Magazines.

[Rich]

So who buys magazines? And do you subscribe to them, or do you just pick up the occasional copy from the newsstand?

I have noticed that I have been buying quite a few lately, and they take a surprisingly large chunk out of your wallet. Quite expensive, considering the lack of actual information that is sometimes in them, and the disgusting amount of ads. Sometimes I wonder if when buying a magazine, I am just paying for a book of ads

Anyways, so who does it.

[speediva]

Ya know, the more I think about it, the more disgusted I become... The whole darned thing is ads, and yet you're still paying $5 out of your wallet for a decent mag!!!! You'd think that the ads would help defray atleast part of that cost, ya know? Jeez... What a rip! I'm glad I just pick up an occasional one.

[YogsVR4]

The only subscription I have is to Scientific American. I've had one for the last twenty years. Its the only magazine I've ever seen that is actually worth the purchase price month in and month out. Its packed with articles, not advertizements.

[Menu dei Motori]

i have many subscriptions to 4 car magazines

1 comes out weekly
2 come out all 2 weeks
and the other comes out 1 a month

[Twist]

I'm crazy about magzines...

Subscribe to:
Road & Track
Super Street
Electronic Gaming Monthly
WIRED

Pick up every copy from the newstand:
EVO
RallyXS
Japanese Performance Car

Pick up on occassion:
Scientific American
Sport Compact Car
Technology Review

I read friend's copies of:
Motor Trend
Time (on occasion)
Newsweek (on occasion)

I would have to agree that a lot of magizines are ads, but, to me, most of these magazines make up for their ads with quality. EVO is hands down the best magazine out there. Great reviews, features, AWESOME pictures. Few ads. You gotta love it.

Just think about it this way. 5 Bucks. That's what not even minimum wage for 1 hour. If you spend more than 1 hour reading it, it's made up it's price. That's why books are so great. 10 or something bucks for dozens of hours of reading. Same with video games. I've played Metal Gear Solid 2 through many many times over what it would have cost me. I hope that makes sense. :shurgs shoulders:

[kicker1_solo]

I have a subscription to Truckin' and I randomly buy an import magazine of different sorts every few weeks.

[ci5ic]

I subscribe to Maxim Blender.

I buy Maxim, Sport Compact Car monthly from the store.

I occasionally buy Import Tuner (for the pics) and sometimes FHM (also for the pics )

[Heep]

EVO and duPont Registry (not really a magazine, I guess) are the only ones worth my money. Too bad they're both damn expensive, $11.50 for one issue of EVO (BY FAR the best magazine in the world, amazing articles, only real drivers cars covered, incredible photography, and even high quality paper and such. Very few ads, and excellent car specs database in the back), and duPont Registry ain't cheap either, but fun to drool through. I will, on occasion, buy Classic & Sports Car (imported from Britain classic car mag) as well, but it's also usually $11.50, and when it's between it and EVO, EVO almost always wins (unless C&SC is covering one of my favorite cars).

[boingo82]

Originally posted by saturntangerine
Ya know, the more I think about it, the more disgusted I become... The whole darned thing is ads, and yet you're still paying $5 out of your wallet for a decent mag!!!! You'd think that the ads would help defray atleast part of that cost, ya know? Jeez... What a rip! I'm glad I just pick up an occasional one.

It's true that on an 80-something page magazine, printing (paper and ink costs) comes in around only 38¢ or so per issue. However, that doesn't come close to the costs of employing the writers, photographers, graphic artists, copy desk (layout), prepress technicians, managers, IT dept., website designers, etc., not to mention the equipment they employ to do their jobs. Oh yeah, then there's the mailing costs, distributing costs, taxes etc....plus the inevitable extra copies that don't end up selling and have to be destroyed.

With all the costs involved in putting out a publication, be it monthly, weekly, or daily, the subscription fees don't even begin to defray the bills. I bet you didn't even know that only 2-5% of a newspaper's total revenue comes from subscriptions. The rest is made up by the advertising you despise. The ratio is almost surely similar for magazines. The subscription fee is employed mainly to "keep the rif-raff out", because people tend to abuse whatever's free. Think of why they have moved the ketchup packets behind the counter at many fast-food restaurants.

Newspapers and magazines are an interesting business. We have two customer bases that must both be kept happy in order to survive. First and foremost are the advertisers, who provide the bulk of revenue, whether by printed ads on the pages of the paper, or by inserted ads that are delivered with the paper. Second are the readers. We have to provide editorial content that will keep these readers interested, because without them we are worth nothing to the advertisers. I agree that some magazines are grossly overpriced (Adobe magazine, I'm looking in your direction) but for the most part they are just businesses, small or large, just trying to maintaing two customer bases and keep their heads above water.

And back on topic, I subscribe to 4 magazines, which is the most cost-effective method of obtaining them. Just got the newest Automobile today.

[ci5ic]

Boingo owns this thread!

Personally, I don't really mind the ads, if I did, I wouldn't buy the mags. The things I hate are those stupid subscription cards that you have to tear out. Maxim has about a billion of them in each issue.

[FieroJodi]

Maxim and Cosmo arrive in my mailbox.

The only car mags I buy are the ones that have fieros in them. And that doesnt happen very often.

[Rich]

Originally posted by ci5ic
The things I hate are those stupid subscription cards that you have to tear out. Maxim has about a billion of them in each issue.

Those cards are the bain of my existance!! The first thing I do when I get a maxim is go through it and pull all those out before I try to read the mag.

[Oz]

I virtually subscribe to Hot4s, buy Fast4s occasionally and read Motor or Wheels from friends. The occasional issue of Sport COmpact from the US as well.

[Ssom]

I subscribe to Autocar, pick up wheels and NZ Performance car up off the stand every month- Occassionaly when I can afford them - I get Top Gear, CAR, What Car?, Classic & Performance or EVO (Brit mags 0wnz j00)

I also pick up an Auto Trader when I get pissed off with the Jetta

[boingo82]

Originally posted by ci5ic
...The things I hate are those stupid subscription cards that you have to tear out. Maxim has about a billion of them in each issue.

Those are annoying...the cards, and the perfume ads that stink things up and prevent flipping through the magazine...oh well, they did pay for it.