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sault ste marieHello all I do agree with you all on the magazine thing!!!! I am an avid scrapbooker and do teach classes and try to stay on top of the newest toys for it but I myself am curious as to why there are sooooo many scrapbooking mags and trust me there is alot of advertising I find now more than ever and I do not buy them all I would go broke !!!! 
But also i find it just too overwhelming to pick one...At one time we used to be able to go to our local drugstore and get every teddy bear mag available now we only get 1 TBF and I am sooo disappointed I looked forward to seeing them and have talked to the distributor here and he said that unless the stores have requests for these mags they will not carry them....my point is they were selling and I for one know they were cause I was buying the bloody things !!!!
So may I maybe suggest telling your local mag shops or whatnots to request these mags....Sorry for the spiel it just upsets me me when I can,t see all your lovely creations that are much deserved and I only get to read about them on here !!!
Teddy Hugs As Ever
Tynna
Bears by JodiIt saddens me also that I never see a teddy magazine
I go !! It does consern me. And it is sad to see the magazines be so thin. I am sure it is very expensive to keep them going , so it must be a money problem, and the economy. I get Teddy Bear and Friends and Teddy Bear Review, and Teddy times I buy by the issue when I am in them , merely because of the price of the yearly fee, because it is a beautiful magazine.And some day I hope to get it all the time, just haven't been able to swing it . We just need to hang in there and do what we enjoy. Sell when we can , give gifts away when we can and just plain enjoy what we do.
PawssiblesOkay, so being relatively new to the marketing end of this business and reading carefully all the comments herein; I personally feel as a bear artist I should now subscribe to more bear magazines and take an active part in advertising in them. We have to be positive and each take responsibility to working towards an good outcome for the industry in general. Let's keep the discussion going , I'm sure there are other suggestions out there that will help.
There are so many thoughts about this whirring around in my head. I think perhaps I have more questions than answers. Maybe collectively we ALL have the answers. I'll start a new post with questions and thoughts to ponder.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Posts: 3,540Is it 'wrong' for a teddy bear magazine to advertise in a different magazine? I mean, could say "Teddy Bear X" be advertised in "Beads R Us" ?? Wasn't it Martha Stewart that had an article done about her in "Mechanics" magazine? That's about as crossover as it gets, but its a great idea. People won't know artist bears exist if its not put in their faces.
And what about possibly putting forward artist bears in different types of magazines? A quilted type bear could appear in a quilting magazine. A teddy bear with say a beaded necklace, could appear in a beading magazine, right? Maybe as artists, we could try to get our bears put forward to magazines that are selling, so to bring new collectors into the hobby.
...edited because I wasn't coming up with overly positive ideas in the last half of this post 
Posts: 1,836I may get myself in hot water here, but I really feel that unless bear artists take responsibility for making sure they keep informed about our broader industry and work hard to help promote it, that industry won't develop sufficiently to be able to nurture their progress. It's too easy for us to complain about how awful things are becoming when shows, magazines etc disappear but I really think it would be far more beneficial for us to consider what we can do both independently and collectively to help turn the tide and refocus interest in our industry.
Last night as I read this thread I was leaning towards what Paula has since said above. The idea of what we do individually matters. I can't give out any advice on how to work a magazine or what content should or shouldn't be involved...for me personally, that's like the ebayer telling Judi how to construct her bear's nose! 
(another current thread out here)
I can say what I appreciate about the magazine's I have subscriptions to...fantastic full color photos and articles printed on quality paper with the even blend of artist and manufactured bears. I'm not as concerned with the size of the magazine as long as the content within is relevant and quality driven. With nearly all of the bear publications we're given the opportunity to essentially advertise for free if we submit our own quality photos regularly. And paid advertising, is actually veryreasonable compared to other art publications. I've gathered the quotes and was pretty shocked (talk about sticker shock!!). I truly think that the bear mags take the smaller based artists into account in this area, where other arts magazines are catering to the manufacturers much much more. As a personal/business goal I've set aside specific bear sales for advertising costs this year. Money's always tight, but that's where personal/business related budgeting comes in. It's not always easy, but it's worth the time and planning.
