An announcement about the future of the channel. I can't go on like this unfortunately and need to act now. No drama, just facts. The world changed. I forgot to say that the mess is due to me sorting and packing, etc. Thank you for watching. Mark ------------------------------------------------- 🤞 💔 Can YOU help Mark Fixes Stuff to grow? 🆘 🏆 Dear friends and supporters of my RUclips channel, As a content creator, producing videos for my RUclips channel requires significant time, effort, and resources. From equipment costs to software subscriptions and other production expenses, the financial aspect of creating quality content can be challenging. To continue providing high-quality content and reach a wider audience, I am asking for your support as a patron of my channel. Your contribution will help cover the costs of producing and editing videos, enabling me to create even more engaging and impactful content. By becoming a patron, you will play a crucial role in helping me grow my channel and produce content that inspires and motivates my viewers. Your support will also help me focus on creating new and exciting videos without worrying about the financial burden. ⚙ Visit patreon.com/markfixesstuff for more info about Patreon Benefits such as ad free early access to my work, exclusive discord channel membership and exclusive Patron only behind the scenes videos! 🤗 If you hate Patreon, you can buy me a coffee or become a monthly member at ko-fi.com/markfixesstuff - It really helps me keep the studio lights on! Thanks again for watching... and being awesome! ------------------------------------------------- 🎶🎵🎶 Licenced Music Used in this Episode! 🎶🎵🎶 No music
Sometimes we have to buckle down and try to keep a stiff upper lip. Family is more important. The hobiby is second and sometimes third. You do Mark as best you can! I will just keep watching. Keep on being that low tear patreon that I am. I know a little help is better than nothing. Thanks for being honest with us and for updates. Did I ever tell you that I just love the Channel!!!
Dude - I've only just stumbled across your channel, and seen this video which as moved me to reply. Firstly, much respect for talking about it. Mental Health is important and talking is the first massive step, NOONE will think less for you doing that. Blokes are programmed to just suck this stuff up and be "manly". Trust me it doesn't work. Hobbies are meant to be fun, they are supposed to be the distraction to, and escape from, the sh!tty stressful stuff. When they ADD to, or become part of the sh!tty stressful stuff, then it's time to re-evaluate. You're doing that which again is awesome. People will go from your channel, people will stay, and new people will tune in. It'll balance out. I've only watched 2 of your videos and TBH your personality and style would make me listen to you emptying a cat litter tray, so just keep at it. Head and family first.
Family first Mark.. definitely, don't worry about big budget content, just seeing a good fix it video every now and then is good enough for us. It seems a lot of changes with RUclips is also seeing a lot of folks with less income and ad revenue. Sell a few machines and buy back later if needed we all do that. Stay safe and well dude 😎😁👏🤗
Mark...film the move! I know it sounds stupid, but RMC, Linus Tech Tips, eevBlog all saw growth by documenting their moves. About the site, how they do power, even their cable management. Your content is great, I enjoy the humour and am so sorry it's come to 'scrounging for caps'. Hang in there mate.
Mark, I'd like to state firstly, that I have been a patron of yours in the past, and due to the same circumstances had to cut down on that part of my budget as well. I'm still a subscriber, and I will continue to be one. Having lost my job recently, I feel for your situation immensely. Try to keep your spirits up, I know how hard it can be trust me. I've been what I can only assume is a similar emotional roller coaster as you must be, but your fans WILL be here for you, and times may be rough now, but they have a way of getting better. I hope I speak for the majority here when I say, Keep up the great work, you are loved and we want you to be as happy and stress free as you can, so do what you have to do to make it work. And as I have to believe, things will get better... They must.
I can understand making the hard decision and it's yours to make. And I do completely understand where you're coming from. More power to you and this hopefully lets you be in better headspace.
It's been a tough few years for you. I hope you can find a happy medium so everyone is happy. Tho not a Patreon, I have loved your videos and always look forward to more. Take care Mark !
Well done Mark that must have been hard to say what you did!! the UK is a sh*t place to live right now! chin up and hope to see you soon on the channel👍
It's great for all the illegals living off the backs of hard working Brits, same here in the US with the southern border. smh It's a f*cked up world we're living in currently.
Focus on your family and on making life as good as you can, then whatever time and and energy you can spare for this will simply be a bonus that I'm sure all your followers will be more than satisfied with. Best of luck to you. Oh, and screw those upper class twats that are desperately trying to f up your country.
Neil and RMC, introduced me to you, and I say your style and unique, direct and humour sets you apart in the retro world. Keep going, as I believe you have a lot to offer, and inspire people in the community.
Good luck with everything Mark, I always enjoy your videos here and with Neil. RUclips is incredibly hard, whether full-time or part-time. I only make it work as I have almost 600 videos across an 18 year period here, and even then, it still only pays a very meagre salary. My less commercial retro channel currently makes me the grand total of about 50 bucks a month. I think the key, as you've found, is to not try and do what RUclips wants you to do, but what YOU want to do, and what YOU can actually manage to do. That might only be a video a month or every few months, which is fine to satisfy the creative side while leaving time for a real job. Trying to do more regular content is a hustle that only leads to success for a small handful, and burnout for most of us. Again good luck going forward.
