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Thread: Map Book like the old Thomas Guides?

  1. #1
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    Map Book like the old Thomas Guides?

    I have a 90+ year old dad who has difficulty with online services. He is looking for a map of our local area similar to the old Thomas Guide map books. He wants enough detail to find individual addresses like the local library. Scope of coverage could be whole or partial county or even groups of cities in his area.

    I was unaware that Rand McNally had gotten rid of Thomas Guides years ago. Current offerings seem to be limited by specific use like fleet or vacation planning. Anyone have a lead on something more like the old Thomas Guides? Thanks in advance.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  2. #2
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    Are paper maps still available these days?

    My old Thomas Guide of Portland, OR comes in handy. Most of the time a few pages printed from Google Maps does the trick for me.

    If he only needs a few areas, maybe you could print him up a booklet of maps.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Are paper maps still available these days?

    My old Thomas Guide of Portland, OR comes in handy. Most of the time a few pages printed from Google Maps does the trick for me.

    If he only needs a few areas, maybe you could print him up a booklet of maps.

    jtk
    Yep, tried that, thanks. He feels that if he has a map book he will be able to do what he wants. I have my doubts but, am trying to help him ;-)
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

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    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    Yep, tried that, thanks. He feels that if he has a map book he will be able to do what he wants. I have my doubts but, am trying to help him ;-)
    Maybe someone has an old one they will sell. You might try an old furniture or other home service store that needed them in the past.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Maybe someone has an old one they will sell. You might try an old furniture or other home service store that needed them in the past.
    The problem with those old maps is that they don't include most of the streets in your area.

    Have you tried a nav system?

  6. #6
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    Glenn,

    Not sure where you're located in Southern California, but there are Thomas Guides listed for sale on Amazon for LA & Orange Counties, and for San Diego:


    https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Guide-...gateway&sr=8-1

    https://www.amazon.com/San-Diego-Tho...5GVH16ZAK6AJ16

    Copyright dates would make them 3-4 years old, but maybe that's good enough.

  7. #7
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    Thanks all for the ideas ;-)

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Maybe someone has an old one they will sell. You might try an old furniture or other home service store that needed them in the past.

    jtk
    Queue barracks scene from Forrest Gump . . . "what is your sole purpose in this army?".

    Jim, you are a genius. I had old ones when I was a field guy, why wouldn't someone else?
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  8. #8
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    I just did a search on ebay for Thomas Guide Southern Ca. , and it turned up a page full of them.

  9. #9
    I came up with this link. Maybe it will help.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

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    Quote Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly View Post
    I came up with this link. Maybe it will help.
    That looks like a winner. Thanks! I was finding lots of older issues at $100+ prices. It's his money but, I didn't want to see him toss a lot at something that may not do what he is after. Thanks again to everyone.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

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