Magazine Subscriptions Support the Hobby?

[TonyHuntimer]

I was going through my mail and realized that my mailbox has been very lonely as of late. I let my Car Craft and Hot Rod magazine subscriptions lapse. I keep getting those notices about them running out, but have blocked them from attention...as parents tune out their screaming kids.
My mind is always working (my wife begs to differ) and I wonder how many other people have let their subscriptions lapse. If a lot of people were to let them lapse, would that adversely affect our hobby because magazine sales are down? I know direct sales of parts keep companies like Holley and Detroit Speed going, but if the magazines take a hit, wouldn't that be bad for the hobby because now the car guys don't know cool new parts exist or we don't get a little drive to spend time working on our passion for cars?

I'm going to take a few minutes and spend a few bucks supporting our hobby and a couple of magazines I've been missing. Heck! For the cost of going to the movies by myself and buying a bottle of water, I can get a year of Hot Rod magazine.

Have you let your subscriptions lapse? If so, which magazines? Is it an oversight or because the magazine sucks... or because $15 is more than you can afford in this miserable economic time?

Of course I still have Camaro Performers. My favorite.
:)

[69LT1Nova]

I'm giving Super Chevy another chance. I got sick and tired of the high dollar trailer queens in their rag a couple of years ago. Roumor has it they've improved...

FYI - I currently subscribe to Car Craft and Hot Rod as well.

[JEFFTATE]

I let Hot Rod and Super Chevy lapse.
They just didn't seem to have a lot of relative information for the styles of cars I was interested in.

I kept :
Camaro Performers ( the best for me ) , Chevy Hi-Performance ( Because of Kevin Mclelland's Tech section ) , and Popular HotRodding ( Because they feature pro-touring cars and some of our very own members )

[FULMNTE]

I got CarCraft, Chevy Hi-Performance and Hot Rod

[Motown 454]

GM High tech, last year I let it lapse, I don't really know why. I guess I decided not to punnish myself wishing for and reading about LSX engines sense I'm so far with my sbc and .6sp trans for my car.

[Rybar]

I just let PHR lapse, got sick of thier 1/4 mile drag cars they were doing. And the BS low budget builds. Plus as soon as Steve Rupp left that mag went downhill in my books.

[Damn True]

x2 on the departure of Rupp from PHR. I think I've bought two copies since.

I don't subscribe to any.

My thinking is this. If I subscribe, then the magazine is sold regardless of the content. Good issue or bad, content I like or not it gets checked off as "sold". If I buy them off the stand it only gets checked off as sold IF it has content I am interested in which inspires me to purchase it.

My intent is to in some small way influence the content by voting with my wallet on what is in each mag on a month to month basis.

[LateNight72]

wouldn't that be bad for the hobby because now the car guys don't know cool new parts exist or we don't get a little drive to spend time working on our passion for cars?
To be honest, I think magazine features/advertisements do not directly sell as much as they used to. Whats the first thing you do when you hear/read about a new trick part? Run to the internet and start browsing reviews and come to forums like this to see whats-what. The car hobby is huge, sure. But I don't think there are many people who (in the car hobby) don't have or use the internet.

That said, I have never had a car performance magazine. I did have Car & Driver, Road & Track, Autoweek, Motortrend, etc. when I was little, but that was more dreaming, and before the internet was what it is now.

The last car performance magazine I've bought was PHR and JP's II Much feature.

[BonzoHansen]

GM High tech, last year I let it lapse, I don't really know why. I guess I decided not to punnish myself wishing for and reading about LSX engines sense I'm so far with my sbc and .6sp trans for my car.

I let GMHT go because I found it quite redundant. Look what LS_ we can put a cam/exhaust/head/valve springs in next. If any mag were to do a real series on a retrofit you'd think they would, but I never saw any interesting articles. I let Car Craft go years ago because while I get bored with trailer queens I got equally bored of duct tape.

I keep Hemmings Muscle Machines because so many cars are out of the norm. Hot Rod will run out unless they offer me another 2 years & a free hat to re-up for $10. I've had Super Chevy since I was a kid and can't seem to cancel it. I still get PHR, CP & GMHP, they seem to hit my interests most.

Honestly, I am a sucker for 2 years for $12 and such. Makes for good 'office' reading.

[Rybar]

Makes for good 'office' reading.

I have an entire stack in my "office" as well lol

[TonyHuntimer]

I have an entire stack in my "office" as well lol

Me too!

I renewed Hot Rod and Car Craft about an hour ago. I'm thinking of giving my mom a gift subscription. :)

[796spdbu]

I am addicted to magizines.
It gives me something to read at lunch between coats of paint.

I subscribe to several different mags.

I subscribe to in no order. chevy high performance,car craft,hot rod,poplular hot rodding,street trucks,mini truckin, jp, sprt truck, the horse,street choppers,street rodder, hot boat. I used to subscribe to Truckin but it has going to the 24" wheeled junk.

I agree with a few of you on how super chevy went to crap with the mega dollar rides as did hot rod for a few years. PHR I have become to liking again since Liz Miles started the mustang project.
I like street rodder since jim rizo is editor.

