double the price

[highpeak]

When my mother sends me (in the US) a copy of MRJ the air mail postage cost is slightly more than the cover price of the magazine. This might explain why a subscription to BRM for a US resident is so expensive.

 

I would imagine there are better options for sanitary purposes than any of the magazines, though you probably have to go to the store and buy it rather than subscribe. Fortunately the stuff is made more frequently than once a month, so we won't need any threads on whether April's bog roll is in Smiths yet.

[Salopian]

Are magazines airmailed individually or bulk shipped transatlantic then redistributed on arrival? When I used to subscribe to Model Railroader it arrived with various UK or European postmarks, but seldom if ever direct from the US.

[Wellyboots]

  No problem then Mod4. My criticism was substantiated and accurate as it was entirely a personal perspective. I must have missed the bit in the rules that denied members such perspectives and firmly held opinions. The trouble is with opinions held muted and the general nod nod in agreement with everything, nothing is ever examined to improve matters.

 

There is nothing wrong with being critical (there is yet another survey on this site) asking for scores out of 10 and suggestions for improvement -but I'm excluded from that - As I have said views on magazines are just like those on newspapers and everyone has a different opinion - and is entitled to that opinion no matter how strongly held and for what ever reason. The editors of such should welcome both the negative and the positive, but should see more value in the negative as this shows areas for improvement rather than a pat on the back for the areas in which they are already pleasing the 8/10 majority.

 

The problem is that there is a big difference between having an opinion and being opinionated. An opinion needs to be considered, reasoned and have substance, this unfortunately requires effort. 

 

To call something "trash" without explanation is being opinionated, to give a reasoned constructively critical explanation why you believe something is "trash" would be an opinion!

[Captain Kernow]

 

Now there's a use for the the Hornby Mag I hadn't thought of. But I suspect the absorbency of the paper used might not be up to the job either.

Now then, doesn't that rather depend on the quality of the sh-one-t that you produce, my dear fellow?!!!

 

 

Edit - thinking about it, I thought that the £99 price tag was for a two-year subscription - thinking about the recent Doncaster show offer involving a Bachmann Standard Class 4 loco, or have I got that completely wrong?

[Kenton]

 

 

Now then, doesn't that rather depend on the quality of the sh-one-t that you produce, my dear fellow?!!!

Purely verbal diarrhoea, when written down, requires only the most absorbent kind of reader to follow.

[Captain Kernow]

 

Purely verbal diarrhoea, when written down, requires only the most absorbent kind of reader to follow.

Doh! Now the thread is potentially opened up to mention of lavatory paper of various types!

 

Going back to Hornby Magazine for a moment, I have a friend who subscribes to it. He is an elderly gentleman with very little experience of actual modelling, but likes to collect RTR stuff, with a view to running it on a layout yet to be built. As such, he finds Hornby Magazine very appropriate for his hobby needs (although he does read other magazines as well).

[Kenton]

 

 

Going back to Hornby Magazine for a moment, I have a friend who subscribes to it. He is an elderly gentleman with very little experience of actual modelling, but likes to collect RTR stuff, with a view to running it on a layout yet to be built. As such, he finds Hornby Magazine very appropriate for his hobby needs (although he does read other magazines as well).

Absolutely. I was making the point that the HM was bottom of the pile (and below) for ME. If everyone had that opinion of it it would not exist as no one would buy it. It has nothing to do with level of modelling or even age of reader it is simply one of those selective decisions that we all make based on the way the magazine appears. I freely admit I haven't read every issue so my opinion of it is based on only a few issues (and to be honest early issues). But that opinion of it remains unaltered.

[Jonboy]

Are magazines airmailed individually or bulk shipped transatlantic then redistributed on arrival? When I used to subscribe to Model Railroader it arrived with various UK or European postmarks, but seldom if ever direct from the US.

 

 I don't know about model railway mag's in particular but I did a lot of temp work a few years back on machines that packed subscription trade mag's into the poly bags with their address labels and shop floor decorations (or bog paper depending on your needs...). All the overseas ones were loaded into larger parcels/pallet based boxes for shipment into localised mailing houses within their destination countries.

[Oldddudders]

Are magazines airmailed individually or bulk shipped transatlantic then redistributed on arrival? When I used to subscribe to Model Railroader it arrived with various UK or European postmarks, but seldom if ever direct from the US.

Ditto. My subscription copy used to arrive via New Zealand. Let's see, Milwaukee to France? Via the Southern hemisphere is direct, isn't it?

[Sidecar Racer]

Ditto. My subscription copy used to arrive via New Zealand. Let's see, Milwaukee to France? Via the Southern hemisphere is direct, isn't it?

 

 Depends which way the planes flying Ian ,      

[stewartingram]

Ditto. My subscription copy used to arrive via New Zealand. Let's see, Milwaukee to France? Via the Southern hemisphere is direct, isn't it?

