I feel bad that I'm the one breaking this news, but the price of NSU is going up with the Oct/Nov issue.
So, if you subscribe it might be a good time to renew.
If you pick it up at a LCS or bookstore, be aware that it's coming with the issue shipping in September.
I'll have the last few issues at the shows in Chicago and Philly. But with my scaling back on travel shows, this is definitely going to make me think long and hard about my commitment going forward.
Well that's not good news, but hardly unexpected. The NY Daily News costs $3 a day without a subscription now and it's got like 25 pages for the whole thing. Once most advertisers left print publications, the actual circulation numbers weren't enough to cover expenses for them. They cut back and then cut out. I used to subscribe to about a total of 7 weekly, monthly, and semi-monthly magazines and papers. Now I get NSU, the others went online or closed down altogether.
So I would suggest that non-sport card collectors and readers subscribe to NSU. Unless you have trouble getting your mail, it will be cheaper than the new price and you won't have to hunt around for it. It's not like there is anything else, so try to preserve what we can, as long as we can.
July 03, 2023, 08:35 PM
Heroes For Hire
I hope it’s cheaper than the $9.99 like the other Beckett publications
July 04, 2023, 01:54 AM
catskilleagle
I'll keep buying it at Barnes & Noble. I want to encourage the chain to continue carrying it. NSU needs impulse buyers and there won't be enough of them if you can only find it in some comic shops/hobby stores and maybe at a collectibles show. The last time I was at a Books-A-Million store, it was still on the rack.
quote:
Originally posted by Raven: Well that's not good news, but hardly unexpected. The NY Daily News costs $3 a day without a subscription now and it's got like 25 pages for the whole thing. Once most advertisers left print publications, the actual circulation numbers weren't enough to cover expenses for them. They cut back and then cut out. I used to subscribe to about a total of 7 weekly, monthly, and semi-monthly magazines and papers. Now I get NSU, the others went online or closed down altogether.
So I would suggest that non-sport card collectors and readers subscribe to NSU. Unless you have trouble getting your mail, it will be cheaper than the new price and you won't have to hunt around for it. It's not like there is anything else, so try to preserve what we can, as long as we can.
July 04, 2023, 01:58 AM
catskilleagle
I think the price will bump up 50 cents or maybe a buck. I hope they add some pages, but as Raven indicated. $6.99 isn't bad for a magazine focusing on trading cards and bagged with at least one exclusive promo.
quote:
Originally posted by Heroes For Hire: I hope it’s cheaper than the $9.99 like the other Beckett publications
July 04, 2023, 08:55 AM
wolfie
At least you can buy it in America, i have not seen a copy for sale in the UK for years and the cost of subscribing and having it posted to the UK would make your head spin.
____________________ Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
July 04, 2023, 03:39 PM
aeolus14ummbra
I just saw the next issue for sale from an online dealer and the cover price is now $8.99 - pretty hefty increase without a corresponding increase in content.
July 04, 2023, 03:52 PM
Raj
quote:
Originally posted by wolfie: At least you can buy it in America, i have not seen a copy for sale in the UK for years and the cost of subscribing and having it posted to the UK would make your head spin.
There are couple of comic shops in Wolverhamption that should be able to order it for you from Diamond UK. You might have to set up a standing order for a non-standard item, though. I don't know what the prices are these days but it might work out cheaper than subscribing.
July 05, 2023, 03:48 AM
hammer
quote:
Originally posted by aeolus14ummbra: I just saw the next issue for sale from an online dealer and the cover price is now $8.99 - pretty hefty increase without a corresponding increase in content.
There has been no increase for a number of years. I'm sure the price of paper/ink/production/distribution have all increased, had they increased costs by 50cents/$ a year we wouldn't have noticed but a straight 50% increase is a bit of a shock!!
July 05, 2023, 09:19 AM
wolfie
quote:
Originally posted by Raj:
There are couple of comic shops in Wolverhamption that should be able to order it for you from Diamond UK. You might have to set up a standing order for a non-standard item, though. I don't know what the prices are these days but it might work out cheaper than subscribing.
Thanks Raj.
