The Buck Stops here.

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

In Case anyone was wondering, I did not write this (although i wish i did) , this is a coalition of other people including myself.

In other words, I firmly agree with this Statemnt, and stand behind it.

(I)We are writing today to comment the price of the Trains magazine, as it stands right now on the Newsstand. For those of us, who buy Trains magazine last month Paid a deplorable rate of 7.95, (Ten) 10 dollars this month; A sudden increase of 1 dollar from last month.

For the record it is bad enough to have to shell out 9 dollars (after tax) for a magazine, but 10 dollars? That’s just a joke.

Subscribe you say? A fat load of good that does, I barely wind up saving 15 dollars after it is all said and done, and at the rate the price is increasing, 15 dollars might equal the last three pages of the magazine!

Please do note, It is not the content of the magazine that is bad; it’s the pricing that intolerable.

Here is a simple economic lesson, the inflation rate currently stands at 3-4% so 4% of 6.95 is, 19.8 Cents, or 20 cents would be an acceptable rate to increase this magazine this year. This company is moving at an inflation rate of 20%, which is not acceptable.

I don’t know how many other Canadians find this acceptable, but we don’t.

I took out my excuse book expecting the worse, and had the magazine weighed at the post office; surprise! The postage DID NOT or SHOULD not have increased as this magazine only weighs slightly more then last months?

Is it all those Special features? Then why is the US rate still the same? 5.95 –5.95/ 5.95 X 100 Will give you a price change of 0%, So why are Canadians Footing some bill?

Look, I don’t know who, what or why But I do know that I’m paying an almost unconstitutional rate for something that Is really good, but 10 dollars? It’s not ten dollars good.

So, it is time for a refresher, note th

2

I got a subscription because of the high newstand rate.

If I pay for it all at once for the year it doesn’t seem that bad, but heading to the stand do spend over $10 (after all the taxes) seemed high to me, and I found I wasn’t buying it anymore by-the-month, thereofre missing out.

It is a quality Magazine, and I enjoy it very much, if I find the price gets to high I simply won’t buy it anymore, but it hasn’t come to that yet.

3

I’m sure that every copy of Trains that leaves the publisher generates the same amount of income to Kalmbach. Therefore, we need to consider the following variables:

  1. The chain of supply. I believe many bulk shipments get mailed directly to the retailer in question, but that may not be completely true. Will need some help on the flow. At any rate, any of the links in that chain are places a price increase can be added.

  2. The current US/CDN exchange rate. It varies. I couldn’t find a reference that gave any recent trends. Any of the links in #1 might be compensating for that.

My hobby shop-purchased copy of the May 2004 issue of Trains listed a US price of $4.95 , and $6.95 in Canada on the front cover. If your issue had something different, then maybe a jab at Trains is justified. If it reads the same, you need to instead point the finger at someone in the supply chain, right down to the retailer.

4

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin - we are having a disagreement again. I will hold your hand while we talk and ask that you look into my big green and brown eyes with blue rims and see if I can’t distract you from your reasoning.

You eat at a favorite restaurant, have a favorite beverage and include your girlfriend. You both have a great time and enjoy the whole evening. This costs you? Depending on your taste - you could spend up to $100 or if you are like the driver and me, you will average about $10 to $20. Then after a day or two - it is but a memory…pleasant, but all gone!

Meanwhile your magazine arrives, provides immense pleasure and in a few days, is there again for your reading enjoyment. In fact, until you literally throw it away - it is always there, unlike the food and beverage.

(Batting my short eyelashes at you) You will have to decide, since you are now an adult, what you will and won’t let into your life. If you drop your Trains magazine, they will miss you, because their customers are their lifeblood. But it is your decision - do I read or do I eat or do I save some $ by cooking and therefore can afford to read and eat.

I will give up cigarettes, beer, wild men and strip clubs, so I can afford to buy not only the Trains Magazine but also the Classic Trains.

Ok Kevin - your hand is getting too warm, so we must cease this conversation. But I thank you for your kind attention.

Mookie

5

Mook I was with you right up to here …substituting “fast, easy women” for “wild men” of course.

Besides Kevin lives in Canada and they have all that up there for free…the government provides it along with inexpense pharmacuticals (sp).

6

Look, you must know what i’m like- I look at what i’m wearing right now…

Spring break shirt: 4 US dollars.
Levis Straus Jeans, obtained a Tj maxx, and after a good argument: 5 USDollars
Socks, Sears speccial: 6.99 for 6 Canadian Dollars, obtained at Sears Canada
Bowling shoes: 14.95 US dollars, aftr anohter good argument.
Sean John Jean Jacket 15 bucks USD
Undewaear… La Senza… 37.95 thong …no i’m just

7

Wild Man Carl hopes this weekend’s still a go!

(anyone who knows me, don’t laugh too loudly!)

On the subject, could sales (or other) taxes account for that much of an increase over the cover price?

Or, perhaps, this was written in regard to the April issue, which was $5.95 here and $7.95 in Canada. That’s another advantage of subscribing…you pay your flat price based on the regular issue price, and no added charge for the “special collector’s issues” that newsstand buyers pay an arm and a leg (or a buck) extra for.

