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Who said anything about advertisers? Admittedly I am about 15 years out of date with the magazine business, so my pessimism may be as valid and well grounded as my car maintenance techniques. On the club thing, club politics won't really be an issue, I believe in one man, one vote. I'm that man, I have that vote This simply will not stand. I for one reject this totalitarian regime. Whose with me? WHOSE WITH ME?Nobody with me?I'll ....get my coat then.
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,634
Club RR Member Number: 11
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I guess the added benefit with club status is that insurers will be able to recognise it and offer appropriate discount. I've always had issues when they ask me for proof of membership to the Ax Owners Club as there is no card or number etc, in the end I sent them the link to the club page where i was a moderator. Discounts and freebies are always a good idea As for events why not steal everything that's been done before and just put an RR badge on it. Retro Rides Reliability Run Round Britain (or RRRRRB......) Retro Rides Pod Nights
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vanpeebles
Part of things
I am eastbound in pursuit of a white Lamborghini, this is not a recording.
Posts: 980
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I wasn’t trying to pooh pooh the idea, just being realistic I write for homespun classic computer fanzines, and before you know it, real life gets in the way and deadlines fly past. A good friend of mine writes indepth detailed articled for a Japanese car mag, the amount of work that goes into one article is massive. Everything starts well, with everyone wanting to help, but you will be hopefully left with a small hardcore of regular contributers.
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I think the magazine is a great idea, with the gap left by Retro Cars needing filling it would be a great idea, but with the forum already in place is there a danger of almost duplicating it in paper form? I wouldnt know enough about the ins and outs of it all to make a judgement on whether theres enough demand for it or not, but there certainly seems to be a currently vacant gap in the market for it.
As far as the club idea goes, this forum already seems to have a club vibe about it, by way of having all the good bits of community about it, without the 'us and them' vibe that ive experienced in clubs in the past. Years ago when i went to shows it really felt like each show was separate clubs on their separate plots, doing their separate thing, the Retro Rides Weekender blows that idea to bits. The club idea is great for all the good reasons like being able to hold a proper hillclimb and discounts and stuff, i just hope it doesnt change the feel of things. Having said that, I don't even own a retro.
In short, yes and yes.
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Like the idea of the magazine, a good quality coffee table quarterly would be awesome. There are a few bike ones that seem similar in concept.
If there was a club, I’d join, you’ve got to here and I’m happy with what you’ve achieved, so I’d buy in.
After the photobucket fiasco, paying to host photos on this site is also appealing as there is a sense that any of the others could do the same,
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Everything starts well, with everyone wanting to help, but you will be hopefully left with a small hardcore of regular contributers. Ahhh right yes I can see where the confusion is. We're going to be proper professional paying (good) rates and everything. Spoken to a few journos already, obviously we'd have to have Mr.Bevis contribute, can your really be said to have published a UK car magazine if Dbiz isn't in it? Pretty excited by the people I've already approached that have said yes
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,786
Club RR Member Number: 34
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If you want a model of what works club wise look to the VHRA. It’s basically the ‘official’ arm of the sidewinders which were little more than a local hot rod club when they started out. The VHRA came about almost solely so they could be sanctioned by an official body to run race meetings, and what they’ve done over the past 5-10 years would put most clubs in the country to shame. Obviously having a niche event like pendine is what makes it work. But they have two other events as well now which are both well attended. Membership I about 20-25 quid a year and you get a branded freebie each year, some of which have really been rather good value for money- leather key rings, enamel badges, tin mugs, kit bags etc. The reason i think it works so well is you have to be a member to run at VHRA events. So people are falling over themselves to join up if it means a chance to run at pendine, which you them pay for on top. If you can formulate a niche event to get people wanting membership, you’d be onto a winner.
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If you can formulate a niche event to get people wanting membership, you’d be onto a winner. Great post Dez, VHRA are definitely doing a good thing. I'm wondering whether to arrange an event first then put out club membership. Or if I should do the club membership and then see where the membership is centered around and arrange something easy to get to for the majority.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,786
Club RR Member Number: 34
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I believe the way they did it was membership first, obviously the hardcore signed up to support them which created revenue to allow things to start happening, then the event was created with stipulation you had to be a member to run at event. With the popularity of pendine membership went from a couple hundred to about triple that in a couple of years.
If the event is good enough distance doesnt matter. Pendine is the curse word of nowhere and the VHRA and the sidewinders who staff it are largely Colchester based. It’s a massive trek for most involved but it doesn’t matter because of what it is.
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Last Edit: Jun 5, 2019 20:11:05 GMT by Dez
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With 2 events sufficiently established, the weekender and the gathering, would it be possible to build on one or both of those, and put the membership out in the meantime? They are both great venues, with scope.
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obviously we'd have to have Mr.Bevis contribute, can your really be said to have published a UK car magazine if Dbiz isn't in it? Oh, you. I’m on the edge of my seat. And this seat has wheels, so don’t leave me hanging...
