New Magazine

lauckstreet said:
The magazine will be totally free always. It will be made available on my website in PDF format but also any other website that wishes to provide it such as this forum, any other forum or any other website. The whole point of the magazine is to get useful information on model shipbuilding out to everyone interested in the hobby, especially new modelers who are thinking of getting into the hobby. It will provide a means of free advertising for small businesses and large businesses. That’s why I can’t understand why no one seems to want to advertise in or or help out with articles such as kit reviews, build experiences, tool reviews, new products, etc.

Am I missing something here? Because the MSB Journal was a free magazine and there were always contributors to that magazine and advertisements in it. Winston Scoville published that magazine for free for many, many years but he’s no longer able to do so due to serious health reasons. I have his blessing on this new magazine and I was a contributor to his magazine and an advertiser. Yet none of the other contributors to his magazine have stepped forward and offered to continue the tradition. What’s even more disconcerting to me is why no businesses have stepped forward and asked me to provide ad space in my magazine. So what’s the deal here? Do I have bad breath? Do I have cooties? I’ve only been building model ships for over 35 years and owned and run a successful business for over 21 years - a business dedicated to helping new modelers learn the art of model shipbuilding.

Seriously! I’ve always viewed this forum as THE forum to be a part of if you’re into model shipbuilding. I’ve received 25 new subscribers to my newsletter which I send out once per month offering a new discount code for holidays or other special occasions. All of those 25 new subscribers are members in this forum. What do I have to do to convince some of you to back this new magazine by contributing content and advertising? The content can be anything to do with model shipbuilding whether is’s wooden, plastic, even paper. You don’t have to be a professional writer; I’ll edit and polish any articles submitted. They can be in Microsoft Word format or Pages format for those who own a Mac computer. They can be a plain text file. Images for advertising can be JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, most any image format will work for me. And you can easily reach me on my website contact page, https://www.lauckstreetshipyard.com/contact

Bob
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I would love to read your newsletter, Bob, but the tone of your comments discourage me - they resemble exactly the tone of the earlier LSS comments and doings, so, as nothing has changed there, nothing will change here either. Please count me as a minus 1 among your subscribers.
János
 
I'm new to this forum, and although I've been trying to build the Endeavour for years, work got in the way. Even after retirement I still have little time.
I'm sad to read your assessments of the hobby, as I'm trying to learn how to improve my skills as well as be historical. Can I say that the input you, and many like you, share has been an inspiration.
I need all the help you can give me. A new magazine, for people like me would be a godsend, you may have seen it all before, but I haven't.
My aim, if I last that long, is to learn on the Endeavour and a couple of other models I have and then try something from scratch. As I spent the last 25 years of my working life in Whitehaven, Cumbria, in the UK, I've a notion to build a model of a ship built there. The Vicar of Bray is in my sights. I wonder if there is enough out there to even get a vague idea of what it looked like, and what's left of it is rotting in Falkland waters, but it's the trying that attracts me. You imput, past and in the future, is what I need.
I'm sure there are others out there that need you all to.
If you want to produce a new magazine Bob, go ahead. Here is one who would lap it up, and if one day I learn enough to say something, be assured, I will.
John
 
I made such a magazine in Russia. 11 issues in 4 years.
Conclusions:
1. You should only count on yourself.
2. The popularization of ship modeling is very doubtful. A drop in the ocean.
3. Very difficult, long, expensive.
4. The time of the magazines is in the past. Forums, blogs, social networks with live communication, do a better job of popularization.

