IS Decor still relevant?

[tnframer408]

OK Marc, you wanted it so here goes:

In my back room I have four years' back issues of Decor. Seems to me the tenor or tone of the mag has changed recently.

It's vapid, to say the least.

Used to have hard hitting, highly factual "how to do it" stuff. Things we as framers in that vast majority of $100M-300M income stores could use.

Now, it seems like an advertorial for suppliers and showcasing high end galleries.

Is this my imagination, or has the tone of the mag changed???

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Michael LeCompte CPF
The Great Frame Up

[Jim Miller]

Probably most of us have seen a difference in DECOR in 2001. But I think it is likely that DECOR will regain its stature quickly.

In the past year their publication has undergone a complete change of ownership, management and staff. And the forced cancellation of the Atlanta show in September, one of DECOR's most important annual events, had to be a terrible experience -- especially since it was the first major show for most of the DECOR organizers.

The new management and staff are experienced professionals, but it is a brand new publication in many ways. I vote we give them encouragement and some time to get on their feet.

[Framar]

This is a topic which I often ponder, and it is a concern of all magazines, not just Decor. I have a collection of Decors that go back to the seventies, and every once in a while I make an attempt to cut out and file articles for future consultaion. I have file folders like gilding, store design, matting, shadowboxes, etc. When I redid my store a few years ago my files and the magazines were quite helpful.

However, again like all magazines, there are only so many new techniques so the magazine has to balance between newbie readers and the more experienced, whether we are talking about Catfancy or Rubberstampmadness or Decor. How many times can you find new ways to describe how to introduce a new kitten to your old dog, or how to make a pop-up card, or how to dry-mount.

I guess a lot of it comes down to new products, new moulding designs, new information on conservation, that sort of thing.

I have sometimes wished there were TWO Decors, one for "galleries" and one for "framers." I enjoy looking at SOME of the "art" offered but most of it is same old same old.

But a Decor for framers only might just be PFM with glossy photos.

You wanted our thought, these are a few of mine.

I have always thought that a subscription to National Geographic should come with a "buy-back" guarantee, or a recycling clause. I have my dad's and my grandmother's Geos and I am running out of room. Like Decor, they are too nice to throw away and too numerous to keep. Now if someone could come up with a plan to use old magazines as house insulation......

What do YOU do with your old framing magazines???????

[Marc Lzier]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tnframer408:
It seems to me the tenor or tone of the mag has changed recently. Is this my imagination, or has the tone of the mag changed???

It's vapid, to say the least. It used to have hard hitting, highly factual "how to do it" stuff. Things we as framers in that vast majority of $100M-300M income stores could use. And now, it seems like an advertorial for suppliers and showcasing high end galleries.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would agree that over time content has changed. However, I feel it is now in an upswing.

Since John has stepped in I have noticed the "vapid" factor has been lacking. The Content and Style is substantially different than just 2 years ago.

There is a reason there were many "flat" articles. It is because they are easy to do.
John is doing his best to not take the easy way out.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Framar:
I guess a lot of it comes down to new products, new moulding designs, new information on conservation, that sort of thing.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In all the trade mags I read the ads as much as the articles.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Framar:
What do YOU do with your old framing magazines???????<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have been learning to let go.

[Bob Carter]

I agree with Jim's assessment. I think John is very focused on making it a better pub. I have always been a critic of most trade mags similar to Mike's concern. And I think the best way to keep the pot churning is to voice these concerns.

But I do think the people I have come in contact with are doing the best they can with a magazine that has only 25,000 subscriptions. And I think that perspective helps me understand the problem better. Like that chicken or egg thing, if they had a larger subscription base, they would have more advertisers, have more articles, have better writers....Then if they had more articles, better writers, they would have more subscribers...Well, you get the drift. But we probably are getting our monies worth and I really think they are doing a lot with a little.

But I would like to see improvement, also.

[Jana]

I've been reading both Decor and Picture Framing Magazine for about six years, and I still thoroughly enjoy reading them and always look forward to seeing the new issues. I think they are informative on many levels (and that includes the ads). I respect the fact that it takes a lot of time and energy to compile the articles and pictures and to design the layout, not to mention the printing and mailing.

I should explain that I am a magazine junkie. It started with Jack and Jill, Calling All Girls, and McCall's (mostly for the paper dolls) when I was a kid.

I'm always borrowing piles of back issues of magazines from the library, because when I subscribe to them I have a very difficult time throwing them away!

[johntaff]

Vapid? Vapid?

Hmmm...I'll have to ponder that for a while and cool off.

As to changes in the magazine over the last 9 months, there have been many, and thanks to Marc and Jim and Bob for noticing and sticking up for us. We have gone through some personnel changes over the last year, but I've been in art & framing for 10 years now, so I feel that I've got somewhat of a handle on it.

I hope that the changes we're making with DECOR will be well received. We realize that art and framing are our bread and butter...with a healthy dose of marketing and business...but one of the things we really felt was missing from DECOR was a design element.

In other words, how do the colors and styles and trends you see elsewhere affect what you're going to be framing and how you'll be framing it? Too often, we look at our industry as this vacuum-sealed island where nothing affects us and we affect nothing, which is certainly not the case. So, you'll see some more of this in the magazine--watch our for January 02. You'll get it in spades in this issue.

Other changes? New columnists, shorter, tighter more focused articles, more business stuff, more technicals, etc. And more coming.

Vapid. DECOR? Dear Lord, I don't think so. But let me know what you want to read, and we'll get it into the magazine. We're not producing this simply because we like it. We want it to be useful.

John Taff
Editor
DECOR

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