Where should Retromags fill holes first?

[jdjenkins83]

Anybody have a Tips & Tricks issue from November 1996 (Issue 21) in their scanners?

 

And Game Player's (1989) with Issue 9 (April 1990)?

 

Also, the Game Players 1993 issues from June, and September.

Edited January 14 by jdjenkins83

[TheValintyne]

  On 1/14/2025 at 1:16 PM, jdjenkins83 said:

Anybody have a Tips & Tricks issue from November 1996 (Issue 21) in their scanners?

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Me and @dablais tried to convince this guy to sell his issue for scan, but no luck thus far. Definitely don't want to encourage any harassment, but it's the only copy of this issue I've seen online. I wish he'd have sympathy to the cause.

 

 

[dablais]

I just tried one more time, hopefully it will be a positive answer.  But no replied so far…

[dablais]

  On 1/14/2025 at 1:16 PM, jdjenkins83 said:

Anybody have a Tips & Tricks issue from November 1996 (Issue 21) in their scanners?

 

And Game Player's (1989) with Issue 9 (April 1990)?

 

 

Also, the Game Players 1993 issues from June, and September.

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I just scanned the missing Game Player from 1989 and I also purchased the two from 1993.    

For Tips and Tricks issue 21, this one is a tough one to get.

[jdjenkins83]

  On 1/19/2025 at 7:25 PM, dablais said:

I just scanned the missing Game Player from 1989 and I also purchased the two from 1993.    

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Glad to hear about the two from '93. Are they the ones from June 93 and Sept. 93?

Edited January 23 by jdjenkins83

[dablais]

Yes, they will be at some point.

Edited January 23 by dablais

[kitsunebi]

  On 1/22/2025 at 11:42 PM, jdjenkins83 said:

Glad to hear about the two from '93. Are they the ones from June 93 and Sept. 93? If so, might as well scan them next if you have time.

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Dablais is much more easy-going than I am.   The next person that tells me I "might as well" do anything next, it's going to the bottom of my list.

I know you didn't mean anything by it, but it sort of comes off like you assume that the fact that Dablais will scan them at all is inevitable and expected.  But it isn't.  Every scan here is a gift of someone's time and money, and no one is more qualified or capable than anyone else to be the gift-giver.

Some might say: "but I don't have any mags to scan."  Well, I didn't either when I started.  I had to buy them.

Some might say: "but I don't have a scanner."  Well, I didn't either when I started.  I had to buy one.

Some might say: "but I don't know how to use photo editing software."  Well, I didn't either when I started.  I had to learn.

The only reason anyone has to NOT be releasing scans is because they don't want to.  Either the money required or the work involved is more than they're willing to sacrifice.  That's OK, no one has to do it if they don't want to.  But that's just it, no one has to do it if they don't want to.  So the people who DO choose to give up their money and time to do so should never be expected to do it, we should simply be grateful that they do, and thank them for doing the things we're unwilling to do ourselves.

Again, I know you meant no offense, and this reply isn't aimed at you, it's for the benefit of anyone reading this.  I see it often enough that I don't think people consider that there is certain language that can sometimes rankle if used carelessly.

It's semantics: It's fine to say something like "I'd be so happy if someone scanned GameMag #4," but the only reason to ask "Is anybody out there who has GameMag #4 going to scan it?" is if you are checking because you yourself are considering scanning it or purchasing it to donate for someone else to scan.  And in the case of the quote that started this, I'd say it's better to say something like "I'd love to see those two issues if you decide to scan them!" rather than "might as well scan them next."

Edited January 23 by kitsunebi

[dablais]

@kitsunebi Everything you just mentioned is absolutely true.  It is a lot of time, dedication and yes money is involved (unless you own that stuff). Because pretty much everything of what I scanned so far, I didn’t own it.  It’s all many purchases that I’m doing mostly on eBay with sometimes a few donation or the help of others members like for example @matrixman who help get a lot of magazines to reduce the increase of shipping cost.  He put a lot of time and his own money also to get those missing magazines. Thanks @matrixman
 

To add to @kitsunebi comment: That’s exactly how I started…. I did a donation to the site because I wanted to see the Gamepro collection completed….  After, I realized that others sets were missing from magazines that I like .  Instead of waiting to have them magically appear I decided to get involved.  So I bought those magazines and obviously added a scanner (now I have depending on the type of mag ) into the mix and started learning DarkTable for the editing part.

At that point, i had two choices, either I scan everything I bought for myself or I share with people so others can benefit too.  By now, everyone should know which option I choose.

Honestly, I don’t mind people asking me to scan something, but I have to agree here, anyone who wants to see thing moving faster… just get involved in some way, the more we are the quicker we will see those mags preserved!

