I love the magazine and I buy a copy every month, usually at Meijer's. The LHS's never order enough. Sure I pay more this way than if I subscribed. On the other hand, after years of receiving tattered, shredded, soiled and rain soaked expensive magazines I've decided I'd rather pay more for a still legible product. I once watched our mail carrier walking toward the house in the rain. She was garbed completely in rain proof clothing.....except for her left hand, which gripping our stack of mail, was fully extended into a pouring down rain.
Anyone else have this sort of problem?
FritzvB
"Model RailroadING" magazine by Highland Station Publications is out of business, folded a month or so ago.
A sponsor of this forum is "Model RailroadER" magazine. Perhaps it might be an idea to get your facts straight?
My subscription copies arrive nice and clean in clear plastic envelopes, never have had a torn or otherwise damaged magazine arrive in my mailbox.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
They stopped putting mine int he clear plastic a long time ago, and I really hated that. In plastic, there NEVER was any damage. Plus there was no sticky label mucking up the nice cover photo. My mail is delivered curbside, to a mailbox, so I never had any weather damage. Only problem is if there is too much junk mail and the carrier attempts to jam it all in the box, had some mior tears that way.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Railphotog
While you were attacking me I realized my mistake and was in the process of correcting it all on my own.
I always try to please.
In the USA Trains, MR, etc all come withOUT a plastic bag etc, just the mag in the mail
I can't say I have had problems with my mail such that it would cause me to subsribe or not.
Give the maillady a huge Christmas present like I do and you will get better service.
stuinstra wrote:I dont have problems with my delivery. Maybe you could talk to your mail carrier about keeping your stuff dry while giving them a $10 tip for the New Year. You might be surprised at the response you'll get.
And if that doesn't work, go to the post office and ask to speak to a manager. I have had such problems for some time, finally culminating with a package being forceably bent to fit in our mailbox. (The sender's comment was that the mail-carrier must have been a gorilla to even bend it, much less the intelligence to consider DOING such). The manager agreed that it was unreasonable, and had a talk with the carrier. It happened again the next day, so back I went to the P.O. Manager agreed again... even acted somewhat embarrassed.
Carrier came up to our door to apologize the next day, he had been on vacation for a couple of weeks, and apparently the replacement had a bunch of complaints.
The point is that they do eventually listen.
Brian Pickering
I don't get mine in a plastic bag anymore either. It usually comes with a tear or two and/or a big crease. The address label usually comes off the cover pretty easily but there has always been damage of some sort since they stopped with the bags. The bags didn't always guarentee good condition either but it was much less frequently.
Bryan
Not sure I would want a postal mail carrier I had gotten in trouble coming up to my door..............
bpickering wrote: stuinstra wrote:I dont have problems with my delivery. Maybe you could talk to your mail carrier about keeping your stuff dry while giving them a $10 tip for the New Year. You might be surprised at the response you'll get. And if that doesn't work, go to the post office and ask to speak to a manager. I have had such problems for some time, finally culminating with a package being forceably bent to fit in our mailbox. (The sender's comment was that the mail-carrier must have been a gorilla to even bend it, much less the intelligence to consider DOING such). The manager agreed that it was unreasonable, and had a talk with the carrier. It happened again the next day, so back I went to the P.O. Manager agreed again... even acted somewhat embarrassed.Carrier came up to our door to apologize the next day, he had been on vacation for a couple of weeks, and apparently the replacement had a bunch of complaints.The point is that they do eventually listen.Brian Pickering
They may have done away with the plastic bags because of problems with mail sorting machines. A friend of mine is retired from the U.S. Postal Service, where he was one of the technicians who installed, adjusted, and repaired sorting machines in Phoenix, Arizona. He says they had all manner of problems with plastic bags getting caught in the machines and causing their contents to get mangled.
One day, I received a small plastic bag containing a few shredded remnants of a magazine cover, together with a note from the postal service that it had gotten caught in a mail sorting machine in Phoenix. They sent me the pieces that could be recovered, together with a badly mangled address label, and suggested that I contact the publisher and request a replacement copy.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
I too like to buy my MR at the LHS, it supports the shop and at the same time gives me a chance to snoop around the new equipment, and visit with the owner. I can understand that accounting would find it much easier to control circulation, on the other hand maybe the repport might be just as important. I have never had a subscription, but I have bought the magazine faithfully since I got out of the Army in 1969. I also appreciate this forum, you guys are great, (although sometimes I think you would argue about the color of an orange) I do miss some of the extras, such as sound and videos. Thanks for listening.
