Poly-Bagging the Journal

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

One of my pet projects as an AAW board member has been to encourage non-AAW club members to join the AAW. A few people have actually questioned the need for more members. Here is just one small example of why additional members (additional financial strength) is a good thing. Several times over the past few years, I have read forum complaints by members regarding the physical condition of their journal after its journey through the US mail system. A year ago, I proposed that we start “poly-bagging†every issue (not just the fall issue). My proposal failed to be approved due to the extra cost (fiscal responsibility). A stronger bank balance would have probably made a difference. I am considering the renewal of my proposal once again, but before doing so, I thought that I’d ask for membership comments. I don’t have the time to set-up a formal survey, so as a way to gauge the importance of this issue, I ask this question. If it meant a $.30 increase in your annual dues would you vote to “poly-bag†every issue? (Note: don’t panic - there is no increase in dues being considered.)

 

[Ed_McDonnell]

It would be worth it to me.

Ed

 

[Keith Burns]

Definately worth it !!

 

[cybrdmn]

It's worth it!

 

[Charles Henderson]

I would think so

I just joined this year, and I got all the issues and resource directory at once in a box. That is except for the Fall Issue that came a day later in a polybag. I assumed that future issues would as well. I'm glad I have what I do in perfect condition.

In a way I'm disappointed to hear that they don't already, but still I would be happy to pay an extra $.30 to have it that way.

Charles Henderson

 

[Norm Smith]

Malcolm, I think that it is a great idea.

Could your question at this time be considered as campaigning?

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

Give us more issues, please

Malcom

I would rather have 6 issues per year with the polybag as a second priority. I suspect Carl and his crew would have no problem generating content.

My life forces me to be away from the lathe more than I like and the Journal satisfies the interest while I travel but once I have read a story 7 or 8 times it just ain't as exciting.

Frank

 

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Malcolm, I think that it is a great idea.

Could your question at this time be considered as campaigning?

Norm, I assume that by now, most members have already voted for board positions. In no way was I attempting to solict votes. The board meets in just a few weeks and I'm only looking for support (or rejection) for my proposal before that meeting.

 

[AnnHerbst]

Happy members leads to More members, more $

...Several times over the past few years, I have read forum complaints by members regarding the physical condition of their journal after its journey through the US mail system. A year ago, I proposed that we start “poly-bagging†every issue (not just the fall issue). My proposal failed to be approved due to the extra cost (fiscal responsibility). ...

Mangled journal , more money from us :mad:

Nice journal :cool2:, more money from us

 

[Brodie Brickey]

Malcolm,

Like Frank, I'd place a greater priority on 6 issues a year, but would pay for the poly bagging.

 

[John Martin Jr.]

Malcolm ,

I am with Frank and Brodie on getting 6 issues as top priority then poly-bags. I would be okay with a little larger increase to get both.


John

 

[Norm Smith]

Malcolm, being tactful is not one of my qualities. Sorry if I offended you. I agree with some others. Six issues would be of benifit to all. It is the best magazine in the business.
However, I would like to see them enclosed in a paper envelope rather than plastic. We should be very concerned with enviorement issues.
Thanks,
Norm

 

[John Abt]

Malcom,

The poly bag is a great idea. I agree with the others that it would be worth a slight increase in dues for both the poly bag and a couple of additional issues per year.

 

[Hugh]

Malcom,
I vote to have the poly bag. I keep the issues after I have read them for reference later.

Norm - the plastic poly bag can and should be recycled. My wife collects
all the plastic bags and we deposit them at the grocery store - where they are recycled. I do not know the cost of recycling them though.

Hugh

 

[Ruth Niles]

I have to agree with Frank and Brodie, too. I'd love to receive 6 issues AND you'd be getting more money from us advertisers which is something to add to the equation.

As to the poly or paper bagging, please realize the post office may be at fault, too.

