17.2.10

A Sad Story.

issue-34

As I begin to see posts about the new issue of Frankie popping up in my reader, I get small, stabbing, pains in my head. Ouch! Each new issue pricks me a little… each enthused reader brings on a bit of a headache…

And this is why.

I loved Frankie from the first moment I saw it, which happened to be issue two. I worked at Borders then, and would hassle the magazine guy constantly when I knew the new issue was due, then I would grab a copy – unsoiled by human hands & race to the registers to buy it, then I would savour every moment of flicking through the pages, reading about things that were interesting, things that I liked – about opshopping & making things for goodness sake!

It was so unlike any other magazine I had ever read. I connected with it in a way that I never had (if you don’t count wanting to be most of the models in Dolly when I was a tween) before. I love, love, loved it. I sent away for issue #1 & dutifully collected every new issue.

Until.

I went off it a little. There were a few issues there that hit the wrong note for me. I thought Frankie had left me behind. I flicked through quickly but didn’t make it to the register…

And then.

We were moving. From Sydney. To Melbourne. I had an 8 week old baby. I was frazzled. I was packing on my own while The Boy was in Melbourne house hunting. I looked at my hefty pile of Frankie. I figured since it had moved on, or I had moved on, I might as well get rid of them & not lug them interstate.

So.

Into the recycle bin, they went.

All of them.

Gone.

I didn’t mind at the time. All that mattered to me right then was surviving the move with the little Punk. I didn’t even think of it again until, one day before a train trip I picked up a copy of Frankie at the newsagent & flicked through it. It had returned to form. I liked it. I bought it.

I have bought them all since.

But.

I don’t keep them.

I can’t.

The teeny stack they would make would grate on me, I know it, so I give them to the oppy, or to someone on the train who looks like they might like it, but I don’t keep them, anymore.

Every new issue is met with excitement yes – but also with a little sadness, especially when informed that issue one can now fetch over $100.

Ouch.

17 comments:

  1. You really are a champ, when I read your break in transmission I felt a little sad and hoped you would be feeling on top of the world soon...so tonight when I was ckecking blogs I was VERY happily surprised you were back!
    Hope you are feeling better!

    xx Lauren

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  2. What a nice idea! If ever a boing 747 headed for Germany passes your way, you might want to chuck one on LOL
    By the way, gorgeous blog, gorgeous pictures and great stories. I'm glad I bumped into you :o)
    x Andrea

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  3. i went through a very similar thing with frankie.. i collected it since issue 1, absolutely loved it like a new best friend that just understood odd ball me. but then i got over it. i think it's too popular now. i know that is a stupid reason to not like it, but it hasn't got that same special something now that everyone knows about it. (same story with triple j really) it doesn't make me laugh out loud any more, so maybe it's just lost that 'new & different' sparkle. having said that i can't seem to weam myself off it. i try not to buy them anymore but still read friends' copies. where did you hear that about the $100 for first issue?! i have kept the first 6 issues.... cos i thought this might happen...

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  4. Oh Isis - I know what you mean, EXACTLY!

    Used to be, one person would buy Frankie for every 100 peeps buying Marie Claire (or more) and I would jump on them with enthusiasm "You like Frankie?! OMG isn't it awesome?!" & now, you're right, it is just another women's mag, albeit a differnt kind of woman.

    I feel like I kind of have to get it lest I miss out on something, but it I have been taking longer & longer to buy it each time, so maybe sometime in the not too distant future, I will be over it completely.

    Smart Isis holding on to your early issues! They're your nest egg, are they?!

    My old friend Jodie told me about that - http://jodielz1981.blogspot.com/

    If you're nice to her, she might give you some more details... ;)

    Andrea & Lauren - Thank you both sweet things! You're lovely!

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  5. okay, so I have been away and I come back and you have lots of stuff going on. Packing, having a break, feeling overwhelmed, getting presents, opping your Frankie's. Gosh.
    so, it's packing time and I have got a kit to send you- new place or old???
    x

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  6. Aww I can see why you would be miffed that you chucked your collection away. It is hard to get back issues and yep, I saw that NO 1 is $100....unfortunately I don't have that one..:0(

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  7. Sigh.
    Just think of my poor beau, a sharp pang to his heart when he sees a torana lc xu1. Yes, he had a yellow one, he sold it, they are now worth ALOT of money. :(
    he also denies being a bogan...

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  8. Over the school holidays I let the kidlets rip throught my collection and cut bits out and they made some cool collages. I have no idea if I still had the first issue and I'm not going to check either. I think I missed buying them the whole year last year. I'd do a quick flick in the newsagent and leave them there. Over it.

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  9. Frankie themselves charge $100 for issue 1, which doesn't necessarily mean anyone else could sell theirs for that much! It doesn't even mean anyone's paid the $100 Frankie are charging either. Hope that makes you feel a bit better!

    I only saw my first issue of Frankie a few months ago. I'd heard heaps about how great it was so when a friend lent me their copy I was very excited. Some of the articles were amusing but overall... it seemed aimed at 20-somethings trying to buy a bit of individuality for themselves with all the disposable income they're not spending on raising kids. I'm only barely out of that age range but I don't fit the demographic in any other way. I find it highly amusing that they've put my cushions in this month's issue.

    I'd be interested to flick through the early issues and see what it used to be like - I probably would have loved it way back when!

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  10. Claire - Hehehehe... you said "bogan".

    Kate - What a great idea! I actually saw some ATCs made out of frankie pages last night - they looked really cool & got me thinking.

    Jennie - That's it too... why didn't I think of that...?! I'm getting on, as they say. Long in the tooth. Just as one moves of from Dolly & Girlfriend (and hopefully, cosmo...) one must also move on from Frankie.
    You know what I DO run to buy now... Better Homes & Garderns lol.

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  11. ...or 'Gardens' without the extra 'r' even.... ;)

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  12. Great story! I'm pretty sure that if I worked at Borders I would bring home no money at all - too many loves mags and books to buy - that place is dangerous!

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  13. Oh Nic - It is!

    I was always finding new books & putting them on hold until payday - a never ending stream of goodies...!

    I don't know how many people know this about Borders, but the staff can actually BORROW the books...! Isn't that crazy? It is like their own personal library... mind you, it's not that much of a stretch since customers can spend all day in there reading a novel if they want (and a LOT do want that...!).

    I never borrowed them though - I'm wasy too messy & fold the corner of the pages down... that & I like to own my books...

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  14. CAN IT?!

    holy crap. i've got issue 1 somewhere. i collected them all from the start too (though i have missed a few since then). wow! $100! I'd like $100.

    xo

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  15. hah its the best magazine out there.
    who cares if its popular, its better than alot of others :)
    my dream is to have something from the kittyrobot shop featured in there, ahh someday <3

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  16. i can remember being _heartbroken_ when a flatmate began to cut up her frankie magazines. i was always so afraid that my copies might get destroyed by mistake!

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  17. I also used to really enjoy it. I got on the boat at about issue 4 but I stopped reading it about issue 20... I just got sick of the rants.
    I still have all my old copies, I haven't even taken out the posters! I still love those older mags and I read back over them from time to time. It's great to read in those early issues about some emerging artists/actors/designers/makers that have now made it!

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