In the last several months lots of changes have been going on. Not sure if I like it though. I miss the adverisments of all the buses and then the pictures listed here but thats gone. The business has gone to hell in a hand bag. ??? When my script is over whats the point of upping my script.
Where can I go to get the same type of information that this beautiful magazine used to provide? Independent bus sales and pictures.
Just curious folks. Am I the only one???
Mike
No. You're not the only one. I was the first editor of BCM and I also advertise in the magazine (at least I think I do). I have not received a copy since July 2008 despite several phone calls (which seem to be answered only by a machine).
This forum should probably go independent so that more of the information you are looking for can be posted.
Information on buses past can be obtained from my websites but it's more for the bus information collector than for the bus converter.
Mike, I don't subscribe to the magazine any longer after 16 years I started when Larry was editor,but replace it with another I can not tell where to find a replacement. good luck
Out of interest, are there any other magazines in the US dealing with old buses? There are several in the UK (see below), and if BCM is going down the tubes maybe another bus title could start covering conversion topics if there is a market
I don't know exactly when the 'golden years' of BCM were because I've not been involved in the hobby very long; I did subscribe to BCM in 2007 and thought it was very poor then
Jeremy
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ianallanmagazines.com%2Fimages%2FP%2Fbcp_200902.jpg&hash=f38de337c0dc06660e1011831db29c5be412e29b)(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ianallanmagazines.com%2Fimages%2FP%2Fbf_42.jpg&hash=bbb2acff145672cf8a918bef12a68b1bb985ded6)(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsstand.co.uk%2FImages%2FMags%2FCover%2F6624.jpg&hash=d10bc37a856547a9ba026936b57424aa7ddddf14)
This last title in one dealing with modern buses obviously, but I've included it here because that bus on the front cover is a Plaxton like mine (well, not like mine, but you know what I mean)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ianallanmagazines.com%2Fimages%2FP%2Fb_200812.jpg&hash=52d68d9132a6f3573fe6a7fa561901e2a23f275f)
I have subscribed off and on for 15 years and have alot of old issues that I get out when I feel the need instead of getting the new one any longer. Perhaps Mike should keep the "Old Issues available" list in this forum for us to buy as a better alternative than the current magazine.
I also think Mike should advertise his used busses more on here than he does, he is the man that keeps this forum up for all of us and any of us should be willing to look at his yard first when we or others are looking for a bus. I think he could post all of his "For Sale" units with several pictures and some indepth information about each coach.
The last bus I remember Mike putting indepth info up about was an older Eagle that he gave away FREE some years ago to anyone who would come and get it that needed a clutch. He needs to keep us all in the loop of what he is doing, this is his site and I believe all of us could help him sell some busses if he gave us a chance.
There should be an updated picture of Mikes yard on this site everyday, front page. Don't see why he can't do an indepth center fold each month on a for sale coach on the lot each month either. Many of us can learn something from the coaches Mike has For Sale if they are presented properly. If a rig needs work, make it into a story, show us what he's doing.
Just because I drive an Eagle does not mean I wouldn't like to know about other makes.
I'll say this nice and clear right now... Any old Eagles that need work that Mike needs out of his yard, all he has to do is call me. I am only a couple of hours away and will get them out of his way! haha
Sorry to hear this guys. I just bought some back issues & subscribed to the mag. Hope I don't come up disappointed. Just getting started in this conversion world & am looking forward to all the info I can find.
John,
No, your OK. Since you bought back issues, the accumilated learning will be fine. The new mag isn't that bad either. I treasure all my back issues, they are almost like a new one when you haven't seen them for awile.
My father has collected every single issue including the the very first one. The old ones are so very cool. They seemed to spend more time on the stuff that the average builder on a budjet needs. I like the old ones a lot and possibly they could be brought back as retro BCM articles. I thought about writing stories about my old beater. Sharing what I like and what I don't like about my conversion and the changes I have made and what I have learned. I think there are several out there who are in similar situations.