In line with what can we do to increase readership and appreciation for the art, how about gift subscriptions to friends, family, etc who show an appreciation and would in turn share that appreciation with others? Christmas, birthdays, etc...why not share this art and it's industry for an entire year? Maybe take a subscription card to your doctor, dentists, or hairdressers office and suggest they add it to their magazine list for the new year. The magazines are much more family friendly than most gossip mags/rags that are out there. News stand costs are nearly double what the subscription rates are, so it's kinda sorta obvious that subscriptions are the way even the publishers would like us to go. (??) But again, I can't be sure 'cause I don't know a single thing about that industry and all it entails. But I sure do appreciate it and what it's allowed for me personally! 
:hug:
~Chrissi
Posts: 3,540:clap: :clap: Great ideas Chrissi!!!
I've been considering giving my older teddy bear magazines to the dentists office in town. I say 'considering' because I still use them for reference 
My Teddy TalesI do subscribe to Teddy Bear magazines, I had a hard time finding them at the craft stores. I get so upset when I go to the craft store and they have no Teddy bear Magazines, everything BUT . I had asked why they didnt t carry them , and was told they didn't know why. And I told her they should get some and see how it goes, she would be surprised at how many people would be interested. And I also agree there are way too many Bead magazines and Scrapbooking Magazines. I love looking thru my magazines over and over. It gives me inspiration and puts me back on track . When my Husband was in the hospital for 6 weeks I brought my magazines with me, there was a day that I had gone to get a coffee and I left my Teddy Bear magzines on the window sil and when I got back they weren't there I looked everywhere for it. My Husband wasn't able to tell me who came in the room because he was on a life machine (he's doing better now). Finally a nurse comes in and says I hope you don't mind but I saw the magazines and was curious . I gave her one of the magazines.( I don't like parting with them but I did). I bring them to work, and also when I have to bring my husband for tests .So you never know .
Teddy Bear and FriendsThanks for all of the great comments and suggestions, everyone. It's so heartening to see you take an interest in the world's bear magazines, and that you see value in them.
I can answer a couple of questions:
- The reason magazines are thin is advertising. The printing, paper, and a portion of all of the magazine's expenses are paid for by the ads, so if we have fewer ads, we can afford fewer pages. A lot of stores and shows have closed, and manufacturers have moved on to gift and baby products, so our ads are way down from the past, when we had a 140-page magazine. And, honestly, many stores and artists migrated to the Web because it's "free." Some have realized that it's not free and they are one in a couple million hits, and they have come back to advertising so their message gets out to the targeted audience of bear collectors. But the business just isn't big enough anymore to support 140 pages. We need more collectors, to support more artists advertising, and more artists going to shows so the promoters advertise, and artists buying supplies so the suppliers advertise... You see the trend. It all comes back to needing more collectors to support all of us.
- Frankly, our ads are not that expensive. The one-time rate for a 1/6 BW is $295. For a color 1/8, it's $270. (And the rate goes down as your frequency goes up.) Basically, you need to sell one or two bears to cover the cost of an ad. Unfortunately, even though all the research shows you can't afford to drop advertising, it's the first thing most people say they can't afford. If this is your business, how are you going to find customers if you don't advertise? Whether with us or someone else, I don't care -- but you have to get your name out there somehow, and you really don't want to rely on being one of the 6,400 hits on eBay or the 2.6 million hits on Google.
- We aren't selling magazines on newsstands overseas because it's terribly expensive to ship them, and the news agents have to mark them up so high that people don't buy them. (I'm guessing the reverse is true with British mags here.) However, there's a store in The Netherlands who is trying to get some magazines in -- if I can figure that out, maybe it'll be a program that we can offer to other stores in Europe and Australia.
- In the US, the newsstand business has consolidated over the past few years until just a handful of distributors are in charge of most newsstands. There are, as you know, hundreds of titles competing for space, and the distributors don't want to deal with small quantities or returns. So they try to choose the magazines they can sell in volume -- not us, in most cases. Same goes for the big chains.
That said, we are authorized to be in most of the big chains, and I have a store-by-store list of places you should be able to buy TBF. If your chain doesn't carry TBF, you can request it from the manager. Same for doll, bear, and gift stores -- request the magazines. We fulfill independents through a company called Retail Vision, which will deal in small quantities.
- I think it's really important for all magazines to be on the newsstand, because that is one way to bring in new collectors. But for established collectors and industry members, you really should subscribe. If nothing else, it's the cheapest method of getting your magazines -- for you and for us.
- It's an excellent idea to scatter extra magazines around at the dentist and such. I do it myself. I'm hoping to have some extra copies at Schaumburg that you can pick up to either fill holes in your own collection or share with friends.
