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Decembers SAM magazine


Terrain Safe

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Anybody else bought this magazine in order to read the article about the Revell Bf109 1:32nd scale? I did and then looked at the index at the front to discover that Feature 1 : pp52-59 was what I was after.

Purchased mag, got home, and did my various chores before settling down with a cup of tea. Imagine my consternation on opening magazine tt the indicated pages to find a 8 page article about a Spitfire and Fw190 combo. Thinking that the index was wrong I then flicked through the mag to find no sign of the Gustav. Went back to page 52, and the aforesaid article began thus:" You were meant to be reading the editor's article on building the Revell 1:32nd scale Bf109G, However it was not finished in time for this issue, so.....". Totally gutted on wasting £4.50 and feel ripped off by the false advertising on the cover.

I post this partly for the cathartic effect but also to warn others. If you want to read lots of articles about spitfires then buy this mag but don't look for the article for the Gustav as it ain't there.

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Which is why I flick through every magazine before I buy it??

To be honest, I rarely buy magazines these days - however there was really something special about all those Scale Aircraft Modelling mags during the AW Hall era.

I managed to start collecting from late volume 6 to about 20 and have bought numerous earlier issues to fill up the gaps.

Not sure what's wrong with today's mags - or is it just that we are really spoiled now that we have plenty of info on the internet..

Cheers .. Dave

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I have purchased this magazine title from issue Number 1 and watch it mature and in the last 18 months start to fail in content and interest, I still buy it mainly to keep the run of magazines going.

But I would say that in the last 18 months the magazine has started to incorporate articles of non interest on a regular basis (scuttlebut lodge) not really needed as this type of information is available in the general aviation mags available.

The other thing that bugs me is the "arty tarty" type of layout being used in the articles.

This is my opinion and I am sure others have their own ideas.

The older magazines always had continuity and a flow about them, which is lacking in thismagazine now.

Derek

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I stopped buying SAM about two years ago. The articles became less and less interesting and it had become one long advert.

If I want inspiration (which is why I tended to buy it) I now look on here or similar sites. More inspiration and less adverts. Oh yes - and free! :)

Graham

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Whats the point of a magazine these days? Used to buy them all very regularly but these days they are mostly full of adds with poor uninteresting articles within when for no cost i can cruise the tinterweb and nail exactly the builds or articles i want that are done to an extremely high quality without ever leaving my armchair or spending more money... Obsolete i think....

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I stopped buying and subscribing to magazines years ago. As mentioned SAM was great in the Hall era, but that was before the Internet. What prompted me to stop subscribing to both SAM and SAMI was their obsession with featuring Spitfires and 109/190.

I'm sure I remember SAM featured a build of some well known pilots Spitfire from the Tamiya kit and then next month did the exact same article but built as some other pilots aircraft. All that differed was the side codes. What a waste.

So that and the growing influence of the net decided me. I don't regret it.

When editors start producing rubbish like others have mentioned, then I've no sympathy for them if (when?) the magazines ceases. It's a tough world now for the printed word. Editors cannot just expect people to buy their product based on tradition and nostalgia.

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. Editors cannot just expect people to buy their product based on tradition and nostalgia.

There is (still) a significantly large number of people who prefer the 'feel' and look of the physical magazine, which is why they contiinue to be produced...and sold.

As for content, it is said that "Fast Jets and WW2 sell issues"

This is true, up to a, point at least, but there is an undoubted bias towards those jets and WW2 subjects, along with armour.

Which means getting a good variety of well-written aritcles is a little harder than it could be.

And there is little excuse for the missing article.

Magazines should be planned two or three months in advance but still have room to change features if a build is taking longer than expected.

Its also worth pointing out that most features are not written by full time professional mag staff members but by people like those on BM; ordinary modellers.

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You might try emailing the editor to express your disappointment. Just dont mention BM though - although a member, he's not a big fan of us!!

Jonners :)

Hardly surprising that I think :banghead: the new breed of editor seem to think they're right and we are to be grateful for whatever they offer. There are exceptions Thankfully.

Generally a quick poll among my friends a while ago revealed that from 40+ per month for the guys we were down to about 6 the ladies dropped from 30 to about 20. In both groups similar articles repeated, product reviews that were simply advertisements (£50 winter motorcycle gloves that were not even rain shower resistant which didn't get mentioned), poor editing and proof reading were all mentioned.

