# Sad Day---End of Carsten's Publications



## Tom Parkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Carstens Publications you may be familiar with...
Railroad Model Craftsman, Railfan & Railroad, Flying Models

"It is with regret that Carstens Publicatons, Inc. will be closing permanently at close of business on Friday, August 22, 2014. Carstens Publications, Inc. has been a leading publisher of leading hobby magazines for over 50 years. Unfortunately the current economic climate has placed us in this position. Discussion is continuing with several parties who expressed desire to take on the continuance of the magazines. At this point there is still hope that all three titles will remain in existence. But I can offer no guarantees. We thank you for your patronage over the years, and wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. 

--Henry R. Carstens, President 
Carstens Publications, Inc."


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

This is indeed sad. I remember back in 1962 when I was 12 and I was looking at magazines in the local stationary store. There to my amazement was a magazine dedicated to a real hobby of model railroading. Clearly it was an adult hobby. That magazine was Railroad Model Craftsman. The pictures of scale models made my Lionel truly look like a toy. Soon after I also discovered Model Railroader magazine. The die was cast. A couple of years later it was out with the Lionel (to some later regret) and in with HO.
Thank you RMC for 52 years of enjoyment.

p.s. I was always suspicious when recently the issues started arriving later and later. Just got the June issue last week. I think it was blamed on issues finding a new printer. If it were only that simple.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Here's one way to look at it: 52 = more than half a CENTURY!!

Think of how different this world was, half a century ago. Amazing that any product started by one person could last so long.

JackM


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

I pass this along in the FWIW category. This particular post came from the B&O yahoo group.
========
A slight bit of additional information. Pretty much everything you've read about the printer change etc., is all true, but it doesn't draw the complete picture. Allow me to fill in the blanks a little bit.

Any business owner will tell you, it is all about cash flow. You may have all the sales you can handle, but if you don't get the money in the door in a timely and steady manner, you are going to have issues. And that has been the case at Carstens for some time. We have been on a "pay to play" deal with our printer for years…We'd send the mag and the money to print it…then we'd send the money for postage and they'd mail it. And these were not insignificant dollar amounts.

>From 2008 on, as the recession kept going, people kept losing their jobs or taking work that paid less, our sales diminished also. We had increases in the book line, primarily due to the On30 and then the HOn3 Annuals, and our ad revenue stayed pretty steady. But over time, the cash coming in, and the frequency of it inched downward. Our costs (payroll, taxes, printing costs, mailing costs etc.) kept going up, and in the case of mailing, significantly so.

When Super Storm Sandy hit, we were out of power for 10 days (no phones, no computers) and we counted ourselves lucky compared to some on the east coast. But there was basically a half month that we could not generate any revenue, and of course many folks on the east coast couldn't buy from us if they wanted to because they didn't have power or were dealing with flooding issues. Then we had the polar vortex and the winter that would not end, and had many of the same issues. Those hurt our cash to the point where we were missing print windows because we didn't have enough cash to print, and we had to delay. That delay hurt subscriber confidence and you can see the death spiral picking up steam. There were any number of things that you could point to, but Quad Graphics (our printer in St. Cloud for the last 15-16 years) making the decision to shut the St. Cloud plant down and move us (and they let all the people we'd worked with go) and put us with a new
plant and new people, that was basically the end. We had very little money coming in, and with the delay, small prospects of any coming in. We scrapped enough up to do the June and get it out, but the July will never see the light of day as a Carstens product.

Now two companies are bidding to buy RMC & Railfan, and so they will continue in the future in some form. What that looks like I don't know. The Annuals future is somewhat more vague. It is my hope and certainly my intent to continue to serve as the editor and bring those out, but that decision is mostly out of my hands at this point. My last official day with Carstens is Friday.

I don't want anyone to feel bad for me, I will be just fine and it was my pleasure to serve the model railroad community and especially the narrow gauge community as a member of Carstens. God willing, I will be able to continue to do so in some other form, but I likely won't know what that might look like for at least another week or so, and likely longer.

All the best,

Chris Lane- Editor On30 Annual
[email protected]
http://www.on30annual.com/​


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

The hobby store where I work had one copy of the June issue left, so I bought it this morning. Hope it is not the end of the line, but at least I have a copy of the final issue if it is.

Hope someone does "pick up the flag."

Yours,
David Meashey


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## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

Having seen this thread yesterday, it's the first I found out about Carsten's unfortunate closing. I have subscribed to Railfan & Railroad for a long time and like it very much. 

In fact, I had sent a subscription renewal check on July 2, 2014 for $37.95 - which was bank processed on July 8, and it appears no chance of reimbursement for my renewal. I called their customer service phone today (888) 526-5365 and it just rings & rings!

Caveat emptor,
-Ted


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Some good news. I was just looking at the RMC site and it looks like
White River Productions has acquired both RMC and Railfan & Railroad. All
subscriptions will be honored!

http://www.modelrailroadnews.com/PDF/WRP-Press_Release_140829.pdf


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

> *RMC and R&R are back - White River new publisher*




http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/19098

*
*


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## bruce a m (Jan 2, 2008)

My Hobby shop still has the last copy of the magazines for sale


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