Tweet
Forum Readers-
As I've noted before, it's extremely "sad" to receive my Sports Collectors Digest each week. What was once filled with informative articles about the hobby and ads containing great game used equipment, is now a huge dissapointment-60 pages containing mostly ads from auction houses and an occasional article about some hobby issue that has little interest. When was the last time a decent piece of equipment was offered in an ad that anyone on the Forum added to their collection? Likewise, when was an article present that provided you with informative information about uniform or equipment collecting?
The following was posted on the Autographalert.com site, and sums up my feelings, as well as other collectors I have spoken with.
Breaking News: August 15, 2007 Sports Collectors Digest
Where Have You Gone?
Many in the hobby will tell you it wasn’t long ago that you needed an entire afternoon to read your copy of SCD.
Shocking is the June 8th issue of this magazine was reduced to a mere 60 pages. Cover price for the magazine remains at US $4.99 or $6.99 Canadian. With the recent reduction in size of at least half the magazine why not reduce the cover price to $2.95 US or even $1.95 or less?
Even more interesting or as some have said “insulting” is how a dedicated subscriber is treated by this publication. For your loyalty, you are treated with your next issue of SCD with a cover page warning in bold letters “Your Next Issue Is Your Last Issue!” You are given the opportunity to tear off the “Renewal Savings Card” and pay just $42.95 for the next year. They will even throw in a gift which the average collector care less about .........a free Hartland Vendor figurine. Who collects or wants this, wouldn’t any collector be more enticed to renew if offered a discounted rate?
Not sure we want to renew......$42.95 for only 60 pages just to read a lot of self promoting auction advertising!
More bad news, just been informed the next issue of SCD, June 15, 2007 was reduced to 54 pages.
Surprisingly, a letter arrives from T.S. O’Connell, editor of SCD. The letter starts: “Come back to Sports Collectors Digest for just $24.96 and get a Limited-Edition Collectible Figurine FREE!”
He continues: “It’s almost like getting SCD again at no charge. But this is your last chance to score with SCD.” Can you imagine the next scenario? O’Connell continues: “I had to fight tooth and nail with my publisher (he’s the guy who runs the business end of SCD) before I finally convinced him that you deserve this special reinstatement offer. I went to bat for you. And I won! You’ll come out a big winner, too, when you jump on this offer. And jump you must......So, I can only hold this last-chance, come-from-behind offer open to you for the next ten days. After that, it’s all over.”
Incredible, we’ve got neighbors for years who aren’t this kind. What a guy this O’Connell is! His P.S. states: “It comes to a measly 96 cents per issue....” We are starting to feel the pressure, a decision has to be made. We look over our last several issues of SCD and are disgusted with much of the content. What happened to some of the good “accurate” articles? What happened to the articles on autograph authentication written by someone who should be writing the articles on authentication?
Hum, 96 cents an issue. No, we’ll pass, price is still too high!
Wait, another letter arrives from T.S. O’Connell. This one reads in part: “The Plug has been pulled. Your subscription has gone blank.” He continues: “I just can’t bring myself to call you a former subscriber. So I’m going to do something I rarely do.” Wow, we are starting to feel very special! What a guy. O’Connell continues: “Yes, the very same 83% savings! And yes, I’ll also give you a FREE 8x10 photo of an old-school all-star...” An old school all-star, maybe I wished I’d taken the first offer on the Hartland figurine! One has to love O’Connell’s P.S. “This is the LAST TIME (heard that before) I will be able to offer you this exceptional one-year renewal offer...”
How can we resist? When do we start to take this guy serious as this is our SECOND last chance and the free gift is getting less attractive each time. We feel the pressure! Editor O’Connell ends this letter with a P.S. “This is the LAST TIME......instead of paying $4.99 for an issue at the newsstand (who has a newsstand) get it for just 83 cents...”
Eighty-three cents and issue, another little discount as his first last chance letter was quoting 96 cents an issue.
They must really miss us! After all, we have been long time subscribers and it’s starting to feel good getting all this personal attention, not to mention all the special gifts we are sure to treasure.
Didn’t realize SCD had a website. Let’s take a look. "Special Introductory Offer" to any stranger who happens to click on the website.....$27.98 for a years subscription. My goodness that’s only 53 cents an issue. Nearly half price of what a loyal subscriber gets offered. Now that’s a better deal maybe we’ll have a neighbor subscribe for us.
Better yet with the new subscription, maybe our gift will be, no new letters from O’Connell batting for us “tooth and nail.”