- As an editor, I try to come up with a variety and balance of interesting stories to fill my pages. I'm always looking for new people and ideas -- never hesitate to propose an idea. And if you like or don't like something, do write and tell me -- I don't know unless you tell me. I gave up my "Regional Reports," for example, because they were a huge amount of work and not one person wrote to say it was useful, or shopkeeper wrote to say someone had come in because of it. Maybe you loved that, but since I didn't know, I decided to save myself the trouble. I'm sure other editors feel the same.
So, I've veered all over the place trying to address some questions. I hope I didn't offend anyone with my remarks about advertising -- I didn't mean it offensively, but have to admit that it's a frustrating topic for me. (Don't get me started on the people who want free coverage but don't even subscribe...) This is very much a closed-loop sort of business, so we all have to support each other and work together to expand the circle. I'm talking to a consultant tomorrow to see if I can get some new ideas for finding people. Jen Murphy is on Martha Stewart. John Port does talks and exhibits at libraries. GBW does giftings all over the country. Every little bit helps, but everyone needs to do a little bit.
Thanks, everyone!
Mindy
Teddy Bear and FriendsPS: I do scrapbooking and beading and still can't understand why there are so very many magazines out for each. And really can't understand how they're all staying in business! They do have the advantage of being appealing to a very broad swath of people, but still ...
2. Are the mags thinner because of fewer advertisers? That is most certainly a reason as far as I can tell after looking at some older issues vs. current ones. Have you inquired about advertising prices??? They are rediculous and it's no wonder no one advertises! (I say that but I do advertise when my budget allows because I want to keep the mags going as well as my own business.) I'm wondering out loud here what would happen if the mags actually dropped their advertising prices considerably. I'm guessing more artists would advertise which would also create a larger readership and a stronger following as we all know how word travels and I know that if I could advertise in a magazine for a very affordable price I'd be telling all of my other artist friends that they need to do the same. Right now I wouldn't recommend it to anyone if I thought the price would scare them away! So, although the publisher may drop ad rates they'd get more advertisers so wouldn't loose any money, would have a thicker mag and over a short time rebuild readership.
.
One little note as to why I don't do ad's anymore... 
I use to do ad's all the time. Then I had one magazines publish wrong information (aka not the proof I signed).. and then they did nothing about it... just said, oh, oops. 
The other magazine said if I did 4 ad's that I would get a free one, just in time for my free ad the lady who promised it to me left that month and the new person said they didn't know anything about it and wouldn't do anything 
(I guess it's my fault for not having it in writing). After paying a thousand dollars + Canadian for an ad at the time.. well it just kind of turned me off doing ad's. I can't afford a mistake and when they don't care and your money is gone.. well..
Bear Hugs!
Melanie
Teddy Bear and FriendsMistakes do happen, Melanie. Usually, though, companies will try to make good on the mistakes and keep you as a satisfied customer. I'm sorry that didn't happen, and hope that now that the Canadian and US dollars are so close you'll try advertising again -- whether with us or Review. Both companies are pretty stable right now, so you should get good, caring customer service from either one. And if for some reason something goes wrong, be sure to tell your rep -- they can't fix it if they don't know. (And I know both company's reps, and they'll want to fix it!)
Mindy
Teddy Bear and FriendsBy the way, I have asked about drastically lowering ad prices. Apparently it doesn't work out in the end, as more advertisers require more customer service and graphics help, plus more ads generate more pages, requiring us to buy more paper, printing, binding, and postage -- plus pay for more articles and photography. I'm told it's a very delicate balance to have low enough prices that people can/will pay them, but have them high enough not to be over-run with ads and lose money. Honestly, I'm not in the business end so I don't know the numbers -- but this is what I'm told by those who do.
The same is true of subscriptions, by the way. We no longer participate in the stamp sheets (Publisher's Clearinghouse and such) because every one of those subscriptions actually cost us money. They also had very low renewal rates, so didn't make up the cost by saving us money in retentions. You'd think that the publicity would be worth the cost, but it wasn't.
There are days when I seriously think I ought to get an MBA so I understand the business side of publishing!
Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions, everyone. It's so heartening to see you take an interest in the world's bear magazines, and that you see value in them.
I can answer a couple of questions:
- The reason magazines are thin is advertising. The printing, paper, and a portion of all of the magazine's expenses are paid for by the ads, so if we have fewer ads, we can afford fewer pages.