I think there are a couple of ways to survive; reduce frequency of publication, co-ordinate material so if a new Spitfire model comes out there's a warts and all build with some detail shots and a historical article for any model of that type/mark, maybe use a website like this to gather information and publish it for a permanent record, BM Quarterly?? Then there's the Metro model make the magazine free and let advertising pay for it. There are free trade magazines that work on this model and, quite frankly, their content is about the same quality as many of the hobby magazines. I'll get my tin hat. :worms:

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The concept of a Metro-style free magazine is a non-starter, simply because there isn't enough advertising support to pay for it. Revenue from advertising is only just enough to support the commercial magazines. It wouldn't be nearly enough to support a free one. Also, there's no means of circulating a free magazine. It would have to be by subscription (so it wouldn't actually be free), and the numbers involved would be so small that it would be unsustainable. Bear in mind that the mainstream commercial model magazines struggle with circulations of less than 4,000 (sometimes way less than this figure).

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Just to throw in a note of caution re titles here;

there are, currently, five magazines available in the high street (that I'm aware of) -

Airfix Model World (the newest, published sice December 2010),

SAMI - Scale Aircraft Modelling International

Military Aircraft Modelling

Fine Scale Modelling, from the USA

and SAM.

which is not the same as SAMI...

I'm assuming from the thread title that is is SAM we're talking about?

Of those five titles, only two are not solely aimed at aircraft....

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There's also:

Tamiya Magazine

Military Illustrated Modeller

Air Modeller

and for military fans

Military Modelling

Scale Military Modeller

Model Military International

AFV Modeller

HTH
Andy

Edited by andym
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Although it happens less often in theswe electronic days, you still get situations where the cover has been sent to the designers then sent to print before the contents are finalised.

This is a good point, and would have left them with no choice other than to print what they did in place of the article. Well, there's another option, which would be to reprint the cover, but that could end up costing more than the magazine would earn. Not good.

As Dave said earlier, it's always worth flicking through the mag before buying it - you never know, you might see some other stuff that piques your interest :).

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Although it happens less often in theswe electronic days, you still get situations where the cover has been sent to the designers then sent to print before the contents are finalised.

Only if the publishers are idiots...

Spence

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The concept of a Metro-style free magazine is a non-starter, simply because there isn't enough advertising support to pay for it. Revenue from advertising is only just enough to support the commercial magazines. It wouldn't be nearly enough to support a free one. Also, there's no means of circulating a free magazine. It would have to be by subscription (so it wouldn't actually be free), and the numbers involved would be so small that it would be unsustainable. Bear in mind that the mainstream commercial model magazines struggle with circulations of less than 4,000 (sometimes way less than this figure).

Upon reflection I agree with your observation Kelsey. Circulation isn't an issue though. In the electrical trade the 'magazines' usually arrive with the XYZ Ltd delivery like any other item. It could be sent to model shops the same way.

Short and to the point Spence :thumbsup2:

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Whats the point of a magazine these days? Used to buy them all very regularly but these days they are mostly full of adds with poor uninteresting articles within when for no cost i can cruise the tinterweb and nail exactly the builds or articles i want that are done to an extremely high quality without ever leaving my armchair or spending more money... Obsolete i think....

At least I can read them by candlelight when the wind stops blowing and the power goes off.

Peter

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I still get SAM in fact i subscribe for Airmail copies here in Australia, it was SAM that got me back into modelling in 1980 and i have remained attached to it, yes i miss AWH etc however unlike most posters in this forum i do like the new editorial and layout my only criticisms are some of the articles are a little short on info, oh and i miss tailpiece badly ...but do read Mikes blog

Having spent most of my life in the media i can be very critical of any publication and you really are lucky you are not near me when i read a newspaper , however i do appreciate it is easy to criticise and its another to actually produce a quality magazine and i do love the stock its printed on , i for one would not want to be attempting to please all of us....good grief the thought makes me shudder

As i said i have SAM from issue one and will continue to get it

Just my two bobs worth !

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Personally Im waiting to see if Terrain Safe, the OP, gets a reply to his email from the editor. We've had, and I've said my bit on, the current mags' quality and qualities.

I think the reply, if its forthcoming, and what it says will be at the crux here.

Jonners, maintaining an open mind ( not hard when you've an empty head) :)

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Good evening all.

Had a reply.

Short one though.

"Please give me your address and I will send you the mag its in for free"

Which was nice and does ensure that I get what I hoped I will get. So thanks for that.

But it doesn't really apologise or answer why it went so wrong. For every person who will complain how many others moan and don't then buy your product again. I think the initial problem shows a poor attitude to the readership and a poor quality assurance within the magazine itself. I don't blame any one person, as I don't know how the magazine would work, so I can't snipe from the sidelines. I hope that, as our wonderful politicians often reply, "lessons will be learned".

Thank you.

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