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Magazines (in our best interest)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by rusty76, Sep 14, 2011.

  1. rusty76
    Joined: Jun 8, 2009
    Posts: 882

    rusty76
    Member
    from Midway NC

    While I know there's been tons of threads about car mags on here. I thought this go around let's tell them, the car mags, what we'd like to see. Cause I know there are several mags that patrol this space just like the rest of us. Might be a waste but heck you never really know. They read that other social network site so why wouldn't they be interested in our interests? There's tons of mags already invovled here so it just a matter of speaking up. Let's roll. Thanks.
     
  2. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    If they troll here, then they already know what they need to do. They just need to do it.
     
  3. Gave up on magazines in the 1980's.
    I can see advertisments on TV for free.
     
  4. 46stude
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 1,718

    46stude
    Member

    HOT ROD Deluxe has hit the HAMB theme just about on the money. So I would say they were lurking & listening.

    HOT ROD, Street Rodder, Rod & Custom, etc are doing decent jobs. Although many here pretend that the traditional hot rod style is the most biggerest, besterest, supercoolawsome way to do it- the fact is there are many other build styles, bodystyles, & even many more model years after 1964.

    Mainstream mags need to offer a broad look at the hobby. Here lately mags like HOT ROD are doing a bang-up job as far as I'm concerned.
     

  5. Gator
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 4,016

    Gator
    Member

    I think they're more interested in what the advertisers want, and that's to see 'tech articles' on their products, services, etc.
     
  6. bubba67
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 1,842

    bubba67
    Member
    from NJ


    Sometimes I think that the magazines do the best that they can to stay afloat, it's just a dying medium. Hell, even the Postal Service is antequated in this electronic society.
     
  7. Less "how to follow the instructions that came in the box of free parts".

    More "how to use your hands and brain to make something cool".

    Fewer crowd following Cookie Cutters.

    More WOW !


    Lock the Bean Counting Suits in their offices.
    Let the car people run the car magazines.

    Nobody here wants to read Bean Counter Monthly.
     
  8. slammed
    Joined: Jun 10, 2004
    Posts: 8,150

    slammed
    Member

    They HAVE to cater to advertisers. It has been explained to the 'nth degree'. Hot Deluxe has a free, priceless archive to exploit, er, expose the 'way it was'. It is nearly impossible to have a monthly that can sustain the $ demands, and still put out a well rounded light on the ad's rag. Zombie puts out a great product.
     
  9. stuart in mn
    Joined: Nov 22, 2007
    Posts: 2,406

    stuart in mn
    Member

    I agree.

    As far as the advertising argument goes, it's been going on forever...you can look at letters to the editor in issues of HR from 50 years ago and people were complaining about the same thing then. They were complaining about not enough Fords / not enough Chevys / etc. back then too. :)
     
  10. Pick a target then aim

    of the 25 mags i was getting a year ago i am dropping 10

    i have focused quite abit..
    Let the page count increase
    even bad stories new or old can be told
    revive the old
    get bigger pics of events that are a in bigger multipage layout

    hmmmm i'll think this over
     
  11. BERNIES WELDING
    Joined: Mar 31, 2011
    Posts: 216

    BERNIES WELDING
    Member


    to add my pennies worth;

    i reciently contacted a magazine that has been out for about a year and a half. the title of the publication is the name that people here don't want mentioned here. personally i am going to mention it, RATROD MAGAZINE. now what is the repocutions going to be; PUT ME BACK IN THE NAVY AND SEND ME TO SEA, and TAKE AWAY MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

    well take the birthday i have had too many anyway. as far as putting me back in the navy and sending me to sea, they don't want me anymore.

    as far as the magazine is concerned, i bought a copy lately and i liked it very much. the magazine was lacking technical articles; like welding, metal working, or anything that relates to building hotrods. if anyone wants to look at what is being put out reguarding welding, everything i have seen the past couple of years has been nothing but infomertials on some new attachment or a new machine that needs a boost in sales and the manufacturer dose not want to pay for advertisement space so a hoakie article is put together by someone that could not strike an arc if someone heald their hand.

