-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: Map publishing news Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:12:02 -0500 From: Russell Guy <[log in to unmask]> To: Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]> Maps-L: Jack's newsletter has by far the most juicy news and is the most interesting reading. Jack has numerous contacts throughout the industry, and he is willing to speak his mind, often to good effect, and good humor. The International Map Trade Association's monthly newsletter also has news of the industry and is worth a quick scan when it comes out. You can see it at http://www.maptrade.org/publications/ and archived newsletters are also available there. The IMTA newsletter is more sanitized, as map companies and/or people in the news are usually members, and the IMTA tends to not criticize members. The IMTA newsletter is good for merger news, new product lines, new companies, etc. On the Langenscheidt closing, they sold their US inventory and cartographic databases of ADC/Hagstrom/American Map/Arrow, etc. to Universal Maps for $3 million. They did not sell their Insight Guides and Insight Maps lines, nor any of the European map lines nor any of the dictionary lines. Insight Guides and maps will continue to be available in the US through Ingram and others such as myself. Langenscheidt used the $3million to pay off their debts in the US at 52 cents per dollar owed. Universal has started reprinting and/or shipping titles in the Langenscheidt range, such as ADC maps and atlases, and Hagstrom maps. Most, but not all of the ADC line will continue to be available, as well as the big sellers from Mapsco and Hagstrom, etc. As part of the Langenscheidt sale, the ADC Map Store on "I" Street in Wash. D.C. closed, as did the Hagstrom store up in NYC. Rand McNally continues to cut map titles from its listings. It appears to me that RM is cutting nearly all of their Easyfinder laminated city maps as well as the bulk of their Streetfinder atlases. Their Thomas Bros. atlases continue to be available. Many of RM's city maps are being discontinued and replaced by "city atlases" that contain city center maps for anywhere from 10-25 cities in a pocket-sized atlas. The latest Rand McNally product listing I received (12/15/10) lists 360 maps as being "available going forward" and 552 titles being "re-evaluated when current inventory runs out." So far all re-evaluated titles have been declared discontinued/out of print, so I assume nearly all of those 552 will be gone once sold out. Anyone that hasn't updated their RM holdings might consider doing so ASAP. Latest out of print items included Manhattan street map, Knoxville Streetfinder atlas, etc. I assume you heard that Globe Corner Bookstore in Cambridge is for sale, due to Pat Carrier's recently diagnosed health issues. The last I knew (a few weeks ago) Pat had received some serious inquiries, but nothing had progressed beyond that point. When Mapsco was bought by Universal in March 2010, nearly all of the Mapsco retail stores were closed (Denver, Dallas, etc.), and as far as I know only the Ft. Worth store is still open. Cartographia in Hungary is down to 8 employees and is for sale for $4million. Cheers Russell ************************************************************************************** Russell Guy [log in to unmask] Omnimap.com http://www.omnimap.com P.O. Box 2096 Tel.: 800-742-2677 (USA only) 1004 South Mebane St. Tel.: 336-227-8300 (International) Burlington, NC 27216-2096 USA Fax: 336-227-3748 Past President (1996) and Member, International Map Trade Association ************************************************************************************** t 09:52 AM 12/28/2010, you wrote: > From Jack Joyce's ITMB newsletter ... > > Eastview bought Map Link's stock and website. Stay tuned. > > Hema North America and LANGENSCHEIDT closing down. > > Replogle Globes was sold to Cram last summer, via Herff-Jones who owns > Cram. > > You can see ITMB newsletter here: http://www.itmb.com/newsletter.php > > Does anyone else know of other good sources of updates regarding map > publishing? > > Thanks. > > Angie