AMCA Magazine Reduced to Four Issues from Six

[Spag]

The AMCA Board decided recently, for fiscal reasons, to reduce the AMCA magazine from six issues per year to four. Increased production costs and reduction in advertising revenue were cited as the reason for the reduction. A more detailed explanation was spelled out in the recent November/December issue of the magazine.

Although this Forum has limited participation compared to the 14,000+ AMCA members, it would be interesting to see how Forum members view the reduction in the number of published magazines.

Questions for consideration and respectful comment:

1) Do you believe the magazine is the most important benefit of your membership for which you pay dues?

2) Before the Board reduced the number of magazines per year, should the membership have been surveyed to determine if members would agree to a $10.00 increase in dues from $49/yr to $59/yr (USA membership) to help offset increased production costs and reduced advertising revenue?


3) Would you pay $10.00 more in dues to keep receiving six issues of the magazine?


4) Does it matter to you that the magazine will only be published four times a year now?


5) Was reducing the number of magazines by two issues (a previous benefit for the membership) a fiscally sound decision by the Board?

I think everyone understands there are fixed expenses and inflation that the Board can’t control. Some expenses can only be reduced so far. The AMCA Board and other social organizations are faced with the same fiscal challenges. Is a reduction in benefits the only practical way for these organizations to survive?


Richard

[otis71]

It was stated that the volume would increase. If that is the case and the amount of content stays the same just divided by four instead of six it seems like it’s a prudent move. I have my doubts but time will tell.

[BigLakeBob]

A survey would have been interesting, but in the past it seems like most are against a due increase. I've been a member since the mid 90's and the majority of that time it was always 4 issues. I feel 4 is just fine and keep the dues the same. But, if a paper copy was totally eliminated and went to digital only, I would pay more for the paper.

[Skirted]

Replies in red

The AMCA Board decided recently, for fiscal reasons, to reduce the AMCA magazine from six issues per year to four. Increased production costs and reduction in advertising revenue were cited as the reason for the reduction. A more detailed explanation was spelled out in the recent November/December issue of the magazine.

Although this Forum has limited participation compared to the 14,000+ AMCA members, it would be interesting to see how Forum members view the reduction in the number of published magazines.

Questions for consideration and respectful comment:

1) Do you believe the magazine is the most important benefit of your membership for which you pay dues? It ranks high, but equally so do swap meets, national road runs and chapter events. If I ever reach a point where I can't ride or travel to events, the magazine would be priority but can't say if 4 or 6/yr would matter. It takes tremendous effort and cost to publish and mail a high quality magazine like we have in todays world which is why so many club and hobby magazines have been reduced or even eliminated.

2) Before the Board reduced the number of magazines per year, should the membership have been surveyed to determine if members would agree to a $10.00 increase in dues from $49/yr to $59/yr (USA membership) to help offset increased production costs and reduced advertising revenue? Probably not as the surveys themselves cost money and time.


3) Would you pay $10.00 more in dues to keep receiving six issues of the magazine? Without any question, NO.


4) Does it matter to you that the magazine will only be published four times a year now? It was 4 times a year when I joined and that was fine. Having more content per issue will help counter reduced issues.

5) Was reducing the number of magazines by two issues (a previous benefit for the membership) a fiscally sound decision by the Board? Yes

I think everyone understands there are fixed expenses and inflation that the Board can’t control. Some expenses can only be reduced so far. The AMCA Board and other social organizations are faced with the same fiscal challenges. Is a reduction in benefits the only practical way for these organizations to survive?
While the magazine is the subject of reduction, the efforts made in recent years to improve "boots-on-the-ground" benefits like swap meets, national road runs, and promoting chapter involvement are positive. Plus the huge effort in creating the Vintage M/C Library and archived past issues more than makes up for issue reduction when it comes to benefits.
Richard

[joe fxs fxr]

I'm of the same mind, 4 bigger issues is just as good as 6 smaller ones. I usually have a backlog of magazines in my 'library' anyways. FWIW, Harley's Enthusiast magazine just went to only one issue per year! And it's still 90% worthless dribble.

[exeric]

I'll miss 6 issues per year and I would gladly pay $10.00 more per year to keep it at 6. However, I'll support anything required to keep the AMCA healthy so if the 'Antique Motorcycle' goes to 4 issues per year for the good of the club, that works for me.

[Saddletramp]

Heck with it. I would gladly pay you on Tuesday for a burger today. Oh, I mean an extra 10 or more for the same mags we have. I vote for that.

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

I was told there would be refreshments.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Our club has lost $125,000 over the past two fiscal years. go look it up. It’s in our archives.