Each editor has their opinion on what the magazine should look like. I have almost all of the issues and some are very good and some I don't care for, but I like reading it anyway. It's about buses for goodness sakes! ;)
I for one think Chad is doing a pretty good job.
I have received every issue for the past three or four years, some came a little later than normal but I live in Abilene TX. ;D
If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you want to see some changes email Chad or send him a PM, he has always responded. He is always looking for fresh ideas and faces.
My two cents,
Paul
i've been getting mine regularly. we skipped a month when we didn't realize the subscription lapsed. i also changed mine to email only so that we can get it quicker on the road.
are they currently a little thinner than they maybe once were? abosolutly, and i eat less when money is tight (although i don't seem to get much thinner). same rules apply.
Chad caught me right up to date and they have been on schedule so far.
Dreamscape is correct. if you don't like the articles, suggest a topic to chad. if everyone had been using the advertisers, they'd still be advertising and the mag would be thicker.
I just recieved my december issue a short time ago, but i also reupped on my subscription, I find the money spent on it to be minor compared to the enjoyment and knowledge I gain. I spend a lot of time on this site and enjoy not only the forum but the chat room and I would send the money even if it was a donation, like libby told me, I'd buy chad and the crew a cup of coffee and pie if I ever ran into them anyway so the money is minor, I don't care if it costs anything to keep the online site going or not, it's still pennies a day for the enjoyment i get out of it.
I've been subscribing for under two years, and have received the printed version pretty consistently. I do like the new, thinner version (something my wife has wanted to be able to say about me for years).
I don't really see a reduction in content, but a "tightening up". More text, less white space on the article pages. The real element I've noticed is fewer misspellings, obvious typos, grammatical errors - looks like Chad is doing a great job. Not everyone is a writer, that's the reason that "editor" is a job.
Advertisers have to tighten up. I advertise in a transit industry newspaper, once/month for six months each year. This year, my ad's been running for 3 months, with no response. Next year, I may use a different mechanism.
Why did I subscribe? --- Same reason mentioned earlier. I get great value from this BB, and feel it my responsibility to contribute to its support. (I know, people may take exception and pick nits, but without Mike's efforts to establish and maintain this board, would it be here?)
I would have been just as willing to make a donation, just as I donate to other entities from which I derive value. The folks at the local woodworking store are always there to help, they've answered many, many questions, etc. My thank you was a couple of restaurant gift cards, delivered anonymously.
It's the same philosophy I use in purchases. If I want the local mom and pop specialty store to be there when I need a left handed metric widget with satin bronze finish, I don't by my right handed steel US threaded widgets from Home Depot or online.
I'm not qualified to write articles, I have enough trouble just getting over to the 4107's storage area to get her out for a battery-charging run. In conversions, I'm a learner, not a teacher. BCM is not an advertising medium for me, unless there are a whole lot of you that want to design transit systems or learn bus and driver scheduling.
Arthur
On, this board it is hard to state your opinion about the magazine without starting a war but here is mine anyway I felt the magazine lost it's way when the articles turned to a shrink naked in a nudist camp and writing about it in a bus conversion magazine,plus after reading the same articles over and over I decided it was time to give it up. good luck
Quote from: luvrbus on January 10, 2009, 06:57:52 AM
On, this board it is hard to state your opinion about the magazine without starting a war but here is mine anyway I felt the magazine lost it's way when the articles turned to a shrink naked in a nudist camp and writing about it in a bus conversion magazine,plus after reading the same articles over and over I decided it was time to give it up. good luck
I will admit that was not tasteful! Doesn't belong in a bus magazine at all! Sheesh! I really just bypassed most everything that she wrote!
My wife was not impressed either! ;) She found it amusing at times!
any photos in that issue ?
David
That the magazine has continued this long is pretty amazing. This is a very limited hobby and there is little new you can say after fifteen years without a lot of repetition. It must be quite a challenge to keep it fresh and interesting after all this time.
I can't imagine what they could do to make it better. There are only so many floor plans and engine changes you can do.
