Model Railroading > DVD Series: Dream, Plan, Build it or just Return it?

Hey All,

Like many of you, I just received this unsolicited DVD "Dream. Plan, Build" from Kalmbach. For those that have actually subscribed to this DVD offering or have seen more than one edition from their series, is it worth the $10/DVD? Were the articles/features on subsequent DVDs compelling?

The first DVD looks somewhat interesting at first glance, but I'm wondering about the content of future editions.

In my opinion, video content like this belongs on Netflix or on iTunes for download. I'm not too interested in having another stack of DVDs at the end of the day.

Cheers,
Harry



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/11 11:35 by tracktime.

So they are starting that up again?

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> So they are starting that up again?

You mean it stopped for a while? I guess so.. This just landed in my mailbox the other day.

Cheers,
Harry

tracktime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey All,
>
> Like many of you, I just received this unsolicited
> DVD "Dream. Plan, Build" from Kalmbach. For those
> that have actually subscribed to this DVD offering
> or have seen more than one edition from their
> series, is it worth the $10/DVD? Were the
> articles/features on subsequent DVDs compelling?
>
>
> The first DVD looks somewhat interesting at first
> glance, but I'm wondering about the content of
> future editions.
>
> In my opinion, video content like this belongs on
> Netflix or on iTunes for download. I'm not too
> interested in having another stack of DVDs at the
> end of the day.
>
> Cheers,
> Harry

Harry,

Did this arrive totally unsolicited? If so, it is your to keep. Postal regulations say that if an item is delivered in your name unsolicited, no payment for this item is needed. It is ergo an advertisement. Just like the junk mail your get from Safeway or Orchard or Micro Center. Remember the AOL disked that kept coming for years (or at least it seemed like years) same thing. This is advertising, they can not bill you for it if it was unsolicited. If they are just clutter, you can always mark them return to sender. You are not required to attach postage.

J.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/11 11:44 by J.Ferris.

Yup, they sent it to you unsolicited = it's yours.

I got some of this stuff a few years ago and I kept it and still have it. Where I put it, I don't remember. That comes with age.

I think I got a follow-up e-mail or two inquiring about my interest in buying other stuff. I ignored the e-mail. Nothing bad happened.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yup, they sent it to you unsolicited = it's
> yours.
>
> I got some of this stuff a few years ago and I
> kept it and still have it. Where I put it, I don't
> remember. That comes with age.
>
> I think I got a follow-up e-mail or two inquiring
> about my interest in buying other stuff. I ignored
> the e-mail. Nothing bad happened.

Yeah, same here. =) Still, my question remains.. anyone try this stuff past the first "intro" issue?

Cheers,
Harry

My friend kept getting the DVD's and he really enjoyed them but then again he's easily entertained and maybe not always "up" on the hottest trends of the hobby. He's involved but not as much as some of us. I would have liked to get them myself but I just couldn't afford them.

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO

I got the first one (a couple months ago). Buried deep in the cover letter was some verbage about "no obligation to you if you keep it". Since then, I've had one reminder to subscribe.

The video content was OK, although maybe only half of the 10-12 segments had some interest for me (e.g. as an HO modeler, I didn't have a lot of interest in some guy's tinplate O layout, or whatever). I did doze off watching part of it. I especially enjoyed the workshop where the guy kept spraying Dullcote on freight cars in a closed room :-) Dullcote can be a little rough even in the great outdoors!

Tom Y

tracktime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Still, my question remains..
> anyone try this stuff past the first "intro"
> issue?
>
> Cheers,
> Harry

I did for quite a few issues until they got away from Dream, Plan, Build and started including off-the-wall stuff that didn't have to due with MRR's. Having been out of the hobby for several years at the time it was great to see new techniques and stuff and some of the presentations where quite good while others were kinda rinky-dink IMHO.

CFWRRCEO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tracktime Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Still, my question remains..
> > anyone try this stuff past the first "intro"
> > issue?
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Harry
>
> I did for quite a few issues until they got away
> from Dream, Plan, Build and started including
> off-the-wall stuff that didn't have to due with
> MRR's. Having been out of the hobby for several
> years at the time it was great to see new
> techniques and stuff and some of the presentations
> where quite good while others were kinda
> rinky-dink IMHO.


I ditto the above. I liked the model trains stuff but then they got to no model stuff too often and I then dropped it.

I've currently have a subscription to the DVD series. I've subscribed since inception and have well over 40 DVDs from the series to date. I enjoy it alot. I love the modeling segments and layout visits. I wish they would do more layout visit DVDs. The actual Railroad visits and segments are pretty good.

Terry
Berkeley,CA.

Espee4ever96 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've currently have a subscription to the DVD
> series. I've subscribed since inception and have
> well over 40 DVDs from the series to date. I enjoy
> it alot. I love the modeling segments and layout
> visits. I wish they would do more layout visit
> DVDs. The actual Railroad visits and segments are
> pretty good.
>
> Terry
> Berkeley,CA.

I have over 20 DVD's. I also enjoy the modeling and real railroads segments. Any DVD that I don't really care for I ususally put them on eBay. Earl...

Given the free content that's available on the web, like mrhmag.com and the weathering sites, it's hard to swallow paying $10 for those.

I've been getting them for a number of years. They are informative, especially the instructional segments on model railroading subjects, some of which can go on for nearly a half hour.

If you haven't subscribed to the "tracks Ahead" or Kalmbach productions, the content will be "all
new". they have on occasion reused old "Tracks Ahead" segments and on at least one occasion reproduced a complete Kalmbach tape as a D-P-B edition. I send those back in the prepaid envelope,
that way they know I'm still interested.

Speaking of "Tracks Ahead", the PBS train magazine series, is that still in production?? I haven't
seen newer DVDs advertised in Historic Rail, perhaps the only place that offers them. Even
Wisconsin public tv isn't helpful on that subject.

It is mentioned above that this subject matter can be downloaded for free. For those of us who aren't into that aspect of the internet, Dream-Plan-Build's arrival every so often isn't so expensive that I get upset. (Is that a strong recommendation or what!!)
Frank30

The Tracks Ahead website says there's supposed to be season 8 of Tracks Ahead released in 2011. My local PBS station has aired them intermittently, usually at very inconvenient times (except for a DVR).

They have some pretty interesting segments, but rarely much depth.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yup, they sent it to you unsolicited = it's
> yours.
>
> I got some of this stuff a few years ago and I
> kept it and still have it. Where I put it, I don't
> remember. That comes with age.
>
> I think I got a follow-up e-mail or two inquiring
> about my interest in buying other stuff. I ignored
> the e-mail. Nothing bad happened.

Just got a little notice today: "Pay for your DVD or Return It". I'm doing neither. I mailed back the bill with a sticky-note regarding my legal rights to keep unsolicited mailings. I also mentioned that these unsolicited mailings probably alientate many customers.

Tom Y

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just got a little notice today: "Pay for your DVD
> or Return It". I'm doing neither.

I got the same notice twice a couple years ago after they sent me the unsolicited DVD. The whole concept really turned me off - "pay for this unsolicited product we mailed you, or take time out of your day to send it back to us. I didn't want anything to do with the series after that, regardless of content. I wasn't going to support that type of business practice.

Dave

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