Looking for vintage homemaking advice? One of the best places to look is vintage magazines. You can still buy vintage magazines today and they are full of interesting information.
In a time before Pinterest and blogs, magazines were the go-to place for homemaking advice. We still read them today but not quite at the rate we once did.
I don’t read many modern magazines anymore but I do love to read vintage magazines, especially from the 1950s. You’ll notice inspiration from these magazines throughout this blog.
Not only is it fun to read 1950s magazines to see what the homemaking advice was at the time it’s also fun to look at all the ads. Some are ridiculous, even offensive, and some are just fun.
It’s rare I look through a 1950s magazine and don’t find myself disgusted by a recipe. Why did they make so many dishes with Jello or tuna in a cream sauce?
I often get asked where I find vintage magazines so I thought I’d share my tips for finding these magazines so you can enjoy reading them as well.
Where to Buy Vintage Magazines
Antique Stores
I’ve found several vintage magazines at antique stores. They aren’t always in great shape but they are usually readable and cheap.
Typically I look for areas in the store with lots of books as this tends to be where the magazines are as well. People often cut things out of a magazine so be sure to check them over to make sure at least most of the magazine is still there.
Thrift Stores
Thrift stores are a really affordable option for buying vintage magazines. You can sometimes find whole boxes of vintage magazines for a very low cost.
Etsy & eBay
I’ve bought bundles of vintage magazines from Etsy many times. Just search for 1950s magazines or the type of vintage magazine you are looking for. I often search “vintage homemaking magazine” or I search for ones I know I like such as Ladies’ Home Journal or American Home.
I haven’t bought any from eBay before but it’s the same idea as Etsy. Just be mindful of the prices at both places and read reviews of the seller.
Archives
I recently subscribed to the Better Homes & Gardens archive. It’s only $19.99 a year and you get access to all of their magazines, starting with 1922.
These are digital copies but I have found them easy to read and it’s great to have so many magazines at your fingertips. It’s easy to use and you can search by year or month.
This is the only homemaking magazine I’ve found so far that is available like this. I am on the lookout though and will add to this post if I find more. If you know of any be sure to leave them in the comments.
Note: This archive has not seemed to be working correctly for some people lately so use it with caution. I’m still searching for similar options.
How to Care for Vintage Magazines
Make sure your hands are always clean and dry before handling the magazines. Also, be sure to keep the magazines out of sunlight to prevent fading.
Archival plastic sleeves and archival boxes are a good storage system to help the magazines last and hold up as well as possible.
If the magazine is bent, simply make sure everything is laying flat and put a few heavy books on it for a couple of days. This should help it become flat again.
More Vintage Homemaking Resources
Want to learn more about vintage homemaking? Join the Retro Homemakers Club! It’s a fun way to connect with other homemakers in a vintage way.
Or stick around here and check out some of the fun vintage homemaking posts available here on the site.
GIULIA says
Good Housekeeping is one of my favorite magazine,, I find always good tips and being italian mother tongue is also a good method to keep active my knowledge of english