2 cents too much.
brad.
fritzvb wrote: I love the magazine and I buy a copy every month, usually at Meijer's. The LHS's never order enough. Sure I pay more this way than if I subscribed. On the other hand, after years of receiving tattered, shredded, soiled and rain soaked expensive magazines I've decided I'd rather pay more for a still legible product. I once watched our mail carrier walking toward the house in the rain. She was garbed completely in rain proof clothing.....except for her left hand, which gripping our stack of mail, was fully extended into a pouring down rain.Anyone else have this sort of problem?FritzvB
Not since I started renting a box at the local branch post office, back when I was a newly-married Air Force two-striper.
Since then I've had apartments with mail boxes the size of shirt pockets, a rural mail box 250 yards down a dirt road from the house, and, finally, those ganged things on a post that can be stolen intact by anyone with a pickup truck and a chain. They all had one thing in common - nothing more important than pizza coupons were ever delivered to any of them. In the meantime all of my 'real' mail has never had to venture into the weather and was delivered to my box in pristine condition.
To my way of thinking, it's worth $75 a year to keep my bank and credit card statements secure from identity thieves. Getting undamaged magazines and catalogs is just a bonus.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
The MR mailing situation has had its ups and downs in my case. I have rural delivery, with a box out at the street. When MR came in plastic bags I never had a single one damaged over many years. When they switched over to the newer bulks shipping with the mags loose, the mags initially took an extra week to arrive! The first three of the issues under the new system were so severely damaged they had to be replaced. However, it's gotten better with time and the arrival schedule has returned to normal. Likewise, I've had only a further few with minor damage - largely when there happens to be a lot of mail being delivered.
CNJ831
Good psychology, but poor ethics. Every civilization has had problems with authorities who proffer "fair" treatment once their palms have been greased. If the mail carrier feels she is paid unfairly, she has a union who will champion her. Otherwise, she should refuse to work when she feels that her salary is insufficient for her job description and terms of reference.
Seems to me she was looking to be paid for that day.
My goodness what an exaggeration.... Two pounds of coffee to the mail lady now is the downfall of a civilization? Sorry honey, no bottle of wine this Christmas, call the shop steward instead?
And people wonder why the lady does not get soaked in the pouring rain so the train mag the train mag publisher decided to save two cents on and took out of the plastic bag stays dry so Charle Choo Choo and not get a wet mag??
selector wrote: stuinstra wrote:I dont have problems with my delivery. Maybe you could talk to your mail carrier about keeping your stuff dry while giving them a $10 tip for the New Year. You might be surprised at the response you'll get.Good psychology, but poor ethics. Every civilization has had problems with authorities who proffer "fair" treatment once their palms have been greased. If the mail carrier feels she is paid unfairly, she has a union who will champion her. Otherwise, she should refuse to work when she feels that her salary is insufficient for her job description and terms of reference. Seems to me she was looking to be paid for that day.
Give the mailman a few pounds of good coffee and that door will somehow find itself closed everytime!
jeffshultz wrote: My only problem has been convincing the post office that they need to impress upon the carriers the importance of actually getting the mailbox door _shut_ when the weather is... well, typical for Oregon. They seem to be doing better lately.
Mine arrives in pretty good shape just one fold in the middle, but not creased - sort of a roll. We have a Post Office installed 12 compartment box at the curb. The mailman just motors up, opens the big door with his key, puts the mail in each slot. We each have a key to the little door for our individual compartment. Works fine and I seldom have a tear in any of my 7 magazines that don't have an envelope.
Enjoy
Paul
selector wrote:I ordered Steam Glory 2 and it came, as have a couple of other similar Kalmbach orders, in plastic. Maybe it is a requirement for delivery in Canada?
I do believe the reason for that is that DHL looks after the distribution, packaging them in Mississauga and dropping them at the postal plant.
Basically they come in bulk across the border, and are repackaged for distribution.
I got a replacement issue from the US, and it came in a plain brown envolope (with the MR masthead in the upper left corner...) instead of the plastic bag with an address insert.
I wish the Magazine came wrapped, either in a paper envelope or clear wrap. While not usually damaged significantly, the magazines feel used when I receive them. I'd rather pay a dollar or two more a year and get pristine magazines.
mark
I've been subscribing to MR for over 10 years. They stopped putting them in plastic about 5 years ago, but in that time I've only had one arrive with any damage. In that one case I called Kalmbach and they sent me a replacement in an envelope free of charge.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
Check out the TC&WRy on at https://www.facebook.com/TCWRy
Check out my MRR How-To YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/RonsTrainsNThings