Gregg

I have made comments on this before, it has to do with the power of six: Six copies to readers in the same zip code drop zone will get their mags in one bag. What's a zip code drop zone? Like a big distribution center. For those copies not in da power of six, they get sent to regional post office, then distributed, then distributed, then distributed, then distributed, then distroyed (thought I was going to say distributed, didn't you?) Kelly and I did this as a test way-back-when, and we named it the Power Of Six. Of course, I replaced the "i" with an "e", but she didn't buy that.....

OMG. You made me laugh!!!! Thanks for the chuckle

Mahalo, Sean!

We sent 2000 pounds of back issues to here in Hawai'i. Slow boat... Broke da bank.... I have a few back issues, 197-200, but that's it for now. Have to wait till they get here, and then get a huge truck to get the pallet from the dock. Maybe two weeks, not sure. Anyone volunteering? No, I not going pay your way here.... :-)

Yes, and I hate to sound mean, but with the poly-bagging of the magazines, we will not be doing any replacement send outs from now on. Before, with GBP, the cost of the machine, 125K, would not make financial cents, with only 20-25 copies being replaced each issue, and now, with the added cost per printing of the bags, there is no way we can afford to send out ANY replacement copies. Also, for any asking about their renewals, I am still working on that. If your sub expired after 199, no worries. You will still receive the magazine. I have not purged the list/database. But don't take me for a fool, and not renew, and expect to receive free magazines. I will hunt you down and knock on your door!!!! This is just me being generous, and not wanting to have anyone miss their subs because they didn't get a renewal in time. Use your last issue or two from Golden Bell, and that had the expiration date/issue on the label. I will be going to an Issue # expiration, so that with my always late schedule, you won't be confused by the date expiration. YES, I'M LATE.... I pau for now...

Thanks, guys! I hope they keep their order for the mag at this level, hopefully it will continue to get bigger and bigger. Maybe one day I'll be able to get a salary, along with everyone else!!!! It's getting there though. You wouldn't believe the amount of trees that are being killed with all this work. I'm going to have to get rid of a hobby build bench and put in some more filing cabinets.....

Did anyone else get their copies in a poly bag? Or was it only the lucky guys overseas? (foreign). I have the digital versions available through Magzter.com and will be again trying to get to Zinio. I also found out some major problems/misteaks I did along the way. The new printer did a booboo, they sent the dealer copies in envelopes, and they got destroyed. We are fixing that. I will be in Denver next next week, and will fix everything else. Let me know on the poly bagging for US subscribers. My copy (here in paradise) had the label on the front cover, no bag. Slot Cars was sent with poly bagging, so there was a mix up. I am doing all the invoicing, billing, accounting, bookkeeping, forms, filings, taxes, and coffee runs, by myself, so I am still learning along the way I'm trying to get the renewal system set up. I also want to get it set up so I can have email notifications sent to those with email, so you can print and mail in a renewal, or just do the renewal online. I'm tyring to get this sorted out. I thought I had a setup, with a service, but all they did was take my money and not do anything, not happy. If anyone knows of a subscription service, let me know. What a blast this all is. I'm serious. I really like the business side of this, and I'm learning a ton. If it wasn't for Darryl backing me up, Harry doing those fantastic layouts, and a lot of you guys offering your help in one way or another, this mag could very likely have seen it's last issue last year. But, it won't It will go on for at least another 17 years.

Oh yea, update 2 I am using Magzter.com for the digital versions, but I am trying to get it into Zinio, which I really like, and use, a lot more. Magzter was easier to get into, but it's slow, pages load slow, and I'm not sure of their numbers. Still working on having them available from the site (MCM) directly, but we have to find a way to control them. We will have the back issues available through the site, the digital ones, that's easier to control, and that should be done soon. email me if you have comments, suggestions, concerns. I don't check the forum often, only when I get the notifications of people being bad, or small issues that pop up. k den

heh, I've won a few dollars with the lottery!!! I should have been more clear and asked for the info my brain wanted, instead of typing so fast. What I really needed, was to find out what/where Barnes & Noble stores have the magazine, that didn't have the mag before. We had a huge increase in the number of mags requested by the distributor, and I was curious to see what areas of the country that they got into, from the guys walking the ground, not the reports. The reports go by store numbers, and that's just too much work for me.... :-) Thanks everyone! Yes, I'm still late, still behind, and still getting caught up...

