The end of Ctt

[Anonymous]

Has CTT run it's course? The magazine gets thinner and thinner and in the current issue it has yet another story about boxes!!! This is the second time in thge past 6 months that there is an article about stupid boxes. CTT better wake up and realize that the collector market is dead.

[FJ and G]

"Reports of my death are highly exaggerated" --

[:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

I hear CTT was bought out by Lionel.....

[FJ and G]

SF Kent...

Yeah, it also has been outsourced to some Chinese writers.[:D]

[prewardude]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rulax

Has CTT run it's course? The magazine gets thinner and thinner and in the current issue it has yet another story about boxes!!! This is the second time in thge past 6 months that there is an article about stupid boxes. CTT better wake up and realize that the collector market is dead.

The collector market may not be as strong as it was ten years ago, but I don't think it's dead. One look at ebay will confirm that - and boxes are becoming part of it more and more.

[dbaker48]

I think I should start a CTT collection....... Let's see I have the first two years and the last 3 issues.......

[Bob Keller]

I always have to laugh when we run an issue stuffed full of things about running trains, building layouts, new products to play with, and someone latches on their one bugaboo, in this case dislike for collectors, and invalidate the rest of the contents.

We'll run one article on a Flyer layout and get complaints about too much S gauge. We'll run one story about Marx and get complaints about "Too much Marx." We'll run a story on a postwar diesel and get complaints "Too much old stuff."

Well, our content has been more focused on operations for four or five years than ever before. If one collector focused story slips through, well, I guess thats the price we pay for trying to be the magazine for all aspects of the toy train hobby.

I guess that's our cross to bear.

So when we publi***hat last issue, be sure to tell us "I told you so." [:D]

[ChiefEagles]

Looks pretty good tome. In fact, I just got some free old copies back into the 90's. These are thicker and are great.[2c]

[msacco]

A little dramatic here I think. Collector market is still here and although not as strong, certainly needs articles like this.
I think CTT has always done a very nice job balancing collector articles with operator's articles. That's why I read it.
The complete focus on the operator is the other mag, so that's pretty much taken care of. And of course the magazine is called CLassic Toy Trains for a reason.
For some reason I just can't picture any of the trains made today as being classics fifty years from now...........okay maybe the new Lionel Docksider, cause I really like that little engine.

Mike S.

[okiechoochoo]

I classics in 50 years will be, well come to think of it, I won't be here to care what they will be.

[Blueberryhill RR]

They say that one of the reasons that all the train companies went to
China was because of the consumer demands. Never satisfied and
always complaining about the high price, and etc.
So, here are the consumers again. I remember the origional Toy Trains
magazine back in the 50's. Not too thick, but sure a treasure to read.
I, personally think, that it is all up to the person. I will always be an
Operator, Collector, or any other title that I am issued. I love to run my electric trains and I love to read CTT magazine. I really don't care how thick the magazine is. It is good.
Enough said,
Chuck

[mitchelr]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Blueberryhill RR

I love to run my electric trains and I love to read CTT magazine. I really don't care how thick the magazine is. It is good.
Enough said,
Chuck

I couldn't agree more. I used to subscribe to "other" hobby/train magazines, but switched to CTT because of the variety of fascinating articles that touch on so many parts of the hobby. I read every issue cover to cover the day it arrives and then re-read till the next issues come. I wi***here were issues every month. [:D]

Mitch[^]

[dbaker48]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mitchelr

QUOTE: Originally posted by Blueberryhill RR

I love to run my electric trains and I love to read CTT magazine. I really don't care how thick the magazine is. It is good.
Enough said,
Chuck

I couldn't agree more. I used to subscribe to "other" hobby/train magazines, but switched to CTT because of the variety of fascinating articles that touch on so many parts of the hobby. I read every issue cover to cover the day it arrives and then re-read till the next issues come. I wi***here were issues every month. [:D]

Mitch[^]

All I'm effectively doing is wasting space, Chuck and Mitch are 100% correct. When I first started with trains, the only substantial magazine was MR, and there wasn't any web stuff. I would get that magazine just for the adds. Then when CTT came out, I practically wore those issues out. And they even had pictures of the bigger stuff, WOW. The ONLY change I would like to see is the frequency of issues, GO Monthly !!!, Increase the price, but GO Monthly !!!