Judging by the way some people drive using SatNavs, yes.

 

Stewart

[DougN]

OK I am going to weigh in on this. I too have had a subscription with Hornby mag for about 3 years.. and I have just renewed for another 2years for a total of 100quid... direct comparison to BRM the subs cost 100quid per year (to which I have had a subscription to for 12years!).which has just come up at the same time... As Steve has so rightly pointed out he needs to look into it. I for one can not understand why BRM is double. Both come out air mail to Australia therefore they usually come with in days of each other. The one reason why I subscribe is so I can have them the same month that the hit the shelves in the UK.

 

I am reluctant to resub until Steve comes back with an answer.... but probably will as the Aussie distributer is always 2 months late and extremely expensive....one of the problems for a monopoly and the subs would be similar.

 

Maybe it is just me but I thought the number of subscribers was important to the "magazine business" in that the circulation is one selling point to the advertisers, which was one reason why a "subscription" was discounted... the other issue is the "known" number of mags to be printed plus the "risk" of the number of mags sold through the news trade.

[leopardml2341]

........................I am reluctant to resub until Steve comes back with an answer.... but probably will as the Aussie distributer is always 2 months late and extremely expensive....one of the problems for a monopoly and the subs would be similar.

 

Maybe it is just me but I thought the number of subscribers was important to the "magazine business" in that the circulation is one selling point to the advertisers, which was one reason why a "subscription" was discounted... the other issue is the "known" number of mags to be printed plus the "risk" of the number of mags sold through the news trade.

 

Having just come across this topic - I'm amazed that after 3 weeks from original date and over 2 weeks form a response from the publisher, the OP still hasn't had an asnwer from the publisher. I echo the sentiment above, the customer is the most important thing to any business. Look after them or they vote with their feet - or eyes in this case.

[Andy Y]

There are genuine complexities (to inequities between costs to fulfil orders in different countries) to this which we have been discussing and we're awaiting further data before considering any changes. Daft as it sounds some countries' subscribers cost more than the quoted rates, it does need to be properly considered.

[DougN]

Totally agree, Andy. I do hope the complexities are ironed out and the answer no matter how complex does make it into the public domain. This discussion is similar to one I had with Simon Kohler (of Hornby) many years ago when he was in Australia for a toy fair. There was a long discussion between the expected demand here in Australia and from his statistics Australia was the largest market out side of the UK, but his stats were skewed in the wrong direction when he realised how much was purchased though mail order.

Ie the market is larger than his statistics showed Ie I beleive double!

 

Any how we have to be patient.

[oldknotty]

I can actually buy the BRM mags from their back order shop and have them shipped to the US cheaper than a sub , and yes I would love to hear why the yearly sub is double all the others I will wait patiently .

[dante]

the 25 quid increase in subscription from 2012 to 2013 is why I didn't renew my subscription,but if I buy it from chapters its only slightly cheaper Ontario hst sees to that.so now I only buy it if theres an article in it I like.now only suscibe to MRJ and NER association

[bodmin16]

No interest really, I wrote to BRM a couple of times asking about a subscription ,never did get an answer.

David

A Brit in the USA

I wrote to Brm twice some years ago when I had BRM on subscription, by both email and snail mail, as they offered me (and others I guess) an offer to an exclusive discounted subscription, only to be sent another shortly after that was not only cheaper but also available to non-subscribers. I didn't get a reply. I voted with my feet and ave not bought the magazine since. I don't think it is the quality magazine it was in the earlier years and all magazines eventually cover all aspects of the hobby. iMO there are plenty of magazines to choose from and for me to part with a reasonable sum of money that could go towards the model railway itself, then you've got to be good, not misleading and responsive. Hopefully somebody from the editorial team is reading everybody's comments on here and is taking note.

[DougN]

Bodmin, 

 

The point that we are getting too now is Hornby Mag is now sold here in Australia with US, British and Aussie prices printed on the front. (FWIW it is AUD9.95) So it is still cheaper for me to buy via a subscription and 2 months earlier. Though BRM's subscription price is AUD160 for a year and it is sold for about $AUD12 in the local newsagent. Therefore I would be mad to have a subscription if I was saving the cash. I would still like to know, if as we mentioned over a month ago,  the powers that be have looked into the pricing yet? I am happy not to put the cash into BRM's pocket... and buy locally 2 months later.....so they lose the wholesale margin to the local distributor and the margin to the newsagent as well. I would have thought that these may be an issue rather than the minimal cost of the packaging and postage all the way round the world (which still happens it is just in a 40Ft container pelletized. then delivered to the newsagents). Love to know those costs involved vs the postage!

 

So over to you Andy.... have you managed to tie them up... or is that down to a explanation?