R/C Car magazine is dead!
#16
#17
Tech Regular
iTrader: (6)
I don't agree that review honesty and possibly negativity are directly linked to advertising. If these honest reviews earned a bigger readership (one would hope they would) then this readership number would be the main reason for the magazine to be attractive to the advertisers.
Your subscription $ barely covers the cost of ink and paper for each issue. There's some profit in rack sales but 99% of revenue comes from advertising.
I really think it's more down to it being a very tough climate for any business that prints on paper. With the internet we know whats happening and coming to market long before a printed magazine can make it into circulation. News papers and other magazines are all having a tough time too.
It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" industry.
#18
It's the ugly truth within the publishing industry. That's why Consumer Reports, Checkbook.org, et.al are non-profits that accept no advertising so they can be completely unbiased with their reviews.
Your subscription $ barely covers the cost of ink and paper for each issue. There's some profit in rack sales but 99% of revenue comes from advertising.
No doubt. Bad economy... less product sales... marketing budgets take a hit... ad buys become very selective.
It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" industry.
Your subscription $ barely covers the cost of ink and paper for each issue. There's some profit in rack sales but 99% of revenue comes from advertising.
No doubt. Bad economy... less product sales... marketing budgets take a hit... ad buys become very selective.
It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" industry.
well at least there is still rc 411 magazine have to sign up for it and support it.
#22
Tech Elite
iTrader: (8)
RC Car was my favorite just because they told like it was. They actually went out and raced the car being reviewed not once or twice but for months a time.
On the other hand have you seen some the advertising that goes on with the other magazines. Half the damn mag is a traxxas add. Well now I get to flip through fluff 30,000 feet in the air.
On the other hand have you seen some the advertising that goes on with the other magazines. Half the damn mag is a traxxas add. Well now I get to flip through fluff 30,000 feet in the air.
#23
Tech Master
iTrader: (73)
So, only one Rc off-road magazine left? Rc Driver is no more if i'm not mistaken. What a bummer. It was nice at one time to get three different mags a month. Now down to one. This economy sucks. I have my own swimming pool remodeling and repair business, and this was the slowest summer EVER!! Good luck to Mr. Bess, and I hope he keeps it real like Dave Chapelle.
#24
I always thought r/c car had the best info and far less ads than most other magazines. But, it's the paying advertisers that keep them afloat.
Sort of the National Geographic of r/c magazines....all good info with very little fluff.
Sort of the National Geographic of r/c magazines....all good info with very little fluff.
#25
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (4)
RC Car was my favorite just because they told like it was. They actually went out and raced the car being reviewed not once or twice but for months a time.
On the other hand have you seen some the advertising that goes on with the other magazines. Half the damn mag is a traxxas add. Well now I get to flip through fluff 30,000 feet in the air.
On the other hand have you seen some the advertising that goes on with the other magazines. Half the damn mag is a traxxas add. Well now I get to flip through fluff 30,000 feet in the air.
#27
Tech Elite
iTrader: (58)
So, only one Rc off-road magazine left? Rc Driver is no more if i'm not mistaken. What a bummer. It was nice at one time to get three different mags a month. Now down to one. This economy sucks. I have my own swimming pool remodeling and repair business, and this was the slowest summer EVER!! Good luck to Mr. Bess, and I hope he keeps it real like Dave Chapelle.
Has anyone else heard of them going away?
#28
Tech Addict
iTrader: (12)
I hate to see if anybody going downersonaly I did not like them any more and I did not renew my subscribe because not just this magazine but almost all of them was notthing just advertising and almost always the same adds .If you check the approx 100 pages more than half of them is just advertising same adds month by month ..That is may makes people to not buy the magazines.Plus Internet taking over everithing.Myself I used to go to the bathroom (have my rest time lol)with a Rc magazine (who is not?) now I taking my iPhone and reading neobuggy or rctech.J/k!
#29
News flash,
No RC magazine writes negative articles.
No RC magazine writes negative articles.
#30
Tech Master
iTrader: (12)
Magazines
For those of you who remember the 90s, there was a magazine that was only in black and white. This was to me one of the best magazines I have ever read.
No Bull about products. No sugar coating. True tests, what was liked, and what was disliked.
Today, everything is all about money and not honesty. I do believe if a magazine did this, they would be on the chopping block.
This magazine didn't have very many ads. The magazine had more content every 2 months than most magazines had in 6 months. IMO.
The magazine was about 1/8th scale buggies.
Magazine was called Competition something.
Funny, this should not have happened to this magazine. This magazine did have a different angle on reviews than the others which I liked. I like generally all of the magazines. I would think when a magazine concentrates on their back pockets (solely on the bottom line), this is what happens, but, this magazine I think was a little different. Maybe because they didn't follow the others with large advertising 30+ page ads, they went under. (Lack of supportive funding) I would image having a yearly Buyers Guide helps another magazine with additional income from the advertisers and the buyers. (That sucker is a hefty price)
There needs to be a balance between better content and advertising. Currently, some magazines, (which I won't name) have ads that take up too much of the magazine. I am considering letting my subscription run out and going for a more expensive european product simply because of the lack of content in the magazine(s) I have now.
I'm like a kid. I generally know when the magazine(s) come in the mail. I wait for the mail carrier and grab the magazines from the box. I read them as slowly as I can trying to let them last til the next issue. (Yeah Right. I read them in the first 20 minutes of receiving them )
I like to read about reviews that make me feel like a product has flaws.
Example, the buggy pushes, shock out of the box don't work, but, this optional shock piston makes it better. etc, etc, etc.
Nothing is perfect nor is every product always going to be a fit for the racer or the basher. This is not always the case.
Anyway. This magazine was one of the nicer ones. Sorry to see the magazine go as it was part of the industry I really enjoy..
No Bull about products. No sugar coating. True tests, what was liked, and what was disliked.
Today, everything is all about money and not honesty. I do believe if a magazine did this, they would be on the chopping block.
This magazine didn't have very many ads. The magazine had more content every 2 months than most magazines had in 6 months. IMO.
The magazine was about 1/8th scale buggies.
Magazine was called Competition something.
Funny, this should not have happened to this magazine. This magazine did have a different angle on reviews than the others which I liked. I like generally all of the magazines. I would think when a magazine concentrates on their back pockets (solely on the bottom line), this is what happens, but, this magazine I think was a little different. Maybe because they didn't follow the others with large advertising 30+ page ads, they went under. (Lack of supportive funding) I would image having a yearly Buyers Guide helps another magazine with additional income from the advertisers and the buyers. (That sucker is a hefty price)
There needs to be a balance between better content and advertising. Currently, some magazines, (which I won't name) have ads that take up too much of the magazine. I am considering letting my subscription run out and going for a more expensive european product simply because of the lack of content in the magazine(s) I have now.
I'm like a kid. I generally know when the magazine(s) come in the mail. I wait for the mail carrier and grab the magazines from the box. I read them as slowly as I can trying to let them last til the next issue. (Yeah Right. I read them in the first 20 minutes of receiving them )
I like to read about reviews that make me feel like a product has flaws.
Example, the buggy pushes, shock out of the box don't work, but, this optional shock piston makes it better. etc, etc, etc.
Nothing is perfect nor is every product always going to be a fit for the racer or the basher. This is not always the case.
Anyway. This magazine was one of the nicer ones. Sorry to see the magazine go as it was part of the industry I really enjoy..
Last edited by Dr. Evil; 11-24-2010 at 06:31 AM.