Ps. But you still have to do it
 
I appreciate the comments, but I am not changing my mind. You see, I depend on the income that my now dead business makes. Without it my wife and I are up a tree without a ladder. I am now seeking outside public employment. I just can’t take the chance of pouring time and energy into a magazine that has little hope of bringing in new orders. Just yesterday I sent out a newsletter giving a coupon code for 25% off all products. Over 1200 individual subscribers received that newsletter. Only 554 actually viewed it and out those, only 88 individuals actually clicked on the link to view the products I offer. No one placed an order, NO ONE. Not only is that discouraging, it’s telling me that this hobby is dead. My sales are down over $5000 year to date. I’ve never been down in any previous year. My business has always maintained a pretty steady income. On top of that, I’ve had to stop accepting orders outside the US and Canada because European countries now require that VAT be collected. I have no way of collecting VAT on foreign orders. My website hosting company (GoDaddy) does not provide such a service. On top of that, the cost of shipping to Europe is now outrageous. I normally charged $20.00 in shipping of CD’s to Europe. Now the cost to do so is anywhere from $50.00 or more depending on the country. My hosting company doesn’t provide a way to set up different shipping rates to different countries and besides, what customer is going to pay those kind of charges for a CD to be shipped to them (and don’t forget the VAT (value added tax which is basically a tariff).

So when I see that kind of solid statistic and I practically beg for help from a forum as large as this one to help me out with articles and ads but not a single person comes forward to help me, I’m convinced that this magazine is not the route to go to keep my business afloat. I must therefore seek employment in the private sector. It’s as simple as that.

The consequences of going flat broke will mean that my wife and I and our 5 year old blind dog will have to sell our house and try to live off of the proceeds for the rest of our lives. Considering that we have a 3.25% mortgage loan, buying a new house from the proceeds will not be an option due to such high interest rates, and renting a home these days is more expensive than our current mortgage payment. No matter how we look at this, our only conclusion is that we’re screwed.

I’m soon to be 77 years old and my wife is 76. She can’t work because she must stay home and tend to the house, the yard and the dog (taking care of a blind dog is not like taking care of a seeing dog) so that leaves me to the task of finding a new job. I have a bad knee due to arthritis so that presents problems in itself at my age. We do what we must do to survive, but I’m running out of answers and solutions.

Bob Hunt
 
lauckstreet said:
I appreciate the comments, but I am not changing my mind. You see, I depend on the income that my now dead business makes. Without it my wife and I are up a tree without a ladder. I am now seeking outside public employment. I just can’t take the chance of pouring time and energy into a magazine that has little hope of bringing in new orders. Just yesterday I sent out a newsletter giving a coupon code for 25% off all products. Over 1200 individual subscribers received that newsletter. Only 554 actually viewed it and out those, only 88 individuals actually clicked on the link to view the products I offer. No one placed an order, NO ONE. Not only is that discouraging, it’s telling me that this hobby is dead. My sales are down over $5000 year to date. I’ve never been down in any previous year. My business has always maintained a pretty steady income. On top of that, I’ve had to stop accepting orders outside the US and Canada because European countries now require that VAT be collected. I have no way of collecting VAT on foreign orders. My website hosting company (GoDaddy) does not provide such a service. On top of that, the cost of shipping to Europe is now outrageous. I normally charged $20.00 in shipping of CD’s to Europe. Now the cost to do so is anywhere from $50.00 or more depending on the country. My hosting company doesn’t provide a way to set up different shipping rates to different countries and besides, what customer is going to pay those kind of charges for a CD to be shipped to them (and don’t forget the VAT (value added tax which is basically a tariff).

So when I see that kind of solid statistic and I practically beg for help from a forum as large as this one to help me out with articles and ads but not a single person comes forward to help me, I’m convinced that this magazine is not the route to go to keep my business afloat. I must therefore seek employment in the private sector. It’s as simple as that.

The consequences of going flat broke will mean that my wife and I and our 5 year old blind dog will have to sell our house and try to live off of the proceeds for the rest of our lives. Considering that we have a 3.25% mortgage loan, buying a new house from the proceeds will not be an option due to such high interest rates, and renting a home these days is more expensive than our current mortgage payment. No matter how we look at this, our only conclusion is that we’re screwed.

I’m soon to be 77 years old and my wife is 76. She can’t work because she must stay home and tend to the house, the yard and the dog (taking care of a blind dog is not like taking care of a seeing dog) so that leaves me to the task of finding a new job. I have a bad knee due to arthritis so that presents problems in itself at my age. We do what we must do to survive, but I’m running out of answers and solutions.

