David, your response borders on condescention. As a Club Officer, let me ask if you are aware that;

1. Are you aware that we DO NOT need to publish a magazine to maintain our 501(c) status? That we can maintain it with a pamphlet, published once a year? I sit on the Board of 2 charitable foundations, I I am aware of that.

2. Are you aware that basic accounting principles say you cannot lump funds generated by membership dues in the same category as funds generated by magazine sales to try and show an imagined profit?
While I am not, in fact, a CPA, I know enough about the IRS to know that that is probably not a good idea.

I think the membership needs to know if you know these things, because your responses indicate that you may not, and in your position, you should.

The statement that 75% of the membership would leave the club if the magazine was altered is supported by what? Opinion. My opinion is the percentage of members who would not renew membership because the magazine was altered would be a lot closer to ZERO than 75%. My basis?
I asked a few collectors I know. Not too scientific, but that is why it is an opinion.

Furthermore, if there is so much trouble finding good articles for submission, shouldn't that tell you something? If I were running a magazine, it would strongly suggest to me that there is not a heck of a lot to write about. Maybe it has just about all been said or written already.