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

Well , you’ve talked the talk. And I like most ,will give you the benefit of the doubt for the obvious unforeseen circumstances. Now we’ll wait for you to walk the walk . Good luck .

 

Steve, I have known you since your days in Wallingford, Connecticut, and I always felt that you are a stand up guy. You are, but you should have said something earlier so as not to have your loyal subscribers worried. We all had a tough year, maybe not as tough as yours, but keep plugging away and you will persevere.

 

Steve, thanks for filling us in. Running a business myself I can understand that things can go terribly wrong , more than one had ever imagined. But on those occasions I had good luck with spreading the news to whomever would listen and more than once chances were that a couple of brighter than me folks heard the news and had a good idea on how to get over those obstacles or just came over to help us out. Plus those networks will also help in the future.
What I´m saying is, please state exactly what it takes to get the TRJ back on track, be it just patience, helping hands for packing and shipping, answering emails, funds, legal support or infos about insurance issues... I bet the right person will read it and have a good idea .Maybe there´s even a chance to recoup some funds for the shredded copies, I don´t have a clue. All I can offer for now is this advice and patience. I´m just too far away to come and help packing, plus I can´t write worth a damn.
keeping my fingers crossed

 

Thanks for the update, I’ve been a subscriber since # 1, and you have many fans rooting for you. Hang in there!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks Steve. Like @drdave I look at your incomparable magazine more as an academic resource than a time- sensitive news piece. Makes no difference to me to get the issue 6 months late, hell there are still features in old issues I still haven’t read yet.

Best of luck moving forward!

 

Other than patience, how can we help?

 

Adapt, improvise, and overcome. And communicate. Thank you for the update.

 

Outstanding lets all get on with the cars and the folks behind the cars. With some as in my case its life.

 

Steve, as a lifetime subscriber I'm with you to the end, be it yours or mine. I've got every issue except #1 and #2 (anyone have those they would sell cheap)? Thankfuly, I haven't missed an issue yet during this time that USPS may or may not deliver what they're supposed to. And looking forward to the next, whenever it arrives. Thanks for communicating with us, although I personally don't feel like you owe me an explanation. I see what is happening with the rest of the world right now in many areas, and I can truly understand what you are dealing with. I hope TRJ makes it through all this bullshit, 'cause if you don't it's going to leave a HUGE void in my hot rodding world, and I suspect in many others' too. Thanks for making the best car mag EVER!

 

Life time subscriber trying to adjust to the New Normal. I'm an Old Guy it's Difficult. I keep tinkering on my old cars and things mechanical. Head down Hands in the Grease. Thanx Steve for that Long Over Due News. Good Luck you have my support. It will be a Great Day when the next Issue arrives for all.

 

The more I thought about this, the less I liked it.... and I don't like being a naysayer, but I don't feel that we have the real picture yet.

The last issue I received was #82; this was the Spring 2019 issue. It's now two years later, and by their own admission there's only been two more issues since, although I haven't seen either one of them. The blame for the problems with #83 are put off on Covid restrictions, yet this wasn't an issue until March 2020 at the earliest, or a year later. Now we're two years into this, and issue #84 is supposedly in the pipeline but has anybody received it? Two issues in two years, that's pretty poor for a magazine that claims to be a quarterly publication and is still offering subscriptions on that basis.

Now I understand that the loss of advertising revenue and non-subscription sales undoubtedly hurt badly, but continuing to sell merchandise and subscriptions and not delivering smells of desperation... and may creep over into fraud if they're not careful. I would think that with all the federal money being thrown around, applying for assistance would be a #1 priority but seeing how their problems pre-date Covid that may not be an option.

And for what it's worth, I do think that Steve Coonan is doing this as a labor of love, but I also hope that love doesn't color his judgement to the point that he destroys himself.

 

Hey Steve its Larry in Fed. Way here. I have #84. Makes me wonder if it wasn't your local delivery with the problem.

Oh BTW I was able to finally get my Torqueflite back from the shop after 17 weeks and in the car. I road tested it yesterday and all seems well .