Still didn’t go for it...sure do miss those ridiculous articles on auction results....$500 for a signed photo of JFK or Marilyn Monroe and we paid $3,000 for ours elsewhere. Guess we don’t understand a bargain when we see one!http://www.autographalert.com/news.html
Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net
As I've noted before, it's extremely "sad" to receive my Sports Collectors Digest each week. What was once filled with informative articles about the hobby and ads containing great game used equipment, is now a huge dissapointment-60 pages containing mostly ads from auction houses and an occasional article about some hobby issue that has little interest. When was the last time a decent piece of equipment was offered in an ad that anyone on the Forum added to their collection? Likewise, when was an article present that provided you with informative information about uniform or equipment collecting?
The following was posted on the Autographalert.com site, and sums up my feelings, as well as other collectors I have spoken with.
Breaking News: August 15, 2007 Sports Collectors DigestWhere Have You Gone?
Many in the hobby will tell you it wasn’t long ago that you needed an entire afternoon to read your copy of SCD.
Shocking is the June 8th issue of this magazine was reduced to a mere 60 pages. Cover price for the magazine remains at US $4.99 or $6.99 Canadian. With the recent reduction in size of at least half the magazine why not reduce the cover price to $2.95 US or even $1.95 or less?
Even more interesting or as some have said “insulting” is how a dedicated subscriber is treated by this publication. For your loyalty, you are treated with your next issue of SCD with a cover page warning in bold letters “Your Next Issue Is Your Last Issue!” You are given the opportunity to tear off the “Renewal Savings Card” and pay just $42.95 for the next year. They will even throw in a gift which the average collector care less about .........a free Hartland Vendor figurine. Who collects or wants this, wouldn’t any collector be more enticed to renew if offered a discounted rate?
Not sure we want to renew......$42.95 for only 60 pages just to read a lot of self promoting auction advertising!
More bad news, just been informed the next issue of SCD, June 15, 2007 was reduced to 54 pages.
Surprisingly, a letter arrives from T.S. O’Connell, editor of SCD. The letter starts: “Come back to Sports Collectors Digest for just $24.96 and get a Limited-Edition Collectible Figurine FREE!”
He continues: “It’s almost like getting SCD again at no charge. But this is your last chance to score with SCD.” Can you imagine the next scenario? O’Connell continues: “I had to fight tooth and nail with my publisher (he’s the guy who runs the business end of SCD) before I finally convinced him that you deserve this special reinstatement offer. I went to bat for you. And I won! You’ll come out a big winner, too, when you jump on this offer. And jump you must......So, I can only hold this last-chance, come-from-behind offer open to you for the next ten days. After that, it’s all over.”
Incredible, we’ve got neighbors for years who aren’t this kind. What a guy this O’Connell is! His P.S. states: “It comes to a measly 96 cents per issue....” We are starting to feel the pressure, a decision has to be made. We look over our last several issues of SCD and are disgusted with much of the content. What happened to some of the good “accurate” articles? What happened to the articles on autograph authentication written by someone who should be writing the articles on authentication?
Hum, 96 cents an issue. No, we’ll pass, price is still too high!
Wait, another letter arrives from T.S. O’Connell. This one reads in part: “The Plug has been pulled. Your subscription has gone blank.” He continues: “I just can’t bring myself to call you a former subscriber. So I’m going to do something I rarely do.” Wow, we are starting to feel very special! What a guy. O’Connell continues: “Yes, the very same 83% savings! And yes, I’ll also give you a FREE 8x10 photo of an old-school all-star...” An old school all-star, maybe I wished I’d taken the first offer on the Hartland figurine! One has to love O’Connell’s P.S. “This is the LAST TIME (heard that before) I will be able to offer you this exceptional one-year renewal offer...”
How can we resist? When do we start to take this guy serious as this is our SECOND last chance and the free gift is getting less attractive each time. We feel the pressure! Editor O’Connell ends this letter with a P.S. “This is the LAST TIME......instead of paying $4.99 for an issue at the newsstand (who has a newsstand) get it for just 83 cents...”
Eighty-three cents and issue, another little discount as his first last chance letter was quoting 96 cents an issue.
They must really miss us! After all, we have been long time subscribers and it’s starting to feel good getting all this personal attention, not to mention all the special gifts we are sure to treasure.
Didn’t realize SCD had a website. Let’s take a look. "Special Introductory Offer" to any stranger who happens to click on the website.....$27.98 for a years subscription. My goodness that’s only 53 cents an issue. Nearly half price of what a loyal subscriber gets offered. Now that’s a better deal maybe we’ll have a neighbor subscribe for us.
Better yet with the new subscription, maybe our gift will be, no new letters from O’Connell batting for us “tooth and nail.”
Still didn’t go for it...sure do miss those ridiculous articles on auction results....$500 for a signed photo of JFK or Marilyn Monroe and we paid $3,000 for ours elsewhere. Guess we don’t understand a bargain when we see one!http://www.autographalert.com/news.html
Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net
Comment