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Status Update: Model Cars #201


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I know, it's May, 2016, and no new Model Cars Magazine issue, yet!

In a nutshell, it's about money. When Golden Bell Press printed the mag, everything was done in house, and thus, at cost. 

The costs to print the mag are huge, and getting huger (I know, there he goes again, those spelling misteaks).

I sent out the renewals recently, yes, I should have done them a lot earlier. It's called cash flow. I also sent out dealer/shop invoices, and those are starting to come in. What comes in barely covers what it costs for the production of the magazine, and that's just production. I have not received any salary, payment, or even reimbursement for the emptied out retirement account that I have poured into this. Either has anyone else, and that's bad, I know. I sent out an email to all writers, asking for their support, patience, and delay in sending in default judgements for payment of articles, and that has helped, a bit.

So, what's the problem?

Well, it costs about more than $10K to produce, print, mail, ship, bill, and everything else, just to get the magazine out of Denver. WHAT? That's nutz! I know it is. When I took this over, I was told it would be $X amount, and guess what, that $X amount is if you print it yourself. So, the option is simple. Shut it down, or, rob a bank, and go for broke. Or something like that.... I am putting in $XXX amount each month of my own monies, and I'm running out of piggy banks.

 

Issue #201 (let's stay away from the month of each mag/issue for now) is on the way to the printer. The check's in the mail, as they say, and hopefully it will be enough. It seems every time I send a check in, another bill/invoice shows up, with another charge or cost. 

 

No, I'm not going to quit. Not going to shut down. Yes, I'm really bad at business, they don't make a kit for it, and of course, there's no instructions...

 

So, with my cents of humor intact, or lack thereof, I am moving forward as bestest as I can. 

Will we get caught up?

Yes, of course!

Am I better? Well, yes, kinda, sort of, maybe... I still am in bed a lot, but at least I can walk, move, and yes, I have travelled already. Is it fixed? Yes and no. The debilitating (i think I messed that word up) part is gone, where any movement would send me to my knees, the floor, or worse, look for a towel (if you know what I mean) and Kelly and I have started walking again. But, it's best to describe, if you remember the old days, the pre-2009 days, I would still have to lay down at shows, or just fall apart, but I do feel stronger. And with time, I know it will get better. It's only been six months since the surgery, and the doctors can't believe the difference, but heh, they see me for 15 minutes, not all day. So, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

I'm doing all the bookkeeping, accounting, banking, taxes, etc myself, learning as I go. Yes, I'm terrible on the phone, 93.25% of the time I don't answer. Not because I don't want to, I'm either laying down, out cold, or not by the computer. Most calls would be about subs, and if I don't have puter in front of me, I can't answer the question. And, still yet, when I hang up, two minutes later, I won't remember the call. Emails are best, you can text also, to that main 808 number, I do respond to texts, since I can see them and refer back to them.

I'm trying to get someone set up to do the customer service, but with no money to pay, that's really hard to do, right now. 

Also trying to get other help, and it's moving along slowly.

 

As for the back issue catastrophe, all I can say is catastrophe aborted! The 2,000 pound pallet finally showed up this past week. Everything was intact, but I think there may be some boxes missing, since the pallet isn't the same one I remember packing up in Denver with John O. It will take a while to go through everything, when I can. 

 

So, that's it for now.

#201 is on the cloud to the printer, we have the next three issues ready to go, just need to get more funding in place.  

#201 should be printed and mailed within the next week, and I'll get all the biz side of that issue going to get the monies back in, hopefully. 

 

Thanks for your patience, support, words of encouragement, and being part of this ohana we started over 17 years ago, if not longer. 

Mahalo nui loa

 

 

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Gregg - I'm a part of a couple car forums as well...and there, they do a "supporter" account...where anyone who wants to be a "supporter" pays $X amount of money and their signature will change to "MCM Supporter" (as an example) .

We have tons of members, I'm sure it won't cover magazine costs but it could easily get you some extra money for MCM purposes. Just food for thought.

 

PS: Glad to hear about your back. I haven't been around too long but I'm a veteran with bad back issues and severe nerve damage issues (among other things) so I can totally understand your situation. Keep on truckin' my friend.

Edited by CFMgarage
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Gregg - I'm a part of a couple car forums as well...and there, they do a "supporter" account...where anyone who wants to be a "supporter" pays $X amount of money and their signature will change to "MCM Supporter" (as an example) .

We have tons of members, I'm sure it won't cover magazine costs but it could easily get you some extra money for MCM purposes. Just food for thought.

 

PS: Glad to hear about your back. I haven't been around too long but I'm a veteran with bad back issues and severe nerve damage issues (among other things) so I can totally understand your situation. Keep on truckin' my friend.

I second this motion.  I, for one, would definitely be on board with making a contribution to keep my favorite magazine in production.  I would not be surprised to find a significant number of other forum members to be equally enthusiastic about the idea.

Edited by Shardik
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Gregg. Like the rest of us, I'm very appreciative of what you do and sympathetic of your troubles.

