CabDriver Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 https://scaleautomag.com/off-the-shelf/hobby-faq/2020/07/discontinuing-scale-auto-magazine
Snake45 Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Well THAT's a kick in the teeth. FineScale Modeler has IMHO been going downhill for years. No way I'll subscribe to it just for maybe one car article per issue.
CabDriver Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Yeah, that’s a real shame. I know we’re on the competition’s site here, and I apologize to Gregg and the mods if posting this here is inappropriate, but I was sad to hear this too. I’ll miss Ken Hamilton’s Tips and Tech column and Tim Boyd’s always-excellent articles in particular but all in all it’s a huge loss for the hobby I think. Very sad indeed
cobraman Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Really ? I just got a letter asking if I wanted to subscribe again.
cruz Posted July 15, 2020 Author Posted July 15, 2020 7 minutes ago, cobraman said: Really ? I just got a letter asking if I wanted to subscribe again. This was very sudden, surprised a lot of people.......
Rob Hall Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 The era of print is dead. Too bad it's not continuing in digital form...I've been subscribing to SA digitally for a few years now, guess my subscription will be replaced w/ FSM digitally.
CabDriver Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 5 minutes ago, Rob Hall said: The era of print is dead. Too bad it's not continuing in digital form...I've been subscribing to SA digitally for a few years now, guess my subscription will be replaced w/ FSM digitally. I just got an email to that effect about my print subscription - they’ll be sending me FSM instead.
ranma Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 I seen that on their facebook page. Last issue will be October, 2020. They will still have the web site for everything. Otherwise it is fine scale modelers now.
Ramfins59 Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Wowsers...!!!!!! If there was EVER a time for Model Cars Magazine to make its comeback......NOW WOULD BE THE TIME......!!!!!! For too long SA has been the only game in town for us. While I wasn't always thrilled, or overly interested in a lot of the articles and/or features in SA, at least it was something to look forward to getting in the mailbox every other month... With all of the shows and contests throughout the country being cancelled due to the Corona Virus epidemic, now we only have our workbenches, hobby rooms and fellow modelers to see us through these tough times... We've seen meager times in this hobby before and always managed to come through it. I'm sure we'll make it happen again. Note to Gregg: If there is any glimmer of hope... any infinitesimal chance of getting Model Cars Magazine up and running again...... You have my vote and support. Hopefully you can make it happen.
Goose1957 Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 This is sad news. I know "they" think print is dead, but I'll take a paper magazine in hand ANY day over having to read it off of a screen. This coming from a 5th generation printer. I've seen the decimation of the printing industry firsthand at the coming of the electronic age. When everybody's eyes go bad from staring into the light.... Ok, rant over. Jeff
JJ Deuce Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 not too surprised to get the email. I only recently started subscribing to the digital format, and imo, the content seemed a bit lighter than what i remembered. Oh well. I probably get more tips and new ideas here than i did in the mags anyway.
TonyK Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Yep, this sucks big time! Funny thing is I just started a subscription to Fine Scale Modeler. With more and more print magazines disappearing I decided I needed a little more to read so subscribed. I'm a big fan of reading magazines, not digital.
mikemodeler Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 24 minutes ago, Rob Hall said: The era of print is dead. For some, the obituary was written several years ago and yet people hold out hope that it isn't true and continue to send money. Our hobby will continue on via the internet with forums and Facebook and the like. Maybe I can sell my collection of Scale Auto Mags for big money now that they will be rare, just like I did with my Model Cars Magazines!
StevenGuthmiller Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Speaking of forums, does anyone know if the SA forum will go away as well? Steve
vincen47 Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) I just got the email too, and I am very disappointed. I really enjoy reading a tangible, printed magazine, and I look forward to it’s arrival in the mailbox. Digital resources for the hobby, like this forum, are wonderful and essential. However, the printed word is a key component that will be missed. I’ve been willing, and always will be, to spend the money to get a magazine in print. I’d be willing to spend more, if need be, but I understand if the costs would be unreasonable to sustain publication. Edited July 15, 2020 by vincen47
89AKurt Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Huh, some time ago I would have honestly lamented any print magazine going under. But I stopped getting Road & Track, then AutoWeek around the time the economy crashed. I used to get Fine Homebuilding, but they started to lose their original vision. It was nice to get contest annuals, but most of the time the majority of a magazine did not interest me. I've evolved in recent years, prefer the choice of what I look at online, and being able to pontificate and add my two dollars worth (inflation since two cents). Also storage space is limited, have a stash of magazines I never look at, so what's the problem again?
Rodent Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 13 minutes ago, Goose1957 said: When everybody's eyes go bad from staring into the light... There will still be large-type books?
Rob Hall Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 5 minutes ago, mikemodeler said: For some, the obituary was written several years ago and yet people hold out hope that it isn't true and continue to send money. Our hobby will continue on via the internet with forums and Facebook and the like. Maybe I can sell my collection of Scale Auto Mags for big money now that they will be rare, just like I did with my Model Cars Magazines! Heh-heh...I have 28 years of SA print mags, switched to digital in 2015.
mikemodeler Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 8 minutes ago, vincen47 said: I just got the email too, and I am very disappointed. I really enjoy reading a tangible, printed magazine, and I look forward to it’s arrival in the mailbox. Digital resources for the hobby, like this forum, are wonderful and essential. However, the printed word is a key component that will be missed. I’ve been willing, and always will be, to spend the money to get a magazine in print. I’d be willing to spend more, if need be, but I understand if the costs would be unreasonable to sustain publication. I share your sentiments but in reality, the magazines were old news when they arrived as a lot of the content could be seen online months in advance. Given the lead times, information in a magazine could be as little as two months old when it went to print. The how-to articles and build up of kits will still be available online, might have to search for them.
sfhess Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 It's time to look into "print-on-demand" publications like Model Car Builder and several others that are available.
Lownslow Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 Im not the least bit surprised it happened. They kept featuring the same builds show after show, ignored the younger lowriders and big wheel builders. Its also model builders fault for bringing the same builds show after show for years. MCM isnt far behind
Dave Van Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 ZERO model car magazines in print on a regular basis........1970's all over
Dave Van Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 1 hour ago, cobraman said: Really ? I just got a letter asking if I wanted to subscribe again. They took my $$$$ 7/13 and smiled......now this???? Overnight decision to close??? NOT!!! I hate it on many levels......
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 15, 2020 Posted July 15, 2020 I quit reading SA a long time back, as it got thinner and thinner, with less and less of interest to me...as with most all of the car and other hobby mags. Content is down across the board, writing quality continues to decline everywhere (as does reading comprehension), and most of the "experts" aren't. There's a lot more useful info published on this site every day than there usually is in a typical monthly issue of most magazines now...though there some notable exceptions...so why bother? Damm near anything anyone could want to know is available online anyway (if you're knowledgeable enough to sort through the BS and rebleated gibberish that is 90% of what's out there) so why continue to mess with paying authors, layout artists, printers, and mailing? I personally MISS quality print mags, but they've been few and far between for a long time now.
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