Is it just me, or are MR reviews slowly getting to be less and less of the truth and more an add. Not just an add, but in many respects a lie. In the March 2001 issue (I think thats right) they reviewed the Athearn F59PHI. In the 2nd, or 3rd to last paragraph, they commented on the smooth lines of the paint, and the over all good paint job. Thats a not in any way the truth! Look at the large photo on the top of the review. Look at it closly, you tell just by looking at the photo the Athearn really messed up the paint job. The lines are wobbly and out of place! What is happening to reviews in MR?? Dane
Are you suggesting that instead of an "add" they should be a "subtract"? Always thought advertisement was abbreviated "ad".
Dane, I have noticed this as well. In fact, over the last five years I have NEVER seen a negative review of a product (some minor problems are mentioned) . Two things are going on here, I think. First, manufacturers know that MR is one of the leading ways of reaching the model railroading public. Therefore, ANYTHING they send to the MR review staff IS perfect in as many ways as possible. This may not reflect the product that is released to the general public. Secondly, MR is run by advertisements. They really cannot take the chance of a major account pulling their ads because of a poor review of one of their products. This is a very poor position to be in for both manufacturer and MR, but it is the way business is done . What is the answer? I stopped reading MRs reviews a long time ago. I rely on word of mouth through Tainboard, my local hobby shop and other modelers . It is unfortunate that some folks have to be the lab rats, but I NEVER buy something until I hear the good and bad of it. Good luck, and Happy Modeling!! John
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JCater: Dane, I have noticed this as well. In fact, over the last five years I have NEVER seen a negative review of a product (some minor problems are mentioned) . John<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> JC brings out an excellent point here.. Never seeing a negitive review in MR! One bike magazine here in aussie did a bad review, (it was the truth) that to Yamaha, and Yamaha barred them from ever testing their bikes again! To me MR is not good value, but what do you do.. its not as though there are any N-scale only mags, or other magz out there... undefined
When I sent one of my spine cars to MR for review, I was delighted to receive a good review, and it certainly brought in a flood of orders and got my products known to a much wider audience. They did not have to be nice to me, as I had already told them that there was no way I could advertise with them, as their prices were way out of my league But I agree that they are VERY unlikely to give a bad review to one of their major advertisers, that would just not be good business
Face it, if you wanted a magazine to report all the bad products outs there you can count on no advertising dollars to support the magazine. That means the entire cost of the magazine is going to be borne by the reader in the worst case. I seem to recall hearing some figures that for something like MR 2/3rds or more of their revenue is advertisement based. What does that push the cost to? Ten dollars or more for an issue. Okay, semi-sarcasm over. If you want the truth you'll probably find it here or on another board before you find it in a magazine. And don't forget manufacturers are not in the business to tick off their consumers. I would have to say that the general quality is pretty darn good. It would be interesting to see the number of products that made it through the prototype stage and then were dropped because they were screwed up. Food for thought! Have fun - its just a hobby.
Years ago, the NMRA was supposed to be our watch dog, and standards setter. We were to look to the Grand Poobahs of the NMRA to tell us to watchout for poor quality of some product, and for all of us to write that manufacturer, and tell him what we thought. Then the NMRA got membership happy, and things went the way of big business, we as mere members were to be thankful they allowed us to pay our dues for the privalege of receiving a couple of pages of testimonials about who they decided was a Master Modeler and who was dirt. MR went full out for the Bucks a long time ago. They wont even answer letters or e-mail now, they just send you a subscription form! We are on our own guys, we have to police our own hobby and tell it like it is, because they certainly wont.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by watash: ...We are on our own guys, we have to police our own hobby and tell it like it is, because they certainly wont.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Amen! Power to the people! Ben Franklin said, "Give them light, and the people will find their own way. The problem has been that the trade magazines use a pretty big filter on that light. It's up to us, in the free-flow of information that is the internet, to get the info out there. The problem is that sooner or later we'll get burned there too. Look at the Pairgain stock case (and others), where one guy impersonated several people to talk up the stock for his company. It could happen here too. The danger also lies in the reverse, if someone wants to kill the competition, it wouldn't take much to get the mud flowing.
Looks like it is high time for a new reviewing club to come out of the works, something independent to the strings of Bug Business. And we should always promote positive criticism, everybody can use from time to time. As my old band instructor always said, find at least one thing you like, and then at least one thing you can think needs improvement. Just follow the example of some of the new Atlas(read somewhere a press release from Atlas to the Modeler Community thanking Modelers for the comprehensive analysis in the pre-production models). We have come a long way from the stuff from yesterday, but we can make it better! Face it, MR and all the other magazines out there are in it for the bucks, big business, and in respects to NMRA, politics!!!
