hindle xiii Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 Has anyone ever done one of those magazine collections where you end up with a model ship or something? Or does anyone know of anyone to ever complete one? I feel like my childhood was peppered with these adverts on tv. The latest, at 34 years old, being a model car from Fast and Furious. First issue 99p, the other 109 issues are £9.99 each. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 The cumulative cost of these part-works is astronomical, and all you get over and above buying a decent model kit from a shop is a set of glossy magazines that may or may not be worth the dead trees they're printed on. Mind you, there was a jazz LP one a few years ago, and I did buy one of the discounted introductory issues for a copy of John Coltrane's Blue Train. Looking at the back, it is a Blue Note/Sony pressing with a small note saying it is licensed to d'Agostino (the magazine company) and it is an excellent job. The magazine was also sized to fit inside the record sleeve, which was a good idea. None of the other early, cheap ones were albums I wanted, though. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voteronniegibbs Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 (edited) . Edited August 3, 2023 by voteronniegibbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 I had a few records from the Sounds magazine in the 70s.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 I've done a lot of airfix and other model-making throughout my life and whenever I see these things advertised I immediately think, "why would I spend a grand on that, waiting a month at a time to get each tiny piece, spending £10 on a magazine and, say, a wheel of a spitfire, to have to wait 5 years to have every part when I could just buy the biggest and best airfix kit for about £50?" As far as I understand it, the makers of these things don't even produce every issue to start with. A lot of them say something like, '109 issues planned' in the smallprint of the ad and someone told me once that this is essentially if a certain number of people keep subscribed they will keep producing them but if they get to issue 50 or something and only a handful of people are still getting it they will stop producing it and you'll be left with a half finished spitfire and a £500 hole in your bank account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 12 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said: I've done a lot of airfix and other model-making throughout my life and whenever I see these things advertised I immediately think, "why would I spend a grand on that, waiting a month at a time to get each tiny piece, spending £10 on a magazine and, say, a wheel of a spitfire, to have to wait 5 years to have every part when I could just buy the biggest and best airfix kit for about £50?" As far as I understand it, the makers of these things don't even produce every issue to start with. A lot of them say something like, '109 issues planned' in the smallprint of the ad and someone told me once that this is essentially if a certain number of people keep subscribed they will keep producing them but if they get to issue 50 or something and only a handful of people are still getting it they will stop producing it and you'll be left with a half finished spitfire and a £500 hole in your bank account. Sounds about right. I think it was the model Spitfire one where I got the calculator out to check and worked out that it would be well north of £1,000 spent before you had an "Okay, I guess?" model Spitfire to call your own. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnM Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 Has anyone ever completed one of these models? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, voteronniegibbs said: I bought one copy, once. It was in the 90's, and IIRC it was the 1st issue at 99p, of a blues magazine that had a cd or cassette tape. The idea being that you bought umpteen subsequent issues at 3 or 4 quid to build the "exclusive" set. I didn't as I only wanted the JL Hooker tape and 99p was a bargain, but the rest is just a con. There was one advertised on tv for a plastic model of a Spitfire, if you bought all the issues it worked out at over a grand. I remember, as Mrs V wanted to know what I was shouting at the telly for.... this time. Oh, I remember the Blues one! I did buy a couple of individual issues, but as you're getting a complete CD in one go, it isn't anywhere near the nonsense that the model-building part-works are. I got a Gatemouth Brown album and (I think) an Albert Collins one. Edited August 28, 2021 by Futtocks 1 Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 5 hours ago, JohnM said: Has anyone ever completed one of these models? Those adverts always made me laugh . It showed someone finishing off the Bismarck or something … you can do it in only 5,000 issues as we take you through the history of naval warfare . First issue 10p and only 2.99 after that . I mean you can rebuild the bloody Bismarck for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17 stone giant Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 Maybe this is why all our major construction projects end up taking so long and costing so much. Build your own Crossrail. 99p first issue. £10m for the next 100 issues. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 35 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said: 99p first issue. £10m for the next 100 issues. This sounds almost like something from the expenses scandal. 99p of taxpayers money for the first issue of Busty Babes, £10m of taxpayers money for the next 100 issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 8 minutes ago, Johnoco said: I printed many of the D'Agostini publications. What was the ratio of copies printed for the discounted early issues to the later, full-price ones? Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henage Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 7 hours ago, Johnoco said: I can't honestly remember but the print run went down substantially over the months. But there was a hell of a lot of work from them at one point. A lot of 'learn to paint like Rembrandt' type mags in particular. I started watching Bob Ross on bbc4 ? From that some of my family entered into a Bob Ross paint off on a Saturday morning after Parkrun . Even had entries from Oz . I just copied Bobs paintings , got quite good at it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moorside roughyed Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 22 hours ago, henage said: I started watching Bob Ross on bbc4 ? From that some of my family entered into a Bob Ross paint off on a Saturday morning after Parkrun . Even had entries from Oz . I just copied Bobs paintings , got quite good at it . The wife loves Bob Ross, she watches him on iplayer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moorside roughyed Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I got into a series of magazines called "boxers". Really good magazine, each one on a particular fighter. Came with a video too, yes video. That's how long ago it was. First one 99p all others £4.99. Cost me a chuffing fortune. Majorly into boxing at the time, I was hooked on it. Ended up taking them to a charity shop as I didn't have room for them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 17 hours ago, moorside roughyed said: I got into a series of magazines called "boxers". Really good magazine, each one on a particular fighter. Came with a video too, yes video. That's how long ago it was. First one 99p all others £4.99. Cost me a chuffing fortune. Majorly into boxing at the time, I was hooked on it. Ended up taking them to a charity shop as I didn't have room for them. Seems like most of these things end up in a charity shop or some equivelant. I was at a carboot yesterday and saw several issues of a craft one I remember my mother had looked into getting and changed her mind. I guess the person who was selling them had also only got the first few and thought twice about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Ey up! Just been on tele now, build the Dodge Charger from Fast and Furious, first issue 99p, usual price £9.99, 110 issues. Ridiculous. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Warrior Dragon Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 On 28/08/2021 at 19:52, The Hallucinating Goose said: This sounds almost like something from the expenses scandal. 99p of taxpayers money for the first issue of Busty Babes, £10m of taxpayers money for the next 100 issues. Have you got a web link for Busty Babes, HG? I'm just asking for a friend - well, obviously...! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 34 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said: Have you got a web link for Busty Babes, HG? I'm just asking for a friend - well, obviously...! I don't think Mr. Drake would like me sharing links to such things Wiltshire..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 There's just been one on for Warhammer figurines. First issue £2.99, rest of them £8.99 each, 80 issues. If you're gonna spend that much on Warhammer you might as well just go down the shop and buy the figurines you want instead of hoping you get a good one with this each month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 11 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said: There's just been one on for Warhammer figurines. First issue £2.99, rest of them £8.99 each, 80 issues. If you're gonna spend that much on Warhammer you might as well just go down the shop and buy the figurines you want instead of hoping you get a good one with this each month. I have a couple of friends who are *very* into their Warhammer. Their disdain for that advert and its products can be seen from space. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerrumonside ref Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 I had a small collection of ready-made WW2 battleships in small scale collected this way. Unfortunately the detail wasn’t great on the subsequent ships I received and it was nothing like the satisfaction of completing a model yourself putting in research and painstaking effort. They got thrown in a house move eventually after sailing the seven seas of the loft for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 So the latest one of these has just been advertised... Build a model of an Eddie Stobart lorry, first issue £1.99, subsequent issues £9.99 a pop, total of 140 issues. Would be bloody cheaper to just go out and buy an actual lorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 14 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said: So the latest one of these has just been advertised... Build a model of an Eddie Stobart lorry, first issue £1.99, subsequent issues £9.99 a pop, total of 140 issues. Would be bloody cheaper to just go out and buy an actual lorry! There's a diecast Eddie Stobart model truck on Amazon for £30. If you bought 46 of those, not only would you have spent slightly less, but they'd all be properly assembled. 2 Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshmagpie Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Did one of these as a kid in the late nineties or very early noughties. It was to build a remote controlled robot, the robot itself was the same shape as a ladybird shell with a transparent outer. Did the first 4/5 issues to a point whereby it would move forwards and backwards until my electrician father took an interest in one of the mags and soon after the £9.99 price tag per issue. ”you won’t need 90 more issues mate!” I remember him telling me. By Sunday evening he’d as good as completed the ‘finished’ robot - it could turn right, left, go back and forth and light up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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