Toy Soldier Collector Mag Price increase! (1 Viewer)

[kilted vampire]

Toy Soldier Collector Mag Price increase! This "rag" went up $5.00. From $9.50 to $14.50. This is an over 50% increase. I will not buy anymore. I say we boycott the little poops! I would use stronger language but I like it here. The mag has had a lot of problems and now I just will not spend my money on the fluff they call articles! Going to take that money and buy Del Prado WWII figures. Some are quite good BTW ! I am steaming mad! It was usually a fun read. Usually late with releases that TS&MF had already put out.But they lost a customer.

END OF RANT

 

[theBaron]

Sorry, KV, I'm not with you on this one, it wasn't enough of an increase for me to warrant cancelling my subscription. But I understand where you're coming from.

I just got my renewal notice from Toy Soldier and Model Figure, and their rates have gone up, too. Still not too bad, though.

 

[aujj65]

I've just picked up the latest issue yesterday while I was in the Tradition shop in London and it is priced at £4.50, I've never noticed the $ price on the front cover before - it isn't on the previous two issues. Seems to be rather a jump in price for you guys in the US.

Jeff

 

[UKReb]

Toy Soldier Collector Mag Price increase! This "rag" went up $5.00. From $9.50 to $14.50. This is an over 50% increase. I will not buy anymore. I say we boycott the little poops! I would use stronger language but I like it here. The mag has had a lot of problems and now I just will not spend my money on the fluff they call articles! Going to take that money and buy Del Prado WWII figures. Some are quite good BTW ! I am steaming mad! It was usually a fun read. Usually late with releases that TS&MF had already put out.But they lost a customer.

END OF RANT

Well I for one will miss locating all those wonderful spelling mistakes in every issue including the ones on the front cover.
Dont know if you Yanks got the same issue as we Brits but 3 issues ago the cover story was American Cival War-yeah! CIVAL. Just had to write a letter to the editor who was too red-faced to print it but did apologise in his next editorial.
Pure Amateurs who knew absolutely nothing about TS's or the hobby and proved it every month.
Reb

 

[Leadmen]

I did not renew my subscription. Leadmen

 

[damian]

Personally I find little use for magazines that basically review new releases, which I can see and read about on the internet. Most of the mags are advertising.

 

[4th Hussar]

Too bad the Toy Soldier Gazette and Toy Soldier Review both went belly up a few years ago. I have not found either of the Brit mags to be as good, just more expensive.

 

[Capitolron]

To be honest - with this forum and the internet which we can connect with every Toy Soldier Maker in the World - is there even a market left for this mag?

I mean - its nice to have a "hard copy" in your hands - (maybe I am old fashion ) - but, $15.00 bucks for a single issue - come on. You can buy a Military History book in Borders from the Top Sellers List for that.

I tell you this price thing is going to come crashing on these guys if they are not careful - the internet changed the information sharing of the world.

 

[damian]

Well especially as Andy dishes out the Collector for free.

 

[Warrior]

"Well especially as Andy dishes out the Collector for free."

Only in turn to be peddled on Ebay; imagine selling something that is free, unreal.

And to think I give those away to customers; man, what a fool, I gave away a fortune to my loyal customers ................

 

[steveo]

Well i received number 23 today in the post,not bad and i have to say its vastly improved since earlier efforts (plus I'm not looking for spelling mistakes)Theres a few good articles,but saying that take away the adverts,new releases,and show reports,(show reports bug me,hows about putting names/addresses/what people sell or stock, to the photos in the show reports?)what's left, not a lot?I wonder if they cut down on the above and improved the articles like the final word(which i kind of like) it may appeal to more collectors?The other thing which also appeals to me is the smaller makers showing their wares,especially if they haven't got an internet site?
Regarding the price £4.50-UK $14.50-USA $12.95 Canadian,seems to me a fair rate would be $9 or 10 dollars for the US market,seen as the exchange rate is roughly 2dollars to the pound?Most odd,alienating toy soldiers biggest market a quick way to loose vital customers

 

[tdubel]

I will jump in here, I think the prices of the mags are nuts, I can't bring myself to subscribe, so I buy single issues of TSMF.

As for the collector, I ended up with a bunch of dupes including brochures that I offered to trade or give away for free, guess what, no takers, I then for the heck of it put them on ebay and you guessed it, sold right away, go figure.

TD

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

It is a nice magazine, and I do pick up an issue once in a while if I see it at my local Barnes & Noble. With all of the information on the internet, and forums like this one I find most of the news in the magazines is out of date by the time it's published. Maybe they should try an online version that would be more up to date.