Len
MAK has said that many advertisers are no longer advertising, thus the smaller magazine. The entire media market is shrinking due to the recession and lack of advertising.
If you live in a major metro area I expect your local newspaper has quite a few less pages, probably fewer sections, and most likely smaller page size too. I work at a major metro newspaper and we've reduced the page count, number of sections, and size of the paper itself. In 2007 we used around 50% less newsprint by weight than in 2001. This is in part due to lower circulation, but mostly due to fewer and smaller pages along with slightly thinner paper.
If a person places any weight on any of the economic predictions then it looks like this economic downturn is only beginning and we may be in for a long hard road ahead of us. I think we'll be finding a lot of companies getting leaner in order to survive.
Mike came on here not long ago and asked for our support and I think everyone who can afford to should subscribe to support our hobby. That is all he asked and I think the Mag will continue to improve as time passes just like the Redskins or whoever have some bad years its impossible to stay on top all the time.
Life throws all of us alot of curves and we don't know what wars Mike fights besides the magazine. If subscribing will help lets get it done.
About ten years ago, a long time friend of mine got his first bus, a 4106, and shared one of his first issues of the mag with me. I decided to get my own subscription, thinking it was a cheap fantasy...but, that's another story. LOL!
Anyhow, now I'm a bus owner, too. If I hadn't been a subscriber, I would not have known about this BB, and I don't even want to think about owning a bus without the help I find here. That subscription has been one of the best investments I could have made. Besides, it's still fun to read it. I would rather cancel the local daily rag if I need to save a few bucks somewhere.
Just my opinion.
Dennis
I missed the shrink and nudist colony part! Probably because I stopped reading her articles after about the third one because she was so self absorbed and the articles were pretty silly.
As for the economy, I think the worst is yet to come - my guess is that the bottom will be mid year or slightly later. I've often been wrong before but I think this one is going to go so deep that my guess may be optimistic!
I have also seen a difference in the magazine, I still think it is OK, its a little smaller due to less advertisers just like any other magazine or newspaper. You have to remember that when Bus Conversions Magazine came out it was the bible for the home converter. The internet was in its infancy, and most of the people that were doing conversions were no where near a computer.
In December the real estate company that I work for notified the local paper that they were no longer going to be placing ads in the paper, that was OVER a million dollar contract. When we pulled out, several other Realtors followed. We used the newspaper money to buy billboards, radio, and TV ads, directing people to our web site. Just like the real estate ads, most of us are now getting the information we need to build our buses from the internet (just like this board) instead of printed material.
Like it or not, it is a sign of the times.
Jim
If the magazine gets a little smaller to survive I completely support that. I do get a chuckle when I see some get defensive over even the slightest perception of criticism of the magazine. Those who publish want to know what their reader's thoughts are. The feedback is useful and can actually be used to make the magazine better. There is no way we will get everything we want tailored to our needs, we know that it will have to maintain a broad enough spectrum to wet us all. Just for the record, I didn't do the wimpy one year subscription, I did the three year and I have no problem giving feedback, what I like and what I don't. As a paying subscriber they work for me, right? Publishers learn quickly that those who are satisfied are not heard from in near the numbers that the unsatisfied crowds are. Publishing is not an easy job and they know that. If they are even slightly seasoned, they don't take it personally.
So pay attention BCM: I own a GM, I don't run with the ritz crowd, I like the retro DIY articles, I would like to see some older conversions even if they are not perfect, half finished, and have some age on them. I don't expect them to make the centerfold. I like to hear what people like and dislike about their conversions. I am willing to contribute and embarrass myself by submitting my bus after I take my western trip.
That's what floats my boat and I campaign for what I like, how else would you know?
I missed the nude shrink...when did those articles run? ;D
Jack
If you have a chance to look at Issue 1, Volume 1, it was little more than a newsletter. Not a lot of advertising, and not all that well written. Yet, we gobbled it up and couldn't get enough. It was the only source out there and very quickly connected a lot of bus nuts who would have never gotten to know each other and share information.
