Features Whats the latest re The Rodders Journal?

I've received nothing from them since last summer, and supposedly have a two-year subscription that is good through mid 2027. Not sure if I should expect anything at this point.

 

@Ebbsspeed your two subscription should be good for eight issues

 

I definitely agree that communication has been horrible and I would have to think that the skeleton crew has to be overwhelmed. It’s going to be hard to recover but I’m optimistic that they will eventually be back up. I also think if they don’t get back into bulk distribution through Barnes and noble, Amazon, and local hot rod shops to get cash flow for continued operations it will be even harder. The problem with doing that is the negative publicity that comes from the poor business decision to offer lifetime subscriptions. How can they possibly know when lifetime subscribers have p***ed away and without that knowledge they will have unnecessary expenses to drag them down financially. Just my observations

 

Good point. Any Lifetime Subscriber who has died should let them know immediately.

 

I like to think of the lifetime subscription as cash advance to the magazine, and in turn they pay me back with an issue every so often.

 

Unfortunately I’ve only received one issue in two years. Doesn’t seem right does it??

 

Uncle Buck's input about new stand sales was addressed recently by Paul Grace in their New Zealand Hot Rod magazine column where Mr. Grace wrote that sales from a rack was iffy at best. He had statistics that showed that about 50% of the total put on a rack would sell. Some racks did well but some were zeroes.... and it wasnt predictable regarding where would do well since quan***ies sold changed monthly according to rack. His observation would be especially troublesome for TRJ given that it is a premium priced product. A 50% sell rate would require printing twice as many magazines as anticipated so with TRJ's probable cost of printing and binding of over $6 per copy PLUS the cost to compile the articles in the issue would almost equal the sales price. Sure, new stands dont require individual postage but the bulk issues must be sent to the news service and the service must make a profit. At a 50% sales rate, there is zero profit in news stand sales for the publisher in today's market. In the old days when Hot Rod Magazine printed a million copies (yes) a month, there was good margin in the business.... not today. Such is why print media has moved to internet distribution.... no printing, no binding, no packaging, no postage, no news stand returns. A million emails cost the same as one email. I personally hate online magazines but it is the wave of today.

 

Maybe closer to the mark, it might be that TRJ are hoping/wishing/***uming that all lifetime subscribers are actually dead unless proven otherwise via an email asking "Where is my stuff?"
This "lifetime subscription" debacle might just haunt them for many years to come.

Why would it be so hard to 'fess up and admit that the lifetime subscriptions were a mistake, and that continuing to honour them is just not possible. A major apology and let's move on. Hopefully the faithful would appreciate the honesty and stay on board. The quality of the product is reason enough to stay loyal..... as long as there is legitimate hope.

Then we would only have to worry about the capacity of TRJ to keep their head above water and supply the standard one or two year deals. In my opinion this is still a big unknown. I still think the lifetime subscription offer looked like an effort to keep the wolves from the door ten years ago. I do have my fingers crossed for them though.

 

It's not like the guy ain't trying! I'm sure he doesn't like the position he's in. When he does deliver it's worth the wait, there's NO publication like it. I'll be patient, as frustrating as it is!

 

How can a dead Lifetime Subscriber person call TRJ once they are dead? Heck, the living Lifetime Subscribers can't get a response from TRJ.

 

Lifetime subscriptions and Lifetime memberships are a viable method to raise quick cash for things like a move to a new facility or the purchase of equipment. As long as the number of Lifetime deals doesnt significantly dilute the number of those paying regular price, the Lifetime promotion works. However, there is a mathematical limit to Lifetime deals. The TRJ promotion probably equaled 5-6% of total circulation when it was offered. Such was manageable. However, nobody saw covid coming and the increase in printing prices PLUS the significant postage increases. Like most small businesses, you try to keep the volume up and the costs down.... unfortunately the volume decreased and the costs went up. While I would love to have rainbow pie and on time issues, I am thankful that the staff are still working hard to move the best journal in the history of the hobby.

 

I don't get it, or why this business model is tolerated.

TRJ started in 1995 as a "quarterly"...31 years @ 4 issues per year...issue #87 should have been produced in 2017.

TRJ is 9 years and 37 issues behind what subscribers have paid for. Folks should waiting for issue #124 in their mailbox.

And what happened to those thousands of dollars received for those 37 issues that were never produced?

TRJ appears to be "too far in the hole" to survive. JMHO.

 

37 issues behind. Yes, that's right. At this point, it's a joke. But the joke is on us, the subscribers.

 

OMG! Really? I didn't think of that. Or, maybe it was just a facetious throw-away?