- We aren't selling magazines on newsstands overseas because it's terribly expensive to ship them, and the news agents have to mark them up so high that people don't buy them. (I'm guessing the reverse is true with British mags here.) However, there's a store in The Netherlands who is trying to get some magazines in -- if I can figure that out, maybe it'll be a program that we can offer to other stores in Europe and Australia.
So, I've veered all over the place trying to address some questions. I hope I didn't offend anyone with my remarks about advertising -- I didn't mean it offensively, but have to admit that it's a frustrating topic for me. (Don't get me started on the people who want free coverage but don't even subscribe...) This is very much a closed-loop sort of business, so we all have to support each other and work together to expand the circle. I'm talking to a consultant tomorrow to see if I can get some new ideas for finding people. Jen Murphy is on Martha Stewart. John Port does talks and exhibits at libraries. GBW does giftings all over the country. Every little bit helps, but everyone needs to do a little bit.
Thanks, everyone!
Mindy
Ah I was going to mention the advertising bit, now, re the shipping overseas thing;).... Borders here carry TB&F, when you are lucky enough to catch the right time to get it, I guess because they import so much they have some system that they can airfreight magazines and they are still no more expensive than the surface ones that arrive months later. I was out yesterday and went to two newsagents and Borders and there wasn't ONE overseas bear magazine to be seen, usually there's at least an English one. I was so disappointed, I had to console myself with Somerset studio and Vogue Bambini (excellent for kids faces for sculpting 
)
Something else on the expense side that has always intrigued me- my Dad buys Model Railroad magazines that come from the US, and they are SO much cheaper than bear or doll magazines, which often range in the $17.00 mark, I don't know if it's the distributor here or they think women will pay more or what, but it's always bugged me! Their US cover prices are pretty much the same too..... please don't think I am having a dig at your company Mindy, because I am sure if there was a way to make it more affordable, you would do it Tho subscribing makes it very affordable.
Re your question Sandi, on the English magazine subs, yes I would do it if I did not have to pay in a big lump, the english magazines are VERY VERY expensive to subscribe to, I went to one of them one day to sign up but whenI saw how much it was, I changed my mind. I do also agree with Paula and someone else who's name I forget, my apologies, that as Bear Artists we need to keep up with the 'industry' for want of a better word, and support the magazines because they support us.....
Posts: 3,540I have to admit, the regional reports did nothing for me, so I was happy to see them go the wayside. One thing I AM happy with, is your intriguing coverage of Steiff! The last few articles that have been Steiff related have been fascinating!!! Its been intriguing to me to see the old factory, and especially this month's coverage of the blending of Steiff and the advent of the automobile. :clap: :clap: I'm looking forward to the next installment 
By the way, I have asked about drastically lowering ad prices. Apparently it doesn't work out in the end, as more advertisers require more customer service and graphics help, plus more ads generate more pages, requiring us to buy more paper, printing, binding, and postage -- plus pay for more articles and photography. I'm told it's a very delicate balance to have low enough prices that people can/will pay them, but have them high enough not to be over-run with ads and lose money. Honestly, I'm not in the business end so I don't know the numbers -- but this is what I'm told by those who do.
The same is true of subscriptions, by the way. We no longer participate in the stamp sheets (Publisher's Clearinghouse and such) because every one of those subscriptions actually cost us money. They also had very low renewal rates, so didn't make up the cost by saving us money in retentions. You'd think that the publicity would be worth the cost, but it wasn't.
There are days when I seriously think I ought to get an MBA so I understand the business side of publishing!
Things are always more complicated than what you see from the outside I never would have imagined that about the ad pricing.
oh and p.s Mindy, my parcel was waiting for me at the Post Office yesterday :dance: thank you!
Melbourne, AustraliaThere have been some very positive suggestions and I would like to thank you all for your contributions.
Now, it seems there are a few things we can do to help, whilst helping ourselves at the same time.
1. Subscribe to the magazines...while increasing circulation, we make sure we receive every copy, on time, without the higher prices.
2. Buy a subscription for someone special instead of the normal Birthday or Christmas present ... it's a wonderful gift that lasts all year. (And if you buy it for your mum and your bears are in it ... can you just imagine how many people will get to see that magazine???? My mum can't stop showing everyone she sees ... I think she carries the copies with me in around in her handbag!!! )
3. Use the old magazines we no longer want or require to promote themselves...by leaving them at the doctors, dentists and hairdressers.