 

As a Business owner myself, I really have to commend Steve for reaching out to all of us. Sometimes as a Business owner, when a lot of things come at you at once, (ie, the postal service, stores closing and numerous other things), You can get very disoriented and lose track of time. Now don't get me wrong, I can see the point of the customers not hearing earlier what was happening being irritated, you have to also realize that there are some things that are out of our hands.
My wife and I run a Business that sells perishable items among other things. When we send our perishable items out 3 day Express and our customers call and ask what is going on and where is our product, We checked the tracking #'s just to find out that all they say is "in transit", so you have no idea where your product is and if it will show up. We had one that the tracking # said that the product was on the other end of the state of Kentucky at 7:00pm yet the next morning it was delivered in Missouri at our customer at 6:30am the next day. We have since quit using the postal service because they will not guarantee when your package will arrive, and if it gets lost or stolen, it takes an act of congress to get a refund.
Now with Steve's operation, he must have 5x's the amount of headaches that we have. Sometimes the stress of life and business gets in our way and things slip through the cracks.
I hope that consumers out there can bear with small businesses as we fight our way through all of these obstacles that we face as Business owners

Larry

 

Maybe, but I haven't had any problems with anything else. When did you get it? And did you get #83? I've been buying smaller bits for my project car over the last month or two and most has come USPS, no problems. And I've been getting other magazines and catalogs all along....

 

Thank you Steve Coonan for the update. As a longtime subscriber I will continue to support TRJ. Wishing you the best of luck getting back on track in 2021.

 

I don't recall when it was that I did get it. Sorry and yes I have #83 also.
I have #1 through #84 but dropped my subscription before all the problems.
Just no place to keep them.

 

If you look at previous threads about when folks got their issues of TRJ, there are dates all over the place. Sometime it seems that your neighbor got their's weeks before you did. That being said, and realizing I am in a different part of the country from you (but also quite rural) I have gotten everything up through 84 more or less in the middle of the reported deliveries.

 

Good on you. I've got all issues including 83 and 84, eagearly awaiting # 85 and beyond

 

@Crazy Steve

the pre COVID timeline issues were touched on when he talked about moving across the country and bringing things stateside/ in house. That delay I feel like they had been pretty open/transparent about in 2019 as I remember thinking about it as I put in my first time subscription.

Your second question about issue 84, I received mine probably 3 days after I saw that it was available on social media. I was actually shocked at how fast it showed up and how well it was packaged etc considering how messed up mail had been at the time.


- to be totally transparent this isn’t me “taking a side” but just trying to answer questions you put forward. I’m waiting to see how this all plays out like everyone else

 

Thanks Steve for the stand up explenation. I'll be patient.

 

More reason to bring back operations to the USA.

 

Thanks, the update is much appreciated.

 

Thank you for the explanation, it means a lot to me. Rodders Journal is the absolute best Hot Rod publication ever. I have recieved my issues somewhat late but with all of the B.S. going on this is perfectly understandable and totally acceptable to me. As has already been asked, is there anything we can do to help you out? I hope that you will be able to continue and get back in the game soon, just know that I personally will support you as long as you are willing to continue on, Thanks again. G.....

 

Thanks Steve. A couple truisms I learned in 40 years of management:

1. Communicate early and communicate often.

2. Bad news never gets better with age.

For what it’s worth, I live in MD and got #83 and #84 on what seemed like a reasonable schedule, given the facemask pandemic.

 

At this point, thankfully, my “lifetime” subscription has paid for itself.

None of this sounds promising.


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

 

I think a lot of guys with subscriptions are not aware that they are paying for four issues. Not a year's worth of magazines (how ever many that might be). So if it takes a couple years to get all four issues, they aren't paying any extra.

I think the magazine is the best out there, and sure hope it remains in publication for many years to come. I can be patient.

 

Same with a Lifetime Subscription. "Have you always lived around here? So far."

 

x 2
thanks Steve
have met you at LARS
I have no's 83/84
and am looking forward to No85
Best of Luck
F ck the covid, I lost my job due to downturn in travel industry
at 72y/o now fully retired
Noel

 

Thanks Steve. You put out an amazing product! I will pray things improve for you.

 

Steve, bought my first subscription from you personally at CHRR and have been getting every issue since, by yearly subscribing from family and friends or myself. Missed out on the lifetime deal.
Still need to re-up for this year, and will look forward to when you are open again to take orders.
Count me as another supporter and wish you and the staff the best in staying alive, healthy and providing the best periodical out there. Keep communicating, fix the problems and move forward. It's all anyone can ask.