Mark, your channel has been a joy to watch. The UK has been an economic car crash for several years now, so know you're not alone. I have many motivations to go out and vote for change on July 4th, I will be adding your channel to that list. Looking forward to your next episode.
Im sure Neil has a cupboard you could move into 😂 In all seriousness, you'll bounce back from this blip, we all love you and your awful/hilarious double entendres....
100% behind this. Been there with my own business (where coincidentally I also had a big fire) and kept trying to make it work for too long thinking it would somehow improve. When I eventually stopped fighting and shut the business my mental health - and life in general - improved massively. You might find you are more open and available to new opportunities when you don't have this constant stress hanging over you. So GOOD LUCK. Make videos if you feel like it, it'll be nice to see you. Or don't. Just don't stress it, life is too short.
As I've always said, when a hobby becomes work it's no longer a hobby. The mad idea of side-hustling and attempting to monetise everything we do is exactly that: mad. Everybody needs time to relax, to do the cathartic things that cause us to enjoy life rather than chase stress and profit. When the fun stops, stop.
Mean Machine Dean very kindly set up the fundraiser and transferred every penny (well the platform took a hit). It was used to replace my cameras, tools, new workbenches and lights etc. I only used those donated funds for things that would recover the channel after the fire. That seems so long ago now, and everybody’s amazing support is a large reason that I’m determined to continue in a smaller location rather than just pack it all up. I really appreciate your support!
Hi Mark, yeah I’ve been there during covid, I was doing IT and SFX/VFX that work was already slowing down after 2018. Then COVID hit, we weren’t allowed into the shared office where my studio was. So I decided to pull the plug from that business. And as I had time over now, I started this RUclips channel with a lot of retro stuff and engineering. But you can’t make money of off RUclips doing sensible content. So see it as a hobby and down size it. We understand, and there’s no need for high production quality and fixed schedules.
What a pity Mark! My channel has been dormant for nearly 2 years. I enjoyed it but peeps don't realise how much work is involved and money for equipment, new computers etc etc and YT gives nothing (at least in my case!) hope you find a way forward!
Wait... Hold on... You're telling me that my guest appearances in your patron exclusive video wasn't enough to save the channel? I am shocked. Shocked and appealed Sir! For real though the changes are absolutely understandable and your family will always come first. This is actually one of the reasons that I never really got into RUclips full time even though I had people crying out for my content at the time that it got popular... Simply couldn't justify the cost and time required for minimal return. Concentrated on every day life and the day job instead. I still need to make it over for another visit to say hi again at some point! 😊 I look forward to your future content in whatever shape it takes!
True that you must think small. For me the ZX Spectrum 48K/128K, C64 and the AMIGA 500/1200 is more than enough. Like to go further with the Neo Geo AES but that’s now impossible . Had all the computers and consoles that you can think about worldwide. But most sell it to survive it. Had a nice time 40 years but must think now small.
Sorry to hear this Mark. Tough times right now for a lot of people. The channel is you, not the surroundings, and I hope we see you back in some form very soon, even if it's just Mark in a shed brandishing a soldering iron.
Can't help but think there's a hidden message here with rhe "I'M NOT" on the shirt, framed after the "Packing up downsizing". Or just unlucky coincidence, apologies if that's the case
Sorry to hear things are tough Mark. Things are not good and won’t be for a while and that’s if we’re lucky. It’s a bit of a chicken / egg situation with creating content like yours where you have to invest in components machines and consumables to make content in the hope it will then generate revenue or keep to regular releases. The fight isn’t worth it but your mental health and your family are. Make content when you can and with what you can afford and do it because it’s your hobby and you enjoy it. The viewers will be waiting. All the best to you mate.
Not good, sounds like time to trim things a bit, loose any subscription junk etc, the blight of modern times. I've been producing a magazine for my local radio club for the past few years, whilst being unemployed looking after the wife, I rarely get my wallet out. I use whatever software I had or is free, otherwise it's just the power to run a PC etc., costs that would happen anyway, for if I wasn't typing I'd be watching more RUclips. There is no point living beyond your means, that just leads to stress & a very bad time in your hobby. Stay safe. don't get up tight because you haven't uploaded anything lately, let it come when it comes.
Honestly, when it comes to retro content on YT I don’t really care about production value, I care about the content. It could just be you and a camera, handheld, showing how something is done and that’s good enough for me. Too many get caught up feeling the need to push up the quality, volume and pace, I get it, YT pushes creators that way. Truth be told this isn’t something many will ever make a living at, it’s just not that mainstream, and niche markets get niche volume. Sometimes “back to basics” really is the best approach, it’ll at least remove some stress, which nowadays is worth gold. The economy isn’t going to get better any time soon, if anything, it’ll get worse, especially the second half of this year.
