Have Dopers been getting their issues of Games–either at newsstands/stores or subscription–late? I’d been buying my copies lately at Borders, a large bookstore chain with a store in Torrance, CA. The last three issues have been late–and the current (September 2000), which should have gone on sale July 4 or 5, didn’t even get delivered to Borders until today! Is it just me, or have many among the Teeming Millions been receiving their issues late–and getting angry about it?
I get mine at Cody Books here in the Vancouver area. They call when it comes in to the branch store, which came up yesterday this month. That might be delayed as much as a week, but it’s still nothing like July 5.
Yep, mine have been coming late for several months now. I wouldn’t mind so much if they didn’t show up in newsstands FIRST; it seems like it’s only common courtesy to serve your regular customers before the commercial outlets.
I’ve been a loyal subscriber to Games ever since my eleventh birthday – that’s over 13 years, minus one rather lengthy hiatus when they went out of business temporarily. Seems to me that I deserve better. Oh well, I guess they know that the long-term subscribers are also the most addicted; while I’ve toyed with the idea of cancelling my subscription and telling them why, I also know I’d end up buying it at the newsstand and paying more. What are you gonna do?
Hah! I been getting GAMES since 1983. Neener neener.
Actually I’m missing an issue out of my current subscription but I’m too damn lazy to do anything about it. Another issue was extremely late - arrived about the same time as the subsequent issue. I may just pony up at the newsstands after it runs out; I know where I can get it around here and I don’t care too much about the price difference.
Look, you’re still getting the September issue in July.
(I never did understand why they do that. Is it so people will suckered into buying a two month old magazine if it sits on the rack long enough?)
In The MAD World of William M. Gaines, writer Frank Jacobs said Gaines dated his magazine–and others seem to have followed suit–two months ahead, to prod the newsdealer into removing any issue that seems even the slightest bit dated. Case in point: a March issue of Mad would look dated, not because of the date, but because of Christmas themes on the cover–if it’s still on the newsstand in January.
I’m subscribed to both Games and Games:WOP and both of them have been very sporadic in the past year. I went a couple months at the beginning of 2000 where I wasn’t getting either at all. One month I got both: mine and a neighbor’s copy. The address sticker had peeled up on one side and stuck hers to mine and the mailman didn’t even notice. It made me wonder if that was what had happened to my other missing ones.
Glad to know I can write off the mailman-with-puzzle-addiction-who’s-too-cheap-to-buy-his-own-subscription theory <g>
Last Wednesday, the day after the new Games was supposed to go on sale, I went to the Borders store I mentioned in the OP. The new issue was there and I bought it! I hope there won’t be any more delays–I’ve decided to sibscribe again. 