Hot Rods The State of The Rodder's Journal - a note from Steve Coonan

From TRJ website...

"It’s the quarterly magazine of record for diehard hot rod and custom car enthusiasts."

 

Over the years I have come to think of TRJ as part of my "garage family". Like my buddy with the 68 vette, my friend with the 9 second charger, my diesel truck guys, etc.
When any of them get jammed up I don't stop over and tell them how bad they F'd up (I could never be as hard on them as they are on themselves). What I do is pick up a tool and help them thrash untill things are fixed...
How many of us have done a late night thrash with friends to get a car ready for a race or show?
So, with this spirit in mind...
@TRJ I live close enough to your operation that I could give you my time for a day or two. You need an extra body to pick and box merch? Someone to answer emails or the phones for a day or two? Someone to sweep the floor?
You let me know.
Chappy

 

That's the spirit!

 

Just received my May 2021 issue of Motor Trend. Only 82 pages...16 full page ads, including covers 2 - 3 and 4! Print is struggling, to put it mildly. At least TRJ has interesting content...wish them well!

 

man.. hard to believe it was 26 years ago was when I saw the first issue and thought "12 bucks is to much for a magazine". I did eventually buy it and have a bunch of issues now.

 

Thanks for an honest response, no turning to the public relations spin doctors like the big corporations and politicians do...I join others in wishing you the best...we have all struggled with the Covid crisis, so not surprised it has hit you too. I am confident that you will get things back in order again.

 

Ditto.
I make a wicked pot of coffee, I'm a spell-check Nazi and I can lift kinda heavy things.
Just say the word.

 

I am happy today. The world is still a wonderful place..........................

 

Amen. Damn I love this place.

 

I can help keep the place free of mice.

 

I'll bring some ice cream!!
BTW, we never got to have that Ice Cream Reunion in Smithfield to honor the TRJ move to VA but the offer is still open.
Let's get the wheels back on it first; then let's talk about going places.

 

Best of luck Steve. I'm behind you.

 

Dang, Chappy! That's awesome! Best of luck Steve and TRJ's. We're pulling for you.

 

Sounds good to me. I'm not a subscriber but, it sure is exciting to see a new RJ on the shelf, then purchase it & have a little something to peruse after dinner.

 

People who do not own their own small businesses cannot possibly understand or appreciate the challenges, especially these days when supplier, subcontractor, labor and financial hurdles - to say nothing of pointless governmental intervention - make doing business in the traditional way almost impossible. Every small business in America has found themselves with altogether too many plates in the air. Some cope as best as they can, some simply throw up their hands in defeat and disappear.

It is good to see that most who have posted on this thread are willing to give Steve the support and encouragement he will continue to need as he struggles onward. The fight is never completely over and he will continue to encounter hurdles in his effort to get TRJ back on its feet.

Hopefully all who enjoy TRJ will hang in there with him.

 

@TRJ check your PM's

 

I'm behind you Steve, every time I receive a magazine it's like Christmas. I am a lifetime subscriber and I feel I have taken advantage of you and I don't worry about my investment.
I also am a Hot Rod Business, the worlds smallest one as we only have one product that comes out only once a year. And we have had COVID give us the Sh##s. and we have seen the other side of business with giving 'buddy' deals, not having correct credit card number and no contact phone number (silly us, we ship, then bill customers).
Keep up the great work, your magazine is the BEST!

 

Onward and Upward looking forward to #84 & # 85

 

I have two lifetime subscriptions, one for my Son. TRJ is Primo in my book. Steve is a Straight up guy, and very talented. I’m not going anywhere and I hope that this is just a bump in the road. We have to support all aspects of our hobbies, without support nothing will survive. Jmhopinion.



Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

Sorry...giving this guy high fives because he finally wrote an update does not sit right. Saying you dropped the ball in communicating is an understatement....you are a magazine in the business of communicating. Shame on you, there is no excuse with the easy of social media not to shot off update posts.

So Steve....I wanted my hundreds of dollars in merchandise I ordered last year...like yesterday not sometime in April. You knew you could not fulfill orders yet you still accepted money, what does that say about your character. You're getting no slack from me...you have not proven you're a stand up guy just someone at the moment who ripped me off.

 

Well this is how it should be done. OWN IT. Knowing full well I sound a bit of a poser by saying I knew they would, fuck it. I knew they would. None of this shit is easy, and while the dirty "P" word as mentioned above is verboten all knowledge of your social strata and product viability come into play. Information and market study is not political, it's fuckin smart.

Anyways, best of luck to all involved. I really love my few hours of hot rod nirvana when my TRJ shows up, and it comes back whenever I pull a back issue. Rootin for ya...

 

I've been a fan of TRJ for a good few years now. With great articles and outstanding photography, it's one of the best quality publications available anywhere, in my opinion. Big respect for owning up to your mistakes, but like the rest of us, you're only human, and forecasting the future can be pretty tricky, especially under the circumstances over the past year. I've always bought my copies from a distributer over here in the UK (American Auto Mags), as monthly shipping to me would be a little too expensive from the US. But as Graham wound the business down and retired last year, I've got to find another supplier over here. Best of luck getting things back on track, and I look forward to future issues.

 

So this is what Was posted on Saturday:
We will also be posting a version of this message through our email list early next week for those customers who aren't active on the HAMB, but at the moment we're trying to work out a technical issue with our mail server.

well we are certainly past ‘early next week’ aren’t we? No email appears to have been forthcoming has it?
Sorry but if you say you are going to do something, then do it!

 

You know that this "message" seems to be using the same blueprint of many of the current apologies we see fairly often from politicos to business people.

"I'm so sorry about..."
"I/we should have done..."
"I/we have let myself/ourselves down and it won't happen in the future"
"We will strive to do better going forward"
"Again I/we just want to..."

All that was missing was the welling up of the eyes!

 

Not to mention the "habit" of instant gratification that truly has afflicted near everyone. Printed matrial is not just a click away. And we're sure to get the old "Well it's about time!" and "Sure took ya long enough." as well. Faith. It's not just for church.

 

I have had three issues in the past that the USPS ruined , not the fault of TRJ.. They replaced all three for me after
a phone call...no questions asked , but sorry will get a replacement to you.. They will always have my business.. Yes as Ryan said that apology was sincere not some canned response as someone stated.. We all make a mistakes.. he owned up to the issues at hand and the lack of communication to the issues. Times are rough now, print media has taken it on the chin.. We need to support them, or they will be gone..