A magazine for holding plural generally flat sample collection cards in spaced parallel relation at their edges only, the magazine open at its top and including upstanding opposed side walls , each side wall further including plural opposed pairs of inwardly extending wall ribs spaced along each side wall to provide therebetween card accepting slots, a first slot dimension (W) being defined by the spacing between an interior face of each side wall, wherein the side walls at the top of each slot are tapered outwardly such that the first dimension (W) is greatest at the top of the slot , and wherein the wall ribs have a cross piece extending generally in the same direction as a respective side wall , wherein, adjacent ends of neighbouring cross pieces are spaced to define a gap which gap defines a second slot dimension (T), said cross pieces having a narrowing upper end such that the second dimension (T) is enlarged at the top of the slot , and wherein the side walls are connected to a base and the wall ribs and cross pieces extend to the base to provide a generally parallel slot of a depth (H) with generally constant dimensions (W, T) apart from said enlarged top dimensions, and wherein the base supports plural spaced base ribs upstanding from the base generally in the same plane as the wall ribs, wherein each base rib includes one or more base cross pieces extending generally parallel to one of the side walls wherein, adjacent ends of neighbouring base cross pieces are spaced to define a gap which gap further defines the second slot dimension (T) at the base of the magazine, said second dimension (T) at the base being about equal to the second dimension (T) defined by the neighbouring ends of the cross pieces of the wall ribs , the base cross pieces optionally including an uppermost portion which is narrower than the remainder of the cross piece in a direction perpendicular to the base ribs for guiding cards into the gap which defines the second dimension. wherein the side walls at the top of each slot are tapered outwardly such that the first dimension (W) is greatest at the top of the slot , and wherein the wall ribs have a cross piece extending generally in the same direction as a respective side wall , wherein, adjacent ends of neighbouring cross pieces are spaced to define a gap which gap defines a second slot dimension (T), said cross pieces having a narrowing upper end such that the second dimension (T) is enlarged at the top of the slot , and wherein the side walls are connected to a base and the wall ribs and cross pieces extend to the base to provide a generally parallel slot of a depth (H) with generally constant dimensions (W, T) apart from said enlarged top dimensions, and wherein the base supports plural spaced base ribs upstanding from the base generally in the same plane as the wall ribs, wherein each base rib includes one or more base cross pieces extending generally parallel to one of the side walls wherein, adjacent ends of neighbouring base cross pieces are spaced to define a gap which gap further defines the second slot dimension (T) at the base of the magazine, said second dimension (T) at the base being about equal to the second dimension (T) defined by the neighbouring ends of the cross pieces of the wall ribs , the base cross pieces optionally including an uppermost portion which is narrower than the remainder of the cross piece in a direction perpendicular to the base ribs for guiding cards into the gap which defines the second dimension. <EOS>