I subscribe to several different rags for the sole purpose of keeping with up with the hobby. I work on,paint,build several styles of cars and trucks and recently bikes so I try to keep up as much as I can.

As for the internet, I try to frequent the sites as much as I can but it is hard to get on every night. I work a day job and then go to the shop im trying to start my shop out of. I dont even hardly watch tv except to watch the weather.

['70rs]

I always buy every issue of Camaro Performer and Chev Hi Perf. The others depend on content of that issue. I also always get mine at the local store. It's kind of a fun thing and have been doing that since I was a kid. Read a little of each one and buy the ones I need Like CP and CHP. I also get the engine building special issues every year just for fun and future ref.

[TonyHuntimer]

My thinking is this. If I subscribe, then the magazine is sold regardless of the content. Good issue or bad, content I like or not it gets checked off as "sold". If I buy them off the stand it only gets checked off as sold IF it has content I am interested in which inspires me to purchase it.

My intent is to in some small way influence the content by voting with my wallet on what is in each mag on a month to month basis.

True,

That's a good point.

You make your statment about the content (which they actually do hear) and I'll make my statement that I'm too busy or lazy to go to the store and waste my time and gas. :) We'll both do our own part in all this.

I get the magazines for a different purpose than most enthusiasts anyway. I like to see what the other titles are doing and not doing...that way Steve, Nick, and I can talk about other titles. :enguard: :) J/K

[Steve1968LS2]

I just let PHR lapse, got sick of thier 1/4 mile drag cars they were doing. And the BS low budget builds. Plus as soon as Steve Rupp left that mag went downhill in my books.

Aww shucks.. that's a nice thing to say. Thanks...

I will always try to include more "PT" content at any magazine I'm at.. and cars that actually get used. It's a shame I can only do Camaros now, but it's something :)

[class67]

Maybe one day if my car is featured, I will subscribe....Does that sound bitter...lol, j/k

Seriously, I just never spend the time or effort to subscribe. The only mags that interest me are Camaro performers, Chevy High Performance and Super Chevy.

[Derek69SS]

I let mine all run out... For a while, I was getting CHP, Car Craft, PHR, and Hot Rod.

CHP's content was terrible IMHO. Their "tech" was lame regurgitating of sponsors claims, and there was never anything that really caught my attention for feature rides.

Car Craft I liked the low-budget stuff, but once my budget started allowing for more high-end parts, I lost interest in the junkyard parts stories... I might be back to the junkyard parts later though. ;)

PHR I subscribed for Pro-Touring content... they just didn't satisfy that interest for me. They tried to be all things to everyone, instead of doing one thing really well. I wanted a PT mag, and I wanted to see cars that get driven hard. I get that here, I don't need a magazine for that.

Hot Rod lapsed as kind of an oversight. I really enjoyed the historical content and cool vintage stuff. I didn't intend to let that one lapse, but I got behind on it, and still have several issues I haven't read yet, as it is tough to read magazines with a toddler in the house.

For me, the internet has replaced the need for magazines, although I'd still love to get my car in one some day. ;)

[JV69z/28]

I used to get about 9 magazines a month. Now I get 4. Hot Rod and Car Craft because they are cheap and I've gotten them forever. Popular Hot Rodding for the pro-touring content and Super Chevy because there's just enough in it to keep me from canceling.

[Joey_H]

I let my subscriptions end, then invariably I'll get a letter with a super-good deal to re-subscribe.

[Rybar]

Aww shucks.. that's a nice thing to say. Thanks...

I will always try to include more "PT" content at any magazine I'm at.. and cars that actually get used. It's a shame I can only do Camaros now, but it's something :)

No problem Steve, it's the god honest truth. PHR was awesome when you were there. I loved reading about all the PT cars besides Camaros.

You and Nick are a great team. Nick did some things not alot of other mags would to feature my car.

So now I have a 3 year subscription to CP.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

i only subscribe to Camaro Performers... being that it has 2 of my favorite things..

Camaros..

and Protouring Camaros..


now if they threw in a couple of Streetfighters... im sololololod..

they did throw in the gulf camaro ,James Shipkas onelap, and of course Penny... word up!


and yea im with everyone else.. i let my HOT ROD lapse and my Super chevy and PHR.. and i feel like PHR is the worst of them.

oh well.

[cmraman]

I just let PHR lapse, got sick of thier 1/4 mile drag cars they were doing. And the BS low budget builds. Plus as soon as Steve Rupp left that mag went downhill in my books.

I wish you would give it another chance. I've been shooting many PT cars as of late. There's been a good mix of all types of cars lately. Brian Finch's Mustang will be featured soon. Look for it.

[ADaughen]

I used to get MM&FF and 5.0 but let them lapse. SIL was doing a fund raiser for school and those two happened to be on the list.

I'll pick up GRM on occasion if an article catches my eye. Their magazine isn't as steady as the others which is good and bad, it allows them more time to work on articles, but if you forget what month it is, you might miss out on a good read.


As far as loss of product advancement due to magazine sales, I've seen some ads in the magazines that aren't even on the web sites yet, which stinks. A piece of paper with a hint of awesome and a web site should require at least recognition of a part soon to be released online. As it is, I've completely forgot what I was looking for because the magazine is 2+ months old by the time they get to putting it online.