how accurate do you think reviews in Model Railroader Magazine are?

[Big_Boy_4005]

Thanks, but I think I'm getting too old for them anyway.[(-D][;)][:D]

[lupo]

the concept of follow ups on reviews as fergus suggested could be interesting, like a Dutch computermagazine wich decided to look at the CDR's they tested 2 years ago again, to discover that the data on some brands was corrupted while in storage for 2 years.
Maybe buy some old popular locs on e-bay and look what time and usage does to them. you can even look at their value: in Europe old worn Marklin stuff sells at huge sums of cash, and other brands get tossed in boxes at swap meets and sells by the pound.

[Big_Boy_4005]

That sounds like the difference between Lionel and Marx here.[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: I want MR to give a fair and balanced (ala FOX News) opinion

I really hope that was sarcasm.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:

One has to be careful what they write today as the lible is a costly venture.

You can't libel or slander a product, only a person. I can say a product is lousy all I want and in just about any venue and I won't face the possibility of losing a libel or slander suit.

C424

[Anonymous]

I agree with Dschmitt. They only choose the models that got a good review. I think MR should review more models, publish good and bad reviews, and rate the models on scale of some sort. The price of the model should not influence the review, it's either a good model or it's not. Perhaps they could judge the model as if it was in a NMRA contest and then print the results. That would give readers an unbiased standard to base a decision on.

[mikebonellisr]

I think the reviews are a good place to start,but i listen more to you guys for a more honest opinion. You have all been a great help.

[Anonymous]

I agree with what seems to be a common thread running though this discussion. If a prodect is really bad, like the Walther's plastic turntable of a few years ago, which was a truly awful kit, MR just doesn't revue it.

However, I don't think that the policy of not reviewing a bad product for fear of antagonising one of their best, or any advertiser, does justice to their readers. But then again, who comes first, readers, or advertisers?

[Anonymous]

Used to be a definate yes. Check out the stove polish vs. Floquil flap in 1955 with John Page as aditor. Now, I think a bad rview just doesn't get published. Look at the number of products relaesed vs. the number of reviews. Lots easier to just print reviews of good products and ignore those with problems.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

Do you really think they would bite the hand that feeds them?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by C424

QUOTE:

One has to be careful what they write today as the lible is a costly venture.

You can't libel or slander a product, only a person. I can say a product is lousy all I want and in just about any venue and I won't face the possibility of losing a libel or slander suit.

C424

Though this may be true you can't tell me in todays legal climate that you won't be held accountable for things you've written or said, which can't be substantiated, and impacts on an individual's or company's reputation or ability to sell a product. I realize this is an extreme case scenario but.......

I won't say anymore in fear of legal persecution!

[Anonymous]

Accurate reviews are an elusive quest, at best. Maybe a moving target ?

The MRR press will always be as it is now, "fairly gentle", and that's to be expected.

Hobby shops...some will be open and upfront, others not so much.

Forums and Groups ? You can get some highly objective reviews, but you can also get some of the most biased commentary in the hobby.
I have personally seen reviews that are exceptionally scathing for a product I had previously purchased, and found to be highly satisfactory.

If we want our own "Ralph Nader" to the hobby, there would be a cost to that....and as a group, we seem to have difficulty with cost issues, by and large.
regards;
Mike.

[DSchmitt]

Reviews are very subjective and depend on the knowledge, experence and sometimes skill of the reviewer.

A review in a Military protype and modeling magazie (no longer published) said a model of a German staff car was completely inaccurate. I have a book with pictures of the particular car which the model depicted. It was one of a kind and the model was very accurate.

MR once gave a bad review to a steam loco kit. RMC gave it a good review. The difference was the experence and skill oy the reviewer. I found both reviews useful.

A product which one person considers junk might be considered a treasure by another.

Perceptions change with time. Many products which got good reviews a few years ago, would not be considered as good today.

I

[BRAKIE]

I think MR does a fairly good job overall.I would not want to See MR rip a model apart if there is missing minor details that can be added by using after market detail parts.If I want to see every new locomotive ripped apart I will wait on 2 or 3 of the guys on the Atlas forum to do that since nothing seems to please them regardless of brand name...

[Anonymous]

i have the feeling that many of the reviews are biased. when a major advertiser gets a product reviewed, they point out all of the positives and give maybe one sentence to point out the negatives. then when a product by, lets say LBF, gets reviewed, the article is mostly negative.

i have compaired the MR reviews with reviews from many different modelers on many different online forums, and for some reason, the negative aspects of many models are never pointed out. especially on models made by manufacturers that spend large ammounts of money on advertisintg in MR.

so, for now, i will rely on online forums like the ones at Atlas for my unbiased product reviews.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NightCrawler
......so, for now, i will rely on online forums like the ones at Atlas for my unbiased product reviews.

No thanks...as Larry mentions, an Atlas review is negative bias as its' worst.[:(] Enough acid-laced vitriol to take the chrome off a trailer hitch.[:0]

Getting a product reviewed on the Atlas forum, is like getting a new haircut and suit of clothes, and asking Don Rickles for his "comments".[xx(][V]

regards,
Mike