01-28-2009, 11:03 PM
All of this discussion has finally turned on a thought in my tiny little brain.
Many years ago the modeling magazines were more "how to" about modeling, and the interest was more on selling subscriptions then it was on selling ads. Now the rolls have reversed. While you can't do one with out the other, the balance is being lost.
IMHO the magazines are in a quandary because if they do an article on building "trees" for a nickle, then the tree manufacturer gets upset and pulls their add. I can remember seeing many articles on building scenery, track, and painting backdrops that were geared more to using non-commercial items.
Now along comes this thing called the Internet and we are sharing ideas and techniques, and no longer need to go to these publications. The dealers have a web site and cut the ad from 4 pages to a line that says something like "Jumpin Johns Hobbies visit us at or web site" and then publish the address.
So, thinking about it from this angle, if they do an article about a commercially built layout and don't get paid for an ad, maybe the company will place an ad later. The magazines give lots of free ads with their reviews on items, though I tend to be more and more sceptical about published reviews when a lot of times the online version from actual consumers may vary greatly.
Frankly, I don't think I want to be in their shoes.
Charlie
Many years ago the modeling magazines were more "how to" about modeling, and the interest was more on selling subscriptions then it was on selling ads. Now the rolls have reversed. While you can't do one with out the other, the balance is being lost.
IMHO the magazines are in a quandary because if they do an article on building "trees" for a nickle, then the tree manufacturer gets upset and pulls their add. I can remember seeing many articles on building scenery, track, and painting backdrops that were geared more to using non-commercial items.
Now along comes this thing called the Internet and we are sharing ideas and techniques, and no longer need to go to these publications. The dealers have a web site and cut the ad from 4 pages to a line that says something like "Jumpin Johns Hobbies visit us at or web site" and then publish the address.
So, thinking about it from this angle, if they do an article about a commercially built layout and don't get paid for an ad, maybe the company will place an ad later. The magazines give lots of free ads with their reviews on items, though I tend to be more and more sceptical about published reviews when a lot of times the online version from actual consumers may vary greatly.
Frankly, I don't think I want to be in their shoes.
Charlie