 

[maloyalo]

I haven't subscribed to any magazines for many years, and when I did I also felt there was not a lot in each, after adverts & such. The internet has basically filled the void for me. But there is a problem with the net, that you didn't have with mag collections. Entire sites go away without a warning and take all the data bases/photo's with them. It's pretty ephemeral really. But as far as meeting folks its great.

I have often though/wished there was a permanent database for Toy soldiers. Kind of a mix of Wikipedia (anyoner can submit) and internet archive, which now has official library status. I thought it would be a lot of fun to brouse if it was really detailed. Sort of an exhaustive internet museum to put it another way. It could be dedicated to toys, with just different sections.

 

[kilted vampire]

I will jump in here, I think the prices of the mags are nuts, I can't bring myself to subscribe, so I buy single issues of TSMF.

As for the collector, I ended up with a bunch of dupes including brochures that I offered to trade or give away for free, guess what, no takers, I then for the heck of it put them on ebay and you guessed it, sold right away, go figure.

TD

Tom I had to laugh at that! Thanks for the chuckles. I still enjoy TS&MF and whilst their prices went up nothing like the over 50% increase of the said amateurs! The price being high to begin with has more to do with the limited production runs. That I understand. I love to turn pages. Anyone ever curl up with a laptop? Don't think so!

Reb, one would think that they would use their spell check once in a while!

Cheers to you all!

 

[UKReb]

Reb, one would think that they would use their spell check once in a while!

Cheers to you all!

Exactly my point Vamp I asked the editor who his proof reader was? It was actually him himself
Before Guidelines took over the publication it was a snazzy little mag run by two keen TS collectors with some good contributors, some of those guys still write articles for the mag now.
But when they sold it and Miss Jeni Foster took over editorship Oh my! disaster followed disaster; one example pictures of Frontline figures with text stating they were Conte, I could go on. They eventually ditched her followed quickly by another and it was obvious to me -without the guidance for a couple of months from Mark Avery (Britains Club)- they were all non-collectors and in my book amateur non-starters.
.
Agree with all the comments here re Internet and the hobby. And although someone stated here that they dont look for spelling mistakes when they are on the front cover of Apr/May 2008 issue for the whole Collecting World to see and worse on a subject I know a little bit about- tells me whether or not I'm buying a professional magazine. It's not and I'm not buying. Amen!

Reb

 

[trooper]

I sympathise with our friends on the other side of the Pond, you certainly seem to be getting the rough end of the stick. I purchase several American magazines, America's Civil War, Civil War Times, North and South, and Wild West, and the price is generally about £5 which I think converts to about the same price as in the US. One of the problems seems to be that the magazines over here are part of a large conglomerate and the bean counters are constantly pushing for more profit but don't really understand the market they are serving. I agree with Steveo who said that the coverage of small companies who did little advertising and had no website was an advantage. When Jeni Foster edited TSC she tried to follow this theme, but ill health led to her replacement. Since then the magazine has given precedence to the companies who take out the most advertising to the extent that it is now known over here as the Britain's Gazette. It is only right and proper that Britains should recieve reviews but the policy of scattering comparisons throughout the remainder of other company's reviews is a bit over the top. For example in issue 21, a review of Askari Kidogo "very thin early Britains style bases", Bastion Models " a lot of detail, as with old Britains sets, being added with the brush", Glebe Miniatures "Peter's figures are very much in the old Britains style" Three examples in one issue. The problem is that this style of writing does lead to resentment and unfortunately a lot of it is directed at Britains themselves who are not to blame. But, that's life.

 

[Rob]

I must confess i too have let my subscription run out.Sad fact (for the publication company)is that by the time it comes out its so far behind with the news that its not really worth the cash.The thing i like most is the full page full colour K&C adverts!.Also as they have a table at the London shows if you want to just buy one issue you can always pick them up there.In this age of watching the pennies i think i'd rather put the dosh towards some figures to be honest.

Rob

 

[Harrytheheid]

To be honest - with this forum and the internet which we can connect with every Toy Soldier Maker in the World - is there even a market left for this mag?

I mean - its nice to have a "hard copy" in your hands - (maybe I am old fashion ) - but, $15.00 bucks for a single issue - come on. You can buy a Military History book in Borders from the Top Sellers List for that.

I tell you this price thing is going to come crashing on these guys if they are not careful - the internet changed the information sharing of the world.

I tell you this price thing is going to come crashing on these guys if they are not careful

Absolutely spot on Ron. I think the backlash began around 6 months ago and it's going to gather momentum.

Cheers
H

 

[Capitolron]

Harry

I believe you on that !

I also agree with Rob - that one of the big highlights of the mag was K&C full Page Ads - now I get the same ADS IN THE MAIL FROM K&C FOR FREE ! - another reason not to purchase that rag anymore.

Ron