Hey Mark… all I hear in the video are big positives… you put family first, the channel will continue and you are just striking the right balance with your finances to keep your hobby going while making sure you aren’t depriving the family. It’s all good; your true supporters will warmly embrace the decisions that you sometimes have to make! Just keep fixing stuff and keep making it interesting as you always have for as long as you enjoy it. I don’t believe the size of your studio, the number of videos and whether you spend big bucks making them are as important as one might think 👍
Hey ! don't feel sorry Mark ! You've been through some major shyte, came back with great efforts and now you need a break and focus on another fight. Everyone is thankful and we'll be glad to see you returning when the tide is high (and all the old grumpy guys now have the song in mind ! Mwahahahah). Look after yourself and family... we'll be there when you return ;)
Not going to lie - I will miss your videos. But your family comes first, so your decision is absolutely understandable. My fingers are crossed for you (and your little colourful flexible assitants) that things will look brighter in the not too distant future. I already had the impression when watching your more recent videos that something isn't as it should be, as your humourous comments were not on the same level they were in earlier videos of yours. Now we know... Normally I am not the one to make my comments political, but I'm tempted to think that a substantial part of the price increase in the UK is thanks to Brexit (sure, all of us have had to deal with inflation lately, but not to the same degree). And this makes me somewhat concerned since there are forces in my home country of Germany who also want to exit the EU, with my country possibly facing similar challenges. But i digress... Take care and all the best for you and your family!
I'm sure we all support whatever decision you have to make Mark 🙏 I would have given you multiple thumbs up if I could have. Good luck and take care of yourself and your family!❤
Family always comes first Mark. It's clearly hard but it's also the right decision you've took after much consideration. We'll stick around man, it doesn't really matter how big or small your operations are. We want you to be happy, enjoying what you do and how you do it, whilst having internal peace in every way. Thanks for the past and even more so for things to come!
A sincere thanks to you for all the interesting and fun videos, Mark, and a completely insincere "gee, thanks" to Lettuce Liz for needlessly causing this.
It’s definitely tough. Economy in the pan, we are being squeezed harder - but we will get through it. Family and your own health first. No shame in downsizing either. Sometimes we need to take 2-3 steps back to make one giant leap forward. 🙌🏼 ❤
Bloody Sunak. The whole world is in the same place right now. I think the world of you Mark and proud of you for standing back up after the fire. The only nice, massive tool we care about is you mate! Take care and take care of the family.
I will continue to watch your content wherever the location mate. It’s sometimes good to hear others talk of financial struggles, as like myself our mortgage will be going up massively in a few months which basically means we have little spending money. We are lucky in that we have enough for a decent life and to keep a roof over our head but much more increases in costs and it would be a problem. I think people watch you not just expensive projects mark. Maybe not having commercial sponsors is a blessing!
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, look after yourself and your family. Don't forget you can sell those thousands of lemmings and FIFA games you have to help your expenses.
Mark I’ve been a big fan of yours since you first popped up on the Cave. Please take care of yourself and your family first, making content should be purely something you do for fun and as a hobby. Taking a step back right now and reevaluating things is definitely the right thing to do.
Alternatively, if you're working remotely, move to a cheaper country like Malaysia. Over there, u can restart the channel as almost everything is kinda cheap there from meals to accommodations, internet to electronics, and more especially electricity and water.
Hope it gets better for you soon, I need the double entendres from you, otherwise I have to resort to carry on films and Viz/Finbarr Saunders. Keep your tongue out as Steve Wright would say.
Sorry that things aren't working out. Glad that you're putting the right priorities first. You'll work out what you want to do with videos and fixing stuff, I'm sure. Like you say this is a hobby. It's got to be fun and of benefit to you, not the other way around.
Sorry to hear things aren't working out as well as planned, but nobody can blame you for wanting to put your family first. I hope you can find a way to keep your hobby going, keep the channel running and making videos, so don't feel bad about taking time to get things sorted out if you need to. That said, bad times don't last forever, which means having a more efficient operation will pay dividends when things start to turn around.
its a shame that the rich in this country are getting richer. the middle and lower classses are really struggling. I am like you though and have a passion for older machines because my house is full of them! Dont let them get you down just keep trying and you will get there
Mark, I completely understand where you're coming from. Your family must come first, and honestly it's been a tough few years for you and your family what with the house fire and all. You hang in there and we will all be rooting for you and looking forward to when you can put out videos at an honest rate that isn't destructive. Chin up and have a cuppa with the wife and kids.
not sure what else i can add to what others have said. mark you're such a lovely guy, i've enjoyed your content for years.. but ultimately you need to do what's right for you. family should always come first.. good luck for the future..
You gotta do what you gotta do. Don't think the fire helped either. Family come first, as does your mental health. Look foward to the future content. Take care.
