VW Trends Magazine R.I.P.

Oldbug.com · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:06 am Post subject: VW Trends Magazine R.I.P.

Just received an email from the editor of VW Trends...it looks like Primedia is dropping the magazine from it's publications list.

VW Trends is gone...just like that.

Crying or Very sad

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Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

timp · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:09 am Post subject:

i think i'll believe it when i see it.
post the email.
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Some people are like slinkies; absolutely good for nothing, but it still brings a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs...

Oldbug.com · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:10 am Post subject: Here it is...

Here's the email...

"Guys,

I wanted you guys to be the first to know: Primedia has decided to cancel the publication of VWTrends, effective immediately.

Believe me when I say that this doesn't come as a big shock to me. The writing has been on the wall for months and I've tried to fight it. Over the past many months, you may have noticed that the number of ads in the magazine was steadily dwindling from around 40 pages to less than 20 pages in the March 05 issue (which won't even be printed I hear). Because of this, it was decided that after 28 years and 268 issues (65 of which I was the editor) in print, VWTrends was no longer worth the financial effort. In short, it was killed because nobody bothered to pay attention to it.

Since many of you on this list write/shoot for me (and most of which are owed money, I'm sure), I no longer have any authority to issue checks. However, tomorrow I plan to speak with Howard Lim (my ex-publisher) to find out what it takes to set you all straight. I don't want any of you to have to sacrifice because Primedia demands higher profits. Others of you advertised in the magazine, and if you've prepaid because of a contract, I'm sure you'll get a refund. Check with your ad rep to get that straightened out. But all of you, I just wanted to say good bye to.

Because of a family emergency today, I was out of the office, so I got laid off over the phone (so much for five years of loyalty); I wasn't given the opportunity to say a formal good bye to my co-workers and friends I've made along the way, so here I am at 1am on my wife's computer. I would like to thank you all for supporting me over the years, for answering my asinine questions, for always smiling for the camera, for putting up with my pestering tech articles, my odd ideas and my sometimes off-the-wall editorials... but most of all, I'd like to thank you all for accepting me and for helping me bring to the readers the best magazine possible. When I started this job, I didn't know a whole lot about Volkswagens, but you've all helped me become the enthusiast that I am today, and before I drift off into the sunset, I want to simply say thank you.

Just remember what I've always said, "People will never appreciate VWTrends until it is gone."
Well, now it's gone.

Maybe I'll see you around,
Ryan Price"
_________________
Cheers!
Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

timp · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:17 am Post subject:

boy oh boy if that's true that really sucks... i mean, this place will most likely have mixed reactions, but i, myself, preferred it over Hot VW's... but i do suppose no good thing can last forever...
_________________
Some people are like slinkies; absolutely good for nothing, but it still brings a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs...

Oldbug.com · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:27 am Post subject:

It sucks to be sure.
Ive always been a big fan of the magazine and a contributor on a few occassions as well. I think it is a horrible shame that this is happening.

Im not sure if anything can be done to stop it, but if there is a way, I would love to see it stay.
_________________
Cheers!
Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

NorCalWeekender · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:44 am Post subject:

Wow, if it ain't one thing, it's another!! Dayum! I've written a few articles for them, too. Maybe I should run out and get the Feb '05 issue...just to have the last one.

-Taylor
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9th Owner of a 1971 Tintop Westy

"Eventually, we sold to a guy for $500 who towed it away to live in it in his parents' driveway. We didn't think it would ever avoid the junk heap on that day." -The 3rd Owner, 1995

Mr. Bubblehead · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:50 am Post subject:

Looks like I'll be back to buying toilet paper again.
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OGST
Samba Member #4862

crofty · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:57 am Post subject:

In a free market system people tend to buy things they need, want and place value on. People stopped "paying attention" to that mag because it ceased being a reputable and informative magazine for our culture.
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Your Vanagon sucks, Stop waving at me.

bill may · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:14 am Post subject:

april 2006 is my subscription.. what now??

vgajames · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:18 am Post subject:

Yeah,crap! I just mailed my renewal in also.Paid up til June 2006,bastards Evil or Very Mad

Christopher Gilbert · Samba Member Joined: January 15, 2003 Posts: 7

timp · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:31 am Post subject:

Christopher Gilbert · Samba Member Joined: January 15, 2003 Posts: 7

bugnut68 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:44 am Post subject:

As per what Crofty said, I have to agree. For me, the only redeeming things in the magazine were the efforts of Kathy Jacobs and Stephan Szantai as well as a few of the freelance efforts (Michael Meyer's Super Street articles were cool, too) but seeing mispublished addresses and phone numbers and things like the SE Dyno Day fiasco I think all did a certain number to tearing down credibility.

Mind you, I've had my own negative history with the magazine and so I'm seeing this through a different set of eyes but I'll be the first to say that I hate to see anyone lose their job around the holidays, especially with a family to support. Though I had my beef with the mag, I do express my sincerest wishes to Ryan Price in finding a new job and also thanks to keeping the magazine going as long as he did. Competing against the shelf-and-sub numbers of the ricers is not an easy thing to do; and those ricer magazines put out some crazy numbers in terms of sales.
That's the sad thing about publishers like PRIMEDIA, huge corporate conglomerates have set standards for what is acceptable and worthy of keeping afloat.
I sure do miss the days of McMullen and Yee, when the publisher was a wee bit smaller and things a little more simpler (the Leadbetter years)...

pyrOman · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:05 am Post subject:

R.I.P.

I've subscribed to both mags since '87. Basically only to keep those editions that include an event where either I participated on or one of our club sponsored events. I guess now more than ever the Feb '05 will become a treasure for me since it covered the FamilienFest 10 and did so in one of the best ways any of our events has ever been covered.

Cool

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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise.

DaveM · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:12 am Post subject:

i just let my subscription lapse... then again, I've been letting a lot of subscriptions lapse lately. I think I'm down to only 4 or so magazines a month and only one is VW related.
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Sounding like a broken record as to why You should be measuring protein during harvest in order to better your agronomic practices.

RobzKombi · Samba Member Joined: July 15, 2003 Posts: 2137

The German Addiction · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject:

[quote="FatboyOverthrow"]i think i'll believe it when i see it. quote]

But there is a new magaine coming out in March.

veedo · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 2:09 pm Post subject: not to be

Maybe someone will start a new mag. no wonder I have not seen my issues in awhile. I guess my cars will have to be featured in a nother mag.
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air cooled first,water second-they both need more to go fast. Let them breathe and breed.
The more the better.

southeastvw · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 2:31 pm Post subject:


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