BRM December 2017 + DVD and only 99p

[4railsman]

BRM seem to have produced a SPECIAL edition of the December 2017 issue with the DVD for only 99p.

 

The 99p is NOT a label but part of the cover design and I bought my copy from Sussex Stationers who are part of WH Smiths, so I presume you will also be able to buy from a normal WHS outlet.

 

What a nice surprise at this expensive time of year!

 

Enjoy

[Giz Puk]

I can see why this isn't on the Bargains thread................... THIS IS A GIFT !!!!! 

Thank you Andy Y and others and I hope that the 'Santa Express' leaves you all a nice little gift in your Christmas stocking this year..... You certainly have been good. 

 

Yours Aye,

Giz

[Keith George]

Obtained a copy today for  99p at WHS.  For 99p it was excellent, but I was not that impressed , well not enough to take out a subscription or to pay full price for future copies,  sorry!

 

Keith

[F-UnitMad]

I was less than impressed some months back to have bought an issue of BRM at full RRP, only to see THE SAME ISSUE a week later with this "99p offer" on it, probably in 'Smiffs', I can't remember now.

I don't know which issue it was; it went to recycle after a few weeks.

[Guest]

Hmmm. I was nearly caught out... popped into town to post a couple of items and on the way, called into a newsagent to get a copy of BRM, usual cover price. Realised I didn't have any change, so decided to go back after post office. I then vaguely remembered someone saying something about a "99p" issue, so called into W H Smith before heading back to local newsagent and voila...

 

 

...I always prefer to use the local shops rather than the national chains, but hey, bargain.

Edited November 13, 2017 by Pete 75C

[4railsman]

The thing that surprised me most, was that the 99p price was not a stuck-on label fixed to the magazine (as stated in my original post), or to a cellophane wrapped version printed with the price, but actually incorporated into the magazines cover design.

 

It would seem that WHS must have paid for this and had a massive run produced just for all their outlets (Sussex Stationers included), as I have since heard of independent outlets only having the full price version.

 

I guess the moral of this story is to always check the price of BRM and other model railway magazines in a WHS store first (and possibly also certain supermarkets) before buying magazines at an independent shop, so as to reduce the chances of missing a bargain priced edition.

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff

[micklner]

99p no thanks . The issues is poor when compared again to to other competing magazines.

[SteveCole]

99p no thanks . The issues is poor when compared again to to other competing magazines.

 

Happy for you to PM me with why you think that.

 

Thankfully the majority of others don't feel the same judging by our sales growth, but each to their own...

[Huw Griffiths]

It's not the first time that there's been a BRM promotional tie-in with WHS this year.

 

99p no thanks. The issues is poor when compared again to to other competing magazines.

 

Happy for you to PM me with why you think that.

 

Thankfully the majority of others don't feel the same judging by our sales growth, but each to their own...

 

I take a slightly different view.

 

I generally find the magazine good - and an interesting read.

 

However, I definitely have a problem - of principle - when any magazine has this sort of promo tie-in with one specific retailer, or even a limited number of retailers.

 

(Of course, I should stress that I'm not referring to spare copies of old editions being sold off cheaply - whether through one shop or many of them - I'd have no problem with this.)

 

Quite apart from some readers (who've already bought their copy at full price) understandably feeling cheated when they see the same edition on sale elsewhere at a ridiculously low price (or with some exclusive freebie they would have liked), nonsense like this is likely to drive business away from smaller shops.

 

A major RTR model railway manufacturer, quite rightly, drew a lot of flak on this site (and elsewhere), when some small model shops found out that a number of items were available retail from large boxshifters (or even direct) at lower prices than they were able to get the same items wholesale. This sounds like much the same sort of thing.

 

 

Huw.

[Jongudmund]

I've learned to look and see what the supermarkets etc offer. BRM came bundled with a free mag in Tesco recently. Then I saw the same issue solo in Smiths. Model Rail has done the same with a free bookazine, again in Tesco, I think.

 

The bookazine deal was probably worth it but I'd prefer the 99p deal over a free mag next time.

[cravensdmufan]

Paid £4.75 for my copy last week - faithfully and reliably saved for me each month at my local newsagent.

 

Not impressed at all seeing it is available for 99p at WHS.  So much for trying to support a small independent shop,

 

Had a similar disappointment with BRM some months ago when there was a free gift attached with copies from certain large outlets.  Alas no free gift with mine.

 

This sort of thing annoys me I'm afraid. 

[terrysoham]

99p no thanks . The issues is poor when compared again to to other competing magazines.

I couldn’t find a disagree icon to press but I disagree. I think that BRM gets better and better.

[caradoc]

I normally only buy BRM if there is something of interest to me inside, however for 99p I bought this issue without even checking the contents ! Personally, I would have thought that at such a price, everyone would find something for them, even if just the adverts.