The p&l statements make it clear we are losing money due to the magazine. . .and judging program. The cost of the magazine continues to explode and indeed, we can’t sell enough advertising to even break even. I publish a quarterly mag in my professional life, there are tons of reasons for these costs beyond control of amca.

the judging program, however, is controllable and the club strongly supplements the short fall. It is a roughly 2:1 or 3:1 loss depending on the year. Simply upping the judging fees could eliminate that loss and slow the bleed on the magazine. Not to mention you can make a print magazine opt in, whic( will become more and more viable as club member demographics change.

oh, and we apparently have more than $400,000 in assets. . .

and then notice we keep talking about 14000 members but print 11500 magazines. Our “growth” is mostly in the add on family member. So while our numbers are bigger, the associated revenue is not there.

Poll the members all you want. . .

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

I was thinking. Those Jap bike & Evo riding members are looking pretty good right about now. At least their revenue is. Might be the only hope for this club. If millionaires can only afford the high end American bikes in the future and each one owns 100 antique bikes but only represents 1 membership.....well...that's bad math for the future of the club.

[micmac]

1) Do you believe the magazine is the most important benefit of your membership for which you pay dues?

Living in a rural area such as I do, I generally only get to two swaps a year. I feel connected when the magazine arrives. I really enjoy the magazine when there are articles pertaining to American Motorcycles (Just my preference) . Yes, I do consider it the most important.

2) Before the Board reduced the number of magazines per year, should the membership have been surveyed to determine if members would agree to a $10.00 increase in dues from $49/yr to $59/yr (USA membership) to help offset increased production costs and reduced advertising revenue?

Yes, but in my observations I have realized the board generally operates independently with little elicited input from the membership.


3) Would you pay $10.00 more in dues to keep receiving six issues of the magazine?

Yes, of course.


4) Does it matter to you that the magazine will only be published four times a year now?

Yes, I have cited reasons above.


5) Was reducing the number of magazines by two issues (a previous benefit for the membership) a fiscally sound decision by the Board?

I might would search elsewhere to cut fat. Our magazine is a historical record odfour organization in a sense.

Thanks, Pete

[Jcadams]

I would pay the extra but not be happy about it. Every time you turn around the price of things go up. Four issues with a little more content each will be fine, if you think about it we’re lucky to get a magazine at all. Remember all the bike mags there used to be ? Not so much anymore.

[T. Cotten]

... Remember all the bike mags there used to be ? Not so much anymore.

With the internet, JC,

That was inevitable.

Its nice to hold hardcopy in your hands, but the economics dictate the club mag go virtual, or take the club down with it.

The judging system should have been digitalized a decade ago.

....Cotten

[Spag]

Interesting and insightful comments. No matter how the reduction of the magazine from six to four issues is viewed, it is a reduction in benefits to the membership in spite of the promise for more pages in the remaining issues.

The reason I first posed the question of surveying the membership before reducing the number of issues are the results of prior AMCA authorized surveys of the membership.
There have been two surveys in the last 12 years where the membership was asked from a series of choices what the members thought was the most important benefit of their AMCA membership.
Not surprising at the time of these surveys, the membership voted by a significant majority (I believe 70%) that the magazine was the most important benefit of their membership. If this percentage continues today if a new survey was taken, then a dues increase or other cost saving steps should have been considered before reducing the number of issues of the magazine. Or even asking the members if they would support a dues increase to keep six issues.

The comment that surveys are expensive is misplaced because the Club has many volunteers who are knowledgeable about membership surveys and statistical analysis. And membership surveys are done over the internet now and reach all members at minimal cost.

Skirted comments that the magazine ranks equally high with national swap meets, road runs and chapter events. But national meets are regional and attendance by most members is limited by travel distance. Road runs are limited in member attendance by participation limitations, facility capacities and location. And if you attend several road runs a year, you might see some of the same faces indicating a limited number of member participation. Chapter events are local and for chapter members. Yes, all these AMCA events are important to many members but none reach all the members like the magazine.

The magazine reaches all 14,000+ members including those who can’t travel to national meets, road runs or chapter events. I think this is the reason the majority of the membership list the magazine as the most important benefit.

Some members would not like to pay an additional $10 for six issues of the magazine. The unknown is would these members not renew their memberships if there was a dues increase just for the magazine? That’s a gamble any membership organization has to make. But that’s why surveys of the AMCA membership would help immensely in answering this question.

The comments about fiscal responsibility are spot on. The question for any membership organization Board is how to deliver the best benefits for the membership in a fiscally responsible way. Certainly not an easy job in today’s economy.

Regarding a digital magazine instead of print, perhaps at some point a digital magazine may be the only viable alternative for an AMCA magazine. I’m not sure we are at that point yet.

[exeric]

Go to any AMCA national meet, or shop on ebay and see how much inflation for any part for a 'golden-age' H-D, Indian, or Hen/Ex will set you back. We are in an esoteric hobby that went from Joe lunch box to pinky fingers up economics. An additional $10 is chump change for membership in a club that has been the touch stone for the antique motorcycle hobby. You're shi**ing me if an additional $10 is the breaking point for someone to be an AMCA member. Again, if the club has to go to 4 issues a year to be solvent then so-be-it; but CHEAP never looked good on anyone and you know in your heart that membership in the AMCA is well worth the dues, and a bargain at that.