Review of WAXiT, the New Detailing Magazine - Detail University

Dogged · #1 (**permalink**) 10-18-2008, 06:23 PM

WAXiT, a new magazine devoted to the art of detailing, debuted in August 2008. I received my first issue this week, and decided to share my thoughts.

On the whole, I was very favorably impressed with WAXiT, and think it makes a real contribution to the world of detailing. The first thing I noticed when my issue arrived is the magazine’s glossy, high quality look and feel. The colors are vibrant, and each page is printed on premium paper. Many of the pages are accentuated with red and yellow graphics, which is well done and attractive.

The 36-page first issue of WAXiT is organized as follows:

First Words
What is Detailing
Articles on Wash and Dry Techniques and Leather Care
Q & A
Latest Products on the Market
Photo Shoot
Machine Polishing-Quick Guide
Interview of Detailing World founder
Interview of Dodo Juice founder
New products
Article on Car Covers
Article on wax showdown
Photos of waxed cars
Article on Detailing World show and shine competition
Listi of Clubs and Meets
Final Words

There is a surprisingly large amount of interesting and substantive information in the debut issue. WAXiT excels in its feature articles on detailing topics, and its Q & A and interview formats.

The article on techniques for washing and drying a vehicle is well-organized, thorough, helpful, and informative. The article on leather care, by LTT Leather Care, focuses on dye transfer issues, and is expertly done. The article on car covers is also well done. The Quick Guide to Machine Polishing is, well, a quick guide. It is a very basic quick overview of why machine polishing is used, and types of polishers and pads.

I found the Q & A section, posing common detailing questions and providing answers, and interviews of the founders of Detailing World and Dodo Juice, to be interesting and informative. The article on the wax showdown raised fundamental issues about the relative importance of car prep and the LSP (last step product). The article on the show and shine competition was a nice presentation on a local event.

I did find the sometimes blurred lines in WaxiT between journalism and commercialism to be a little disconcerting. In the section recommending popular products to wash and dry the car, I could not help but wonder whether the recommended products was a compilation of products from those paying for advertisements. Recommendations came complete with prices and web addresses to place an order. The two articles on Latest Products on the Market and New Products, and the Photo Shoot article, were written in a journalistic style but came complete with contact information for product representatives and prices. The table of contents included an index to both journalistic articles and paid advertising.

I also found the organization of the magazine to be a little disjointed. For example, sections on new products appeared twice, in different places and under different titles. There were also a few bugs to work on, a few typographical errors and run on sentences.

On the whole, I think WAXiT does a nice job. WAXiT is published quarterly in Manchester, England. A one year subscription shipped to the US is $15BPS, or about $26USD at the current exchange rate. For more information, see www.waxitmagazine.co.uk.

Bob