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Club idea - great - Magazine idea its not for me, I don't mind sensible mods but I completely detest the 'foolish stupid just because I can stuff' that just about renders the vehicle undrivable for any decent trip - read oversize wheels set at camber angle of insanity or a vanity seating arrangement that renders the vehicle a death trap in the event of a collision all because it ticks the ego boxes of the owners and looks 'cool' & 'awesome' to a handful of others - I could be wrong but if this stuff extends to more than one page of a glossy magazine I would not even bother picking it up let alone purchase it - besides which with the amount of classic / retro stuff that I get up to in my workshop - where the hell will I find the time to read a mag in the first place - has you were then
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ClemRusty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 168
Club RR Member Number: 50
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Sounds awesome, if you need any help with anything, let me know
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it would be a real shame to mess with the forum as it is , the sheer variety of content and contributors is its major draw for me! to disenfranchise many with a "them and us" set up would be a retrograde (geddit) step in my opinion. yes , certainly run a subscription based "club" in tandem for those that want/are geographically in a position to benefit from meets/events etc. offer a magazine for those that want one (i realised years ago how much i had wasted over the years on what is essentially landfill) , again for those that want but to dilute the appeal of the forum in its current incarnation.... please don't.
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'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating '80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip '97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,849
Club RR Member Number: 39
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I'll ....get my coat then. Not if you left it on the bonnet of your car whilst you went in the house to get your wallet you won't..... Magazine. Only on a very infrequent basis if at all - just like this board 90% of it's content would "probably" have no interest for me. The 10% of this board I do enjoy is certainly well worth the admission fee. However, I am all for giving back and appreciating people's efforts for providing a service, so if you set up one of those funding things or whatever process to get you started on your venture, no matter what I consider the benefit to me, I would throw some cash your way with my best wishes for success.
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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I love the idea of the magazine and as tdk of this very parish has proven with his superb Motorpunk publication, there's definitely a market for well-written niche quarterlies. I'm a bit more ambivalent about the club idea. I've never been a huge fan of the divisive nature for example forums that have members and users creates. It seems to have died away a bit (perhaps because forums have mostly died) but all that stuff with different areas and privileges for paying members creates ill feeling, turns people off from adding content because they're perceived as lesser and not involved, etc etc One of the most consistently despicable things, for example, about Goodwood, is the "them and us" feel that membership/fellowship/prole status promotes. It genuinely sickens me and that's as someone with membership privilege. It's an undeniably successful model, but so many web pages have been dedicated to the resentment it breeds it's ridiculous. I think that one of the strengths of RR is it's all inclusive all are equally valid vibe and I'd be very wary of doing anything that would differentiate its users emotionally or financially. Thank! MotorPunk magazine is going well, we're fortunate to have a good publisher behind us and modest aims. The feedback is unfailingly positive and that, for me, is the greatest reward. PS - Big Goodwood fan here, too, and can only agree with your comments on the vibe mentioned. PPS - Hotwire, I've messaged you something. PPPS - Good luck!
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Last Edit: Jun 19, 2019 8:30:55 GMT by tdk
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Jun 20, 2019 18:02:41 GMT
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HoTWire Exciting developments! If you progress with the magazine as more than a notion, and want any design input - even just a chinwag about it, my day job is a graphic designer of over 20 years experience now. Can tackle all aspects from logo / typography treatments to page layout, to retouching / colour grading photos, to more experimental photoshops/ concepts. s Give me a shout if that ever sounds useful.
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Ritchie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 767
Club RR Member Number: 12
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Jun 22, 2019 14:42:09 GMT
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The club idea sounds great. I am seriously disheartened at the lack of retro clubs, meets and general enthusiasm regarding retro cars in my area. I'm green with envy when I see all you guys nipping along to an evening mid week meet at a pub or suchlike, there is nothing like that here to my knowledge.
If the club materialises there could be a possiblity of the RR membership increasing and possibly some events / meets further north. Wishful thinking maybe, but you can be sure I would be spreading the word as much as possible. Might airdrop some flyers.
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Jun 22, 2019 16:33:03 GMT
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The club idea sounds great. I am seriously disheartened at the lack of retro clubs, meets and general enthusiasm regarding retro cars in my area. I'm green with envy when I see all you guys nipping along to an evening mid week meet at a pub or suchlike, there is nothing like that here to my knowledge.
If the club materialises there could be a possiblity of the RR membership increasing and possibly some events / meets further north. Wishful thinking maybe, but you can be sure I would be spreading the word as much as possible. Might airdrop some flyers. If you want a local meet, then arrange one yourself. Pub or breakfast meets are probably easiest; it will need a reasonable size carpark with plenty of seating and good beer/food. You will know somewhere suitable, and if you already frequent them you'll find the landlord/manager will probably be OK with a loose arrangement - at least to start with. Having a collection for their favoured charity is a good persuader! Fix a date, and then publicise it here. You'll need to have people to do some basic marshalling, and that's probably the hardest/worst part of the job. Running a large, national club is hard work and establishing one is even harder. Producing a worthwhile, readable magazine is time consuming and expensive even for a small club, and are often the biggest cause of internal friction. It's a very brave person who sets one up!
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