 

@Hot Rod Ron, were you the only guy at the GNRS in the TRJ booth manning the counter? If so I talked to you at length about the great magazine and you also updated my Lifetime Subscription info to my new address. Thanks! I also want to thank TRJ for having Marty Strode and his latest project in their booth, was great to see it in person and not just the pictures here on the HAMB.

 

Being 9 years behind rules Covid out as the root cause of the problem. The beginning of the pandemic only 6 years ago certainly would have contributed, but obviously there were pre-existing problems.

It seems to me that production of The Rodder's Journal is not viable considering the quality of the physical product, and the lifestyle ***ociated with am***ing the content for each issue. Put simply, it needs to be quite a bit more expensive to purchase in order to cover it's own costs. This then brings in the problem of affordability to the target audience. A higher price will usually translate to a lower sales volume, which negates any benefit. Tough position for TRJ to be in.

 

You got it…

 

No, Geoff Miles and one other staffer were there. We took turns manning the booth so everyone could get a break when needed. Marty was a lot of fun to hang out with all weekend—a true craftsman.

 

Well after reading through this thread, unfortunately that's the only sale I'd consider, particularly as I'm in Austria. There was a mag shop in Vienna's Westbahnhof which had TRD on the shelf and whenever it popped up I got a copy, but from what you say the chances for this ever happening again are slim to non-existent

 

Only if you took it completely serious. I suspect most of us who bought Lifetime Subscriptions viewed it as more of a contribution, trying to keep a good thing alive. It wasn't money I needed to live on. If I got something (future issues) I'd be doing well. So far, it's not been great,but I'm doing okay as a ROI.

 

Not sure I agree. Marcy's crew @ Hop Up and their annuals have been incredible if you are into features about real people making real hot rods. $24.99 once a year and they deliver when they say they will and the product is totally traditional hot rod focused.

 

Here's the list I built in this thread about a month ago.
I have not gone through and cleared out anyone who has reported getting the issue.
I did this to try to help @Hot Rod Ron by providing a list to work from.

There seems to be another thread started each month on this. If a clear communication were posted, it might cut down on this.
The oldest, biggest one. This is where you are now.
https://jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/whats-the-latest-re-the-rodders-journal.1315073/
Others started this year.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rodders-journal.1348506/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-rodders-journal.1348130/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/trj-87.1344754/ (actually from 2025)
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rodders-journal-issue-87.1342214/

@Blue One from Alberta
@Tim from KCMO
@John Ladd from Burbank, CA
@chubod from Ont. Canada
@Outback from NE Vic, Oz
@woodiewagon46 from New York 1
@andydodge who posted all contact info here.
@English_Bob
@RockyMtnWay from Southern Alberta
@woodz from Aldergrove B.C.
@banjorear from Garden State
@Steve Reddy
@Irish Mike from SoCal./Pacific Ocean-The green room
@409 Bob from South City, CA
@acme30 from Australia
@IronFord from NoDak
@justabeater37 from Croton, Iowa
@willymakeit from Springfield Mo.
@neilswheels from England
@GZ from Detroit

@24riverview from Evansdale, Iowa
I have you now at the bottom of the list from one of those other threads.

 

Got my latest copy about a month ago. Awesome issue. (Lifetime subscription). Dropped them an email of thanks. Surprise, got an email response back! Sounds like they are finding their way out of the wilderness.

 

but they are currently not posting OS. & a local distributor had a whole lotta trouble getting communication from them when he was trying to buy the mag... lots of Aussie's would buy through him.

being behind on issues only effects those who were counting on quarterly issues from their lifetime subscription. not for anyone who has a subscription.
the lifetime subs were limited in number, I wonder how many lifies there are?

@Hot Rod Ron & @RodStRace thankyou

 

.................That doesn't even make sense.

 

This is a great start. Some of you have taken me up on my offer, and some have not. If you want help, see my previous post in this thread about what I need from you to help the office staff locate you in the system. The ones who PM'd me have found they had outdated addresses or emails, or were ready to renew. As mentioned, I don't retain your information once it is forwarded to the main staff. All I ask in return is that you PM me back once you get the email from the TRJ team, so I can mark you off my list. This list above is way more than who has PM me. I can't help you if you don't help me.

 

Just a quick note to affirm that Ron is doing his best to help folks connect with the main office and that he helped me get a response email confirming my subscription details and mailing address.
Thanks Ron.
Now I just need them to get the next batch of #87 mailed out.

It’s like trying to date that catholic girl in high school. Seems like lots of work over and over each and every time, but every kiss (etc) was well worth the work/wait. .
.

 

....Great ****ogy.

 

I too contacted Ron and got an email from Rodders Journal stating my subscription was good and in the next bulk mailing for issue 87 thanks Ron for your help