I send a lot of stoppers and there are a few areas that I've learned I have to almost double wrap because I get complaints of damaged envelopes (I use the flat-rate envelope with all edges taped), contents delivered in a baggie or the envelope has tire marks on it. Some postal employees might consider the poly wrapping a challenge! NOT ALL, not even a LOT but a few. There's one post office in IL that I'd love to talk to the Postmaster.

Ruth Niles
www.torne-lignum.com

 

[Barbara Gill]

Since the subject of people complaining about their magazines has surfaced again I am going to ask a question I have wondered about ever since reading about the first damaged or late magazine. First let me say my magazine has always arrived in good condition and I don't know if my magazine is late because I am so busy it is not something I obsess over. I am always delighted to find the new issue in my mail box.

If a magazine is damaged or late why is the AAW immediately held responsible? They are putting the magazine into the postal system, not delivering it themselves. If someone who does not have enough to do is interested, why don't they poll all members and geographically map the areas with the most trouble. Then they could spend some of their time lobbying for better postal service in those areas.

Malcom, to answer your question, I really don't care if the magazine is bagged or not except for the fact that maybe some of the every issue complainers would find something not AAW related to complain about.

 

[Eric]

Yes Poly-bag the AW

OK I admit it I have written in about the condition of the AW.
I receive a variety of magazines and catalogs and can tell you that poly-bagged products arrive in good condition where as unprotected magazines are often dog-eared or have torn covers or both. I have talked to my mail carrier about this problem and he indicated it has something to do with the direction the magazine is facing when it moves through and emerges from the sorting equipment, the speed of the equipment and the equipment maintenance. When poly-bagged, pages can not blow open and get caught up. Have you tried printing the address label on the back cover? Maybe that would change the direction of travel through the equipment, i.e. binder first as opposed to pages first.
Do an experiment, take a poly-bagged and a unbagged magazine for a ride in your car. Hold the unbagged magazine out the window and rotate it in various directions in the wind to see how it responds. Then do the same with the poly-bagged magazine. The results will be clear, the poly-bagged magazine travels as a single unit, or package, regardless of the direction it faces.

SWMBO just cam in with the mail and has a Poly-Bagged Macy's catalog that is in pristine shape - a catalog!!! which is trash!!! Why can't the AAW do better for it's members who pay dues??

I am retired and on a very limited income, but I would gladly pay for the extra service of a poly-bag. I keep all my AW's as a reference collection which I value.

I would also support an increase in dues for additional issues per year. The AAW should be able to raise enough in advertising to pay for both the poly-bags and additional issues.

 

[Vernon Oberle]

polybag = YES

I vote for bagging it and six issues. I like to have something to read and find new ideas. That is why I subscribe to Woodturning, a montly magazine. The little extra could not only benefit the readers but in the long run generate more revenue and members for the AAW.

Vernon

 

[Brian Hahn]

I'm with Barbara. I don't care if the magazine is bagged or not, but it would give the grumblers one less thing to moan about.

 

[hairfolicle2]

Bagging is not a big concern for me, but I would like to see more issues.

 

[Aaron G+11]

More issues would be nice, bag optional. No one seems to molest my AW seeing that I get it a month or so after everyone else. But that is a separate issue, which I am told by my postal friend, may be to when the printer ships them.

 

[Randy]

More issues would be nice, bag optional. No one seems to molest my AW seeing that I get it a month or so after everyone else. But that is a separate issue, which I am told by my postal friend, may be to when the printer ships them.

It might be that it takes your postal friend that long to read the magazine. Maybe if it was poly bagged you might get it sooner.

 

[blackhorse]

What Brodie said.

 

[Aaron G+11]

Hmmmm.... could be. He always seems to get "his" copy before mine.

 

[Ron Sardo]

Since the subject of people complaining about their magazines has surfaced again I am going to ask a question I have wondered about ever since reading about the first damaged or late magazine. First let me say my magazine has always arrived in good condition and I don't know if my magazine is late because I am so busy it is not something I obsess over. I am always delighted to find the new issue in my mail box.

