As I'm a bit fed up today as I didn't get to go to Memorabilia (I injured my foot in a ridiculous accident of all things!) I was browsing the current issue of NSU & realised that every time I get a new issue I always read the Non-Sport University page first. I then go to the beginning of the magazine and read through in order - leaving the Price Guide until the end for reference.

As a side I think that this issues article (April/May 2008) 'The Fever' is a great one. It's something that I've experienced throughout my varied collecting life. Actually, all the articles are particularly first rate in this issue - well done to all involved.

Does anyone else look for a particular section when they first pick up their issue, whether it be the Price Guide or something else, or do you always start at the beginning?
Maybe your not so regimented and are happy to just dip in and out here and there until you've read the whole thing - or maybe it's just something you'd never even thought about!

First thing I read is whats in the next issue. Thats me, always two steps ahead.

After that I generally go to cover stories that I think will interest me most. Normally though I read the issue from the back, just something I have always done. I always miss out the price guide, I only ever use it as a reference in times of trading.

Of course the first thing I do before even reading the mag is look at the promos naturally.

I usually read Bill DeFranzo's Promo Cards article first, then pop open the price guide and look at the "Some of the Additions to this issue's price guide" to see what new things have been added to the price guide. Then I open the front cover and read the rest of the magazine.

Mike.

After looking at the promo's I usually read it from front to back. Sometimes I'll jump to a article I want to read right away.

Hope your foot gets better soon.

I'm pretty weird in this, but I feel almost guilty if I don't read the magazine from cover to cover. I start at the beginning and read it all the way through cover to cover. After I'll have a look at the price guide and such and then use it for reference.

There is no pattern really to the way I read the NSU.

If it was a newspaper, I start with the sport then the financials, then finally the headline which says some irrelevant statement like Princess Di Butler has some info nobody is interested in.

NSU is different, as they have no sport . If they have an area of interest to me I start there. This month - Dr Who! Harris that was a great idea to review previous sets, where did that idea come from?

The article on archiving was really great. It is an area that is not given enough attention, so thanks for that.

If the mag doesn't have anything of particular interest I start and the front and end at the back with the sport!!

For me, if there's a particularly interesting article that's been highlighted, I may skip to it first, but more often I'll just read it from front to back. It seems to be a decent order to do so, IMO

It's nice to hear discussion on reading the articles and columns. As you can imagine, it takes a whole lot of work to put each issue together, from deciding on what needs to go into the magazine (that's usually a negotiation process between Harris and myself), to providing the writers with their assignments (that's me). Even writing the little things like the Table of Contents (that's me), Finders Keepers (Roxanne) and In the Next (Harris, Roxanne and me) has to be done each and every issue. And don't forget the extraordinary effort our dedicated writers put in crafting their individual articles and the graphics work that Cher and Harris handle. It's really a team effort.

~ Alan

BTW Steve J, The Doctor Who piece was my idea, with a lot of support on the layout from Harris. With the fourth season about to begin in the UK and US, plus the Inkworks set still out there someplace, I figured the time was right to bring readers up to date on our dashing Doctor. Also thanks to Paul Bines for contributing a couple of the card images we didn’t have (Eighth Doctor) so we could feature every Doctor in our story.

CHER works on the magazine!!!!!!

Cher?...yeah!

~Alan

It was Cher's ex-husband Sonny who came up with the title for Roxanne's booklet on Wacky Packs,
"The Beat Goes On".

I usually read the columns first then the articles.

If there is a release featured that interests meI read that first, otherwise it is fron to back

I only get the magazine for the pictures. Who has time to read articles and such?

Good one Don That one was of "classic Wolfie" quality.

As Alan said, thanks a lot for the input everyone. Its been a really interesting read thus far. There's not a lot of here but we all work hard to put out the best magazine we can. Plus Alan puts up with a lot from me so he deserves lots of kudos (and not just the candy variety).

Before sitting down to read all the articles in order of whichever comes first, I always do a quick scan of the mag to see if I'm mentioned in it. Either in a Memorabilia Photo, a screen shot of Card talk or on the spine of the books on the NSU University section.
Not made it onto the NSU Uni books yet.

I'd be happy with the candy variety.

~Alan

Actually I read the Editorial first. Then I look at the Price Guide for what new releases have just been added, before going back to the index to see which articles I want to read next. I never read the whole magazine in one sitting, I prefer to savor it.

I try to read the magazine from cover to cover.