Purchase back issues online

rogoz · Post by **rogoz** » 08 Mar 2007, 05:59

I notice most Journal issues are out of print & other booklets have tiny print runs.

Has EBS looked into selling on-line .pdf files or similar ? Seems the way to go with such a specialised subject.

Post by **Keith Robinson** » 10 Mar 2007, 18:23

That's a very good idea! Hey, Tony, what about it? Aren't the Journals in PDF form anyway, before they go to the printers? Worth a thought!

Ming · Post by **Ming** » 10 Mar 2007, 18:52

Seems an excellent idea! I like the thought of it!

Post by **Tony Summerfield** » 10 Mar 2007, 19:44

The Journal is all done in the form of Word files and goes to the printer as hard copy (printed pages) which they prefer - I do however send the colour pages on a CD.

Even if it were within my capabilities to do all the back issues as PDF files it would involve a huge amount of time and I don't think it would pay dividends. The late Michael Rouse tried putting Green Hedges Magazine online for a nominal charge and it was a total flop as most people seem to expect anything on the internet to be free!

I used to keep all the back issues in print, but I find that very few new subscribers ever want back issues (of the last 100 subscribers I think only 3 have wanted back issues), so my policy now is to just keep recent issues in print so that people can buy earlier parts of a serialised article (ie their first Journal might have Part 3 of an article and they might want to read Parts 1 and 2) - keeping over 30 Journals in print takes up a lot of space and ties up a lot of Society money.

I do try to keep charges down to a minimum - the subscription charge has remained the same for the past five years, despite a considerable rise in printing costs. The same applies to ticket charges for the annual Enid Blyton Day. Another Society that I belong to charge £35 for their annual day tickets, admittedly they throw in a buffet lunch whilst we use caterers, but their meal charges are very reasonable and I believe we continue to provide good value for money.

Rob Houghton · Post by **Rob Houghton** » 11 Mar 2007, 14:24

I agree with you, Tony. Somehow, to make all back issues available as PDF on line documents would 'cheapen' the very excellent Journals that we look forward to receiving through the post three times a year.

Surely it is better to have a hard copy of the journal, that can be added to your own personal EB collection rather than something unreal on a computer screen?

It would be like scanning versions of all of Enid's more rare books so that everyone can read them! We can't all have a copy of 'Child Whispers' on our computers, because then the rarity value would be severely diminished! I think a Journal should be something that we have to search around for, like any Blyton book we really want. I'm sure collectors could find a back issue for sale somewhere if they tried.

Saying that, I have all the back issues, because I was lucky enough to join when they were all still available!!

Steve Alpe · Post by **Steve Alpe** » 12 Mar 2007, 15:01

Those that I could not obtain from Tony I purchased on Ebay where they come up from time to time adds to the rarity value - bit like some of Enid's wonderful books.