If a magazine is damaged or late why is the AAW immediately held responsible? They are putting the magazine into the postal system, not delivering it themselves. If someone who does not have enough to do is interested, why don't they poll all members and geographically map the areas with the most trouble. Then they could spend some of their time lobbying for better postal service in those areas.

Malcom, to answer your question, I really don't care if the magazine is bagged or not except for the fact that maybe some of the every issue complainers would find something not AAW related to complain about.

Perfect Answer Barbara - I agree totally.

 

[Barry Elder]

Since the oil companies profit from any plastic, just to be obstinate, I would prefer a plain brown wrapper. This is just a thought, as none of my journals has ever arrived damaged. Might be late, but that's probably because someone is reading it before they deliver it. I don't mind that!

 

[hockenbery]

My recollection is the board voted against using a wrapper because our information was that the post office damages less than 2 to 5 Journals and issue and the expense was not justified.

This is based on the number of complaints/ request for replacement issues received by the AAW office.

I suspect some of our members are making do with a torn page or two and not asking for a new Journal.

How would we get an accurate count of all damaged Journals?

regards,
Al

 

[KurtB]

AAW Journal

I'm one of those that saves my subscriptions (I paid good money and they are a great reference), and I like them to be in primo condition. For some input, when my subscription to Woodsmith changed from plain to paper overwrap, (which can be from recycled paper), my magazines no longer had any damage to them. I would be willing to pay for either the overwrap or the polybag, but the overwrap might be more appealing to the majority of members. Great mag BTW!

 

[Mr. Don]

Poly Bag

Guess I was left out of the mix on the poly bag issue... for the first time, after much bitching, I got my first issue in a bag.. after dog-ears, watersoaked, etc. (yup, I think my mail carrier read it first!!!) and I was impressed!!! Now I can stash them in a safe place for my Grand-son and his buddies to drool all over in the future....thank you for going the extra mile to give us the quality we deserve.!!! PEE-ESS---- the quality of this mag is above all !!!! Good work!!!!

 

[Eric]

Replacements???

My recollection is the board voted against using a wrapper because our information was that the post office damages less than 2 to 5 Journals and issue and the expense was not justified.

This is based on the number of complaints/ request for replacement issues received by the AAW office.

I suspect some of our members are making do with a torn page or two and not asking for a new Journal.

How would we get an accurate count of all damaged Journals?

regards,
Al

It never occurred to me to request a replacement.... I just took what I received and made the best of it.

Can we send back our damaged copies for replacements? If we did, you would be able to see what is going on, and get a better count of how often we have problems.
Who do we call, what address should we use???

You know AW is a world class Journal when it's members care enough to provide constructive feedback, as opposed to those who don't care what we do.

A paper over cover is a great idea I get Shop Notes which comes with a over cover (is that the correct term??) and they mostly arrive in perfect shape.
And just think ! that idea offers more room for advertisers who could pay for the privilege to be the first thing we see. That's one outer cover page for AW and three for advertising. What a deal!!

To the AW staff - We love what your doing so much we will value you efforts for years to come. Thank you for your time , your skills and please give us more

With all our love, your fans

 

[Gil Jones]

I support poly-bagging or stiff paper bagging all of the AAW magazine issues, and the cost should be minimal to the members and our world. Six issues a year would also be nice, but who knows what that would cost.
Gil

 

[hockenbery]

Hi Eric and all.

If your journal issue is badly damaged you may call the AAW office. Usually they are able to send a replacement.


-Al

 

[Grapeguy]

I support poly bagging

More Issues would be nice but polybagging the existing issues is a more achievable goal. I would support dues increases to cover this issue. I have been the recipient of more than one "buggered" issue.

 

[Bob Boettcher]

I would be glad to pay for the bagging.

Bob