Magnation

This shop is cool. I’ve been getting my Uncensored, New Dawn, and Nexus mags here for years. I used to get Bizarre as well, before the phone sex ads and granny porn outweighed the freak articles, music and movie reviews. What a way to ruin a good mag! But that’s another story. Magnation has absolutely tons of different genres. And they’ll email or phone you when your next issue is in, and have a loyalty card which I always forget to whip out every time I visit. The staff are always happy and friendly. If I was to go down to 4 stars it would be for the parking, but its Ponsonby Rd, gotta expect that. Two thumbs up from me, and two big toes for good measure.

Best place in town to buy magazines — international and national publications. Mag Nation airfreight Vogue, Russh, Frankie, POP, 10, Oyster, Nylon etc. They also stock fantastic wooden cards, stationery and other gimmicks. I literally can spend hours in this shop, the only thing missing is a coffee booth!:)

Once upon a time there used to be the most magical little shop just off Oxford Street in London called RD Franks. This little unassuming shop sold hundred upon hundreds of magazines from all over the world. It was amazing. Then, one day, poof, it disappeared. The end of an era.
I know this is going to sound really lame, but I nearly cried when I walked into Mag Nation for the first time; all that I loved about RD Franks is back in Auckland. They’re here, they’re all here: Love, Lula, Oyster, British Elle, Black… all of my favourite magazines from all over the world are right here under one roof.
All the magazines are neatly divided into sections, which makes it really easy to browse and there’s more than enough space for each title to be perused. Some of the more obscure titles are pretty expensive, with some fetching upto $ 100 or so, but the more mainstream titles are actually pretty good value. My beloved British Elle is only around $ 10, only a couple of dollars more than it would cost in the UK.
Literally cannot rate this place highly enough. Shop here Auckland or woe betide you when it’s gone and you can’t get these amazing titles anywhere else!

For slightly out of the «ordinary”/boutique/niche magazines, Magnation is the place to come if you can’t find what you are looking for in the usual places. However, don’t be expecting to find zines here, they’re not that indie… but there are lots of international (as in, foreign language) mags to pick from as well if English isn’t your first language or you want to practice reading on something more exciting than an exercise book. They stock stationary as well but you know… come here for the magazines. You could spend ages here flicking through the hundreds of texts they have on offer (I don’t think the staff mind too much if you have a little read… well, I’ve never been told off for it!)

I’m sure I heard somewhere that NZ has more magazine titles per capita than most other countries. You know, it’s one of those things ‘they’ say. You know it’s true because ‘they’ve’ done ‘studies’, etc. Even if it’s bullshit, Magnation does a good job of keeping the rumour convincing. Jesus. Apart from the art/​graphic design section (and really, not even all of that), the bulk of this place leaves me feeling a bit stupefied. Do people really care about all these things? Really? Enough to sustain all these publications? The answer must be yes, because even if the magazine titles periodically change, the overall hum of business must remain pretty constant — Magnation’s been here for years. And if you can get past the baffling idea that somehow this place stays in business after the advent of the internet, then I’ll concede they do their job well. Their range is good, very good. And their staff are friendly, or at least have been to me. So if you want a magazine go here, I guess.

Do you love fishing with your bare hands? Knitting using a hammer? Cooking with a freezer? If so, Magnation probably has the magazine for you. There are so many magazines here. It’s quite a reassuring thing to stand in front of and realise that so many people have so much spare time to dedicate to so many activities. No matter how useless you think you are, all you have to do is find the right magazine, the right activity, and you too can be part of something. Magnation is like a great big store which encapsulates all of this.

Ahhh this place makes me happy. There is pretty much every magazine you can think of here (unless you’re a crazy mag fiend who knows everything about them), but at least if you ask for something and it’s not there you feel quite cool. One time I went in and asked for a magazine that my very first article was printed in. They didn’t have it. But I think that was more to do with it being a not very good magazine.
This is a haven. If you need to kill time, excape for a bit, or just look at some pretty pictures –this is the place to do it.
The place is jam-​packed with everything from pig hunting to photogrpahy, to Kim Kardashian. Half the fun is finding the most specific titles I have ever read and realisng there is a whole audience out there for it.
Another thing you realise is that just because magazines are shorter and glossier than books, doesn’t mean they aren’t just as intelligent, funny and entertaining. Magazines are worth your time, and you’ll spend plenty of it here.

If books intimidate you (they are too thick, and don’t contain enough pictures for me) and you prefer the accessibility of a nice glossy magazine, Magnation on Ponsonby Road will be a little haven for your needs. As the name suggests, the primary purpose of this store is to offer as many weekly, monthly and perennial glossies as they can fit on the shelves. Both New Zealand and international publications are available and cover every topic the average person might want to peruse. I am particularly impressed by the Sports section that outclasses anywhere else I have discovered. If you are looking for a new hobby, I can’t think of a better place to find some inspiration, some of the titles are mind boggling.