[prewardude]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mitchelr

... I wi***here were issues every month. [:D]

Mitch[^]

Ya know, if they would put more articles about prewar trains in the magazine, maybe they would have enough material to publish monthly. But then people would be complaining about too much prewar coverage (along with the price increase). Somebody's always got to complain about somethin'. [|(]

[1688torpedo]

It's not the end of CTT or the collector market at all! The market is in a transitional period with the older collectors dying off,Lionel Buying K-Line,and a few other things going on that will get straightened out in good time. And CTT still has a good magazine that is informative & entertaining as well. Take Care.

[mitchelr]

QUOTE: Originally posted by prewardude

QUOTE: Originally posted by mitchelr

... I wi***here were issues every month. [:D]

Mitch[^]

Somebody's always got to complain about somethin'. [|(]

[bow][bow][bow] Amen to that! The one thing that is certain is that you can't please 100% of the people ANY TIME, even if there's only one person involved.

Mitch

[laz 57]

You tell em MITCH, CTT does touch upon all aspects of the hobby.
Well done CTT,
laz57

[jakeoregano]

Geez, I wish someone had told me the collector market was dead. I'd better stop collecting right now!! Why am I always the last to know?

Seriously, I think the comment about the collector market being in transition is probably correct. I think there are younger collectors/operators out there who are slowly coming to appreciate the older trains. But the market is far from dead. Otherwise, some of us out there would be able to pick up that mint blue comet set for pennies. If it were dead, I'd buy every prewar item on the market!!

As for CTT, I think it's a pretty good mag. Get this: If there is an article I'm not particularly interested in...I turn the page.

My .02.
Dwayne

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's ending though, I was disappointed in it . There have been some good articles. They need more writers ,that's for sure. If I could come up with somthing I would write for them but, I just don't know that much. I do lve my postwar trains though.

[kehoesj]

Speaking as a subscriber from Issue # 1, I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every issue as CTT continued it's growth along with the hobby, expanding it's annual publication schedule - whether thick or thin. CTT has helped my family learn a great deal about our hobby that we wouldn't have necessarily otherwise. I wouldn't trade our complete collection of CTT for anything rolling on 3 rail track. I salute the staff of CTT for continuing to be covering a wide variety of topics. End of CTT? No, I give them the highball!

[brianel027]

Bob Keller's reply was kind and thoughful. Maybe I can add a little more insight that he might not feel comfortable speaking about. I don't know how things specifically work at Kalmbach, but at one time I was the production manager for a weekly newspaper. Before anything happens, I would consult with the sales staff and the publisher to determine the amount of advertising space sold. I would then make a call on how many papges the issue should be based on these numbers and run it by the publisher.

It might not be of obvious importance to the reader, but the advertising space sold is the bread and butter of any publication and cover the production costs and the weekly salaries. Subscriptions are important too, but it is ad revenue that is number one. From my experience, there were times where editorial copy would be of such importance that I could go beyond what the advertising percentage would normally allow. I knew that important editorial copy could generate additional newsstand sales, and also be used by the sales reps to increase future ad sales, ie: Look at this important issue we covered... our newstand sales exceeded normal sales by 50%. If your ad had been in here, it would have been seen by x-amount of additional readers.

Obviously CTT ad revenues are down by some. Lionel hasn't advertised in some time. Nor had K-Line, nor will K-Line again at least as we knew them. I haven't done the numbers, but it seems to me that there were more smaller shops purchasing ads in past issues of CTT. Recent years have seen a falling out in the numbers of train/hobby shops, so obviously there are fewer retailers around to purchase ads. Everyone likes the big mail order places due to their discount pricing, but it doesn't help smaller guys who operate on tighter wholesale margins. And even the big guys are feeling the bite... the owner of Train Express was quoted in a newspaper as saying his sales are down substantially from years past. Obviously as businesses feel the pinch, they will look for ways to decrease costs and become far more selective about spending money on things like advertising. This plays a big part in the quantity and variety of articles in any given single publication. Again, ad revenues are the bread and butter.

That said, a good issue with good reading will keep and grow subscriptions. Increases in subscriptions with newstand sales are a good incentive to attempt to increase those ad revenues. I think CTT does a pretty good job and trying to be fair and cover as many bases as they can, given how devisive and diversified the hobby has become. Or think of it this way: at one time it was pretty much just Lionel with collectors and operators. There was just one way to run the trains. And now.....
-TMCC only operators
- DCS only operators
- Noncommand operators
-Those who only collect
-Those who collect and operate
-Scale prototypical operators
-Toy train operators
-Hi Railers
-Rabid buyers of only one brand (who think that brand is the only one)
-027 track operators
-Tubular 0 operators
-FasTrack operators
-Super 0 operators
-Gargraves operators
-Atlas 0 track operators
-MARX tinplate operators

And on and on... you get my train of thought. My train hat is off to Bob and the CTT staff. We're a tough group to please.