Bob Hunt
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Greetings, Robert.

At first, when I saw your initial post (the very first one), I said 'WOW' great initiative! What a great idea! Now, after all this nonsense with other sites and forums, you are taking a step back! Sorry, but I am not sure how this is related to your business makes, it was your idea to begin with. You already announced the first issue...

Anyway, as you can see, there are many more supporters of your idea.
 
Earlier, I posted my comment with some hesitation or reservation... which was confirmed by your last post.
Publishing a magazine, a newsletter, requires a vison.
Financial desperation does not fit that essential element.
G.
 
i truly would have supported the magazine and actually dug through my research library to find something to write about.
my positing are a smack in the face, a reality check. It is great to encourage someone to push forward with an idea but the other side of the coin to encourage someone down a garden path full of pitfalls is not helping. To fill a magazine month after month full of articles is a massive amount of work that would need a staff of writers and editors, researchers and a whole lot of time etc. i am a realist and NOT going to say ya jump off the edge take that leap of faith. I would rather say stop and take a deep look into it

Bob what we experienced years ago what this hobby was is indeed dead. It is just not you, that is why i am down sizing mostly due to extremely high cost of shipping like you i can no longer ship out of the US cost are way out of reason.
the art of ship modeling like the work of Harold Hahn is not dead but dwindled down to a tiny group within the hobby. Look at scratch builder vs kit builders.
 
janos said:
I would love to read your newsletter, Bob, but the tone of your comments discourage me - they resemble exactly the tone of the earlier LSS comments and doings, so, as nothing has changed there, nothing will change here either. Please count me as a minus 1 among your subscribers.
János
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another slap of reality sounds more like you trying to find a way to generate a personal income which is fine i see no problem with that. but it is borderline desperation and this hobby is not big enough for a mom and pop operation. To generate an income would require a big investment to produce services and products on a large scale.
Bottom like here is a need for exposure and you would need 100% of the hobby both major forums encouraging, supporting and promoting the magazine and i will tell you up front you are not going to get that you may even find resistance.
your best bet is to become active here on SoS by posting "tips by Bob" or reviews or something to keep you in the lime light. make a deal with SoS and create a library of information like John Koff did years ago on the old yahoo forum or ships of scale i don't remember. now if you have a dynamic ever-changing library of data i for one would subscribe if it were a reasonable fee. Have a chat with Winston to build up his site to add a library with a small membership fee.
 
Wow, I started reading this thread thinking it would be about a new magazine, but it turned out to be so much more. I would like to comment on a few points:

1)Bob, I understand your financial situation and you have to do what you have to do to support your family. Honestly, a hobby magazine should be started out of passion, not out of financial need. Financially, it is a terrible idea and you don't have the years to build it up, you need income now. I think your decision to seek outside income is the most responsible thing to do. I wish you luck.

2)As a young newbie (6o yrs old), there is a ton of information out there for me. You old timers may think it is stale and there is nothing to write about, but for a new to the hobby guy like me, it's all new and very well done. Remember, even though I am new, I am working on model kits designed and first produced 25 to 30 years ago. In the dry dock, I have a Panart Amerigo Vespucci (1980's), a Panart San Felipe (1990's), and a Caldercraft Victory. These alone will take me 5 or so years to build and there is a treasure trove of information both written and video. You guys have done a wonderful job of providing instruction, guidance and motivation to guys like me.

3)I fully support trying to keep the hobby healthy and alive..but honestly, part of the reason I got into it is that it is small, unique and different. People see my workshop now and are always impressed and say that they didn't know a person could build such models. I hope the hobby stays strong and grows, but I don't think it will ever be mainstream to the point that a lot of people can make a living within the niche.

4) I love this forum and I will support anyone or company that supports the hobby. None of my other friends or family understands why I get excited looking at pictures of someone's build or the intensity that I study and document the differences in rope from various sources.....only you guys here would understand.

