The bottom line is you cannot sustain any business selling to a dying demographic. Magazines aren't dying because of content they are dying because the people who buy them are dying and not being replaced with new customers. Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I just signed up. Looks like they have some cool content. I'm looking forward to checking out the January big issue.
The customers aren't dying, they migrated en masse online. Like, you know, right here right now. Nobody is typing this stuff off their Underwood and mailing the carbon paper to "Letters To Editor". Dead tree media is ... dead.. Because it's too damn, slow, and too damn expensive. It's like the Milkman ... or Meter Readers ... Completely obsolete.
@Ryan do you follow @bobbleed on FB? He has a take on this that's worth the time to watch. Edit: Nevermind. I see Bob posted in this thread.
The list of magazines that have died are long and growing more and more... The rise of online stuff has taken away many subscribers, But when a magazine of 80 pages has 50 to 60 pages of ads, people don't feel they are getting their money worth spending 5$ at a newstand... The Content was cookie cutter due to editors/staffers selecting only cars they liked, or pushing the next big build from (insert the flavor of the month on tv) shop to boost ratings. The average Joe can build a top notch vehicle, better than any shop can produce, do it all himself, and publishing companies will just not care... Its gotten so bad that only Sema build piles of crap seem to get main amount of coverage anymore. If you look at a normal Sema build its like a beginner put it together, threw (whoever) named product on there, a maaco 2500 buck paint job and then basque in the glory... If you are lucky you would get into "Readers Rides" and your vehicle could be 100 times better, and an actual driver than the features... There was a time when kids dreamed of cars, now most dream of video games, pumpkin spice bs and their emotions... Narcissism is rampant on social media... Every girl with a decent body showing it off has 200k subscribers... Folks have to stroke their ego since no one can do it for them in person anymore... I love conversations with the folks here, we get it... Yeah print is dying but the people only focusing on 1 thing also have led it to its demise... Remember in Hotrod where the only thing ever in there were billet street rods left and right? That mentality sticks till today.. The remainder print magazines have a set guideline, and most stick to "popular" style or fluff... I hate trends, Trends are looser trying to fit in.
this is a funny thread folks have stated they stopped subscribing or not purchasing magazines for several reasons Cars too nice Cars too plain (gasp a 4 door was featured) Cars past a certain date only pro built stuff someone used an LS the tech articles are commercials did I miss any "rust feature" complaints? Honestly I didn't subscribe cause I found them boring. I like Mozart, Metallica and Merle Haggard, no radio station plays all 3 I like trad style cars, trucks, restos, big trucks, rodents, shiny, rusty, old engines, new engines, air ride, static, hydraulics, bikes, flying saucers, customs, muscle cars, tuners, drift cars, dirt cars, drag cars, trophy trucks, VWs, exotics, military...........no magazine covers all of those and we aint buying a magazine to cover all those interests. So I guess, just like when I want to hear a particular Merle Haggard song along with my other favorites I use the internet.
There are two things that have dominated my thoughts as I have kept up with this thread over the past few days. First, I am in agreement with most in that it is sad to see these magazines that we have known for so long go by the wayside. The other thing that crosses my mind is that I owe a debt of gratitude to @Ryan for the good things he said about TRJ in his post. What surprised me though was how many of you have gone out of your way to mention us in a positive way. Thank you to all. It does indeed hurt to see magazines that we grew up with go away. At this point I can’t remember when I started reading car magazines, but I do remember that in fourth grade I had my then-new copy of the June 1967 Car Craft unfairly confiscated by the teacher. It was a “Special Roadster Issue.” And I anxiously awaited each issue of Street Rodder after I discovered it on the newsstands back in 1972. In more recent times, all of us here at TRJ gravitated toward Hot Rod Deluxe with its historic images and stories of hot rodding’s past. We consider the people who have put these magazines together to be our friends, colleagues and mentors. I even edited a few issues of Street Rodder after Pat Ganahl left back in the late-’70s and, when I was employed by Argus, I got to photograph “Project X” for Popular Hot Rodding and shepherd an issue of Super Chevy when staff changes left it editor-less. The demise of these 19 titles including Street Rodder, Car Craft and Hot Rod Deluxe definitely marks the end of an era. All of us here at The Rodder’s Journal are magazine fanatics and always will be. We spend our work hours (and free time) digging through musty pages, learning everything we possibly can about our hobby. Not so much because we have to, but because we want to. The Rodder’s Journal is a passion-based project that turned into a small business over the course of the past 25 years. There’s nothing corporate about it, and I’m not sure I can remember the last time one of us wore a suit. The media landscape is constantly changing, and, by the look of things, big companies are going digital. Does TRJ have a website? Yes. An email newsletter? Yes. What about Facebook and Instagram pages? We have those too. They’re important business tools for the 21st century and ones that we use to help us sell old fashion ink-on-paper magazines. But, at the end of the day our product is print. We love the feeling of turning pages, smelling ink and creating something that you can keep forever, if you so please. Appreciation for the printed page seems to be somewhat like our infatuation with old cars. Both are tactile sensory experiences that seem to have little to do with efficiency or convenience. In the early days, we viewed TRJ as companion reading to print monthlies. As years passed and those magazines faded away, we fell into a new role as companion reading with the Jalopy Journal and the H.A.M.B. We produce TRJ once a quarter and we’re on the H.A.M.B. pretty much daily. Thank you for reading our magazine and helping keep the traditional hot rodding and customizing flame alive. —Steve Coonan We're excited about the future, and TRJ #83 is going to press soon. Here's a look at one of the covers.