There comes a time in every mans life where everything is telling him he needs to get a shed. All the best Mark - I hope you can make it work as you want but keeping it a hobby rather than a side business will probably be better for your brain. Take care of yourself. Also actually seriously getting Neil to set up an actual retro repair thing in the Cave may kill two birds with one stone if you need your eeprom programming itch scratching. Mark fixes stuff in the car park out of his camper van.
has to be a tough pill to swallow. inflation here in the US has been bonkers as well. in order to have the same income that I had 4 years ago...just 4 lousy years I would need to make 45k/yr more! wishing you all the best and will still be watching once you are settled.
Thank you for enriching my life and for all the memories so far. I sincerely hope you find a way out of your current situation and I am confident you will. Wishing you and your family all the very best. ❤😊
Sorry to hear your news but I (and anybody that followed you for as long as I have) will stick with you and will wait for your phoenix from the ashes to reappear. Best wishes and look forward to seeing you soon.
I am sorry to hear about this. It hurts hearing you with the sadness in your voice. The main part of the channel is what it says on the tin, Mark fixing stuff. The size, budget, etc. is not the main thing, and I am sure most people here would agree. Take as much time as you need, we will be ready when you return with more great videos. I wish you all the best, take care.
It's not about the location, we are here for you mark. Your the best. You could move to a skip in a carpark and I'd still watch your great content. Stay strong.
Hi Mark, I've been a subscriber and enjoying your content for some time now (I discovered your channel via RMC). I'm gutted to hear how this horrible financial situation has affected you, as a renter I've been partially shielded from the worst of it. I hope this video reaches a lot of subscribers like myself who can afford to support content creators via Patreon, but who may not have thought to join and support Mark Fixes Stuff - maybe there's something round that next corner 🤞😁
Not really an ending, just a change of pace caused by current life needs. The main thing is to focus on family and life priorities first, but also not to loose touch with your passions, as they are an important part of your life journey as well. Look after yourself, and all will be right.
Sorry to hear that things are not as good as they should be. You’re doing the right thing by putting family first, and when you get settled in smaller surroundings we will all be here to watch whatever content you put out. Take care!
Hello, I am a long time supporter and you do what you need to do. If you want cheap content I have 2 sega game gears that have dead screens. I tried fixing the one along with doing a battery mod but my soldering iron (and me) suck so I kinda mangled the ribbon cable on that one. So to wrap up I can send you them and pay for the bits and bobs and time to fix them up and you can make a video.
It’s All we can do across the pond as well to take care of our families first. You have to take care of yours. This is all very sad to hear, I’m sure it’s global.
Glad to see you saved money on your haircut by using what you had... The lawnmower, you didn't do too bad a job Mark. Support in views will always be there, things change though in that your channel might take a different direction where it doesn't cost money to put videos together. You did stream gaming with your mate for a while and that seemed to go okay? You are in a unique position compared to American reviewers/creators in that the games you grew up playing will be unique to the UK, so in short... You could expose yourself and your toys to the US to bring them a new nostalgic perspective. I appreciate there might not be a great deal to discuss about the basic games, but quick 5 minute videos (game play, voiceover, occasional cut back in person) would keep the channel ticking over and from a cost perspective just emulate the games - I don't think anyone really cares if you didn't have the original and those type of elitist purists I wouldn't lose sleep over losing. Personally I like your fixing videos, not quite as bothered about the creating Everdrive type carts or product reviews (I appreciate you get the item free so have to cover it) etc. Pretty sure you could start a higher tier Patreons, that could mail you faulty systems (they pay return cost/parts, or perhaps a costly tier that you could cover the postage), that gives the channel content without buying anything. I appreciate that putting those videos together, filming etc is time consuming, hence why the 5 minute blurb videos on old games might be better for keeping things active. Anyway, hope things are good with the family and remember, say no to crack. Unless its the Mrs that offers it to you.
Will miss the channel and your witty banter. You have a unique style and unique content that will leave a gaping hole in the retro gaming RUclips scene. Hope you can come back once this pissing country sorts itself out and things get better again.
Do what you need to do Mark. I suspect that there is residual stress from the fire and god knows what else. That is the sort of thing that can precipitate divorce and all sorts. Go get the ratchet straps, and hold it all together matey.
oh no ! I knew something was up when you cut your hair !! anyway, happy to hear that you are prioritising your family . hopefully things will blossom again for you all soon.
Chin up mark, your content is not only interesting its the only one that makes me laugh doing the geek! I look forward to whatever content you make when you get the time. Cheers.
Like the other commentators say, look after yourself and your family first - if you can do more MFS vids in the future, amazing, if not, thanks for a great ride! :)
Mark mate, honestly, all this channel ever needs is a soldering mat, an old console in need of modding and your personality 😊 I revisit those videos constantly
An announcement about the future of the channel. I can't go on like this unfortunately and need to act now. No drama, just facts. The world changed.
I forgot to say that the mess is due to me sorting and packing, etc.
Thank you for watching.
Mark
-------------------------------------------------
🤞 💔 Can YOU help Mark Fixes Stuff to grow? 🆘 🏆
Dear friends and supporters of my RUclips channel,
As a content creator, producing videos for my RUclips channel requires significant time, effort, and resources. From equipment costs to software subscriptions and other production expenses, the financial aspect of creating quality content can be challenging.