And while I'm on it, how about some more articles on 027 track operators and more reviews of NON-command non-scale traditional products [:D]

[Big_Boy_4005]

I'm not sure what to say about all this, but here goes.

I have every issue of CTT that was ever published, except for the last few. I have allowed all of my subscriptions to lapse, including CTT, MR and Trains. Tomorrow will mark the eighth Friday that I have held out renewing.

It had gotten to the point where I didn't even spend 10 minutes looking at them, which is why I wonder, why bother? I gave up OGR last year, and haven't really missed it.

Is it the magazine content or is it me just being burnt out, or maybe I've outgrown the limits of the publication? Perhaps it's all three. Whatever the case, the thrill is gone.

Brian makes a great point, which is: the 3 rail O market had become splintered. The publications are not to blame, the manufacturers are. The downfall of the publications may be in trying to please everyone, they please no one.

Brian, remenber, it is circulation which drives everything. No readers, no advertisers. Advertising rates are based on circulation. How many people can your message reach?

Publishers are in a particularly tough spot, because they have two distinctly different sets of customers, readers and advertisers. However, one is the cart and one is the horse.

The universal truth in business is: THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!

The internet and Ebay are killing brick and mortar hobby stores. Is it killing the magazines too?

[dougdagrump]

Just a troll trying to start a flame war. [tdn]

[Richard A]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougdagrump

Just a troll trying to start a flame war. [tdn]

The thought crossed my mind, too. It seems they are surfacing more frequently with each passing month.

[Kooljock1]

Horsefeathers!

The entire advertising business hit a soft patch in the last six months or so. I'm in radio, and we saw it too.

You should've seen the articles about the death of radio due to satellite(XM is now in serious financial difficulty and there's panic in their HQ), the death of Oldies radio(now Madison Avenue is waking up to a huge untapped boomer market that they forgot about), and of course all the businesses that have bought the hype from the mainstream media that the economy stinks and is getting worse(unemployment numbers are the lowest in a decade and housing starts are the highest since 1973).

Here we are now two months later, and ad revenues have shot up, WAY up. The ratings for the station I work for...an OLDIES station no matter what they want to call it are WAY up...my show alone was up 20%.

So the ad business will bounce back, including at CTT & OGR I think. And at some point, probably after the appeal between MTH and LIONEL is done, no matter who wins(and it seems that Wellspring has deeper pockets than we thought!), LIONEL/K-LINE will go back to advertising in the mags.

As for the article mix at CTT, I find it entertaining and informative. EVEN the articles about boxes tell a story about the trains, the thoughts their makers were having, and the culture they were selling to at various times.

My ONE suggestion for CTT Bob, is that your articles include personal tidbits about the layout builder/collector. Is he married? Does he have kids? What does he do for a living? Does he have other interests/hobbies/sports that he's into? Trains are as much about people as they are about items. These personal touch-points will add more interest and insight into what motivates us all to be in the World's Greatest Hobby, and may encourage more casual readers to join our ranks!

Other than that, you have one GREAT magazine!

Jon



[8D][8D][8D][8D][8D]

[Anonymous]

Hey,I like it all! Old boxes, new boxes, O-27, O gauge, s gauge, traditional,TMCC, DCS,it's all the news that's fit to print. Just one thing. I think articles about the guy that's so busy with his life that he doesn't have the time to build his own pike & hires an architect to build him a 300 ft x 400ft layout belongs in Architecturals monthly, not CTT. Easter

[cnw1995]

I probably spend more time with each issue of CTT than other reading materials - practically wearing it out reading it on my commute. I like the variety - find I can always learn something interesting or new... I like the tactile experience of reading a mag vs. just online info.

[cheapclassics]

To all,

As one who contributes to the magazine (and hopes to continue to do so), I can tell you one of the hardest aspects is writing the stories. There have been a few (very few) times when the story just flew off my finger tips onto the keyboard, but there have been many times when the words were formed one keystroke at a time and revised several times before submission. I usually try to read every article at least once even if it is on a topic of no interest to me because I appreciate the effort that went into producing it. As Brianel so aptly pointed out, there are many facets to the hobby and not all articles are going to appeal to every reader. I am just so thankful that a magazine exists that serves our enjoyable hobby. Perhaps when the number of advertisers increase, there will be more pages as well.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[Anonymous]

Counting pages is like counting rivets. It's quality not quantity.

[jonadel]

Amen to dontrainman.

Quantity vs quality is only important when drinking beer[:D]

Jon