Print may be slightly dead, or dam near dead, in the form of periodicals and magazines, there is no doubt about that. But the fact that the technology exists in the form of a keyboard and a monitor and a website such as the H.A.M.B. , allows us to be able to exchange idea's and pictures and information in a real time sense. I am very glad that is a positive reality! The perfect illustration of that, was the recent drive in the Hudson by Squirrel. Daily, by virtue of our computers, we could see the progress of that journey, through post's and pictures and descriptions, no print magazine could ever hope to give that kind of coverage or feedback or participation. Print still does exist, its just now that its in the form of us all banging away on our keyboards, and the words appear on our monitors, and with the hit of the send button, its instant publishing, and I think that is pretty cool. There is no use lamenting the loss of so many good publications, be glad that they existed at all at some point. There is a lot of truth to the old saying " LET GO OR BE DRAGGED " " EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN "
I just left my library where I sit and think reading the latest SR mag. The ads are what I found myself reading. Looking at new products that are being brought to market
There is an answer but it has to do with politics and I think this is strictly verboten here. Suffice it would be to say that here in Europe things are not much better and for similar (if not identical) reasons. Thoughts of moving east (our east. Read, Poland, the Czech Republic or Hungary) are crossing my mind recently.
does it skip while driving? we gutted a NOS one of those to install a CD changer one time. that was before all the blue tooth stuff. now we dont need to gut em technology is cool
What should have happened and may still...... These great names should have morphed into Youtube channels or something like that. Look at Auto-RestoMod. This fellow was a writer for many publications. He started that channel.....It's a lot of good stuff. While I don't know whole story, one can assume this writer saw the writing on the wall and formed this channel. It seems there's a whole segment of interests that make a living or at least supplement it with that type of media.
Thanks Steve for posting the best post in this thread. And thanks for your dedication to producing the best print magazine ever. I'm proud to be a lifetime subscriber and I hope that TRJ continues to enjoy great success and keeps the passion alive. Looking forward to my next issue. Larry.
I think print will make a comeback. I base this on a shift in the acceptance of technology. It's small the moment, but many young people are beginning to understand what tech. does to the brain, especially young children's brains. The research is just starting to come out on this and it is startling. That being said, the pendulum might swing back as there could be an anti-technology movement, resulting in people giving up smart phones, limiting internet and returning to print.
hmmmmmm good question to ask my students Vinyl records seem to be doing OK, 8 tracks still su.....(click).....ck vintage clothing is popular. Off the grid and smaller/unconventional homes seem to be on the rise. Starting to see things like small home gardens and chicken coups more. technology only reverses after cataclysmic events, such as the fall of the Roman empire.
I read our daily paper every day. I don't read every article, but I look at every page to see if something catches my eye. That's a whole lot easier in print than it is online. The thing is, a lot of the articles I actually end up reading I'd never see online, because I'm not looking for that particular topic. If you think the loss of magazines is bad take a look at the loss of local newspapers. TV and online news severely limit what one sees and can distort ones view of the world around them, the result is not good. I think that's pretty much the same with car news and it's one reason I like magazines. The big name car auctions and all those "custom car builder" cable shows are having a similar affect on the hobby.
Well, great to hear all those perspectives, especially about the magazines. Speaking of which when I do find a newby to Hot Rodding (few & far between it seems), I give them a few of my too many mags, hopeing to keep interest up. Yea I still go back to refresh in some of them, but overwhelmed by the stacks. I used to write for Rod & Custom in the 70's ($60 a page), those guys earned their $ that worked in publishing it, & others. Do any of you get tired of seeing only cars that were built by "famous Hot Rod shops" featured in mags like St. Rodder ? They should get on the HAMB & see how many of us STILL build our own projects. Pitiful. It's all who's who it seems. Ok gotta go read the new HMN......Alan
Maybe print will have a resurgence like vinyl records, beards, waxed mustaches, barber shops....shit those are all the things the hipsters like....too bad they don’t like cars...
Print finally died is not really an accurate term IMO. Periodical print is dead or dying because it cannot keep pace with online content but at least around here books are still very popular. The books stores are packed this time of year. My 8 year old son has probably 100 books in his room and reads everyday and everyone of his friends asks for books as birthday presents. I don't see that going away anytime soon.
Print is alive and well. It has just changed mediums. Reading on the internet is better than watching it on TV. I write more today more than I did when I was in school. Read a lot more too.
I went to the local Barnes & Noble. In their magazine section, there are literally over a thousand different magazine titles, pretty much any interest one might have. I looked at the car and truck section, and counted more than 30 titles that were not among the magazines being discontinued by TEN. I found that pretty interesting. Granted, not many were HAMB friendly, but a number of them were.
The Jalopy Journal