To continue providing high-quality content and reach a wider audience, I am asking for your support as a patron of my channel. Your contribution will help cover the costs of producing and editing videos, enabling me to create even more engaging and impactful content.
By becoming a patron, you will play a crucial role in helping me grow my channel and produce content that inspires and motivates my viewers. Your support will also help me focus on creating new and exciting videos without worrying about the financial burden.
⚙ Visit patreon.com/markfixesstuff for more info about Patreon Benefits such as ad free early access to my work, exclusive discord channel membership and exclusive Patron only behind the scenes videos! 🤗
If you hate Patreon, you can buy me a coffee or become a monthly member at ko-fi.com/markfixesstuff - It really helps me keep the studio lights on!
Thanks again for watching... and being awesome!
-------------------------------------------------
🎶🎵🎶 Licenced Music Used in this Episode! 🎶🎵🎶
No music
I hope Terry and Dave are helpng you to pack.
its your personality and your intelligence we want not a big open space for you to work in a folding table in the corner is good with me
@@jet_string Good grief you're an ignorant ass.
look after you and your family
Any Mark Fixes Stuff content is good content, we'll all be here waiting for your next upload!
Totaly understandable Mark. Your family comes first.
Sometimes we have to buckle down and try to keep a stiff upper lip. Family is more important. The hobiby is second and sometimes third. You do Mark as best you can! I will just keep watching. Keep on being that low tear patreon that I am. I know a little help is better than nothing. Thanks for being honest with us and for updates. Did I ever tell you that I just love the Channel!!!
Dude - I've only just stumbled across your channel, and seen this video which as moved me to reply. Firstly, much respect for talking about it. Mental Health is important and talking is the first massive step, NOONE will think less for you doing that. Blokes are programmed to just suck this stuff up and be "manly". Trust me it doesn't work. Hobbies are meant to be fun, they are supposed to be the distraction to, and escape from, the sh!tty stressful stuff. When they ADD to, or become part of the sh!tty stressful stuff, then it's time to re-evaluate. You're doing that which again is awesome. People will go from your channel, people will stay, and new people will tune in. It'll balance out. I've only watched 2 of your videos and TBH your personality and style would make me listen to you emptying a cat litter tray, so just keep at it. Head and family first.
Chin up Mark, you made the right choice :)
Aw man! Sorry to hear. Youre not wrong about the cost of living either, we'll still do our best to help! 👍
We don't care if the video is professional. Your passion for repairs, Specces and old gear, new gear has shone through. That's all that matters Mark.
😭
Family first Mark.. definitely, don't worry about big budget content, just seeing a good fix it video every now and then is good enough for us. It seems a lot of changes with RUclips is also seeing a lot of folks with less income and ad revenue. Sell a few machines and buy back later if needed we all do that. Stay safe and well dude 😎😁👏🤗
Wow. Thank you Mark. I don't have anything to say that doesn't sound trite or patronising. Stay safe and love to the family.
Mark...film the move! I know it sounds stupid, but RMC, Linus Tech Tips, eevBlog all saw growth by documenting their moves. About the site, how they do power, even their cable management. Your content is great, I enjoy the humour and am so sorry it's come to 'scrounging for caps'. Hang in there mate.
Mark, I'd like to state firstly, that I have been a patron of yours in the past, and due to the same circumstances had to cut down on that part of my budget as well. I'm still a subscriber, and I will continue to be one. Having lost my job recently, I feel for your situation immensely. Try to keep your spirits up, I know how hard it can be trust me. I've been what I can only assume is a similar emotional roller coaster as you must be, but your fans WILL be here for you, and times may be rough now, but they have a way of getting better. I hope I speak for the majority here when I say, Keep up the great work, you are loved and we want you to be as happy and stress free as you can, so do what you have to do to make it work. And as I have to believe, things will get better... They must.
I can understand making the hard decision and it's yours to make. And I do completely understand where you're coming from. More power to you and this hopefully lets you be in better headspace.
It's been a tough few years for you. I hope you can find a happy medium so everyone is happy. Tho not a Patreon, I have loved your videos and always look forward to more. Take care Mark !
Life always takes precedence. Do whatever feels best for you and your family.
Well done Mark that must have been hard to say what you did!! the UK is a sh*t place to live right now! chin up and hope to see you soon on the channel👍
It's great for all the illegals living off the backs of hard working Brits, same here in the US with the southern border. smh It's a f*cked up world we're living in currently.
Focus on your family and on making life as good as you can, then whatever time and and energy you can spare for this will simply be a bonus that I'm sure all your followers will be more than satisfied with. Best of luck to you.
Oh, and screw those upper class twats that are desperately trying to f up your country.
Neil and RMC, introduced me to you, and I say your style and unique, direct and humour sets you apart in the retro world. Keep going, as I believe you have a lot to offer, and inspire people in the community.
