What’s Coming for May–June?

One of the features for the May–June 2006 issue will be about John Deere Export Tractors. Export Tractors are generally considered to those built in the U.S.A. and shipped to any foreign destination except Canada. Canada was considered to be part of the vast shipping territory of North America.

In the May–June issue of Two-Cylinder, we would like to include as many vintage Export Tractors as possible, and request that foreign readers with U.S.-built tractors send photos and brief stories about them. Some Club members have even gone to the trouble and expense of bringing Export Tractors back to the U.S., and we would like to hear from them as well.

Two-Cylinder XVI will be showcasing Export Tractors as one of the four featured themes for 2006 (see inside front cover and page 52). For that effort, the event will be including all vintage (30 years and older) tractors built in the U.S. and shipped to any location outside of its contiguous 48-state borders as Export Tractors. That includes Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Canada. Keep in mind, Alaska and Hawaii were not admitted to the Union until 1959, so the vast majority of two-cylinder tractors shipped there would have, technically, been shipped outside of the United States.

$4.05

Four dollars and a nickel. That’s what it now costs to mail a single issue of Two-Cylinder magazine. No, that’s not for all of those 20,000-plus magazines that go out together. Mailed to U.S. destinations, they are sent using the appropriate Periodical Rate. The $4.05 rate comes into play when we mail a single issue, such as a back issue.

When the new postal rate became effective earlier this year, we looked through records to try to determine what it costs when Two-Cylinder members do not renew in time to stay on the current mailing list. In 2005, we single-mailed over 2000 magazines. If that held true in 2006, it would amount to over $8000. With the price of printing continually inching up, we simply cannot continue to not charge postage when mailing magazines to fill the gap for late renewals.

Late renewals will now and in the future, begin with the next regular issue. Example: A renewal is due for the July–August issue, but isn’t received until after that issue is already on the press or in the mail. Consequently, the member will receive the September–October issue, and will need to purchase July–August as a back issue if they wish to maintain a complete set. The price of the back issue, postpaid, is currently $10.00. Obviously, the best way to avoid having to purchase a back issue to to renew promptly, and a good way to save about six dollars each cycle is to renew for two years instead of one.

Early renewals will not get lost in the shuffle or overlap a current membership. They will always be attached to the end of membership cycle, so there is absolutely no problem in renewing several weeks, months, or even a year early.

We thank you for your understanding on this subject.
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