    after i contacted the publisher i was invited to submit an article and i based it on what i used to present to my students when i started a new group. the next article will be a sequel to the first and the information will continue and eventually expand into how to prepare and weld something and the procedures that will give a professional finished part.

    i have tried to contact the editors of the major titles and i have been trying for quite a while and in a couple of incidents multiple times and also offered my services to give them a real article and to date, no response. i have a gutt feeling that the publishers of the major magazines don't want or care to do articles about how things are really done.

    the majority of the major publications are under one corporate umbrella. the one i just wrote for is a family publication, father, son and a couple of other family members. they work out of their home. i am serously hoping my article and future articles i do for them will boost their circulation.

    the major magazines are only interested in award winning cars and cars that were done for those with very deep pockets.

    personally i enjoy the efforts of the builders that do as much as possible themselves and only have certain things done by others. not everyone has the shop where everything can be done in house.

    even PAUL JR, buys his frames from a supplier.
     
  12. burnin53
    Joined: Mar 22, 2009
    Posts: 597

    burnin53
    Member
    from cuba,n.y.

    There's something called RATROD MAGAZINE? Sounds about as interesting as a shit fucking sandwich.
     
  13. stuart in mn
    Joined: Nov 22, 2007
    Posts: 2,406

    stuart in mn
    Member

    The latest issue of Hot Rod has a feature on a home built 1924 T tub; the owner put it together for $6500. It's not the prettiest car, but he drives the wheels off it - he's driven it across the US a couple times.
     
  14. BERNIES WELDING
    Joined: Mar 31, 2011
    Posts: 216

    BERNIES WELDING
    Member

    the only response i have is;

    this is good, freiburger needs to put more like that in there. lets see more individual built projects. not everyone is interested in those that have more money than the average person.

    ESPECIALLY IN THIS CURRENT ECONOMY.
     
  15. iammarvin
    Joined: Oct 7, 2009
    Posts: 1,196

    iammarvin
    BANNED
    from Tulare, Ca

    I only get one magazine, it is not great. They have now started to use late model stuff , but thier trad hot rod articles have gotten way better. It seems a street rod just ain't what it use to be........hmmmmmmmm.
     
  16. oldspert
    Joined: Sep 10, 2006
    Posts: 1,263

    oldspert
    Member
    from Texas

    Here's my .02$. i currently only subscribe to three mags. As far as the advertisements, that is where I look for new products that I can use on my cars. Articles come second. Pics of cars last. I would rather have a full mag of nothing but ads than the so called how to do it articles. To me most of the "how to do it's" are just as have been said, a free way to get their stuff in the mag.
     
  17. jipp
    Joined: Jun 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,112

    jipp
    Member

    i saw the tub, had a slant six in it.. :)
    chris.
     
  18. Fact of the matter is that although we have 100,000 members, traditional hot rods are still way in the minority compared to street rods. Also the street rodders tend to spend money on more high-priced items than tradtional guys do, and that of course makes the billet suppliers spend advertising $$$. Advertising $$$ is what most magazines are about, so street rods is what they fill their pages with.
    TRK and Rolls and Pleats are a couple of exceptions to the rule.
     
  19. rallisracing
    Joined: Nov 3, 2008
    Posts: 199

    rallisracing

    I remember the green pages from my dad's Hot Rod Magazine...those were the cars I wanted to build. That was when Hot Rod was just that-Hot Rod. But they were always in the minority of magazines sales. I bet even National Geographic had a bigger circulation. So the ads starting coming to pay the bills....and the new muscle cars, then economy cars, some drag racing, Vans, then street rodding. So the magazines just can't cater to one group, they have to change to survivie. SuperStock and Drag Illustrated was a great drag racing magazine, but it failed too. I still do Rod and Custom, and will buy from the rack if something looks good in some of the other rags..
     
  20. Zombie Hot Rod
    Joined: Oct 22, 2006
    Posts: 2,452

    Zombie Hot Rod
    Member
    from New York

    I'd like to see more reviews of my movies, but that's just me.
     
  21. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    People have different definitions of what a "hot rod" is. If Hot Rods definition of a "hot rod" is a vehicle that looks and performs better or different than stock, then that would explain the different directions they choose to go. By doing so, they can follow trends as they like. By putting different trends in one magazine, they get to hit all the trends and attract all advertisers.

