Any experience using Speedy Mag., Magazines USA, or other magazine renewal services?
Speedy Mag. offers Garden RR for 24.30 (6 issues) and Model Railroader for 27.90 (12 issues).
Current tear-out Kalmbach Publishing renewal offers:
Model Railroader: 42.95
Garden Railways: 32.95
Yes, every time I have gotten a subscription or renewed through someone other than the “official” company I have had problems. Have solved them most of the time, but not worth the aggravation. We just had it happen with another magazine last month, the wife had to spend a couple of hours on the phone total.
Greg
While I think you might be talking about paper subscriptions have you thought about this ?
In the UK I use the US based Zinio digital magazine platform for my Android device (PC and Apple too) compatible magazine subscriptions. Saves a bunch on costs, up to 50%, on paper subscriptions. Just remember to turn off the auto continuous subscribe function when starting up. I get the UK Heritage Railway and The Railway Magazine as well as US Garden RR with this. Only once had a problem, in past 3 years of doing this, with formatting on one title that was quickly resolved. Great feature with digital mags - web links on pages/ads work when you are hooked up to internet. Max
Thank you, Max, for your note of success…
There are a few of us “Luddites” that have not found that the new and trendy technical devices, bring pleasure to us. I still can enjoy the freedom of a good magazine; a paper copy, in my hands.
It is true that the price of the magazine, and the postage costs, have gone past what I can afford. So; I just purchase a magazine, fewer times a year. I find that missing a copy does not deprive me from keeping in touch with what is happening, and by enjoying this forum, and its chat room, I seem to find satisfaction , on what is going on.
I also share in the cost of a paper copy, of several magazines, with a friend. We both get to enjoy reading them, and also don’t as easily end up with a pile of paper that we only recycle anyhow. I used to pride myself on having full volumes of many magazines, but storage became a problem. I finally gave them to a club that sells them for 50 cents each, to raise funds for good projects. So…gadgets are great for some, but not everyone. We are all fortunate to have the choice.
Fred Mills
I buy few magazines these days. Classic Trains and their ‘specials’ are a must. So it Great Western Railway Journal. I do, occasionally, pick up a different magazine or booklet when at my newsagents.
Kalmbach have sent countless mails to me about subscriptions but I prefer to buy from a newsagent, after all it helps keep his shop open and he does have other products besides magazines.
The bigger question is: How long is GR going to survive? GOSSIP, At one of the recent train show, a vendor who advertizes in GR noted there had received some feelers about combining magazines. " It would give the advertizers a greater audience" But, his feeling was the the model railroad redership was very soft. This coupled with the consant reduction of advertizers is making it hard for the publisher to print a magaizine at a cost the subribers are willing to pay. He noted any increase in cost, he would stop advertizing in magazines as he feels most of his market comes from the web and other internet sources such as Amazon.com.
I noticed that GR is getting thinner as time goes on. Latest issue was down several pages.
Another thing to consider is ‘e-zines’ like Model Railroad Hobbyiest Magazine. Monthly release, totally free, downloadable. Most articles are geared at the smaller scales, but that is where most of the contributors are coming from. Some have difficulty making a transition from scale to scale, not so much for me, so the content is usually interesting to some degree or another. The only feature I find missing is the ability to print a hard copy of a particular article, as Fred eluded to above, I do sometimes prefer having the tangible article.
I currently have a subscription for the paper version of GR that runs to the middle of 2016 and I will re-evaluate continuing that subscription at that time. GR has solicited me to go digital, but without some substantial discount for the lack of paper and postage I most likely will not go that route.
As for the advertisers in GR, the LS hobby as a whole is shrinking, so will the base of advertisers. As was indicated above, one advertiser will pull advertising if his cost increases (and I am sure he is not alone). There is a magic tipping point where the cost to publish vs the price folks will pay cross, and when that happens the odds are the publication will cease. I think GR is somewhere close to that now.
My tuppence worth.
GR sadly has gotten thin enough of late that it could be tacked onto the end of MR. Its not from lack of content, its lack of advertisers. Less advertising $ means less $ to cover costs of production means thinner issues to save money. If it continues…
I for one would rather see GR switch to quarterly publication if that’s what it takes to make a thicker healthier magazine.
Poor Wendell, he asked about the problems using a 3rd party subscription service, and only one person answered him.
Not polishing my halo, but guys I thought we usually answered the question before serious thread drift? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)
Greg
Wendell, every time that I’ve used subscription services, I’ve had trouble. I don’t use them, anymore.
I am with Steve. My personal experience has not been good.
I havent used them but cannot imagine why i would either…even if they cost me the same or less than subscribing to Garden Railways directly…surely GR would receive less of my hard earned cash to continue providing the content i want
“Poor Wendell” thanks Greg for noting the shift in content away from the initial posting. As a group, our posting entries do tend to move away from the initial entry. In my “Best Cement” posting, I posted an internal summary related to specifics directly responsive and then acknowledged the shift in topic. It may help with the original author of the topic responding to the status of the thread.
Ouch! This is an example of shifting!
Nonetheless, thanks, Greg, for the observation.
You are welcome, the reason I posted is see if we could get you more examples or experience on the subject.
There MUST be people on the forum that have purchased magazine subscriptions from 3rd party houses.
Regards, Greg
