece of crap they call Beckett Baseball Card Monthly shows up in my mailbox!

After a few attempts, I finally get through to someone in Customer Service and was informed that they no longer print Beckett Elite so they sent me the POS Beckett instead. I again told the women that I don't want the POS BB monthly and why didn't they just send my check back with a letter of explanation? Not their policy. I guess their policy is to tell ME what I should buy and to shut my pie-hole and say THANK YOU SIR, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER!

"Alright well, just a little tale" (a classic De Niro scene/line for anyone that might be a fan of the movie "This Boy's Life").

Best, Jimmy

BTW... I did find a use for the Beckett as I would rip out a page, roll it into a ball, and let my dog chase it and shred it. So there you go, Beckett has some value after all.

[tinkereversandme]

How does one obtain these magazines? I have two in my possession that were sent to me by SGC (don't know how or why) and they are several years old.

They were fantastic reads (as I slowly move from collecting autographs to cards) and I learned a great deal about T205 backs which got me to begin collecting the set.

Is SCD still around? How many pages are they down to? Used to love that magazine as well, but the advertiser/s and an unanswered complaint made me turn my back there...many, many years ago.

Regards,
Larry

[barrysloate]

Somebody I was recently speaking with told me SCD is now 36 pages.

[Jim VB]

It's really been 36 pages for years. They just used to have an additional 28 pages of Coach's Corner crap.

It's better this way.

[Rich Klein]

I spent a lot of my last couple of years at Beckett working on Elite; and trust me, I truly enjoyed the time I spent on Elite. Unfortunately when I was laid off, most of the interest in Elite probably left as well. Oh well, too bad because the magazine was a great aesthetic (sic, unless Barry says the spelling is fine) pleasure for everyone who read that magazine. And yes, if you loved Elite, there was probably no other pubication at Beckett that would please you.

And as for Barry's comment; ever since Coach's Corner left SCD the average issue is less than 40 pages.

Regards
Rich

[barrysloate]

Rich- spelling is perfect!

[tinkereversandme]

36 pages, which means that probably 10-12 of it are articles and pages not dedicated to advertising revenue...why don't they just give it up? What's the purpose at this point? I am one of those who grew up with the magazine and I don't feel bad for it's demise as they did this to themselves. From what I understand, the subscription rate is like $22-24 and you don't think any of us would pay less than .50 cents a week just to read something on the couch for even twenty minutes?

Regards,
Larry

[Steve D]

Volume 5, Issue #1 of "Collector" ("SGC" has been dropped from the title) is out.....I just got my copy today.

Good articles in it about the recent T5 Pinkerton find in Hunt Auctions, as well as baseball book collecting.

Steve

[Cowboy Fan]

I got my copy today as well and was pleased.

[E93]

Got mine yesterday and it looks great! Nice job Al!
JimB

[Leon]

Got my Collector Magazine yesterday and it looks great. Nice job Al and Co.....Keep up the good work!!

[barrysloate]

I don't get the magazine...could somebody give me a brief synopsis of the article about collecting baseball books, and who wrote it? Thank you.

[Exhibitman]

Interesting articles, esp. the one on Garbaty cigarette cards (German prewar movie cards). There is more content on cards in one issue of that than in 10 SCDs or 5 SMRs (excluding the PSA cheerleading puff pieces, which really aren't card content so much as advertisement of the brand).

[Rob D.]

Do you actually have to subscribe, or do you receive the magazine if you're a regular customer of SGC? I've got two or three issues lying around, and I've never subscribed. But I'm not sure whether I'm receiving it on a regular basis.

[barrysloate]

Good question Rob. I think I got one mailed to me because I was quoted in it. Otherwise, they've never sent me a copy.

[Kawika]

I received a copy of the new Collector magazine today. Mail just arrived a few minutes ago so I haven't had a chance to read it yet but on first impression it looks like Al has hit one out of the park. Great layout, interesting mix of articles, rich graphics. I look forward to devouring the magazine as soon as I have a spare hour. I have taken the liberty of scanning a few pages for those who haven't got their copies yet. I have included Al's foreword which should answer some of the questions raised in this thread and also the first page of Max's article for Barry because I don't have the time right now to work up a synopsis except to say it's about baseball books, it's five pages total and there's plenty pictures.

[ethicsprof]

i'm with David on this one. Al C. has hit one way out of the ballpark with this incredible issue!!!

congrats, ole buddy

best,
barry

[barrysloate]

Thanks David-Glad to see Max wrote the article, it was in good hands. Hey, don't tell me SGC is thinking of slabbing books.

And Michael Olenick is a close friend yet I am not familiar with that 1997 article. I'll have to give him a call.

[barrysloate]

Other than getting the title of my article wrong, it looks like Max wrote a good informative piece (it's "Rare and Historical Baseball Books").

[Cowboy Fan]

There is also a 10% off coupon for a grading order, so spend $200 on grading and the magazine pays for itself.

[doug.goodman]

Anybody know how I can get back issues?

Doug

[ChrisStufflestreet]

Hey, that's my E92 Bridwell in the Table of Contents!

I still haven't seen the magazine yet but am looking forward to getting it.

Now that I've read the little bit of Al's editorial..."hobby scholar?" Al, you can't be serious...there are people on this board who are much more versed in the Hobby than I ever could aspire to be. But yes, I've said for years that I'd rather have a hole in my card than one in the binder. Glad I could help with your first issue, just ask if you need anything in the future.

[Steve D]

Originally Posted by ChrisStufflestreet

Hey, that's my E92 Bridwell in the Table of Contents!

I still haven't seen the magazine yet but am looking forward to getting it.

Well, I would guess that's OK since your name is on the byline for the referenced article


Steve