RG price

[SirClive]

VAT effects the cost of everything though indirectly , so although there's no VAT on the sale of the mag itself , the profit margin will be lower.

But it isn't just the sale price that is VAT free, the production is too. When I got the R3PLAY mag printed I didn't have to pay any VAT, same with the calendar (as it was a printed as a booklet) or Reunited programmes. Yes Imagine will be affected like others, but at a lower impact.

If the price does go up I doubt it will be due to the VAT rise, more likely other factors in the economic downturn.

[CraigGrannell]

Is it the newsagencies to blame for the high-ish price of RG, or the shipping-rates for this type of thing?

Middle-men, most likely. Distributors/importers/sellers. That said, shipping's not cheap.

Coincidentally, I mentioned RG to a colleague today and he reckoned it was very expensive at only a fiver!

But compared to what?

Find me another mag at that price with as much original, relevant and interesting written content - most of them are full of pictures.

Yup. Given the amount of editorial content RG has, I think it's great value. It's also one of the diminishing number of magazines where you get content that simply doesn't exist anywhere else (and often hasn't exited anywhere else before, ever).

[paranoid marvin]

When you consider that individually we pay Darran and the team £1 each a week to research,interview and spend how many sleepless nights slaving over a keyboard , intent on putting to paper something that retro gamers will enjoy. Us retro gamers are a hard bunch to please , and it only takes one or two slip-ups in the writer's research to find themselves hung out to dry. So not only do they have to eat breath and sleep retro gaming,not only do they have to be careful who they may offend by their opinions/criticism of genres/franchises , but they also have to write witty , interesting prose - all for a few pence per reader per month. THEN consider that as a subscriber we pay them even less AND that meagre amount also pays the postie to deliver it right to our doors.

The question should be how on earth is RG so ridiculously cheap!

[psj3809]

Exactly ! I cant believe some people think its expensive !

Its a niche magazine, get a lot of content, it couldnt survive if it was £2.99 or even £3.99

Funny thing is half these people buy these overpriced 40 quid X-Box games and then moan when Retro Gamers the price it is.

[Fred83]

You can expect to pay two to three quid more over here so consider yourselfs lucky .

[CraigGrannell]

Actually, people overseas might pay more if magazines aren't tax-exempt in their countries.

[rossi46]

Exactly ! I cant believe some people think its expensive!

My original post was asking if there was to be a price increase after the vat rise, in which case I'd consider a digital subscription. I actually think, in terms of quality content to filler ratio, the mag is fantastic value for money. Jesus you only need to flick through Mac or Linux Format to see an example of the attrocious opposite.
(Craig's stuff aside.. )

I didn't offer an opinion on whether I though RG was too expensive.

[kiwimike]

We pay 14.95 here in oz. It recently changed over the last 3 or so issues from 13.95.

14.95 is quite expensive for a magazine. Wish we had a UK-equivalent price.

edit1: currency converter tells me 5 pound is equivelant to 7.74au dollars.

so we're getting charged twice the price to have it sent to oz and put on shelves?
surely the cost to send it ain't that big.

***k just looked at delivery charges for Amazon UK, 1 book = 8.73 pounds to deliver to Australia.
that's like 10 bucks or so AU.
but surely RG is getting a much better deal on their shipping-rates than this?

Is it the newsagencies to blame for the high-ish price of RG, or the shipping-rates for this type of thing?
And even after the high-price of shipping, many copies I've inspected arrive damaged in some way.
It's hard to find an almost-unblemished copy of the magazine.

Not the newsagents IMO, blame the unseen distributers and middle-men. Believe it or not, we pay $22.90 in New Zealand for an issue. And it isn't even a current/airfrieghted issue, its a surface sent couple of months old one! I had no idea how much we were being screwed until I was on holiday in Australia and saw a newer issue for half our price! Sure, our dollar isn't worth as much, but with that much markup, someone, somewhere unseen is racking in a bit stack of profit. And I would put money on it not being either Imagine, or the retailer. It sucks.

Our dollar has recently fared well against the pound. If it hits 50p again I will immediately subscribe (like I've been meaning to for ages now anyway!).

[Timothy Lumsden]

you do get what you pay for - those sub £3 PS3 and 360 magazines are awful. RGs quality make it worth the cash.

Even if the newstand price goes up to £6, I hope subscribers don't get hit too hard next time around. Should be a good difference between the high street and subs price.

As a general trend, all magazines are expensive. But I guess as the Net has squeezed the market, they are something of 'luxury' item.

[rossi46]

you do get what you pay for - those sub £3 PS3 and 360 magazines are awful.

Really? I'm surprised to hear that. I can't comment on the PS3 titles, but i always thought 360 or 360 Gamer were full of content and well written. For a while now, I've subscribed to Gamerzines, which is free.

[thevulture]

Cancelled my subscription to Empire magazine (just seems to month after month of P.R cuttings and promotions), as found it very poor VFM...RG by contrast provides a fantastic read each and every month.Long may it continue.

[Megamixer]

£5 is cheap to me, mainly because I used to spend around £20 on Marvel comics a month before I stopped a few years back. Now I just buy RG and the odd issue of FHM.

[fozmcfc]

I'd be willing to pay £5.99 definately or to be tied into a subscription for a minimum term of say 12 months.

[paranoid marvin]

I hope whoever sets the price for RG isnt reading this thread!

[RetroMartin]

I think it's good value for money given the content of the magazine etc etc

Other magazines may cost like 4 quid but they tend to have terrible content, or very bias opinions (nintendo games getting 90%+ in a nintendo mag, shock horror!)

That said, VAT increase will barely affect people, and will probably affect you not at all or even LESS If you're smart. Cos when things go up, people tend to adapt, and they adapt so much that it tends to SAVE them money.

Less money each month? Switch to a cheaper brand of bread, buy some supermarket value products, don't buy so much chocolate or beer, give up fags, rent films instead of buying them, arrange specific nights out rather then an "every saturday" dealio. It's all very easy - i've actually been spending MORE on food each month and more on electricity to keep my heating on because i've been smart everywhere else - stuff does NOT stay switched on at walls, lights are kept off, heating is switched off here and there rather then permanently on etc etc. And I won't be recieving any more pay increases as I'm public sector so am now stuck with EXACTLY what I earn now for at least 2 or 3 years every month. I need to be smart!