I have subscribed to
Reminisce magazine for years. Our family enjoys this publication so much that we keep the issues. This magazine is part of the Reiman Publication family, and they produce quality magazines without advertising. Let me tell you why I like Reminisce.
Basic Layout
Reminisce magazine has a tagline that reads: The Magazine that Brings Back the Good Times. Each issue measures 10 1/2” high x 7 7/8” wide. The magazine has 68 pages. The paper is a nice weight, and the magazine has lots of full-color and period black-and-white photographs. The print is easy to read, too.
At the front of the magazine is the Table of Contents with a section for the Feature pieces as well as an area listing the Departments. As you can gather from the magazine title, this magazine focuses on bygone days that are filled with nostalgia and reminiscing.
Opening the cover, the inside two facing pages feature a large photograph with a story about the photo. There is also a blurb about the image used on the cover. There are several two-page spreads throughout the magazine. If you are a toy or “collectible” collector, you will enjoy those pages that feature toys and products from yesteryear. Each issue also includes recipes and a word puzzle similar to a crossword.
A special feature of this magazine is "Hattie’s Hatpin Hunt". Somewhere in the magazine is hidden a drawing of an old-fashioned hatpin. An illustration is provided so that you know what you are searching for. The publication is very clever how they conceal it. Find the hatpin and send the magazine a postcard with the answer, or go online to enter the answer. A prize is awarded to 50 people, and the names are drawn from the correct entries.
My Experiences
This is a fun magazine to read. Each issue spans a large period of history (usually focusing on the early and mid 20th century). All of those moments relate to events and always the people included in them. The stories and articles are personal, pulling you into the moment. Reminisce magazine is proud that the publication is “reader written”. There is an area that details how readers can submit their material for possible publication.
Each issue includes a “Time Capsule” that focuses on one specific year. This snapshot of that year includes a list of what items cost as well as a brief year in review. Also included are names in the news, movies, radio, books, sports and music of the time. It’s a great overview of the year.
I always enjoy viewing the old-time toys and items from the past. It’s almost like having a snippet of the “Antiques Roadshow” inside a magazine, except there are no monetary values attached to the items. People usually send the magazine their photographs with a short note or story about the item. It is also fun to view the advertisements from years gone by. They definitely have a nostalgic feel and hark to much simpler times.
There are lots of pictures from the past in a mix of sepia tones and color. The photographs are usually submitted by readers. Photographs in Reminisce include everything from family photos to images of vintage postcards. The one thing you won’t find are photographs of scenery … not unless there is a specific, personal story relating to the image.
Another feature I enjoy is the “Can You Give Me a Hand?” page. Readers submit their questions, hoping another reader can provide an answer. The page also includes letters from those who have received answers to their questions. For instance, requests might include if anyone has a particular game, movie, sheet music or book they can share. At times readers request specific products such as a beater belonging to a particular model of mixer. Or a photograph of an item might be pictured where someone has a question about the item such as what it is made from or even what it is! Some people are looking to correspond with people of like interests, too.
Not many magazines include poetry. I’m glad that Reminisce does. There are not a lot of poems, usually one per issue. The poetry is always personal and submitted by readers who wrote them.
The magazine is also sprinkled with a few cartoons that bring a smile. If you enjoyed the older Sunday Funnies, then you’ll like the two-page spread that features reader’s favorite newspaper comics. Looking at issues from the past three years, I see comics titled “Tillie the Toiler”, “Smitty”, and “Blondie”.
I love word puzzles, so it’s a treat to find a word puzzle in each issue along with the solution (though I try to solve the puzzle without peaking!). If you are a car enthusiast, another fun section is “Name that Car!”. A photograph and clues are provided to help you identify the auto.
Recipes are provided by readers of the magazine. There is always a short caption from the person sharing the recipe, including their name and the town and state where they are from. As you can imagine, the recipes are varied. Here are some samples: Bavarian Noodles with Apples, Chicken Wrapped in Bacon, Cranberry Apple Crisp, Glazed Pork Chops, Herbed Bread Slices, Mashed Potato Spinach Bake, Pineapple Sour Cream Pie, String Bean Salad. There are also a some recipes under the “Cooking For Two” heading.
A usual feature of Reiman Publications is to include what they call “margin notes”. Looking in the white space along the vertical edges of the pages, you may spy “A Thought to Remember”. These can be observations such as: Courtesy is the shortest distance between two people. Or … Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be explored.
A great feature of the magazine is that it contains hardly any advertising. I would say it contains no advertising, but there are a few plugs for products that Reiman Publications sells. Also within recent years they have included a few outside product advertisements, though the advertisements are usually discrete and there are not many of them.
Subscription Price
This magazine comes out every other month; six issues a year.
This magazine costs $19.98 a year / 2 years $29.98 / 3 years $39.98 if the magazine is shipped within the United States. Each issue retails for $3.99 U.S. / $4.99 Canada.
Summary
I enjoy reading
Reminisce magazine. This publication offers a unique peek into times gone by. I offer a big thank you to the readers who are willing to share moments and photographs from their lives. It gives me appreciation for events that I did not experience, and for the people who lived during those times.
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Please read my other reviews:
Country Extra Magazine
Yankee Magazine
Simple & Delicious (cooking magazine)
Everyday with Rachael Ray (cooking magazine)
Bird’s & Blooms Magazine
Bird Watcher's Digest Magazine
Droll Yankee Tipper Bird Feeder – squirrel proof
Copyright 2008 Dawn L. Stewart
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