Heh, we learning still. All the input is what we need to make this better than ever before. Don't you read what I said before? Back is doing so much better :-) I know, I know, what a punk, not what you meant. Darryl and I, or Jairus, haven't decided which one loses yet, will have to go to Denver to pick up all the back issues, copies, files, thingees, and futnots (you know, those what not's you forgot about). If only the snow would stop.... Thanks, Christopher, I really do appreciate the support and kind words.

Thanks, Gary! It's support, and help like this that really makes me feel better. I can't tell you much I appreciate the effort. Mahalo nui loa!

Thanks, Guys. I making a list from the stores (not hobby shops, that's a different ball game) listed here, and the ones to try and see about getting into.

Thanks. This is for the "New" issue, with the "new" company, the November #199 issue YES, IT'S LATE....

Finishing it up now. With the big change at Model Cars, it put everything even further back. I'm real excited about the next issue, and we are getting a lot of positive comments all the time. Thanks! Gregg

I had a huge increase in the order for the newsstands, mostly Barnes & Noble. I wanted to enlist our band or bookworms, who visit this ancient and antiquated places (heh, no laugh Kelly and I still spend at least two hours there every time). I want to see a couple of things. When the mag gets there (it was shipped out they say already) What stores have them, maybe ones that you know that didn't carry it before And, any comments you may overhear there. Also, if your favorite B&N doesn't carry MCM, see if you can have them request it. That does work, and I know, salesmen.... Mahalo nui loa

Gary, once I get some breathing room, I'm going to put MCM up on Magzter.com. Slot Cars is there, but I wasn't able to put MCM up yet, due to the ownership issue (pardon da pun) I still want to get into/onto Zinio, that's what I use I think Skip and I talked a lot about that a long time ago. If I got name wrong, slap my head when you see me next time. Yes, now there will be a next time!

Danno, Danno, Danno.... dunno, Danno... :-)

Erik, that's the option I am looking at. We had something like this for Canada, I have to see if that's still in place. A whole new ball game has begun. Batter up! Tom, send me an email, we can share back war stories. Eight? Didn't know anyone had more than me.

Right now, I'm still going over the mailing costs for the international subs, plus, looking really hard into new distribution channels. Shaver, Harry has nothing to do with the control of the mags, he is doing the best, no, wait, better than the best he can with what he is given. It's not his kuleana yes, that's one of our words here. :-)