8

Mookie does cigarettes, beer, wild men and strip clubs?

Wow, did she ever have all of us fooled!

Hey, Mookie, Dan and Carl are wild men, really, really wild!

Ed[;)]

9

Kev its got to be the exchange rate or the postal rates which are controlled by the govts.
stay safe
Joe

10

Kev, if it’s any consolation, I’m paying A$8.95 down under [sigh] - and I think it might be the exchange rate. ( Although the Oz dollar has strengthened a reasonable amount against the US dollar)

But I agree with Mookie, Trains Mag and Classic Trains are the only two mags I but regularly and I think it’s still value for money.

Hopefully Peter (M636C) will read this, and tell us what he is paying down south.
Peter, you might have more info on this price difference, at least from the Oz angle?

Dave
(Kozzie)

11

I want somebody to tell me how a 98 page magazine winds up being 7.95

Are the pages printed on African-elephant paper, is their cocaine embided in the paper, is it Gold plated?

Somebody, and go caompare it to any magazine on the newstand and you will not find anothe rmagazine that is less then 100 pages selling for over 4.99.

you will not.

Checked already, and the price is extremely unproportional to the content.

12

[?][?][?][?][?]

OK, I’m confused now. I just looked through my post and don’t see anything about diapers.

Please take a look at the front cover of your latest TRAINS. In the lower right corner, just above the bar code, mine says “$4.95 $6.95 Canada.” At the current US/CDN exchange rate, that $4.95US translates to $6.67CDN. Given the cost of mailing/shipping across the border, I’d say that $6.95CDN is reasonable.

But wait! This whole thread is about paying much more than that for Trains! Assuming that your copy lists the same prices as mine, someone is adding a couple of bucks to the price. Since it’s not likely that all of that is sales tax, etc, someone is adding some extra mark-up!

Mark-up. That’s figured into the price of the magazine. Mark H & Co sell the magazine to the wholesalers and retailers for $X. The magazine sells on the newstand for $4.95 (US). $4.95 minus X = dealer’s markup. Any time I’ve bought this, or any other magazine, the clerk looks at the price printed (not stuck on with a new price tag) on the front and that’s what I pay (taxes notwithstanding). And that includes some places where big markups are the rule, like airports.

OK, we’ve taken the exchange rate into consideration. Postal rates might account for some small part of it, but if you’re paying $9.00 or $10.00 for an issue, you might want to shop around a bit, and ask the reta

13

I agree with macguy and I subscribe to MR and TRAINS magazines.

14

Of all the money I put in to fix’n my stupid s-vhs camcorder, Id have a subscribtion to trains mag. for the next 60 to 80 years…that’s if I live that long.

15

I subscribe to Consumer Reports and Reader’s Digest - enjoy both! But RD has gone from a big book down to practically a pamphlet and CR is like a newspaper. The price on each isn’t all that small, but for the sheer love of reading them, I will pay it.

Had to give up cigars to make up the difference, but…

Mook

16

Kevin - (holding your hand again, looking into your I’ll bet green eyes) - you are cheap, argumentative and opinionated. Well, what more could a girl ask for? I will add you to my list of people I have to call to read them the magazine. [sigh]

[;)] Mook

17

Ill tell you what I told my wife-the cost is well worth it because we can use the old issues in the place of Pampers.

18

My cable bill runs about $80 a month, with no premium channels, but including high speed cable modem. Could drop that bill to $60.00 if I wanted. On that basis, I think my cost for trains is OK. It is about priorities, but I am sorry for anyone who has forego an item that is on the top of their entertainment list.

19

Dave has asked me to say what I pay for “Trains”

Yes, it is $ (Aust) 8.95 here too!

In Australia, there is an effective monopoly in magazine distribution, and there is no price competition. However, “Trains” is available in most small communities throughout Australia.

The exchange rate is $(US)0.74 to one Australian dollar

My employer imposes a 10% tax on magazines ( and nearly everything else)

On the cover price of March, $4.95, conversion and tax accounts for $ (Aust) 7.35

So someone is picking up $(Aust) 1.60 over the equivalent US Mark Up.

We get our magazines about two months later than the US issue date.

Air Mail copies are available in some places at $(Aust)15-00 but I was told they had sold out in the big railfan shop in Sydney when I was last there.

Don’t even think what “Classic Trains” costs here ($A19.95 for “Steam Glory”)

Peter

20

But why… I subscribe to Alot of Magazines, A ton to be percise-

Newsweek turns out to be 1.19 an issue, Rolling stone although they may distribute their advertisments worse then Trains, i paid what… 99 cents each? If you look at Trains magazine, the ads are small, but still- about 10% of the magazine is ads, they are jsut better distributed throught the magazine.

Don’t fall for that trick, Larry-

I can sound off an entire list of magazines, I don’t have 60 CDn dollars (Not factoring in, GST QST or money order costs) to subscribe a year to that magazine, and americans get what 40% off the cover price? and Canadians get what… 10-12 dollars of a full year subscription? Oh thats woirth it… yeah thats really worth it, For un uneconomically sound mind, thats really worth it.