talkmagic.co.uk

Why didn’t they make it a download PDF?

Magazines need to make money to survive. The cover price rarely makes the profit. It's down to advertising revenue (what advertisers pay to be in the mag/paper), usually. That is why free newspapers like The Metro exist - the adverts bring in enough cash to cover the whole operation, so readers don't have to pay 50p or whatever to be able to read it.

Producing a PDF instead of a printed product would certainly cut costs but, if there's no ad revenue coming in, then the project is a dead duck regardless of how much money the publisher saves through digitisation.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, print publishing is not a great place to be right now. And I'm talking about the mainstream stuff you see in WHSmiths/Borders etc. Imagine being a small-scale operation catering to a niche market like magicians. It's not going to be easy to make cash in that market, which is why I guess Abra is gone.

On a brighter note, there is another side to publishing called User Generated Content. This forum is one example of this.

User Generated Content vehicles are all very well; and I am extremely fond of Talk MF, BUT in 50 plus, years time, or less, are these going to be available to any student, collector or lover of Magic's History??

I no longer have my early Abras; they were passed on to younger magicians; leaving me just about 100 loose copies and bound volumes of 3,4,5 & 17/18. These I will not part with as they STILL provide me with hours of great pleasure, nostalgia and information about Magic's Past.

In the last 2 weeks, I had to e mail a magic friend in Ireland (who has all the Abras from No.1.) re a version of The Floating Ball ( I am writing a study of this effect) I'd read a mention of it in a 1957 Abra. He looked it up; sent me a photo copy; it was actually published in a 1951 Abra.
Now that information was published, 58 years ago. Will a future Allen T researcher, be able to look up events, tricks, biogs etc in another 58 years on User Generated Content?

Allen Tipton

Finally I am amazed that anyone really seriously interested in Magic, especially as a performing Art, has never heard of Abra.

I bet they have heard of Bikes; and I do not mean the 2 or 3 wheeler types!!

Allen Tipton

Allen Tipton wrote:User Generated Content vehicles are all very well; and I am extremely fond of Talk MF, BUT in 50 plus, years time, or less, are these going to be available to any student, collector or lover of Magic's History??

I doubt it and I share your concern.

Chased up Davenports yesterday about Abra refunds and have now been told that the refunds are being processed and should be sent out over the next week or so.

Shame really, still missing this great little mag dropping onto my mat every Friday.

As I said before, It was never advertised to me and I had never heard of it. I wonder how many other people are like me.

Abra refund came through today.

It was in the form of a voucher to spend in the Devenports Shop (plus an extra 20% discount on top).

If I want a cheque then I can request one.

Quite pleased overall - I think I'll take the voucher.

If anyone is looking for vintage copies, there's a batch of old Abras, 1955 to 1974, and many other magic books on e-bay, curent bid is a tenner and the buy now is £40 - collect only.

See http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Magic-Books-1955- ... 7C294%3A50