Please note that most of the scans you see here can have easily between 3 to 4 hours of work and sometimes more depending on the condition.  So patience is always part of the process….

Thanks everyone!

dablais

Edited January 23 by dablais

[Rando1975]

  On 1/23/2025 at 1:30 PM, dablais said:

Please note that most of the scans you see here can have easily between 3 to 4 hours of work and sometimes more depending on the condition.  So patience is always part of the process….

Thanks everyone!

dablais

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That's what amazes me about this crew that scans and edits these mags/guides. I couldn't imagine how long it takes to debind, scan and edit a single mag. Particularly the standards on this site. I imagine sometimes you'll scan a page multiple times to make sure it's perfect. 

I'm glad I can do a small part with the occasional monetary donations, strategy guide donations, and editing/indexing pages. 

[dablais]

  On 1/23/2025 at 1:38 PM, Rando1975 said:

That's what amazes me about this crew that scans and edits these mags/guides. I couldn't imagine how long it takes to debind, scan and edit a single mag. Particularly the standards on this site. I imagine sometimes you'll scan a page multiple times to make sure it's perfect. 

I'm glad I can do a small part with the occasional monetary donations, strategy guide donations, and editing/indexing pages. 

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Thanks a lot,  @Rando1975.  Yes, sometimes I need to scan pages multiples times to get the accurate results.  You are right, I'm picky, but I think @kitsunebi is even pickier than me, but that's even better!

Edited January 23 by dablais

[dablais]

I also want to add, that every time someone is sending me or donate me something, it always goes on top of my list.  To me, it's just a sign of appreciation, and that's why there are still a lot of stuff that I have not scanned.

Priority first to donors!  

dablais

 

[jdjenkins83]

  On 1/23/2025 at 9:03 AM, kitsunebi said:

Dablais is much more easy-going than I am.   The next person that tells me I "might as well" do anything next, it's going to the bottom of my list.

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My bad. I had to edit my comment.

Edited January 23 by jdjenkins83

[dablais]

  On 1/23/2025 at 2:08 PM, jdjenkins83 said:

My bad. I had to edit my comment.

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No worries @jdjenkins83 we are all getting excited to see those sets completed and there is still so much work to do.  We will get there one day!

 

[kitsunebi]

  On 1/23/2025 at 2:08 PM, jdjenkins83 said:

My bad. I had to edit my comment.

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Yeah, again, I wasn't trying to single you out.  There are just certain ways that people sometimes say things which can be annoyying, even though they didn't mean anything by it, so I'm hoping more people will consider their phrasing more carefully.

I was guilty of it myself, years ago when I first found the site.  I thought that Retromags was like most other websites I was familiar with, where the site was built and maintained by The Site Owners and all of the content they released was provided by The Scanners, a specially ordained cadre entrusted with the power to scan by The Site Owners.  I would carelessly say things like "Man, I sure wish Retromags' scanners would get around to scanning some PC Gamers!" (There weren't any scans of that mag at the time, btw...how things change).

But a statement like that is ridiculous.  There are no "The Scanners."  All scans, all database entries, all gallery images...all of it is added by ANY ORDINARY MEMBER WHO WANTS TO.  So saying something like "I wish the scanners would scan some PC Gamers" is exactly the same thing as saying "I wish I would scan some PC Gamers." 

It's fine to wish that someone else does the work and just sit back and wait.  But saying it out loud can be seen as kind of a dick move.  If people are unwilling to do it themselves, they have no right to expect anyone else to do it either, or to be impatient while they wait.

[matrixman]

  On 1/23/2025 at 1:45 PM, dablais said:

You are right, I'm picky

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I like picky, take your time as your scans are fantastic.  There is never any black crush hiding details in your scans.  Maybe I can give it a go on one of these @Gamer I just acquired since I have the tools to do it.  Just my guillitine for cutting is doing bad cuts but maybe a heat gun is better option

[kitsunebi]

  On 1/24/2025 at 2:57 AM, matrixman said:

I like picky, take your time as your scans are fantastic.  There is never any black crush hiding details in your scans.  Maybe I can give it a go on one of these @Gamer I just acquired since I have the tools to do it.  Just my guillitine for cutting is doing bad cuts but maybe a heat gun is better option

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Using a guillotine cutter is the greatest sin a scanner can make.

We should be aspiring to PRESERVE magazines.  That means using a heat gun on bound mags, and carefully cutting along the center fold on stapled mags, allowing the entire page to be scanned.  Using a guillotine cutter by definition DESTROYS magazines by cutting away the spine and part of every single page, making it impossible to scan the entire page since part of it has been removed before it ever reaches the scanner.

Imagine if someone was hired to restore the Mona Lisa and their first step was to slice a one inch strip off the left side of the painting and toss it into the trash.  "Preservation," indeed.