Wn

Wally

01/07/2005 11:48 AM

Myth busted with woodworking mags

Hi all,

I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...

It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
cheaper and cheaper.

Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag. Don't know
about the others.

What are your stories so we know which one to wait 'till the last
minute!

Wally


This topic has 17 replies

Aa

"Andy"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 8:57 AM

I haven't waited until the last minute, but here's a related
experience... I just changed my address on my Pop Woodworking sub, and
they sent me a letter to confirm my new address, and to offer a very
special deal - if I extend my subscription now by an additional year,
it's only $19.96! However, if you look on their website or Amazon, the
regular price is $19.96, and on their website, you get a year free with
your subscription at that price. Some special deal. Do your homework
- when I was looking for a woodworking magazine, a few had a year free
or some kind of special offer.

JP

"Jay Pique"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 12:23 PM

Try eBay. I got PopSci for something like 3 bucks a year for 3 years.
(I think.)
JP

BE

Brian Elfert

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

03/07/2005 6:38 PM

Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> writes:

> Same thing happens with Engineering Mags (EE Times, DesignFax, etc) The
>only way I got them stopped was to move. Then they started calling me at
>work -- at which point, if it doesn't take more than two minutes to answer
>their questions, I let them send whatever. Never read them, but it keeps
>them from bothering me for a year at a time.

I used to own an Internet business. We got up to a dozen free magazines
in a week. We had a guest chair and side table up front and the pile of
magazines got to be a foot high after a month.

We only asked for one of the magazines. The rest kept asking us to fill
out surveys to continue getting the magazines. We never filled them out
and kept getting them.

Brian Elfert

DH

Dave Hinz

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 9:36 PM

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 21:13:29 GMT, Doug Miller <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Wally <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...

> You just haven't waited long enough. See what you get when your subscription
> is one issue from expiring.
> WoodWorker's Journal *definitely* does that.

Right. Also, you haven't followed proper mythbusters' methodology, I
don't see _any_ mention of fire and/or explosions.

Bb

Bruce

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 4:14 PM

On Fri, 1 Jul 2005 09:57:54 -0600, Andy wrote
(in article <[email protected]>):

> I haven't waited until the last minute, but here's a related
> experience... I just changed my address on my Pop Woodworking sub, and
> they sent me a letter to confirm my new address, and to offer a very
> special deal - if I extend my subscription now by an additional year,
> it's only $19.96! However, if you look on their website or Amazon, the
> regular price is $19.96, and on their website, you get a year free with
> your subscription at that price. Some special deal. Do your homework
> - when I was looking for a woodworking magazine, a few had a year free
> or some kind of special offer.
>

I've had good luck with MagMall.com.
PWW is 14.99/year and they give you another $3 off if you order more than
$20.
They even do renewals.

Just a satisfied subscriber!
-Bruce

LG

"Lee Gordon"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 1:59 AM

<< I have had the same experience as you have with Workbench, Fine
Woodworking, Woodsmith, Shopnotes, This Old House, Fine Homebuilding, and
[completely unrelated to woodworking] Aviation Week.>>

I tend to forget exactly when my subscriptions start and end (the magazines
are counting on that) so when I started getting renewal notices for This Old
House in what seemed like less than a year from when I first subscribed, I
called the 800 number and asked the operator how long before my subscription
really ended. She kindly informed me that among the gobbledygook printed on
the address sticker, the last thing on the second line from the top shows
the date and year the subscription expires. This isn't necessarily the case
with all magazines but it is there for This Old House readers.
I just threw away an offer they sent me last month offering me two bonus
months if I subscribe now. My subscription runs through November '05. I'll
wait.

Lee


--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

LH

Lew Hodgett

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 3:47 AM

Wally wrote:
>I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>
>It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
>publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
>expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
>cheaper and cheaper.
>
>Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
>renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
>same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag. Don't know
>about the others.
>
>What are your stories so we know which one to wait 'till the last
>minute!


Let your subscription for a few months.

The mags I subscribe to will usually swten the pot to get you back.

Lew

sD

[email protected] (Doug Miller)

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 9:13 PM

In article <[email protected]>, Wally <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>
>It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
>publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
>expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
>cheaper and cheaper.
>
>Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
>renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
>same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag.

You just haven't waited long enough. See what you get when your subscription
is one issue from expiring.

> Don't know
>about the others.

WoodWorker's Journal *definitely* does that.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

MJ

Mark & Juanita

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 7:43 PM

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 11:48:40 -0400, Wally <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>
>It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
>publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
>expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
>cheaper and cheaper.
>
>Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
>renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
>same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag. Don't know
>about the others.
>
>What are your stories so we know which one to wait 'till the last
>minute!
>

I have had the same experience as you have with Workbench, Fine
Woodworking, Woodsmith, Shopnotes, This Old House, Fine Homebuilding, and
[completely unrelated to woodworking] Aviation Week.




+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

MJ

Mark & Juanita

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 8:24 PM

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 00:02:24 GMT, Robert Allison <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Wally wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>>
>> It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
>> publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
>> expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
>> cheaper and cheaper.
>>
>> Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
>> renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
>> same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag. Don't know
>> about the others.
>>
>> What are your stories so we know which one to wait 'till the last
>> minute!
>>
>> Wally
>>
>
>Huh.
>
>Here is another piece of info;
>
>Being a contractor, I have subscriptions to all kinds of trade
>magazines (Builder, Remodeler, Tools of the Trade, etc.)
>About 6 years ago, I decided I didn't want to fill out the
>dang renewal page for Builder since I never read it anyway. I
>began to get the notices of impending doom (You need to renew,
>This is your LAST issue, etc.) I just threw them away. I am
>still getting the damn things. So I stopped filling out all
>of them and I am still getting them all.

