Just4Fun Magazine, How Did We Get Here?
I have been asked this many times. I started publishing for myself back in the early 1990's with a small trading card publication called Australian & Friends Trading Card Collector (AFTCC). Which was shortened very quickly to World of Cards. Publishing Worl of Cards for a few years, it would soon evolve into World of Collectibles. At our peek, before the explosions of the internet, we had over 3000 subscribers to the World of Collectibles mini magazine. In conjunction with this, I'd also had begun writing for several magazines including, Collectormania, with a regular Trading Card Column and a regular Collectibles Column. Both proved very popular with feedback to my company and for the Newspaper Collectormania.
In 1995 I landed a spot on a collector's panel on 3AW with the now late Keith Mc Gowan. Other panel members were Rick Milne, Ian Armstrong, Vanessa Crew, Alan Pennant and more. The show was called The Antiques & Collectibles Show. This was an amazing experience for me and important opportunity for the magazine. I learnt so much through my radio days with program, experience I still draw on today.
In 1998 I went on to 3AK with leigh Drew for the next 3 years. Here I was a permanent panel member of Leigh's collectors show. This included many competitions, info on the market and valuations. My time in radio was very memorable, and the experience I took away from it was immense. Over the coming years, in between taking some personal time off, I have been involved in the publishing of other publications including The Collectible World, Licensed, and Digital Home Entertainment. I have also done a lot of freelance writing for several magazines and newspapers.
The market is a fickle one and evolves at a rapid rate. To this end I have tried to keep my publishing up to these changes. Every few years I have re-invented the magazine. Changing the direction of the magazine with the changing of the market keeps it new and fresh. In 2013, I had stopped the publication The Collectible World and again re-invented it. This is when our current Just4Fun magazine was born.
Just4Fun Magazine started its life as a Toy, Entertainment & Pop-culture Magazine. Just4Fun Magazine also saw us remove the cover price of our publication, making it a free magazine that as available exclusively online. Just4Fun Magazine has grown so much in past years, and we are very excited with the direction it is going.
2023 saw the biggest change in Just4Fun Magazine since the launch of the magazine. This year we separated the magazine into two publications, and the birth of The Toybox. Just4Fun Magazine will focus on Pop-Culture, Entertainment, and Collectibles, and The Toybox will now focus on Toys, Games, and Gaming.
We look forward to seeing how our magazine evolve on their new paths.
Michael McCoy.
Manager
Just4Fun Magazine