Andre, Dave, and CNJ,
If you wish to debate the economics of hobby magazines that's fine, but that's not what this forum is about, so you'll have to continue your debate elsewhere.The MR forum is about the hobby of model railroading. One of the forum's main goals is to assist newcomers and help them enjoy their hobby. Threads about ad counts, cost per page (by the way, the January issue is 148 pages, not 146), and how "serious" model railroaders make everything from scratch, make us look like a bunch of old whiners.
Sincerely,
Neil Besougloff
editor, Model Railroader
editor, Model Railroader magazine
andrechapelon The first issue of Model Railroader sold in 1934 at the cost of $.10. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, that equates to $1.62 in today's dollars. At this point, some yokel is going to object that the current newstand price of MR is $5.95 and that $5.95 > $1.62. That's true, but I'm not finished making my argument why MR is a better buy now than 75 years ago, so hold your water. IIRC, the first issue of MR ran 12 pages. Dividing $1.62 by 12 gives us a cost of just under 12.5 cents/page for that first issue as rendered in current dollars. The Jan 2009 issue has a newstand price of $5.95 and contains 146 pages. That's a per page cost of $.041 (rounded to the nearest mill).
The first issue of Model Railroader sold in 1934 at the cost of $.10. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, that equates to $1.62 in today's dollars.
At this point, some yokel is going to object that the current newstand price of MR is $5.95 and that $5.95 > $1.62. That's true, but I'm not finished making my argument why MR is a better buy now than 75 years ago, so hold your water.
IIRC, the first issue of MR ran 12 pages. Dividing $1.62 by 12 gives us a cost of just under 12.5 cents/page for that first issue as rendered in current dollars.
The Jan 2009 issue has a newstand price of $5.95 and contains 146 pages. That's a per page cost of $.041 (rounded to the nearest mill).
Andre, how about putting the situation in some honest perspective? I suppose you may be able to fool the young guys and the dabblers here with such foolishness but not folks actually familiar with the magazine's history.
For the benefit of the uninformed here, only a very short time after MR's introduction in January of 1934, the magazine had expanded its page-count very considerably, without altering its price. By the end of the year 1934 the page-count had already doubled and it increased even more rapidly over the following few years. With ads at an absolute minimum back then, the cost figure per page for useful content quickly dropped below that of its modern counterpart by a wide margin.
To be factual, if one wants to talk bargins, let's reflect on the situation that prevailed during the mid 1990's. During that time the number of actual pages per issue with modeling content on them, plus MR's use of decidedly smaller margins and typeface, which resulted in greater per page content than today, far exceeded that of current issues. Many mid 90's copies had around 200 or more pages, as compared to the recent issues that have barely exceeded 100 pages (using the January '09 anniversary issue as a typical example of current issues is a gross misrepresentation) .
Thus, if you want to honestly refer to a relative bargin, then it was MR during the mid 90's, when you were getting at least twice as much useful hobby information per issue at far less than today's cover price!
CNJ831
When I see that an exec. conference recently held for the newspaper industry had some even saying the days of the print media are numbered one can almost see everything going internet this that and everything else. MRR is doing really well considering all else...
That said even a relative young'un can remember seeing ads as information or rather inspiration for further project mongering. So again--interpretation becomes more important. If I continued seeing ads as a disruption I'd be really grumpy. Not that I don't have my moments...
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Dave Vollmer It might be more useful to compare the number of pages with actual modeling content, as so many pages of the current issue of MR are advertising. How much of the first MR was advertising?
It might be more useful to compare the number of pages with actual modeling content, as so many pages of the current issue of MR are advertising. How much of the first MR was advertising?
Probably half of the issue is devoted to advertising. And let's face it, without adveryising we might be paying upwards of $100 an issue to get the priviledge of reading the magazine. And all should realize this is true of just about any magazine or newspaper you migh read.
Irv
It would be even cheaper if they could put the whole thing on a CD. That way they could put some video content on it too.
Imagine product reviews would not only be have photos ands words but you could also see a locomotive be put thru it's paces, hear who it sounds and even get some 3D viewing.
Layout articles could include trains running ona particular layout, the owner talking about how the layout was built and how it is operated, etc.
Print does give you a lot but a DVD or CD could give you much much more.
Technology, by the way doesn't have to cost more especially since the issues don't become obsolete. The media may but the content doesn't.