Anyways, I went a long way around just to say, don't be too hard on each other or so down on the hobby. The goal is not to be the biggest, but the best, enjoyable hobby. As a relative new guy who doesn't know much, I find it exciting and rich in information, community and support.
 
my time in this hobby goes back to the mid 1960s and the golden years were the late 1970s through the 1980s that is when the hobby was flooded with articles and information and still continues to this day. So there is a mountain of information available spanning 50 some years. In the old days "BC" before computers old magazines were lost and gone now they have been digitized and preserved and available from sources on line. These days what is being added are the high tech approach to the hobby computer drafting and 3d modeling lasers and CNC. What is still lacking is historical research and how these wooden ship were built. Lacking in the hobby, but the information is in archives but hard to get and expensive. Lack of historical data is not a prime part of all this, it is a hobby/craft/art form and that drives the hobby forward.
 
your best bet is to become active here on SoS by posting "tips by Bob" or reviews or something to keep you in the lime light.

oh my i am responding to myself is that like talking to yourself? anyhow bob you have to get active here in a public forum of almost 19,000 members and growing everyday. you have 301 posts i have 5,435 others way more than that. Become active, we both have web sites devoted to the hobby but that is not being part of the community.
 
BOB I WAS THE FIRST TO JUMP ON BOARD NOW I AM PISSED AT YOU WHY START THE WONDERFUL IDEA WHAT HAS CHANGED IF YOU WAQNTED A PRICE THAT WAS RESONABLER SHOULD HAVE SAID SO IF READY ARTICLES FOR DEC. WHY NOT IS IT GOING TO HURT MAYBE SOMEONE MORE COMITTED CAN PICK IT UP. REALLY UPSET TO ALL ADMINSTRATORS THANK YOU VERY MUCH YOU SURE AS HELL STEPED UP THANKS BOB I AM PISSED. GOD BLESS STAY SAFE ALL DON
 
Random Thoughts:

I have never lived where it was practical to participate in a ship model club. Even living close to Lake Superior, local culture is all about Hockey! So, for 50 years,my only connection to ship modeling was quarterly issues of the Nautical Research Journal and the sadly, no longtime published Model Shipwright. These two journals went a long way to showing me what’s possible and encouraged me to up my game. 10 years ago, I joined my first online forum. I am of the opinion that these (free to the user) forums have now become the principal vehicle for communicating with the model ship building community. For example, where the Journal was once the NRG’s main effort it now plays second fiddle to their online forum.

The model ship building hobby seems to be dominated by Nelson era sailing warships, mostly Royal Navy. Someone even suggested here on SOS that “everyone needs to build a Victory” and kits to build her now approach what I spent for my first new car. This is possibly because of the popularity of Patrick O’Brian books and related movies. This has supported a robust industry providing mostly excellent books on the subject. Knowledgeable researchers can now access Admiralty draughts and contracts on the internet. Is there really anything more to be said about these particular ships and their models?

Adding up participants on SOS and MSW results in at least 70,000 ship modelers. There are probably other forums that I am not aware of. So, that the problem may be a lack of variety and fresh topics rather than ship modelers. Whole areas of maritime history are ignored. Examples: Chesapeake Bay Craft, Great Lakes (how many modelers know that there were Great Lakes Clipper Schooners?), West Coast vessels, classic steamships, etc. How are modelers stuck in the Nelson Era Groove encouraged to venture further afield.

And finally, research is expensive and time consuming. My whaleback book was the result of 10 years of research and so far the woman that created the publisher required index received more for her efforts than I have for mine

Roger
 
lauckstreet said:
I appreciate the comments, but I am not changing my mind. You see, I depend on the income that my now dead business makes. Without it my wife and I are up a tree without a ladder. I am now seeking outside public employment. I just can’t take the chance of pouring time and energy into a magazine that has little hope of bringing in new orders. Just yesterday I sent out a newsletter giving a coupon code for 25% off all products. Over 1200 individual subscribers received that newsletter. Only 554 actually viewed it and out those, only 88 individuals actually clicked on the link to view the products I offer. No one placed an order, NO ONE. Not only is that discouraging, it’s telling me that this hobby is dead. My sales are down over $5000 year to date. I’ve never been down in any previous year. My business has always maintained a pretty steady income. On top of that, I’ve had to stop accepting orders outside the US and Canada because European countries now require that VAT be collected. I have no way of collecting VAT on foreign orders. My website hosting company (GoDaddy) does not provide such a service. On top of that, the cost of shipping to Europe is now outrageous. I normally charged $20.00 in shipping of CD’s to Europe. Now the cost to do so is anywhere from $50.00 or more depending on the country. My hosting company doesn’t provide a way to set up different shipping rates to different countries and besides, what customer is going to pay those kind of charges for a CD to be shipped to them (and don’t forget the VAT (value added tax which is basically a tariff).

