I have to congradulate MR on adding the weekly newsletter with subscriber only content. I used to subscribe to 5 RR publications & with the price of everything on the rise I am now down to 3 & looking to downgrade even more. If a magazine can give me more for my subscription dollar it will probably be the last to go. Good move on your part MR. Jerry
Agreed. The subscriber content is starting to make up for what many view as deficiencies in the print edition.
I can see this becoming the more viable place for product reviews and announcements, and other “current events” type information. The lead time required for print just makes that type of stuff difficult to stay on top of.
I’ve also enjoyed discovering the Prototype Modelers reference forum here…
Lee
You should subscribe to the Keystone Modeler on the PRRT&HS web site also. It is free and has excellent content from some master modelers. Even if you don’t model the PRR (sacriledge!!) you will learn many techniques you can apply to other railroad equipment.
I don’t think its such a good move. The reason why is I don’t subscribe to MR, I buy it at my local hobby shop. It gives me a reason to go to the hobby shop every month and it also helps support my hobby shop as well. I’m not a big fan of “subscriber only content” and if thats going to be the wave of the future then I may just stop purchasing the magazine. Model Railroading isn’t that big of a hobby and to force people to subscribe to a magazine just to get more info isn’t right at all. Is almost like holding someone for ransom, lol. I subscribe to Hot Rod, Car Craft and High Performance Pontiac magazines because I enjoy the articles and I’m into cars. I just wonder if MR is starting to struggle? Think about it, they remove the FREE train show listings to give us more content but then bring back the listings only to charge clubs for it and now they are forcing people to subscribe just to get the whole magazine. Far from a good move in my opinion.
Jerry,That is ineed a nice touch that’s one of several reasons I will renew for the 3rd year.
I also get the monthly “new” product news from Athearn and Atlas…I get the Walthers sales flier in the mail.
Another valuable research tool is our computers.With my long “favorite” list of railroad, manufacturer sites,on line shops etc I can have instant research at 2 clicks.
BTW…The money I have saved by shopping on line as paid for this computer.
Your LHS doesn’t make much from selling you a copy of MR. But, how many of us go into the shop, buy a copy of MR and walk out? I went in last night to get MR so I would have some reading material for my next extended stay at the airport terminal, and came out with $44.50 worth of stuff.
I get my MR subscription from an online magazine broker, for much less than going directly to MR. The drawback is that I missed a couple of months when the subscription ran out, and it takes a long time to get it restarted. But, I still like the magazine a lot, and I appreciate what they continue to do for the hobby.
The savings on subscription costs, of course, will be applied to more train stuff. I think that’s an even better way to support my LHS.
How many of you remember sitting up late at night in bed with a flashlight, looking through the Lionel catalog, the same way you secretly read Playboy years later? Well, you can “subscribe” to the Walthers catalog for free, and get back to that fun again. (Batteries not included.)
but dude, you would save money by subscribing. Also, you get discounts on all the other annuals that MR puts out (GMR, MRP)
Well, appearantly it is working for MR to have subscriber only content. So it is indeed a good move!!
[#ditto]
What I said is that it is a good move on MRs part. They are giving you MORE than most other RR magazines for about the same price, They will still have the reviews in the magazine…these are just extra. What can be bad about that?
You can go to the LHS for other reasons than buying a magazine. I really don’t think they make much on a magazine, especially the ones that are worn out by people reading them in the store
Same here. What would it cost Kalmbach to insert a good-for-one-month, temporary access code in each MR, Trains, etc. that goes to the LHS and newstand outlets? That way, the guys that buy the mag off the shop rack can access all the MR content like the subscription guys.
Kambach, are you listening? Don’t alienate the LHS’ purchasers… your advertisers certainly don’t want you to, or they wouldn’t stock your mags.
Off soapbox now…
You have to understand that magazines (not just MR) loooooove subscribers.
The majority of a magazine’s costs (and profits) are paid for by advertising. A strong subscription base lets the magazine charge more for its ad space.
That’s because a subscriber has, in essence, already bought the magazine. Someone who buys in a LHS or newstand may or may not buy in a given month.
Advertisers and marketers are a numbers-obsessed frugal bunch and want to know ahead of time how many eyeballs will see their ad. They look to the subscription base for this answer.
That’s why every magazine you pick up – even ones to which you already subscribe – are loaded with those annoying subscription cards.
Subscriber-only content is just another way of encouraging subscriptions; in a sense it’s just another form of subscription card
Folks:
My opinion: Extra online content is fine as long as it doesn’t cut into magazine content. But don’t expect me to be happy if you take an article and move some important part (like, say, a track plan) online. Bonus, yes. Hoops to jump, no.
(It is awfully hard for me to think it hasn’t cut in, when my 1990 MR’s seem to average about 30 pages more than my 2008’s…I try not to be a sorehead, but I can’t help being observant.)
I do, in fact, subscribe…but extra online content will only be as useful as a magazine when my bathroom and easy chair have net connections…and even then there is a difference between relaxing with reading materials and going connected, a wide difference.
Connectivity brings new possibilities, yes, but I have also become aware, over the years, that it is not nearly as relaxing as just plain non-interactive reading…and don’t think it’s because I’m an Olde Pharte, I’m not. I’m 30 years old and quite comfortable online. But I also know what I like.
Amen! Long live print!
When I buy a magazine, I expect certain things. Like any model train mag - if there’s a ;ayout featured, I expect a track plan (if one exists) in the paper magazine, NOT online. I wouldn’t mind an online version as well, particularly if one is able to blow up the plan to make better sense of it.
So…Your being penalized for spending MORE money to buy the same product while supporting MR AND your LHS at the same time…[%-)]
Discounts-You usually only get $1 off or free shipping on a $9 annual. Most of the annuals I’ve looked at seem to be the same articles from the previous year rehashed.
I will say-Buy a magazine…Keep a printer in business!
I just got a subscription so I could log on and see some of the extras[:D]
I also got yelled at by the owner of one of my LHS’s because he asked me if I was in to pick up my Mag…[:-^]
I’ve picked up every single copy of MR from him since I got back in to the hobby 14 years ago. Not happy about it but I do save overall on the subscription cost and have acces to the extras. I do like the idea of a monthly access code but I suspect it would be abused, as some would pass it around.
Fergie
Easy fix, each magazine gets a unique access code, which lasts until the next issue goes to print, and can only be used once.