I find it sad that they have to lie to stay in business. Instead of "having to" publish a bad review, or lie to their subscribers, why don't they just quietly send the review back to the manufacturer unpublished so they can fix the product before the review gets published? Didn't my grandmother always say, "If you can't say anything good about someone, don't say anything at all..."? Mark
Wow, I am glad to see I am not alone. After being away from the hobby for over 5 years, I finally got back into it as time allows. I picked up my first issue of MR since 95, and I was suprised at how "one sided" it was. In any event, it is far better for "word of mouth" to get things out about bad products and the good products too.
I seldom buy MR any more unless there is what I think, a good article that well help me improve my layout. I find Train Fanning mags more help these days. Regardless, I never bother with MR reviews but rather go to the Hobby shop and talk to the straight shooting owner and other customers, we look at the product and make our own opinions regarding them. Who trusts an advertiser these days anyway. Now they get telemarketers to bombard us until we have to get really nasty and rude to stop them calling...As has been said so many times, "What is this world coming to?" [ 14 February 2001: Message edited by: Robin Matthysen ]
Fellas, If you all want a pretty fair and unbiased opinion I suggest you look to the samller mags- who rely on the higher price, but also offer a truer review. One in particular, Model Railroad News, or MRN is a great source of reviews and will let the manufactuers have it if they deserve it. They are to be commended for their position on how they stand in regards to publishing something that isn't as tied to the purse strings as the big boys. Best I have found so far and best thing yet, 3 free issues before you even have to consider subscribing. Y'all have a good one, Justin May http://www.modelrailroadnews.com/index.html
Thank You for the link. Just checked my RMC to see if the MR trend is also in that publication as well, well blow me down, not one bad comment in any of the reviews!!! I think a further problem with our model train publications is not just the staff, but the head company, Carstens Publication! Some one, when you have the time, could perhaps check into this next time you're in a hobby shop, browse the periodical section to the reviews, and compare Carsterns publications. Might be a little interesting... Finally, these two magas are not the only ones that I have seen decline in quality. Other victims (I don't think all of these are Carsterns) have been Garden Railways, which once have nice heavy weigh covers and an attractive cover, and organic gardening(now this last one is all politics over the word organic...but I won't go into that one, downhill since the editor moved on). All this means only one thing. Time to rebuild!!! [ 14 February 2001: Message edited by: Benny ]
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JCater: I have noticed this as well. In fact, over the last five years I have NEVER seen a negative review of a product (some minor problems are mentioned) John<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The only time I have seen a neagtive review in MR, a reader wrote into the RPO and complained about it! I was quite suprised to see that..as the product was quite willing to get that review. Also the Kato SD40-2 in both HO, and N scale, and Snoot and non-snoot came off looking quite good at the end of the review. Over all, even though it was nice to see those units they were done quite poorly. One persons opion! Dane N.
I seem to remember several negative comments made about different Walthers buildings. They ripped the Superliners (body had a bow in it). What about the recent MRC f-7 review? It was less than complimentary. Short of coming out and saying,"Avoid this model." they tend to give "back hand" compliments.
I have very solid reasons for bashing, (or STOMPING) both MR and the NMRA which most of you don't know about, and were a long time ago now. No improvement has been made. It was all posted a long time ago, so not worth going into here again, that is not my intent. My comments were intended to inspire all of you guys to speak up and tell it like it is about any product, club or service you have been involved with. Not to just flame someone, but to let others who have not experienced the item, be warned. We on the Board ARE the Hobby! We have to be a Brotherhood of friends, or we do not fulfill our mission here together. I can very highly recommend Revel, Varney, (old pre-Tyco) Mantua and Tru-Scale, Peco, Shinnorah, and Atlas products. Personal experience. I can not very highly recommend Bachmann and Life-Like products, because I only have experience with their early workmanship, which at best was so-so to poor. I will not knock their newer products, because I haven't got any, so I have to rely on you guys who have bought new products to advise me about, if the product is worth spending hard earned cash for or not. That's what I'm saying!! We have to tell each other what we feel. We do not all have to agree, and we must not flame or bash a guy who has an opinion different from ours, it is his honest opinion, and he has a right to voice it. If we want to believe the advertizers and High Muckity Mucks' testimonials, then buy a magazine and have a party, but if we want to know the truth, we are the only ones who can and should put it out here so we can all share in it. I'll leave my soap box here for the next guy. GO FOR IT!!
Thanks for telling it like it is and should be Watash. This is what the Boards should be all about. And, that's what the are for. (BTW, a LifeLike GP20 isn't too bad!)
Yes, tell it like it is! The only thing I don't understand is even we have different opinions on products here. I have had a FEW bad Bachmann loco's, but most of them have run very well and have decent detail for the buck. I would never hesitate buying a Bachmann+ N-Scale F unit, but it would have to be test run first. See, there are limits! But we're really talking about the Mags here. I haven't bought a MR or MRC Mag for over a year. The last Model Railroad Mag I've bought is the New N-Scale Railroad Mag., a great publication, probably because it's so new. But you guys are right about one thing, to get the real poop, don't read the Mags! Come here...
