There she was time and time again, Ita Buttrose, that is, smiling at us from the various covers of magazine you could buy at newsagents and other vendors.

Well Ita’s face has basically disappeared these days, usually replaced with front page shots of somewhat sexier bikini wearing young birds in blazing colour.

Remember, too, when you probably only had a choice of Women’s Weekly, New Idea, Business Review Weekly and Penthouse to choose from for something to read, well the times have changed quite dramatically.

And from what I’m told even more magazines can be anticipated as time goes by.  You no longer have to just put up with reading the latest about Britney and her problems, Angelina and Brad or Nicole and whomever, but now there’s a real choice to suit all tastes.

During a visit to my local newsagent the other day to select a crossword puzzle book I suddenly looked at just how many magazines were actually on show and I counted 11 different motoring productions for starters not to mention those covering such subjects as motor bikes, motor homes and caravans.

It made me think what else is here and lo and behold I discovered magazines on such subjects, for example, as tattoos, men’s fitness, boating, fishing, property investment, weddings, pregnancy, card making, knitting and gardening.

There was even a magazine called Picture promoting a “big boobs issue,” and on it went with reading opportunities about such things as cuisine, music and Sci Fi products.

Sure the old favourites were there like Marie Claire, Take 5, the Weekly, New Idea, That’s Life, Better Homes and Gardens, Cleo, Cosmopolitan and Reader’s Digest.

My newsagent told me that several hundred titles were available and they received them in bulk and paid for them on arrival, but they could always claim back the costs of any that remained unsold after a certain period of time.  And this job kept her “flat chat”, she said.

Youngies still go for trash

She also suggested the younger readers were still guilty of seeking out the trashier type of magazine and that those featuring scantily clad women on their front cover usually sold well.

But one thing’s for sure what’s available certainly caters for all tastes and most offer creative ways to make their readers put their feet up and relax.

A quick flit around the YOC office confirmed that people have various favourites with Better Homes and Gardens the most read by the people I approached. Others to score were New Idea, Women’s Weekly, and Woman’s Day.

In fact, any publication that included a crossword seemed to gain favour. One of the women I asked brought to mind the days when Dad kept Man under the bed. I recall it well!  She laughed, as did all of us in the circle, when she recalled that what Dad didn’t always realise was that the youngies somehow or another seemed to know about it. As I recall it wasn’t easy quickly browsing through Man under the bed, but we did it!
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But the numbers of magazines to hit the news – stands isn’t going to ease in the short term as I believe aggressive publishers are now offering newsagents cash incentives to prominently display their goods.

I suppose the next batch of new faces will include issues on climate change for that seems a popular topic these days, although not too many of us really understand it.

Oh well, we’ll soon be able to sit back and relax and maybe get a better idea from such publications as Your World, Crash Landing or maybe even Climate Guide, and wait for it – Rudderless by you know who!