Andrew1974 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Managed to find a copy today. I've had a breif read....need to get the kids to bed then I can read it properly. Good luck to those who are still looking Andrew Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 For all those who are cut up about the lack of their freebie plastic box, I believe Poundland and others of the ilk do something similar. Just don't send the bill to Chris, will you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 For all those who are cut up about the lack of their freebie plastic box, I believe Poundland and others of the ilk do something similar. Just don't send the bill to Chris, will you Indeed and they don't expire unlike, it seems, the WH Smiths ones that have to be bought within a few days of the publishing date.. I was getting excited but a little plastic box? Not really going to make much difference to me buying MR or not! Anyway, do someone let us know which articles are good.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted July 20, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 20, 2010 copies on sail in small newsagent in shanklin yesterday but no sign of any free gift on the cover. Not bought a copy for some time and it's proved to be a good read despite being printed on waffer thin paper. One thing that hasn't changed though is the verging on hard sell product placement - are the MR team sponsored by Deluxe? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Zero Gravitas Posted July 21, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2010 Craig, You're quite right - for most people the presence of a plastic box is not going to be a big issue. But if I were the publisher and had done a deal with (and probably paid) WHS to have a plastic box sold with my magazine, I'd be very interested to know that in a lot of places this wasn't happening. Best Regards, Zero Gravitas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CullingworthGNR Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Particularly loved East Lynn this issue, a fantastic layout. I though it was worth a cover shot - Chris Nevard's layouts are obviously fantastic, but if they aren't in the mag it seems a bit daft to put them on the cover (again)! Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Emily Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 It has finally turned up in WH Smiths in Bolton though without any gift on the cover nor, as far as I can tell from a quick glance, any mention that one is supposed to be there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Free gifts like that are a poor reward for the loyal subscribers who do not get them! (quote) My word, I've been through this a few times! Here goes again - There are offers aimed at getting NEW customers and offers aimed at retaining subscribers. The two are different. Subscribers get advantageous renewal rates which are worth far more than a plastic box. Subscribers also get discounts on MR goods and services - recently raised to 10% - which again is a very good deal. A red plastic box is merely designed to be eye-catching to new readers who are scanning a shelf-full of magazines. As to putting East Lynn on the cover - well, again, it's a simple exercise in marketing. The cover has to have MASS appeal - to attract the majority. That majority doesn't model in 'S' scale, however great it might look to more experienced modellers. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6975 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Moaning about no free gift - I don't know.. I'd be happy just to be able to buy a copy. Went out on my lunch break today and still no sign. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Let me get this straight - Model Rail still isn't in some newsagents and MRJ is? What is the world coming to?! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mikes rail Posted July 22, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2010 "Our distribution people are investigating but they have not been made aware of any problems. The gift attachment would have been done before delivery to Smiths, as these copies have a slightly different cover." Well to add to the list of places which have not seen a copy, its still not reached the Isle of Man plastic box or not! I know that the Model Rail team get the flak on this when its not their fault, how about giving us a email address for the distributors so we can talk to the ones that need sorting out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 how about giving us a email address for the distributors so we can talk to the ones that need sorting out. (quote) Even we don't get to speak to the distributors. Its all about going through the correct channels, you know. In the meantime I apologise to all who've had a runaround and not been able to find the magazine. If I do find anything out, I'll let you know. In the meantime if copies DO start to appear in shops that haven't had them, please can you post on here to let us know. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 HI I have now tried a few shops to get my copies ,no joy ,so far I have missed the last three issue If I can not get it this weekend ,looks like I will subscribe to the mag. Darren Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orcadian Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Hi, As Dibber wants to know where it is/isn't, it was in Martins in Fakenham, Norfolk by Monday (only go in once a week at most). It's great for us to have Dibber as a member and regular contributor on here, much appreciated, but I'm sure that we throw too much at him while he's here! As he reminds us, large and successful organisations have to conduct their business arrangements through the usual channels. I'm a bit surprised some folk are still mentioning the 'missing' free gift on magazines in shops other than W H Smiths, especially after Dibber himself told us that its a WHS in-house only promotional offer. Perhaps we only see the bits of a post that we want to -'Oh, good, it's got a free gift on it' and don't see 'but only in WHS'! Keep up the good work, Chris, but keep on taking the tablets that help the development of a thick skin! Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6975 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Finally appeared here in Bristol on Friday. Found it at WHS in Kingswood, complete with little box sellotaped onto the front. Why do they do that?? On heavyweight magazines with high gloss covers, OK, but on a magazine whose paper thickness is measured in microns, removing sellotape is nigh on certain to rip the cover. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 1 Model Rail DOES have a heavy, gloss cover (mainly BECAUSE the inside paper is thin) 2 The tape is low tack to peel off 3 If it won't peel off it can be cut with a modelling knife 4 How else do we attach the free gift? 5 If you want it without the free gift, ungifted copies are available everywhere else other than Smiths. 6 I think that 'covers' all eventualities. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragtag Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 4 How else do we attach the free gift? I suppose it'd have to be one of those having the magazine and gift enclosed in clear plastic wrapping jobbies, from both environmental and cost points of view I know which I'd rather see. Still...no pleasing some, eh? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I can report I finally tracked a single copy down, in Smiths in central Bournemouth. Having got the free gift (and for those moaning about not getting one, the edition in Smiths has a different cover that states 'Smiths Exclusive' on it), I might venture a theory why this is so hard to find: The box takes up so much room, that in the standard space allotted to each publication on Smith's shelves, you can only fit 2 copies, so I wonder if these are just selling and the staff simply aren't replenishing from spare stock fast enough? David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 4 How else do we attach the free gift? With that gel-type stuff that rolls up in your fingers and looks like snot. Play value, without the mess Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 It's OK, I won't make the taste joke again, I promise Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 The box takes up so much room, that in the standard space allotted to each publication on Smith's shelves, you can only fit 2 copies, so I wonder if these are just selling and the staff simply aren't replenishing from spare stock fast enough? (quote) That sounds like a more reasonable answer than anything else I've heard. And it's easily resolved by asking in the shop if someone will go and check. Of course, it depends on being able to find someone to ask. However, these distribution glitches are often solved more easily from the customer's direct action than any amount of asking from the editorial end of the chain. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6975 Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 1 Model Rail DOES have a heavy, gloss cover (mainly BECAUSE the inside paper is thin) 2 The tape is low tack to peel off 3 If it won't peel off it can be cut with a modelling knife 4 How else do we attach the free gift? 5 If you want it without the free gift, ungifted copies are available everywhere else other than Smiths. 6 I think that 'covers' all eventualities. CHRIS LEIGH 1 The cover is thicker than the middle pages but I don't think it can be called heavy by any stretch of the imagination. 2 Low tack? I took nearly 15 minutes very gently trying to remove it without ripping the cover and almost succeeded - it lifted the top surface off down the spine. 3 But that leaves it on the cover. It then goes gunky and sticks to the mag next to it when I store it. 4 Bag it, like most other magazines do. 5 Not here they aren't, it was 8 days late in Smiths, no-one else has got it yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snotty Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 The box takes up so much room, that in the standard space allotted to each publication on Smith's shelves, you can only fit 2 copies, so I wonder if these are just selling and the staff simply aren't replenishing from spare stock fast enough? (quote) That sounds like a more reasonable answer than anything else I've heard. And it's easily resolved by asking in the shop if someone will go and check. Of course, it depends on being able to find someone to ask. However, these distribution glitches are often solved more easily from the customer's direct action than any amount of asking from the editorial end of the chain. CHRIS LEIGH A bit off topic I know, but when I was driving trucks I occasionally did some overtime on a Sunday night taking trailer loads of magazines (for the distributors for Model Rail ) to the WH Smiths warehouses and it is extremely time sensitive with strict finacial penalties for late running/non delivery!!!! WH Smiths are a law unto themselves sometimes though - turned up at their Borehamwood warehouse at 02:30 one morning only to be told to go away (not so politely!!) because I had turned up with magazines and not newspapers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted July 24, 2010 Author Share Posted July 24, 2010 1 The cover is thicker than the middle pages but I don't think it can be called heavy by any stretch of the imagination. 2 Low tack? I took nearly 15 minutes very gently trying to remove it without ripping the cover and almost succeeded - it lifted the top surface off down the spine. 3 But that leaves it on the cover. It then goes gunky and sticks to the mag next to it when I store it. 4 Bag it, like most other magazines do. 5 Not here they aren't, it was 8 days late in Smiths, no-one else has got it yet. Yeh, well we do our best and I ain't spending my weekend arguing. We HAVE taken them off successfully in the office without tearing the cover but I guess it depends how hard the person sticking it stuck it. As for bagging it - just read the posts on here when any of the magazines is bagged! Talk about can't win!!! I'm off to do some modelling. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragtag Posted July 24, 2010 Share Posted July 24, 2010 Let's not forget that we're lucky to have Chris' input here at all. I suspect there'd be no-one to argue with if this was a Railway Modeller/Hornby Magazine etc etc problem. I for one would rather spend the weekend modelling than arguing about the thickness of magazine covers (I mean, really?) So, the tape attaching your free gift ended up removing a small part of the cover along the spine? Sounds like a fair deal to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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