if you ever called me a hoarder...

According to dictionary.com --
Hoard
noun
1.  a supply or accumulation that is hidden or carefully guarded for preservation, future use, etc.
verb (used with object)
2. to accumulate for preservation, future, use, etc., in a hiddenor carefully guarded place.

Then by definition, I could sort of be considered a hoarder, but only in one sense --- preservation. The picture to the left is only a quarter, maybe a fifth of the magazines I have in my apartment. Not to mention I have 2 years worth of Esquire and GQ in a storage unit in Arkansas.


I know I have mentioned this ordeal countless times, but I've started to get a hold of things. For several of my subscriptions, as I read them I tab my favorite layouts, typography, or product images. Then  after about six months I go through each and cut out, yes, cut not tear, the tabbed pages of each magazine and carefully put them into plastic page covers which assemble into large black binders.

Between covers, feature stories, mastheads, unique department pages, and the rest of each magazine, at least I am able to slim down the mass somewhat? Currently, I have tagged, cut, and filed two years worth of Women's Health, Runner's World, Allure, Southern Living, Women's Day, Outside, Details, Better Homes & Garden and Redbook. I like to think I've at least made a dent in my vast collection of publications. (Please note I do recycle all unused pages).

Magazines that will not be cut up, filed, or recycled --- any magazine that includes my photos and/or designs, GQ, Esquire, old issues of Domino and Dwell. All in all, I could be considered a hoarder of magazines, but for probable cause... it is my industry, my livelihood, my passion. That is justification for keeping some magazines, right?  Other than that I have to figure out what to do with the multiple fashion magazines I have. Mostly, I read fashion magazines for pleasure but am occasionally surprised by the designs. So, should I just suck it up and cut up the massive stack of fashion magazines in my apartment? File them and recycle the rest?

Decisions, decisions, decisions...