The magazine got better and better with every issue until it kind of stalled out after about 10 years. There simply were no new sources of information that hadn't been done already and a lot of content seemed to come from press releases.
Now we have these boards and a genuine community that just didn't exist back then except for some FMCA chapters.
I think Mike has done a fabulous job with the magazine and this board. The reality though is that after a few years, there is not a lot new, especially for the budget minded who aren't spending money on the latest gadgets or trying to emulate the big time pros.
So, in MHO, the reasons to subscribe now are 1: For the newbies to get a great education and 2: To simply support Mike because we appreciate all he has done for the community.
Len
I hate to say this but I think Mike could charge a yearly membership for this forum and raise more capital than he ever did with the Magazine. Maybe he could just charge $50 a year for the web membership and throw in a copy of the magazine.
There are some damn good lifetime mechanics that help out on this board. Its hard to estimate how much this forum is worth to a bus owner when he/she needs help but most of this information is basically unavailable anywhere at any price and the alternative is to get hosed at a shop, sometimes repeatedly for the same problem. At least if you use this site and end up in the shop, you can carry on a very educated conversation with the mechanics about your repairs, as well as have some idea of what you really need. Alot of money is spent fixing the wrong thing and fixing things that are not broke.
It looks like the web site has surpassed the magazine in value to us. There is so much info available here that the magazine actually seems redundent. The ability to research archives here for additional information is invaluable also and $50 a year if you are not a total jack of all trades as well as a diesel and Allison expert seems cheap. Some may not pay until they need help, but I think this is now the dominant forum for all of us.
Len stated Issue 1 Volume 1 was "little more than a newsletter", well, that's pretty much what we are doing here, so it's like times have changed and this is what has been born from the old magazine as well as what most of us now use for our primary information source. Maybe $50 is too much, but buses ain't cheap to begin with and knowledge is never cheap, and we have been getting it here for free. Thanks Mike!
I could have written Barn Owl's second paragraph since it pretty much sums up my situation.
I also agree with njt about the value of the forum vs the magazine. I doubt that I could have purchased and maintained my 4104 without this forum. However, I've gotten very little useful information from the mag. Most conversions have been so far out of my price range that they are more fantasy than anything. I really don't want a monster bus anyway.
My favorite part of the mag was the ads but they are pretty much gone now.
My only gripe is that my email about a really obsolete engine ad was never answered and the ad continued for a long time afterward. At the time I sent the email the engine in the ad had been sold for over a year and the ad itself wasn't even sent to the magazine. The owner of the engine didn't even know the ad was in the mag?? Weird!!
From someone who spends way to much time on the net and on various boards, nothing would kill one faster than to try and charge for it. As soon as you instate a fee on it someone else will start one up that's free to replace it and everyone flocks to it or to one that's already free, or one that's good and very well established i.e. BNO. Who has a thriving board in existence that charges for it? I'm not saying there isn't one, but it would certainly be a different niche from the small quirky hobby we have. There is no question that there is a tremendous amount of value here, but it is what it is, a BBS. Those are my thoughts.
Quote from: Barn Owl on January 11, 2009, 09:09:51 PM
From someone who spends way to much time on the net and on various boards, nothing would kill one faster than to try and charge for it. As soon as you instate a fee on it someone else will start one up that's free to replace it and everyone flocks to it or to one that's already free, or one that's good and very well established i.e. BNO. Who has a thriving board in existence that charges for it? I'm not saying there isn't one, but it would certainly be a different niche from the small quirky hobby we have. There is no question that there is a tremendous amount of value here, but it is what it is, a BBS. Those are my thoughts.
As someone else who also has spent way too many hours online over the last few years, I agree completely. I have seen several try to make that model work and failed.
Another aspect I think many folks don't realize: The forum has about 2000 members and that is really good for a niche such as ours. But the magazine has a circulation of over 10,000. There are a lot of busnuts out there that haven't joined the online age.