4. Agree to take out an ad, it doesn't have to be a huge ad and it doesn't have to be every edition...but if everyone took out just ONE advertisment per year, who knows where it would lead. Look how many people we had in the Face Book for heavens sake! Think of it as a special "thank you to our editors" like Mindy and Kathy for all the support and free exposure they give us.
5. Make sure you ask the managers of your stores/newsagents on a regular basis (like everytime you go to buy mags) to get the bear magazines back on the shelves...they can't sell them if they aren't there.
6. Forward any positive suggestions for stories and improvements to your editors...instead of just saying "I wish....."
For the Aussies amongst us: With the US$ exchange rates at present ... you would be absolutely stupid not to snap a subs to TB&F or take out your ad right now!
Thanks again everyone. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Past Time BearsOne suggestion. If you leave copies of your mags at dentist's, doctor's, etc. offices, tear your name/address label off. I left several copies at one office and the next time I was there, they gave them back to me. Humph!
Melbourne, AustraliaThanks Sue Ann. I never thought of that, because my name and address isn't on any of my magazines
and I always ask permission before leaving them anywhere...but point taken.
I've asked for subscriptions as gifts in the past (I got Teddy Bear Scene and TBCI one Christmas when I was already self-subscribed to our domestic magazines.) I've also given subscriptions as gifts (my mom loves them, whether I'm in them or not.) Something to keep in mind as the holiday season approaches!
Advertising is a tricky thing and yes, can be difficult to afford. But like Mindy and Paula and so many others said, I feel like it's something I need to and should do, not only to keep "top of mind" with customers who will reference those magazines long into the future, but also, because it's my advertising dollars (and yours) that keep the magazines running, and I loves me my teddy mags! Sometimes, you've gotta spend money, to make money.
I can't advertise in more than one magazine at a time so if I have a nominee or an upcoming appearance in a particular magazine I make my decision that way, otherwise I alternate appearances in our domestic magazines. Most of my customers are in the US but if they were in the UK or Germany or Japan I'd spread some advertising dollars there, too. You could also argue that I could DRAW new collectors if I spent ad money there.. but a girl has to tighten the purse strings somewhere. The kids have got to eat and have shoes!
Some years I take a few months off advertising to "catch up" because it isn't easy to afford. But I think it's an important contribution and worth the chafe and really, it does help your business tremendously, so I do it whenever possible. And yes, even though it pinches to spend so much, the prices really are very low compared to other publications.
You folks could also consider placing a collective ad. For a nominal contribution from each party, many individual bear artists could appear in a single, larger ad, with fees lower than you might expect for such a big appearance due to the sharing of costs across parties. Just a thought. Sometimes really nice people with graphic design skills might even offer their help in getting such an ad developed...
Melbourne, AustraliaYou folks could also consider placing a collective ad. For a nominal contribution from each party, many individual bear artists could appear in a single, larger ad, with fees lower than you might expect for such a big appearance due to the sharing of costs across parties. Just a thought. Sometimes really nice people with graphic design skills might even offer their help in getting such an ad developed...
Thanks for this great suggestion Shelli ... this could be an answer for those on tight budgets or those just beginning to build their businesses ... provided it's acceptable by the magazines.
I've seen those ads in the past 1/3 vertical ad with 3 artists... using a simple photo of each one of their bears, contact info and price.
Hugz,
Laura
Melbourne, Australia Thanks for that Laura ... I wasn't sure if it would be okay or not.
I remember a collective group of artists way back in the early 90s doing collective ads - from memory it was a full page ad and each issue they'd have something new.
I would totally subscribe to a couple of mags if I could pay quarterly as $$ are the crucial factor for me in both subscribing and taking out advertising. I did take out a sub to an overseas mag but got so frustrated at how long it took to ship (3 months!) and in no wrapper so by the time it travelled halfway round the world it was ripped. As it cost me about $200 for one year, I was very disillusioned.
I agree with Daphne and Paula that we artists need to pull our socks up too (they said it a bit nicer than that 
) I for one have been pricing a new camera and seriously looking at what I can do to improve photos so I can have a remote chance of getting into the mags. It's going to take me a few months and a few bear sales to save for it but it's at least a start....right off to make bears so it can happen sooner rather than later!
Seamore CollectiblesLove all the imput everyone has contributed on this issue.
I will from now on take my used copies to my office and leave them in the waiting room for our patients to see.
and yes remember to take off the address label.
I also like the idea of sharing an add, to make it more affordable.