[chriswright03]

Whilst I can understand the frustration/annoyance of those that have subscribed/paid full price if this simple but effective marketing ploy entices more people to buy the magazine then the Company have a good chance of keeping some of those so enticed.  All companies use marketing to build up their customer base and that is part of life.

 

I bought it as to me it is a bargain and I have enjoyed the content.  Why 'some' have to be so negative beats me.  If it isn't for you then don't buy it but don't cite that you prefer a different product as that is about as much use to most people as saying you don't buy baked beans from A because you prefer them from elsewhere.

 

How it can be said the issue is poor if you haven't read it confuses me.  Constructive criticism is always useful but just slating something without any reason and apparently not having read it smacks of sour grapes for some reason.  We have all no doubt heard the expression "if you haven't got anything nice to say then say nothing".  Why do a tiny minority have to be so negative?

[SteveCole]

I couldn’t find a disagree icon to press but I disagree. I think that BRM gets better and better.

 

Thank you. The team are working really hard at the moment and the results are proving that it's paying off! I can't stress enough how special the January issue is...it's the most excited I have ever been about any magazine promotion. We'll be releasing a promotional video next week...

[SteveCole]

Whilst I can understand the frustration/annoyance of those that have subscribed/paid full price if this simple but effective marketing ploy entices more people to buy the magazine then the Company have a good chance of keeping some of those so enticed.  All companies use marketing to build up their customer base and that is part of life.

 

I bought it as to me it is a bargain and I have enjoyed the content.  Why 'some' have to be so negative beats me.  If it isn't for you then don't buy it but don't cite that you prefer a different product as that is about as much use to most people as saying you don't buy baked beans from A because you prefer them from elsewhere.

 

How it can be said the issue is poor if you haven't read it confuses me.  Constructive criticism is always useful but just slating something without any reason and apparently not having read it smacks of sour grapes for some reason.  We have all no doubt heard the expression "if you haven't got anything nice to say then say nothing".  Why do a tiny minority have to be so negative?

 

Thanks Chris. Everyone has different opinions - positive & negative - but I agree that if readers don't like the magazine, simply don't buy it. BRM won't be for everyone, but we try to cater for as big an audience as possible. The 99p promotion in WHSmiths is the ideal scenario for those who either don't like the magazine (past or present) or have never bought BRM, to give it a go. We wouldn't work with WHSmiths on a promotion such as this if we weren't confident that the vast majority would like the magazine and buy future issues.

[Legend]

No matter how brilliant the layout of the pages, style of magazine etc at the end of the day it’s the content that means I will buy or skip a magazine . I’m looking primarily at layouts ,then probably gauge. I’m OO so while a layout may still be of interest if it’s O the construction techniques are probably different. A major turn off for me is if there are a large number of DCC articles. I appreciate others may have an opposite view , but it’s part of my criteria whether to buy or not.

 

There is an interesting letter in Railway Modeller where someone is basically criticising too many eye candy layouts ie visually appealing but not terribly interesting to operate. As usual in these things the writer takes an extreme view . The reality is that there should be room for eye candy and layouts that are operationally appealing but maybe resort to Superquick etc for scenery. I do tend to agree though that we get too many visually appealing layouts and not the full range. I think this is why most mags tend to be a bit samey , because they are all covering the same ground.

 

In general the inclusion of a DVD is pretty good, but it’s not enough to swing the purchase if the content of the actual mag is not to my tastes

 

And actually these days I’m getting more into Youtube which does have that full range of layouts and buying less mags.

[rab]

No matter how brilliant the layout of the pages, style of magazine etc at the end of the day it’s the content that means I will buy or skip a magazine . I’m looking primarily at layouts ,then probably gauge. I’m OO so while a layout may still be of interest if it’s O the construction techniques are probably different. A major turn off for me is if there are a large number of DCC articles. I appreciate others may have an opposite view , but it’s part of my criteria whether to buy or not.

There is an interesting letter in Railway Modeller where someone is basically criticising too many eye candy layouts ie visually appealing but not terribly interesting to operate. As usual in these things the writer takes an extreme view . The reality is that there should be room for eye candy and layouts that are operationally appealing but maybe resort to Superquick etc for scenery. I do tend to agree though that we get too many visually appealing layouts and not the full range. I think this is why most mags tend to be a bit samey , because they are all covering the same ground.

In general the inclusion of a DVD is pretty good, but it’s not enough to swing the purchase if the content of the actual mag is not to my tastes

And actually these days I’m getting more into Youtube which does have that full range of layouts and buying less mags.

Regular customers getting peed off by special offers not being available to them surely happens all the time.

How many times do you see, for instance, TV/broadband companies promoting special offers to attract new customers, and somewhere in the small print you find

"Offer applies to new customers only" or

"Offer not available to existing customers",

Edited November 17, 2017 by rab

[Free At Last]

Regular customers getting peed off by special offers not being available to them surely happens all the time.