Same thing happens with Engineering Mags (EE Times, DesignFax, etc) The
only way I got them stopped was to move. Then they started calling me at
work -- at which point, if it doesn't take more than two minutes to answer
their questions, I let them send whatever. Never read them, but it keeps
them from bothering me for a year at a time.



+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

gn

"george"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 2:49 PM


"Andy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I haven't waited until the last minute, but here's a related
> experience... I just changed my address on my Pop Woodworking sub, and
> they sent me a letter to confirm my new address, and to offer a very
> special deal - if I extend my subscription now by an additional year,
> it's only $19.96! However, if you look on their website or Amazon, the
> regular price is $19.96, and on their website, you get a year free with
> your subscription at that price. Some special deal. Do your homework
> - when I was looking for a woodworking magazine, a few had a year free
> or some kind of special offer.
>

Plus, sometimes on www.techbargains.com there will be a magazine website
offering really
cheap subscriptions (like three photo magazines for a year for <$7). Wood
magazine has
been on there for really cheap prices in the past. Taunton's Fine
Woodworking has been there
too but not so cheap.

RA

Robert Allison

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 12:02 AM

Wally wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>
> It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
> publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
> expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
> cheaper and cheaper.
>
> Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
> renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
> same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag. Don't know
> about the others.
>
> What are your stories so we know which one to wait 'till the last
> minute!
>
> Wally
>

Huh.

Here is another piece of info;

Being a contractor, I have subscriptions to all kinds of trade
magazines (Builder, Remodeler, Tools of the Trade, etc.)
About 6 years ago, I decided I didn't want to fill out the
dang renewal page for Builder since I never read it anyway. I
began to get the notices of impending doom (You need to renew,
This is your LAST issue, etc.) I just threw them away. I am
still getting the damn things. So I stopped filling out all
of them and I am still getting them all.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

MJ

Mark & Juanita

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

01/07/2005 11:23 PM

On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 01:59:26 -0400, "Lee Gordon" <[email protected]>
wrote:

><< I have had the same experience as you have with Workbench, Fine
>Woodworking, Woodsmith, Shopnotes, This Old House, Fine Homebuilding, and
>[completely unrelated to woodworking] Aviation Week.>>
>
>I tend to forget exactly when my subscriptions start and end (the magazines
>are counting on that) so when I started getting renewal notices for This Old
>House in what seemed like less than a year from when I first subscribed, I
>called the 800 number and asked the operator how long before my subscription
>really ended. She kindly informed me that among the gobbledygook printed on
>the address sticker, the last thing on the second line from the top shows
>the date and year the subscription expires. This isn't necessarily the case
>with all magazines but it is there for This Old House readers.
>I just threw away an offer they sent me last month offering me two bonus
>months if I subscribe now. My subscription runs through November '05. I'll
>wait.
>

Seems like they start sending renewal notices about 6 months or more
before the subscription runs out. I usually wait until the month or so
before it expires.



>Lee



+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Pn

Prometheus

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 7:21 AM

On 1 Jul 2005 21:36:35 GMT, Dave Hinz <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 21:13:29 GMT, Doug Miller <[email protected]> wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>, Wally <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>Hi all,
>>>
>>>I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>
>> You just haven't waited long enough. See what you get when your subscription
>> is one issue from expiring.
>> WoodWorker's Journal *definitely* does that.
>
>Right. Also, you haven't followed proper mythbusters' methodology, I
>don't see _any_ mention of fire and/or explosions.

Those two nuts have got to have the best job on the planet. :)

Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 8:20 AM

"Rob V" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:znvxe.89684
> Most of the time you are better off getting a new subscription under say
> your wifes name.
> When my last mag ran out - my wife signed up online and get a free year
for
> about $2 more than the renewal subscription.

I usually let my subscription run out. Buy it off the rack for one or two
months and then buy a three year subscription again at the lower cost
introductory rate.


Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 8:19 AM

"Rob V" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:znvxe.89684
> Most of the time you are better off getting a new subscription under say
> your wifes name.
> When my last mag ran out - my wife signed up online and get a free year
for
> about $2 more than the renewal subscription.

I usually let my subscription run out. Buy it off the rack for one or two
months and then buy a three year subscription again at the lower cost
introductory rate.

RV

"Rob V"

in reply to Wally on 01/07/2005 11:48 AM

02/07/2005 12:02 PM

Most of the time you are better off getting a new subscription under say
your wifes name.
When my last mag ran out - my wife signed up online and get a free year for
about $2 more than the renewal subscription.

YMMV


"Wally" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to bust a common myth among woodworking magazines...
>
> It seems when a magazine subscription is about to expire, the
> publisher will send renewal notices. The first one is usually the most
> expensive and as you wait, second and third renewal notices get
> cheaper and cheaper.
>
> Well, I tried testing out this myth with Wood Magazine. I got 3
> renewal notices so far and kept them all. They're all at exactly the
> same price. At least this myth is busted with Wood Mag. Don't know
> about the others.
>
> What are your stories so we know which one to wait 'till the last
> minute!
>
> Wally
>


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