Even if we get one video a year, I'd be happy!
I wouldn’t.
You only want Mark to come once a year??? Mrs Fixes Stuff won't be happy...
@@Acheronus80More often than Santa empties his sack would be nice.
Good luck with everything Mark, I always enjoy your videos here and with Neil. RUclips is incredibly hard, whether full-time or part-time. I only make it work as I have almost 600 videos across an 18 year period here, and even then, it still only pays a very meagre salary. My less commercial retro channel currently makes me the grand total of about 50 bucks a month. I think the key, as you've found, is to not try and do what RUclips wants you to do, but what YOU want to do, and what YOU can actually manage to do. That might only be a video a month or every few months, which is fine to satisfy the creative side while leaving time for a real job. Trying to do more regular content is a hustle that only leads to success for a small handful, and burnout for most of us. Again good luck going forward.
Good luck with the move. Be great to see a move and setup video for your new space if you have time.
@@Daz555Daz funding is the issue right now, like everyone else.
Keep up the channel Mark , btw, is the new studio somewhere you have rented causing you extra burden? No room at home perhaps?
@@42markk42 no room in the family home. The plan is to downsize now and find a larger home with possibility for me to work there.
Mark, your channel has been a joy to watch. The UK has been an economic car crash for several years now, so know you're not alone. I have many motivations to go out and vote for change on July 4th, I will be adding your channel to that list. Looking forward to your next episode.
Im sure Neil has a cupboard you could move into 😂 In all seriousness, you'll bounce back from this blip, we all love you and your awful/hilarious double entendres....
100% behind this. Been there with my own business (where coincidentally I also had a big fire) and kept trying to make it work for too long thinking it would somehow improve. When I eventually stopped fighting and shut the business my mental health - and life in general - improved massively. You might find you are more open and available to new opportunities when you don't have this constant stress hanging over you. So GOOD LUCK. Make videos if you feel like it, it'll be nice to see you. Or don't. Just don't stress it, life is too short.
Mark, you have been rung through the ringer so to speak from what I have seen. A lot really. Take a break, enjoy life and spend time with your family.
Ahh thank you mate, but I am not going anywhere. Just a few changes due to financial issues in the world.
I really appreciate your kind words 😊😊
As I've always said, when a hobby becomes work it's no longer a hobby. The mad idea of side-hustling and attempting to monetise everything we do is exactly that: mad. Everybody needs time to relax, to do the cathartic things that cause us to enjoy life rather than chase stress and profit. When the fun stops, stop.
What happened to the thousands of pounds we donated after the fire, did you ever get it? It was about 15 grand I think.
Mean Machine Dean very kindly set up the fundraiser and transferred every penny (well the platform took a hit). It was used to replace my cameras, tools, new workbenches and lights etc. I only used those donated funds for things that would recover the channel after the fire. That seems so long ago now, and everybody’s amazing support is a large reason that I’m determined to continue in a smaller location rather than just pack it all up. I really appreciate your support!
Sorry to hear this. If Dave and the other Jelly Babies need a new home. I am more than happy to eat…. I mean adopt them!
Liz Breaks Stuff
Hi Mark, yeah I’ve been there during covid, I was doing IT and SFX/VFX that work was already slowing down after 2018. Then COVID hit, we weren’t allowed into the shared office where my studio was. So I decided to pull the plug from that business. And as I had time over now, I started this RUclips channel with a lot of retro stuff and engineering. But you can’t make money of off RUclips doing sensible content. So see it as a hobby and down size it. We understand, and there’s no need for high production quality and fixed schedules.
Love the channel mate, you are both informative and entertaining.... Will keep watching what u put out regardless
What a pity Mark! My channel has been dormant for nearly 2 years. I enjoyed it but peeps don't realise how much work is involved and money for equipment, new computers etc etc and YT gives nothing (at least in my case!) hope you find a way forward!
Wait... Hold on... You're telling me that my guest appearances in your patron exclusive video wasn't enough to save the channel? I am shocked.
Shocked and appealed Sir!
For real though the changes are absolutely understandable and your family will always come first.
This is actually one of the reasons that I never really got into RUclips full time even though I had people crying out for my content at the time that it got popular... Simply couldn't justify the cost and time required for minimal return.
Concentrated on every day life and the day job instead.
I still need to make it over for another visit to say hi again at some point! 😊
I look forward to your future content in whatever shape it takes!
True that you must think small. For me the ZX Spectrum 48K/128K, C64 and the AMIGA 500/1200 is more than enough. Like to go further with the Neo Geo AES but that’s now impossible . Had all the computers and consoles that you can think about worldwide. But most sell it to survive it. Had a nice time 40 years but must think now small.
Sorry to hear this Mark. Tough times right now for a lot of people. The channel is you, not the surroundings, and I hope we see you back in some form very soon, even if it's just Mark in a shed brandishing a soldering iron.
Success isn't defined by how many times you fall over, it's defined by how many times you get up. Cheers Mark, enjoy your channel.