But maybe, it's time to go paperless? I know the old farts will hem and haw about not having their paper copy to accompany them in the can, but I think its the right time for it. Prices on tablets are getting cheaper and they are very simple to use. With the manufacturing process getting all of the $$ and you and the contributors getting squat, it's not fair to any of you. This way you cut all your production costs and the people that do the real work will get theirs. 

My $.02.

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I second this motion.  I, for one, would definitely be on board with making a contribution to keep my favorite magazine in production.  I would not be surprised to find a significant number of other forum members to be equally enthusiastic about the idea.

x3 !    this is my favorite place to be and I would like to be here for a long time !  I don't have a lot but will give what I can to keep this going .

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I support supporters too. No other forum even comes close to MCM. This has been discussed and rejected before but now is the time to do it!

I'm with you Foxer. I'm also 110% with MCM. 

Thank you.    Jeff 

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What about a Gofundme account?

I believe GoFundMe keeps a pretty large percentage of monies donated. Should be easy enough to setup a supporter subscription on the forum. That way all the money goes to MCM.

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Gregg. Like the rest of us, I'm very appreciative of what you do and sympathetic of your troubles.

But maybe, it's time to go paperless? I know the old farts will hem and haw about not having their paper copy to accompany them in the can, but I think its the right time for it. Prices on tablets are getting cheaper and they are very simple to use. With the manufacturing process getting all of the $$ and you and the contributors getting squat, it's not fair to any of you. This way you cut all your production costs and the people that do the real work will get theirs. 

My $.02.

 

Thanks, Guys!

If I "had" to go digital, I would shut it down, or sell it.

I don't believe in digital only mags.

That's not a magazine.

That's a web site.

Big difference.

A magazine without a print presence is nothing in my book.

Yes, harsh words, but I'm very opinionated on this, very passionate about the print industry.

It's not going away, and either am I.

As for the donation setup, that was tried before, and it just creates more problems, issues, etc., than the hundred or two dollars that it brings in.

We are talking big money here, well, at least to me.

A few dollars here and there doesn't really do much difference to the main picture of it all.

We're talking thousands, not hundreds, and I know, every little bit helps, but I would rather drain my wallet, and piggy banks, again and again, then give anyone false hopes.

 

Right now, funding is in place for this next issue, #201, but then, again, the next two issues are ready, and then that's another $25K give or take. It takes time, but it will happen. 

Plus, I get accused of "ripping" people off, with the other mag, and I don't want that to be an issue (pardon the pun) here.

It will work out.

Need to get off my back, haha, and get up and do more of what can be done.

Someone said to delegate, but problem is, with the way everything is set up, I can't afford the $6,000+ software that would be needed to handle delegation of the system/database/subscriber/dealer lists. It's all done in simple Excel, and it just wouldn't work. Something will slip through the cracks.

Just look at the changeover from GBP to MCM,LLC. When they sent the subscriber list, they didn't include the account numbers for the subscribers.

I didn't realize it until after I had set it up for the way I could do it (they had proprietary software, which I could not get) and did it all in Excel.

After all the conversion, I noticed the account numbers from an old list, but it was too late by then.

Yes, a programer could probably do a pivot table, or dupe find, and combine it all, but then, again, that's another grand or two.

So, these are the cards I'm dealt with.

I appreciate the offers of help, but there has to be a system set up and in place that would allow the sharing of the data, in real time, so that nothing gets missed.

I'm not a control freak, I just don't want to lose anything, and have to start over, again.

wow, that's a lot of mumbo jumbo....

Maybe that guy in New Jersey who won the lottery likes to build  model cars and has a soft spot for the underdog?

:-)

a hui ho!

 

 

 

Edited by Gregg
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Thanks, Guys!

If I "had" to go digital, I would shut it down, or sell it.

I don't believe in digital only mags.

That's not a magazine.

That's a web site.

Big difference.

A magazine without a print presence is nothing in my book.

Yes, harsh words, but I'm very opinionated on this, very passionate about the print industry.

It's not going away, and either am I.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't disagree with anything you said there. But the future may be just as obdurate as you are.

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It's pretty clear old school print publishing is on the way out.  That's been a trend for several years now.  The future is digital publications.  It's hard to beat the convenience of being able to consume content on any device.  

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Then, please, explain to me why our distributor for newsstands recorded the highest sell through for magazines in a long long time over the past holiday season?

Don't believe everything you read.

Digital is a tool. Not a replacement.

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It's pretty clear old school print publishing is on the way out.  That's been a trend for several years now.  The future is digital publications.  It's hard to beat the convenience of being able to consume content on any device.  

Apparently, some people still like the "convenience" of consuming content on paper while using the big porcelain "device" in the bathroom!  :lol:

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Apparently, some people still like the "convenience" of consuming content on paper while using the big porcelain "device" in the bathroom!  :lol:

I read magazines and other content in the bathroom on my iPhone and iPad.  No print media needed...

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