So when I see that kind of solid statistic and I practically beg for help from a forum as large as this one to help me out with articles and ads but not a single person comes forward to help me, I’m convinced that this magazine is not the route to go to keep my business afloat. I must therefore seek employment in the private sector. It’s as simple as that.

The consequences of going flat broke will mean that my wife and I and our 5 year old blind dog will have to sell our house and try to live off of the proceeds for the rest of our lives. Considering that we have a 3.25% mortgage loan, buying a new house from the proceeds will not be an option due to such high interest rates, and renting a home these days is more expensive than our current mortgage payment. No matter how we look at this, our only conclusion is that we’re screwed.

I’m soon to be 77 years old and my wife is 76. She can’t work because she must stay home and tend to the house, the yard and the dog (taking care of a blind dog is not like taking care of a seeing dog) so that leaves me to the task of finding a new job. I have a bad knee due to arthritis so that presents problems in itself at my age. We do what we must do to survive, but I’m running out of answers and solutions.

Bob Hunt
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Sorry to hear of your issues, but I am one of those who get your emails about sales, and I have read the email, but not clicked the link as I am waiting for next payday in a week.

As for nobody sending you articles it takes time to get even a short article ready, and I don't think you gave your announcement time for folks to responded to you with articles.
 
West of me about a hour drive is a major maritime museum same to the east to the south is the largest Great Lakes maritime collection at Bowling Green. If i extend my reach i can get to the Philly naval yard in an afternoon drive and add a number of historical societies full of research material all the way to the finger lakes and down to the Ohio river. To the north is water then Canada. The point here is i am in the middle of a lot of maritime history. so i can actually supply this magazine with a wealth of articles to the day kingdom comes and never running out.
It comes down to incentive tough love a slap of reality to the side of your head. i am indeed empathetic to bob's situation but being on a fixed income and not a rich man it is no incentive to support anyone, so they don't have to go out and get a job or support a wife and blind dog. Sorry about that.
now if i were to be paid for articles or at the very least travel expenses and research time and materials now that is incentive.

rethink it

How are modelers stuck in the Nelson Era Groove encouraged to venture further afield

simple answer is people like you who interduce different subjects like a whaleback. how many model builders even know what that is? i do because there is one sunk not too far from me.
 
We all have constraints. Money, tools, space for a workshop, etc. For me, it’s time. Even though I am retired, workshop time is limited by just day to day requirements of living. Progress on my current modeling project is maddenly slow. A set of roller chocks made from brass just required nearly a month to complete and the longer the model sits the more I find to correct. I am concerned that I will not live long enough to complete it. So, do I spend time trying to complete this model or writing articles for a journal. I can’t do both.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
We all have constraints. Money, tools, space for a workshop, etc. For me, it’s time. Even though I am retired, workshop time is limited by just day to day requirements of living. Progress on my current modeling project is maddenly slow. A set of roller chocks made from brass just required nearly a month to complete and the longer the model sits the more I find to correct. I am concerned that I will not live long enough to complete it. So, do I spend time trying to complete this model or writing articles for a journal. I can’t do both.

Roger
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boy do i know it time slips away. i started the Alfred stern and log that was months ago and still have not found the time to get back to it.

i think the general consensus is sure we would all love to see a new journal/magazine but Bob your pretty much on you own to actually produce it.
The majority here are not writers or researchers just a bunch of hobby guys having fun in our spare time.
 
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