____________________ Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
July 05, 2023, 10:39 AM
Raven
NSU used to cost $5.99 on the stand. Not sure about Beckett's other card and gaming magazines, but Heroes said $9.99 above. I do know that those are monthly issues as compared to NSU's bi-monthly schedule. So it's half the number of issues to make any money on right there.
So yes, it's a 50% increase, but the base price was less than the market as it was, and I'm pretty glad that Beckett is still publishing NSU. That was probably the other option, so just be happy with it as it stands.
July 05, 2023, 11:44 AM
wolfie
I think it should stop being a physical magazine and just be an online mag aligned with this website.
Just a thought.
____________________ Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
July 06, 2023, 10:55 AM
hammer
quote:
Originally posted by wolfie: I think it should stop being a physical magazine and just be an online mag aligned with this website.
Just a thought.
You can get a digital version, without the promo cards
July 06, 2023, 01:18 PM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by hammer:
I believe the new price is $8.99, which is reflected in the new subscription price $53.94 before discount
An annual subscription with domestic mailing was $26.95, so basically a discount of $1.50 per issue or $4.49 each. If that holds true to the increase, I would expect an annual subscription after the price change to be around $45.00.
Considering that there is individual address shipping costs involved also, well what much can you say, unless the subscription turns out to be a lot more than $45.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,
July 06, 2023, 02:25 PM
catskilleagle
I hope it continues to be a physical magazine for as long as it can.
Some people still like holding on to something real. I still buy actual books. I don't like those readers. The reader needs a battery and it needs to be recharged every day. A book that exists in space doesn't need a battery.
quote:
Originally posted by wolfie: I think it should stop being a physical magazine and just be an online mag aligned with this website.
Just a thought.
July 06, 2023, 02:55 PM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by catskilleagle: I hope it continues to be a physical magazine for as long as it can.
[/QUOTE]
It's in the nature of any kind of collector to want the physical item, even when it overruns the house.
But I have seen what some people leave on their smart phones and computers. Thousands of text messages and photos clogging up the save box until capacity has been reached. Than they have to delete something, but while they have it they don't look at it or can even find it if they tried, most of the time.
Strangely enough my digital files are just the opposite. I keep practically nothing. I can't wait to delete messages and emails and photos of dinner food plates. I don't know what that means, except that I feel no attachment to it once it's looked at or read.
July 06, 2023, 03:14 PM
H_Toser
Hi All:
Yes, our cover and subscription rates are going up. We have been due for a price increase for some time -- our cover price has been at $5.99 since the Feb/Mar '09 issue.
As Hammer pointed out above, had we slowly increased these rates every 3 or 4 years, the cover rate increase would not have been as dramatic. But couple the need for an increase with all added costs since the pandemic (paper, printing, packaging, shipping, etc.), it was definitely due. Our one-year U.S. subscription rate will be $37.95 (lower with longer term subscriptions). Subscriptions to Canada, Mexico, and overseas will be $55.95
I have gone a little bit better, in that I don't have a phone but I do have a laptop that has lots of photos of cards, holidays in Switzerland and family history with the majority being looked through fairly frequently. In addition I do have a physical collection of cards, which must total many thousands as I have over three hundred albums most of which are nearly full. The laptop also has many documents and I have a couple of hard disc drives that I use for back up storage.
Plus of course every issue of NSU.
I know of a couple of card collectors that bought the house next door purely to keep their cards in.
regards
John
____________________
July 06, 2023, 05:49 PM
Raven
John, I think we collect very different cards, as I am focused on certified autograph cards, which is a fairly recent development in comparison to your vintage card collection. You are much more the expert than I and I'm sure your collection is close to museum worthy. I wouldn't know where to keep 300 binders, but buying a house is definitely out.
I do have to save files to keep my stuff organized though and remind me of what is there. For some stupid reason known only to me apparently, I dislike cloud back-up or multiple drives or automatic syncing. Go figure.
Anyway, high speed USB flash drives have always worked well enough as back up for me and it even makes for another collection.
July 06, 2023, 05:54 PM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by H_Toser: Our one-year U.S. subscription rate will be $37.95 (lower with longer term subscriptions). Subscriptions to Canada, Mexico, and overseas will be $55.95.