How many times do you see, for instance, TV/broadband companies promoting special offers to attract new customers, and somewhere in the small print you find

"Offer applies to new customers only" or

"Offer not available to existing customers",

When Virginmedia put their prices up I ring up retentions and tell them I am leaving and they always come up with a new lower priced deal.

It pays to complain.

[Butler Henderson]

There is an interesting letter in Railway Modeller where someone is basically criticising too many eye candy layouts ie visually appealing but not terribly interesting to operate. As usual in these things the writer takes an extreme view . The reality is that there should be room for eye candy and layouts that are operationally appealing but maybe resort to Superquick etc for scenery. I do tend to agree though that we get too many visually appealing layouts and not the full range. I think this is why most mags tend to be a bit samey , because they are all covering the same ground.

Have to confess when visiting exhibitions I do tend to spend more time looking at the scenic than the trains; afterall most layouts seem to run rtr stock. When exhibiting I have heard a complaint of it being all rtr, at which point the Golden Arrow Q on a rake of Parkside vans normally put an appearance in. On the other hand I have heard my 04 described as a kit built loco. Suppose it depends on your definition of a kit; a re handrailed Bachmann body on a new dcc ready Bachmann 03 chassis does not qualify in my book. Edited November 18, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[grahame]

. . . .  someone is basically criticising too many eye candy layouts ie visually appealing but not terribly interesting to operate. . . . 

The reality is that there should be room for eye candy and layouts that are operationally appealing but maybe resort to Superquick etc for scenery. I do tend to agree though that we get too many visually appealing layouts and not the full range.

 

It's a bit tricky to judge the running and operational interest of a layout from photographs in a magazine. With transient disposable print publishing (i.e. magazines) I much rather see well crafted layouts ('eye candy' if you want) than lots of photos of RTR stock on a poorly modelled layout with un-ballasted track, basic buildings and lacking developed scenery. To some extent that is also true at exhibitions for me, but I'd be particularly unhappy to purchase a magazine and find no 'eye candy' and a lot of layouts that were just operationally attractive (which I'd not be able to tell that they were without seeing them operate). I certainly don't agree with the letter.

 

G.

[Legend]

Yes it’s a good point that it’s difficult to capture the operational side in a magazine article. But I do think you can pay a bit more attention to track plans , why the Modeller came up with that plan and how he operates it. I still refer back to an article in Railway Modeller back in early 80s, Hanbury it was called. It was a roundy roundy with two terminal stations , superquick buildings, Hornby Dublo stock , all in quite a small space. But what was inspirational was how it was laid out and the description of operations. They used a 24 hr timetable with variations for market days etc. You just don’t get that any more. It does seem to have swung to visually attractive .Worlds End is an example of that, visually stunning but it’s really just two track with trains running round . So more scenic than operational , although certainly enjoyable to watch

 

Anyway, I did splash the cash , a whole 99p and bought BRM this month. I bought it mainly for the river steamers article as I noted it had quite a few pictures of Clyde Steamers in it. I had never seen a picture of Maid of Cumbrae after conversion to car ferry but still with CSP buff funnel, so it was worth it for that. The article does make reference to going G&SWR to Gourock. That’s wrong , it was the Caley line that went to Gourock. G&SWR had a line that ran to Greenock Princess Pier, although it closed beyond Kilmalcolm in the 60s. But apart from that an enjoyable description of the steamers.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Legend

[grahame]

Yes it’s a good point that it’s difficult to capture the operational side in a magazine article. But I do think you can pay a bit more attention to track plans , why the Modeller came up with that plan and how he operates it. I still refer back to an article in Railway Modeller back in early 80s, Hanbury it was called. It was a roundy roundy with two terminal stations , superquick buildings, Hornby Dublo stock , all in quite a small space. But what was inspirational was how it was laid out and the description of operations.

 

Yes, a plan or sufficient/appropriate photographs to ascertain the track layout will help.

 

But of course that still only indicates operational potential. It doesn't mean that the layout is necessarily operated and signalled in a realistic and railway-like manner. Or whether all the trains run are appropriate and correct for the timetable and layout. You do really need to see the layout working (at an exhibition or on a video) to appreciate the operation. Maybe an article about how a model railway layout should be operated would help, but moving visual media is best for such subjects and print media (magazines) can't really provide that (excepting in a free CD provided with it).

 

No harm in trying I guess, but still give me lots of nice, finely modelled, realistic looking, visually attractive, inspirational, photographic 'eye candy'   

 

G.

[Free At Last]

I like watching The Bradfield Chronicles for realistic railway operation. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw-3WQQ5sDfLBnmaBiL_LSjG3vO-K86h5