The demise of the hard copy decor magazine

My sister sent me a link to this article in the Washington Post. It's pretty much what I've already written here or linked to but with more statistics and $$ numbers.

I'd like to add though that even though Design Blogs are great, many of them would not exist if not for the print magazines that so many images are pulled from. I also don't really like being tied to watching a computer screen all the time.

So, we still need those mags.

Big Time.

OK, I can't keep my mouth shut

Mary Englebreit's Home Companion is no more. REALLY.

This has got to be the saddest magazine cancellation yet. I never saw anything about this cancellation anywhere. I just happened to notice it mentioned in a comment about the closing of Domino on A Cup of Joe. So, I immediately went to their website and found this:

Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine is no longer published. The Dec/Jan 2009 issue was its last. Subscribers with issues remaining on their subscription term will receive Martha Stewart Living as a replacement. All Home Companion readers should have received notification via US Mail by February 1.

Do you see that readers would receive notice by February 1?

Today is January 30 and the website is already gone...just some black Times New Roman text on a white page.

This website was great, with great photos, projects, and resources. All gone without a whisper.


P.S.
Don't you hate how the magazine websites never acknowledge that they are closing or canceled? If you go there they still have that "link to subscribe" button prominently displayed on the page. Couldn't they at least post their official press release up there or something? What do you think?

Image: My own saved 2002 issue.

I Have Nothing to Say

Domino to Close, Women's Wear Daily

Domino Magazine to Fold, The Huffington Post

Domino is Dead, Gawker.com

Uh oh!

I just found out my subscription to Domino has expired. I forgot it was a gift subscription from years ago. You know what that means....

I am thinking of doing a double subscription with Lucky magazine. Now, I don't want to be responsible for anything here. Should I take the chance?

Can less money be a good thing?

I want to direct you to an excellent article at the B.E.L.T. blog. I check out this blog whenever I want to know what archetectural gems are still in St. Louis or which ones are in danger of demolition. I visited St. Louis a few years ago and had a strong feeling that I should move there eventually. So this blog keeps my hope up that the city will still be as beautiful and as tied to it's history as I remember. I still have a few years before I get to move anyway.

This specific article examines the results of that cities' foreclosures and some thoughts on its future; read it here.

My favorite bit of the article is this:

"Economic downturn is preservation’s best friend. When developers lose access to loans, they stop eyeing buildings for demolition."

That's one way to pull a positive out of a negative, isn't it?

I SWEAR I didn't do it!

On November 20, 2008, I wrote the following as part of a series of rants on how all the magazines I like tend to go out of business:

Well, here's a warning to Country Home.

I love you and I will try my hardest not to get a subscription to you, but you are about the only one left out there.

So please take care of yourself, ok?

I swear I didn't get that subscription! But I think I must have some kind of power because I read on This Young House that Country Home has just been CANCELED!

(1984-2009)

In the New York Times story announcing the cancellation it states that the magazine with a circulation of almost 1.3 million had 25% fewer ad pages last year than in 2007. In addition, the magazine, in a way to keep circulation high started to charge subscribers less. According to the article: "In the first half of 2008, the most recent figures available, single-copy sales, usually at the full $4.95 cover price, were just 71,000, and subscribers paid an average of $1.05 an issue. Six years ago, Country Home had single-copy sales well over 200,000, and the average subscription price was $1.51 an issue". So, from this day forward, I will try to refrain from fawning* over any magazines on this blog, no matter how well ($$$) they seem to be doing or how long they have been in business. Because as Uncle Ben used to say to Peter Parker, "...with great power comes great responsibility". *See, it would be impossible to never mention them.

So, it's happening all over the world

I went to the website of New Zealand magazine, Your Home & Garden to put a link to their great projects on my blog when I noticed an announcement that they would be dismantling the website component of the magazine! If you remember, I mentioned the mag in this post.

So I'm giving you the link to their projects and to the excellent slideshow galleries. I suggest you go and check out everything there as soon as possible. Because unless you can afford the international subscription rate*, that will be the end of your acquaintance with this incredible magazine.

* One year (24 issues) = $49.95 subscription cost plus the $150.05 freight/shipping charge!