Can't help but think there's a hidden message here with rhe "I'M NOT" on the shirt, framed after the "Packing up downsizing". Or just unlucky coincidence, apologies if that's the case
Thankyou for the heartfelt update!
Totally understandable!
Do what is right by you!
Life changes priorities, things aren’t forever :-)
Sorry to hear things are tough Mark. Things are not good and won’t be for a while and that’s if we’re lucky. It’s a bit of a chicken / egg situation with creating content like yours where you have to invest in components machines and consumables to make content in the hope it will then generate revenue or keep to regular releases. The fight isn’t worth it but your mental health and your family are. Make content when you can and with what you can afford and do it because it’s your hobby and you enjoy it. The viewers will be waiting. All the best to you mate.
Not good, sounds like time to trim things a bit, loose any subscription junk etc, the blight of modern times.
I've been producing a magazine for my local radio club for the past few years, whilst being unemployed looking after the wife, I rarely get my wallet out. I use whatever software I had or is free, otherwise it's just the power to run a PC etc., costs that would happen anyway, for if I wasn't typing I'd be watching more RUclips.
There is no point living beyond your means, that just leads to stress & a very bad time in your hobby.
Stay safe. don't get up tight because you haven't uploaded anything lately, let it come when it comes.
Best wishes Mark. Family comes first. RUclips doesn't care, the truth.
Honestly, when it comes to retro content on YT I don’t really care about production value, I care about the content. It could just be you and a camera, handheld, showing how something is done and that’s good enough for me.
Too many get caught up feeling the need to push up the quality, volume and pace, I get it, YT pushes creators that way. Truth be told this isn’t something many will ever make a living at, it’s just not that mainstream, and niche markets get niche volume. Sometimes “back to basics” really is the best approach, it’ll at least remove some stress, which nowadays is worth gold. The economy isn’t going to get better any time soon, if anything, it’ll get worse, especially the second half of this year.
Hey Mark… all I hear in the video are big positives… you put family first, the channel will continue and you are just striking the right balance with your finances to keep your hobby going while making sure you aren’t depriving the family. It’s all good; your true supporters will warmly embrace the decisions that you sometimes have to make! Just keep fixing stuff and keep making it interesting as you always have for as long as you enjoy it. I don’t believe the size of your studio, the number of videos and whether you spend big bucks making them are as important as one might think 👍
Hey ! don't feel sorry Mark ! You've been through some major shyte, came back with great efforts and now you need a break and focus on another fight. Everyone is thankful and we'll be glad to see you returning when the tide is high (and all the old grumpy guys now have the song in mind ! Mwahahahah). Look after yourself and family... we'll be there when you return ;)
Not going to lie - I will miss your videos. But your family comes first, so your decision is absolutely understandable. My fingers are crossed for you (and your little colourful flexible assitants) that things will look brighter in the not too distant future.
I already had the impression when watching your more recent videos that something isn't as it should be, as your humourous comments were not on the same level they were in earlier videos of yours. Now we know...
Normally I am not the one to make my comments political, but I'm tempted to think that a substantial part of the price increase in the UK is thanks to Brexit (sure, all of us have had to deal with inflation lately, but not to the same degree). And this makes me somewhat concerned since there are forces in my home country of Germany who also want to exit the EU, with my country possibly facing similar challenges. But i digress...
Take care and all the best for you and your family!
I'm sure we all support whatever decision you have to make Mark 🙏 I would have given you multiple thumbs up if I could have. Good luck and take care of yourself and your family!❤
Please take care of yourself and your family. Sending my love and positive thoughts, Mark!
Family always comes first Mark. It's clearly hard but it's also the right decision you've took after much consideration. We'll stick around man, it doesn't really matter how big or small your operations are. We want you to be happy, enjoying what you do and how you do it, whilst having internal peace in every way.
Thanks for the past and even more so for things to come!
A sincere thanks to you for all the interesting and fun videos, Mark, and a completely insincere "gee, thanks" to Lettuce Liz for needlessly causing this.
Take care of your family, for sure. We'll be here when you can make videos later. 👍 I hope things get sorted quickly for you!!
It’s definitely tough. Economy in the pan, we are being squeezed harder - but we will get through it. Family and your own health first. No shame in downsizing either. Sometimes we need to take 2-3 steps back to make one giant leap forward. 🙌🏼 ❤
Bloody Sunak. The whole world is in the same place right now. I think the world of you Mark and proud of you for standing back up after the fire. The only nice, massive tool we care about is you mate! Take care and take care of the family.
I will continue to watch your content wherever the location mate. It’s sometimes good to hear others talk of financial struggles, as like myself our mortgage will be going up massively in a few months which basically means we have little spending money. We are lucky in that we have enough for a decent life and to keep a roof over our head but much more increases in costs and it would be a problem.
I think people watch you not just expensive projects mark. Maybe not having commercial sponsors is a blessing!
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, look after yourself and your family. Don't forget you can sell those thousands of lemmings and FIFA games you have to help your expenses.