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year! It has been quite a year, and then some. A lot of things have happened. Some you are probably just hearing about from me now, others may have heard the rumors that have been floating around, but it’s time now to set things straight, and get this next year off to a great start. First off, yes, I had my seventh back surgery on November 12 of this year. It has so far been a success, I can walk without my trusty cane, I don’t have to wear that two-ton back brace, and I am getting back to a somewhat normal routine. I had lost my voice for a few weeks, and now I am finally getting it back. Everything so far is looking good, the docs took out two bad discs, replaced them with some $53K bionic new ones, fused more of the spine, and I am getting around a lot better than ever before. Yes, hopefully I’ll be at some shows coming up this year, and that’s either a good thing, or a bad one, depending on your version of the events… The big news is that Golden Bell Press is no longer publishing Model Cars Magazine. Larry Bell, of Golden Bell Press, made the decision to retire, and even though I would have loved to jump in and take everything over in Denver, that was not in the cards. I owe Larry a huge debt of gratitude for all he has done for me, and the magazine, for well over 16 years. I would not have been able to do this without his help, and I will always be indebted to him. I have learned so much from Larry, and hopefully everything he has taught me will help me carry on Model Cars for another 15 years, or more. I have formed an LLC (Limited Liability Company) here in Hawai’i to take over the management/ownership of the magazine, Model Cars Magazine, LLC, and I am working on getting all the kinks worked out of the subscription and dealer management systems now. I did get online payments set up through PayPal, but there is a glitch in that, and I will be redoing that soon. I will try and get the digital versions available through Magzter.com, but my goal would be to offer the digital versions directly through us, with no middleman, but that’s a problem that’s beyond my pay grade with respect to the digital rights management (DRM) that I have not been able to get ahead of yet. It’s a work-in-progress, I wish it was easier, but that’s just the way it is. Yes, the magazine is still late, we are mailing the November issue only now, and the December issue should be a couple weeks behind it. It will all get caught up, and the goal is that with the February/March contest issue, a double month, everything should be on at least the same month/print schedule. I have never been a fan of the four month advanced cover dates of other mags, and I would like to see the mag out about a week or two before the cover date. That's the goal. Please don't gripe and complain about this anymore. It's something I know everyone has been frustrated with for so long, but seriously, look at the alternative: QUIT? Would that make everyone happy? I don't think so. I have had to deal with "this" for a long time, and now the end of "problem" is now in sight. Model Cars Magazine is now being printed and mailed from a new printer in Denver, Publication Printers, and they are doing a great job of everything. Everyone will be happy to know that yes, now the magazine will be mailed in clear poly-bags, something that I know a lot of you have asked for for years! Why wasn’t it done before? Well, the machine to poly-bag them was about $125K, and we were only sending out about 25-30 replacement copies each issue for damaged copies at $3 a copy, and the math just didn’t add up. There will be some problems and issues that pop up, so please be patient. I am trying to get a vendor to help with the subscription/user/database, but haven’t had any luck so far. Good news is that we got a huge bump in the order for the newsstand sales, so hopefully you’ll see the mag in more and more stores soon. So what does this all mean? Well, it’s going to be a rocky road for a bit, but with the help of people like Darryl Gassaway, Jairus Watson, Harry Pristovnik, and others, we will get the mag to be bigger, and better, than ever before. I will be trying to get to Denver in a couple of months to gather up everything and either bring it all back here to Hawai’i, or set something up on the mainland for all the back issues, and other things related to the printed magazine. More news on this later. I hope to have back issues available sometime in March of 2016. A Hui Ho! till next time Gregg

Tamiya’s new Mazda MX-5 Roadster, #24342, $49 US Nice kit! Tamiya Mazda MX-5 Roadster Tamiya’s new Mazda MX-5 Roadster, #24342, $49US It’s about time we got a new and current kit from Tamiya! Their new Mazda MX-5 Roadster is great! The 1/24 scale kit is flawless, with both left- and right-hand drive options, and options for US, Japan, Europe, and British versions. The roadster body has no flaws whatsoever! Now is the time to order some of those great colors from ScaleFinishes and Gravity Colors. They both have our favorite Mazda Soul Red, so it’s your choice. The kit is basically curbside, with nice suspension details, and good under-engine detailing/engraving. The neat part of the kit is that there is a female driver figure, that you can position for either the right or left side driver’s seat, with different arms for either side. You also have to slide the seat forward to get her to fit the driver’s side pedals/steering wheel. A nice touch! So, how does it build? We painted it this weekend, and we will update the final shots soon. So far, PERFECT! Order yours today from your local hobby shop, or check out Tamiya’s site

I'm sorry, I usually don't like when images are put in posts, but this is funny, sorry I know, hippocrate :-)

Basically, it comes done to being a troll. If you want to raise stink on this, be my guest. I am so sick of these types of posts getting out of hand This is why all the problems start It has been nice and quiet for a while now. You seriously want that to change? Plus, the only reason why I showed up is that someone reported it. Not my kuleana I responded to a reported post/thread

Knock it off with the stupid images/photos/cartoons