Popular Woodworking make over

Just got the third issue of the "new" Pop. Woodworking, not sure about the re-do. I'm willing to continue for awhile, but this month's issue is to me lifeless. An article about bench tallow, another bench article from Christopher Schwartz and a simple stool are just not "grabbing me".

I've had occasion to go back a couple of years and it seems that I get more out of those articles then the ones in the more recent issues.

What do you think?

MJ

Reply to
mjmwallace
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On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:25:40 -0700 (PDT), " snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote the following:

I think it's worth the $16 I paid for a 3 year scrip to it. Hell, the 20% coupons for HF are worth more than that every month.

I got my newest issue yesterday and haven't even opened it. I wanted to finish _March Upcountry_ before starting it. And the library had a sale today, so $3 got me 25 new books. I donated another $3 as I left since my canvas bag held twice as much as their supplied grocery bag.

Flipping through it, the Odate table, the Ruobo bench, George Walker's design articles, and _Roy_ make the issue work for me.

I can overlook the bird house and mitered half laps projects.

I've flipped through other mags in the past year and they've all gone to hell, MJ.

-- The most powerful factors in the world are clear ideas in the minds of energetic men of good will. -- J. Arthur Thomson

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I thought it was just me who felt that way! It seems to me that they are trying to become more like FWW.

I'm not trying to say there isn't a place for this type of magazine in the trade, but the content certainly isn't "Popular" woodworking.

Just my 2¢

Joe aka 10x

Reply to
10x

Yeah it kinda sucks.

Reply to
Leon

With the severe downturn in folks reading any printed papers magazines, I bet the publisher is under a great deal of pressure for the advertizers to increase readership. I would hate to be in thier shoes trying to turn this around. Most folks and more importantly the youger population use the internet only. Only time will tell if they sink or swim

Reply to
PB

If in fact that is the problem, it is a late stage of the game. Many years ago, certain magazines were owned and operated by folks who actually loved what they did and had an actual commitment to turning out a good product. Then a bunch of scumbag "magazine publishers" came in and bought up all the little guys. The quality of the magazines went down, way down.

The quality has been so low, for so many years, that many magazines have not been worth buying for many people. I used to buy magazines all the time and subscribed to many. Not so much, any more. The last few subscriptions have to magazines that went out of business or went to an electronic format that was content challenged and required the eyes of an eagle to read. And the ones that went out of business did NOT refund the money. They "substituted" a far inferior magazine that consists of puff pieces and huge amounts of advertising.

I was in a bookstore yesterday picking up a book. I looked at some magazines while I was there. Anything I would even consider cost at least $10. Some were more. I love magazines and would have more of them around if they were more affordable and had some actual content.

Another problem I encountered in the last year. My wife knew I liked magazines and said she would buy some magazine subscriptions for me (for my birthday) if I found some good prices. I looked on the web for some bargains and found a number of places that offered bargain prices. I ordered a bunch of subscriptions. Then the fun began.

I already told you about the ones going electronic (impossible to read). And the switch and bait with a far inferior product. Essentially using the reputation of a good magazine to substitute their crap. But it gets even better. I was told to wait for three months for the subscription tp start. Then the calls went on for awhile and they stopped answering my calls. And since it was so long, paypal would not do anything about it.

I don't know if their was a problem with the magazine or I just got ripped off. That definitely soured any desire for new subscriptions. I did subscribe to a magazine for work recently. They couldn't process my credit card. I sent them another card number. They couldn't process that one either. So I gave them a debit card number. That worked. I was looking at my statements to make sure I did not get ripped off again.

Ain't this magazine thing fun??

Reply to
Lee Michaels

"Lee Michaels" wrote in news:4c2b9a55$0$6105$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:

That's why I dropped a magazine I subscribed to for over 10 years. The magazine format's great for dropping in the laptop bag and taking on a trip, or reading during commercials.

To put it simply, though, I was bored. Their formula is the same basic stuff over and over again, and nothing interesting. How many how to articles (with no "why" sections) does it take to make a magazine?