    You think Mc Donalds would still be around if all they served was one kind of burger? In Hot Rod magazines world, traditional hot rods are the Mc Rib sandwich. Good for when sales get slow.
     
  22. rusty76
    Joined: Jun 8, 2009
    Posts: 882

    rusty76
    Member
    from Midway NC

    I'm glad to see that this thing didn't fall to the bottom of the pile because without our input a magazine would not have direction. While the HAMB is traditional in every way as a car can be there's still alot of stuff mags need or want from the public. I'm tired of lackluster coverage of cars. They tell me how cool the car is then show me. I get three photos that are pint size and little info. The tub in Hot Rod this month is really neat but still very little photos and info. Thanks once again.
     
  23. rusty76
    Joined: Jun 8, 2009
    Posts: 882

    rusty76
    Member
    from Midway NC


    I tell you what we will do send them a movie and let them decide. Heck if you like I'll do a reveiw of them for ya on here. It would be my honor.
     

  24. Their burgers are always lukewarm at best.

    Last time I was there, I sent my cheeseburger back twice,
    and the cheese STILL wasn't melted.

    The only thing they can handle is hotcakes. Assholes.
     
  25. jasone
    Joined: Jun 2, 2006
    Posts: 431

    jasone
    Member

    Tech good, me like pictures;)...Traditional Rod and Kulture and Kustoms Illustrated get it right. Rolls and Pleats and Smokin' Shutdown are pretty cool as well. Hot Rod Deluxe always seems to make it in the cart when I hit the market with the wife...she always says "you aren't getting that" and I say "look mom, I'll buy whatever my little heart desire's, so there".
     
  26. Bdamfino
    Joined: Jan 27, 2006
    Posts: 553

    Bdamfino
    Member
    from Hamlet, NC

    I've subscribed to one of the mags for twenty one years, just got the latest issue today. 90 pages, mostly ads, tech, and three car features. A reader even wrote in this issue that they wouldn't renew due to the lack of features, so the editor suggested they go to the Rodder's Journal instead. This mag is fading fast, no features or event coverage, and infomercials on welding. I would rather see this mag go quarterly again than watch the bean counters run it to the ground monthly. My condolences to the editor, he is a hardcore rodder/customizer, but his horse is being beaten to death by corporate wags.
     
  27. thankfully we traditional guys have rod and kulture and the rodders journal. yeah they are a little more expensive but at least they cater to our style, with lots of high quality pics and longer articles. now i still sub to hot rod because its so damn cheap and CKD and OSR sometimes get picked up at 7-11 if they have some neat car articles. yeah yeah sometimes they have r*trods but if you look pass those it can actually be enjoyable. rod and custom can just die off if you ask me. printed on the flimsiest paper ever made (including the cover!) and not once have i seen them make anything from something that doesnt have a brand name on it. ill take hot rod deluxe instead.

    just my 0.02
     
  28. 28RPU6
    Joined: Feb 3, 2009
    Posts: 121

    28RPU6
    Member

    I regularly recieve three magazines and ocassionaly pick up others at the stand. I recive countless offers for renewal at very low rates for one, two, or three year subscriptions. I usually pay for the three year but I would gladly pay more for a magazine with more feature articles and less advertising. The price is not my first or second reason for ordering my monthly toilet tank covers. $12.95 a year is not very much but $25 or $30 a year is still pretty cheap for more cars and less advertisements.
     
  29. ynottayblock
    Joined: Dec 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,954

    ynottayblock
    Member

    Alot will be said and repeated, but one big pet peeve of mine that probably wont be mentioned is paper quality. All the mainstream mags print on god damn tissue paper these days.

    I still say best bang for the buck these days is Traditional Rod and Kulture
     
  30. rusty76
    Joined: Jun 8, 2009
    Posts: 882

    rusty76
    Member
    from Midway NC

    What kills me is how you have a magazine that has been around since the begining and still seems like it is out of touch. Sometimes they get it and sometimes they are in left field. Most "culture" mags do are end of the hobby well but then there are times were there just something lacking. Can't really pinpoint it.
     

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