Self-Starter Condition

[Brent Hladky #21519]

My last half dozen Self-Starters have shown up in the mailbox completely brutalized... cover and contents.  Is it just me, or has anyone else experienced the same lately?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

They used to fold mine, but after I complained to the local Post Office, it hasn't been a problem.

But, one thing that I did do was make a Letter Box with the opening large enough to fit large flat mail, as in magazine size, without folding.

Bruce.

PS.   Maybe the delivery person is a Lincoln Owner?

[R Schroeder]

The one I just got looked like it went through a shredder.

[StevenTuck]

AACA's "Antique Automobile" magazine is delivered polybagged. The polybag does protect the magazine but is an additional cost which the CLC must have decided not to incur.

AACA also produces a bi-monthly magazine. I always thought that would be a cost saving option for the club, then the polybag would not be much of an issue. I have been doing publication design and production for over 30 years, but who am I to say things should change .

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Mine have always arrived perfect. Probably a local problem.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Problems with delivery cannot be solved on the Forum. Please contact the CLC office or Steve Stewart, our Editor.

Suggestions on any matter can be addressed to our President, Lars Kneller. Anyone's experience of thirty years would most certainly be listened to at least. However, with the size that we have been publishing lately, I don't think that going to a Bi-monthly format would be the way to go.

We have enough overruns that if you get a messed up copy from time to time, contact Lars by e-mail (not phone) and he will get a new one to you. (If he gets too many contacts, you can bet that he will make sure that all issues get there in good shape. )

[Blade]

Mine are always in good condition.

[StevenTuck]

Problems with delivery cannot be solved on the Forum. Please contact the CLC office or Steve Stewart, our Editor.

Suggestions on any matter can be addressed to our President, Lars Kneller. Anyone's experience of thirty years would most certainly be listened to at least. However, with the size that we have been publishing lately, I don't think that going to a Bi-monthly format would be the way to go.

We have enough overruns that if you get a messed up copy from time to time, contact Lars by e-mail (not phone) and he will get a new one to you. (If he gets too many contacts, you can bet that he will make sure that all issues get there in good shape. )

Barry,

I assume when you mention size you mean the quantity printed per issue. I assume it is a high number which would be all more the reason to look at the cost savings of a bi-monthly issue. The club would not only save on the printing end but also on the mailing end with postage and time needed to mail each issue. I have noticed the club has not been in the black and this would certainly help with that.

[russ austin]

Problems with delivery cannot be solved on the Forum. Please contact the CLC office or Steve Stewart, our Editor.

We have enough overruns that if you get a messed up copy from time to time, contact Lars by e-mail (not phone) and he will get a new one to you. (If he gets too many contacts, you can bet that he will make sure that all issues get there in good shape. )

You just gave a solution to the problem.

[Jason Edge]

Mine are always in nice condition, but I know service can vary between postal regions and routes.  The August Issue is the Biggest Issue (literally) according to Tim Coy (SS art Director, 63/64 Chapter Member and of course on the cover of this month's issue) with 52 pages + the outer 6 page cover.  Just for comparison sake, I put the August 2013 issue on my digital scale and it weighed in at 6.4 oz, then put the August 1993 issues (28 pages) and it was only 3.5 oz.  Once you get beyond a certain weight range I know the shipping cost start creeping up.  Personally I think the outer covers generally add enough protection but again know that postal delivery varies. 

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I meant content, not numbers of copies. We just entered into a new five year contract with our present printer for less than what we presently pay, so I honestly doubt that any major change in the way the S/S is produced will occur any time soon. Also, you have some seven thousand other members that might not accept a radical change in when they receive their magazines.

We do also have a Publications committee. I am pretty certain that they are cognizant of the ins and outs of the publishing business. If you would like to become a member of this Committee to share your expertise, please contact the President. Volunteers are always needed in an organization like ours.

[Whit Otis, 1188]

Hey Brenty,

Did you do something to hack off your local postman?  Could be revenge for not giving him a bottle of wine at Christmas last year or something.

Whit

[StevenTuck]

I meant content, not numbers of copies. We just entered into a new five year contract with our present printer for less than what we presently pay, so I honestly doubt that any major change in the way the S/S is produced will occur any time soon. Also, you have some seven thousand other members that might not accept a radical change in when they receive their magazines.

We do also have a Publications committee. I am pretty certain that they are cognizant of the ins and outs of the publishing business. If you would like to become a member of this Committee to share your expertise, please contact the President. Volunteers are always needed in an organization like ours.

Barry,

It seems you and the publications committee have it covered. As I said earlier, who am I to say things should change.

[Art Director]

Polybags cost about 11 cents each, which would be another $700-plus per month in expense to the Club. They have been discussed before in Publications Committee meetings, and we find that the small number of magazines that are shredded each month do not justify the cost of going to polybags. We do polybag two issues a year already - the issue with the ballot booklet and the November-December issue, which also contains the directory.

Shredding is a local Post Office issue. All magazines are entered into the mail in bulk in Jefferson City, Mo., by a postal clerk that works in the printing plant.

Best to contact Mike and Nancy Book rather than Lars if you need a replacement magazine. They will fire one off in the mail to you right away.

As for monthly vs. bimonthly publication, The Self-Starter would fall further behind in reporting the news if we went to an every-other-month publishing schedule. It's not really less expensive to publish every other month, because the page count would double and so would the postage.

Tim