*snip*

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

I have not looked at a Popular Woodworking in many years. Even today I'll be lucky to read Fine Woodworking, my favorite. I'm well over

50 and went "paperless" 12 years ago. Well maybe not, almost, the USA government still likes paper trails.
Reply to
Phisherman

I was in the grocery store the other day and noticed a copy on the magazine rack. Thanks to the discussion here I was curious and started thumbing through it. It looks to me like Christopher Schwartz has done a pretty decent job of integrating ads to 'Woodworking'. I never paid much attention to 'Popular Woodworking', but when 'Woodworking came out as a separate, ad free magazine I bought quite a few issues and enjoyed it.

I bought the 'Popular Woodworking' issue and did read it cover to cover. The Tallow story is the kind of thing that doesn't get covered elsewhere and I did enjoy it. I've see CS do the Roubo bench thing a time or two before, but he is a good writer and that can make up for some repetition. But then, Every magazine does the Bench at least once a year and they've All done the Latest Router Table thing to the point where I might scream out loud if I see another cover for one.

I'm not sure this issue would get me to subscribe, but I'll keep an eye on it. Their web site is interesting.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

Arthur Thomson

Hate those library sales. I usually spend $10 to $15 and have trouble carrying the results to the car.

I long ago ran out of space for bookshelves in this little house, so we're now donating some books to the VA (mostly, they like paperbacks) and Goodwill. Why is it that the day after you donate a book, you want to re-read something in it?

Reply to
Charlie Self

Not the mag's so much as age, experience, and the Internet.

When we were young, inexperienced, and there was no Internet, almost everything you read in a woodworking magazine, even the most basic, stood a good chance of being new and interesting.

In the age of information overload, dotage, and your third router table, just how many more magazine, "super duper router table", plans can you find "new and interesting"?

Reply to
Swingman

On Sat, 3 Jul 2010 01:27:04 -0700 (PDT), Charlie Self wrote the following:

I had to walk a long block and a half because the large city of Rogue River was having its rooster crow-off that morning and the parade was traipsing through town at the same time. Traffic was gawdawful.

I'm out of shelving and have 100+ to go to eBay...if I can find the right sucker to list them all for me in return for half the profits.

Yeah, good question, Charlie.

-- The most powerful factors in the world are clear ideas in the minds of energetic men of good will. -- J. Arthur Thomson

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Sometimes selling them on Amazon is a better choice. When I retired I unloaded all my technical books on Amazon and got a decent return. We have Powell's here in Portland and they do buy used, but they are getting more and more picky as the yaers go by. When I was selling my stuff on Amazon I was undercutting Powells and netting a lot more than they would have paid.

Now I mostly donate to our Library Booster's store. Unfortunately I tend to buy almost as many books from them as I take in. They sell paperbacks for $0.50 and hardbound for $1.00, except for high value books.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

On Sat, 3 Jul 2010 14:55:33 -0700, "Lobby Dosser" wrote the following:

The last time I looked into selling them on the Amazone, I think they wanted 45%. I looked no further. Did I misread their docs?

Yeah, I have trouble in those, too. ;)

Well, my TO READ is down to 4 stacks about a cubit high now, from _The Way of the Tiger_ to _Gun Digest's Tactical Firearm Assy/Disassy Manual_ to _What Plant Where_ and _The Wild Lawn Handbook_, not to mention about a foot of magazine back issues.

-- The most powerful factors in the world are clear ideas in the minds of energetic men of good will. -- J. Arthur Thomson

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I haven't looked for years. It wasn't that much last time I sold anything.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

IIRC, Amazon charges about $1 + 15% (of the price), but you get $4 for shipping, and you usually come out ahead on that part. By the time you factor in your time: printing a label, packing, going to the post office, its hard to justify the effort for an item that sells for less than $15 or so.

Here is a little tip: list all of the items you want to sell all at one time, with good prices, and you may be able to print labels, pack and ship items 2 or 3 at a time. I've had plenty of items sell in one or two days (when I sell, I price things to move).

Bill

Reply to
Bill

I did that with my stuff. There were times I was using a laundry bag to carry the packages to the PO.

One thing I noticed was people using some sort of 'sniping' software to drop their price when they were under cut. This seems to be how some used prices drop to a penny. Couple of sale bots light into each other and pretty soon you've got a deal. Doesn't seem to happen with books that are genuinely rare.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

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