Just imagine the January issue having alot more video on John Allen and his G & D, and coverage of some of the other landmark layouts. They could even put the series on building the Beer line on a single DVD as not only a construction article but some footage showing exactly how it was done and they shouldn't ignore the mistakes made along the line either.
I don't know about you, but I sometimes find reading somewhat tedious but the video seem to get a keep my attention alot longer.
Well as Mark Twain said "there are lies, there are dam lies, and then there are statistics".
A problem with your thinking is that MR's first issue was basically a newsletter. I don't know how long it took to get to something more like it is today. Hard to compare too because remember MR was smaller than the current 8-1/2" by 11" size until maybe the forties.
When I started reading it in 1971 MR cost 60 cents an issue and was roughly as big as now, meaning it probably was around 2 cents a page. Color was common but "all color" issues were still more than a decade away. BTW I believe at that time a lifetime subscription was $100.
I suspect if you really studied the cost of the mag vs. the average person's wages or the minimum wage (once that was established) it probably works out that the mag's relative price has been more or less the same for many decades.
You weren't around in the "Golden Age" when things were scarce as hen's teeth, were you? Back then an ad or announcement of something new was greatly to be desired, far more than today when it seems scarcely a day goes by without somebody announcing something new.
You young whippersnappers are spoiled rotten. Some of us creaking auld pharts count advertising AS content. Why just last last night, I looked (and drooled) at the Athearn ad for the SP MT-4 for about the 400th time. But even I'm getting persnickety in my old age. I ain't interested unless it has the postwar lettering AND the skyline casing (which is probably coming down the line). And if they don't add a 160C-1 tender as an option (the one in the ad looks like a 120C-3), Athearn will be getting a nasty letter from my attorney. That is, unless they've figured out how to make a working booster in HO scale.
If they're going to do this correctly, I hope they have some versions with multiple-bearing crossheads, GSC disc main drivers, the pressed steel pilot and visored Pyle headlight (to name a few features) as well as the skyline casing.
Still, in all, it's a good start for Athearn. Back in the "Golden Age", most people would have been satisfied with a generic 4-8-2 decalled for SP. They wouldn't have worried about minor details like those mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
One more thing. Athearn won't actually be getting a nasty letter from my attorney. Bachmann Spectrum makes a 160C class tender. A little of that "Golden Age" craftsmanship should allow that tender to be mated to the Athearn engine. That would leave a perfectly good 120C-3 tender pining for a mate. While the Bowser USRA light 4-6-2 only vaguely resembles an SP P-8, with proper SP details and that tender, a reasonably good stand-in should be feasible.
Sorry for the sarcasm. For some reason, sleep refused to creep up on me last night and I'm cranky. It's early here on the West Coast.
Andre
andrechapelonThe Jan 2009 issue has a newstand price of $5.95 and contains 146 pages. That's a per page cost of $.041 (rounded to the nearest mill).
That's true, but a typical issue is closer to 114 pages. --> $.052 per page. Using a worst case? approximation of half advertisment, content now costs about 10ยข per page. Still well worth the price.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
as long as the advertising remains railroad related, I don't mind it.
So that also means that the wonderful folks at Kalmbach published MR during both Depressions!!
Mine doesn't move.......it's at the station!!!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Well Maybe if you are disgruntled with the mag why dont you cancel your subscription and save your money for other things........
Just my .020000 cents Kevin
Lou; SSSHHHHHH!!!!!! don't be giving anyone ideas here!!!
I love Model Railroader. Long live MR!!!
Jeff
lvanhen Should MR increase it's price to $18.00?
Should MR increase it's price to $18.00?
No, but I think people should be a bit more appreciative of the screaming bargain they're getting now compared to then.
Obviously Kalmbach's getting a lot more out of each invested dollar now than then.
Otherwise, they might start charging $18/issue.
I think MR is the best model railroad magazine on the market. So it's a good deal regardless of how you measure it.
Enjoy
Paul
On a per page basis, MR is less than 1/3 the price it was originally. It's also all color (and with better picture resolution). Not only that, but Kalmbach provides this lovely (and FREE) website where all and sundry can come partake of wit, wisdom and the occasional blast from the disgruntled, the irritated and the dyspeptic, not to mention the wails of those wearers of sackcloth and ashes lamenting a myhical lost golden age.
I just estimated the cost of my subscription renewal to MR over the course of the next year. Near as I can figure, it's going to cost me approximately $.02321/page to continue reading MR.
It would barely be a better bargain if Kalmbach paid me to take the magazine off their hands.