The Magazine That Remembers The Best

When I received my first issue of Good Old Days magazine in 1999 as a birthday gift from my Grandmother, little did I know what a joy it would be to read this magazine each and every month. I was not surprised that my Grandmother had thought of me when she ordered a subscription for herself because we have shared many of her own memories of the "Good Old Days" together.

Each cover of the magazine is colorful and depicts an image of the days gone by; a mother and her children hanging stockings by an old, stone fireplace; a Grandfather bobbing for an apple in an old tub of water while his grandchildren look on. All scenes bring a smile to the face of the one who looks at it. The pages themselves are not the shiny, slick, colorful pages that almost all magazines have. The Good Old Days magazine pages are of the consistency of newspaper, which adds to the period of which the magazine takes place. Very unique and wonderful!

Every new issue has a column written by Ken Tate, who is the editor of the magazine, along with his wife, Janice. I very much enjoy reading Ken's column because he always talks about his experiences growing up and how his lifestyle while growing up has stayed with him all through his years.

The Good Old Days magazine is unique in that each story written is written by every day people who have lived through a time that some of us can only know through our older, beloved generations. Each author’s name is written beneath the title of his or her story, and I know this must bring a thrill to them. Many times after reading some of their stories I've wanted to write to them to let them know how their story affected me and to let them know that I appreciate the time they took to write down their memories and share them with so many.

Another wonderful aspect is that almost each story written is accompanied by photographs that the author's have shared - I love to see how the subjects dressed, such as the World War 1 uniforms or the children who are standing beside their mothers dressed in their Sunday best. In other stories, the authors will give us their family recipes and share an old picture of how it was supposed to look - and it always looks wonderful, even in black and white photographs!

Something I look forward to with each issue is coming across the lovely poems that are submitted each month, again by the readers and authors of The Good Old Days. The feelings of humor, melancholy, memories of happy times, tough times, and mainly love come shining through in these poems.

Some people might be put off by the many number of ads that are in the magazine, but I'm not one of them. Mainly because the ads have to do with things that you may have seen back in the good old days, such as opportunities to buy antiques, audio tapes of actual radio broadcasts that our Grandparents listened to, music of the 20's, 30's, 40's, the most loved recordings ever made from the good old days. Other ads include health-related issues such as hearing aids, vitamins, etc.; for the gentlemen, there is even an opportunity to purchase model cars such as the 1910 Ford Model T - Tin Lizzie - and one such car can be ordered layered in 24 Karat Gold, if you so desire!

Each issue has regular "Departments" that are showcased every month, including Ken Tate's column "Looking Back", "From The Mailbox", "Good Old Days On Wheels", about - what else? - automobiles; "Big Band Beat", which honors artists of the Big Band Era; "Old Time Music" where you can always find a copy of sheet music of an old, loved song, such as "I'll See You In My Dreams", and "I'll Be Happy When The Preacher Makes You Mine." Another great section is "Looking Hollywood Way", which I very much enjoy since it gives you a history of some of the best and brightest actors and actresses of the good old days, and the "Wanteds", which is a wonderful way for readers of the magazine to write in for items they're looking for or wanting to sell; they can even try to find long lost friends or family members, and search for pen pals who have interests close to theirs. I have personally sent items to some of these wonderful people, things like poems they've requested, postcards, and the best thing is when someone requests a "Card Shower" for a friend or loved one of theirs who is having a birthday or who simply needs a pick-me-up.

"Good Old Days Magazine" is delivered monthly at a very affordable price. You can get 12 issues for $19.97, and they also offer "Good Old Days Specials" which is 6 issues for $14.97. They offer a web site where customers can order and/or review their subscription, read partial issues of the magazine, and also read and submit to the "Wanteds." The site is http://www.GoodOldDaysMagazine.com.

I believe that this magazine offers all things wonderful to the older generation and to others who love and cherish their grandparents and people of a different era. This magazine would be an incredible gift for them to help them remember and bring back those wonderful Good Old Days.