Mark I’ve been a big fan of yours since you first popped up on the Cave. Please take care of yourself and your family first, making content should be purely something you do for fun and as a hobby. Taking a step back right now and reevaluating things is definitely the right thing to do.
Alternatively, if you're working remotely, move to a cheaper country like Malaysia. Over there, u can restart the channel as almost everything is kinda cheap there from meals to accommodations, internet to electronics, and more especially electricity and water.
Hope it gets better for you soon, I need the double entendres from you, otherwise I have to resort to carry on films and Viz/Finbarr Saunders. Keep your tongue out as Steve Wright would say.
Sorry that things aren't working out. Glad that you're putting the right priorities first. You'll work out what you want to do with videos and fixing stuff, I'm sure. Like you say this is a hobby. It's got to be fun and of benefit to you, not the other way around.
Sorry to hear things aren't working out as well as planned, but nobody can blame you for wanting to put your family first. I hope you can find a way to keep your hobby going, keep the channel running and making videos, so don't feel bad about taking time to get things sorted out if you need to. That said, bad times don't last forever, which means having a more efficient operation will pay dividends when things start to turn around.
its a shame that the rich in this country are getting richer. the middle and lower classses are really struggling. I am like you though and have a passion for older machines because my house is full of them! Dont let them get you down just keep trying and you will get there
Mark, I completely understand where you're coming from. Your family must come first, and honestly it's been a tough few years for you and your family what with the house fire and all. You hang in there and we will all be rooting for you and looking forward to when you can put out videos at an honest rate that isn't destructive. Chin up and have a cuppa with the wife and kids.
A tough decision and very familiar sounding circumstances (other than me not making videos). Best of luck!
not sure what else i can add to what others have said. mark you're such a lovely guy, i've enjoyed your content for years.. but ultimately you need to do what's right for you. family should always come first.. good luck for the future..
You gotta do what you gotta do. Don't think the fire helped either. Family come first, as does your mental health. Look foward to the future content. Take care.
There comes a time in every mans life where everything is telling him he needs to get a shed. All the best Mark - I hope you can make it work as you want but keeping it a hobby rather than a side business will probably be better for your brain. Take care of yourself. Also actually seriously getting Neil to set up an actual retro repair thing in the Cave may kill two birds with one stone if you need your eeprom programming itch scratching. Mark fixes stuff in the car park out of his camper van.
has to be a tough pill to swallow. inflation here in the US has been bonkers as well. in order to have the same income that I had 4 years ago...just 4 lousy years I would need to make 45k/yr more! wishing you all the best and will still be watching once you are settled.
Thank you for enriching my life and for all the memories so far. I sincerely hope you find a way out of your current situation and I am confident you will. Wishing you and your family all the very best. ❤😊
Sorry to hear your news but I (and anybody that followed you for as long as I have) will stick with you and will wait for your phoenix from the ashes to reappear. Best wishes and look forward to seeing you soon.
I am sorry to hear about this. It hurts hearing you with the sadness in your voice. The main part of the channel is what it says on the tin, Mark fixing stuff. The size, budget, etc. is not the main thing, and I am sure most people here would agree. Take as much time as you need, we will be ready when you return with more great videos. I wish you all the best, take care.
Just addressed an issue I did not want to do. Guess I cannot bury my head forever. You’ll find a way Mark to balance things…
It's not about the location, we are here for you mark. Your the best. You could move to a skip in a carpark and I'd still watch your great content. Stay strong.
Family always come first. Love all you have done. Best luck and take care.
Hi Mark, I've been a subscriber and enjoying your content for some time now (I discovered your channel via RMC). I'm gutted to hear how this horrible financial situation has affected you, as a renter I've been partially shielded from the worst of it. I hope this video reaches a lot of subscribers like myself who can afford to support content creators via Patreon, but who may not have thought to join and support Mark Fixes Stuff - maybe there's something round that next corner 🤞😁
Not really an ending, just a change of pace caused by current life needs. The main thing is to focus on family and life priorities first, but also not to loose touch with your passions, as they are an important part of your life journey as well. Look after yourself, and all will be right.
Always inspired by your skills and content over the last few years Mark. But hard times all round :(
Mark, I Hope YOU are OK? I am sure all of your subscribers will be here when you can create content. Take Care
Sorry to hear that things are not as good as they should be. You’re doing the right thing by putting family first, and when you get settled in smaller surroundings we will all be here to watch whatever content you put out. Take care!
Hello, I am a long time supporter and you do what you need to do. If you want cheap content I have 2 sega game gears that have dead screens. I tried fixing the one along with doing a battery mod but my soldering iron (and me) suck so I kinda mangled the ribbon cable on that one. So to wrap up I can send you them and pay for the bits and bobs and time to fix them up and you can make a video.
It’s All we can do across the pond as well to take care of our families first. You have to take care of yours. This is all very sad to hear, I’m sure it’s global.
Glad to see you saved money on your haircut by using what you had... The lawnmower, you didn't do too bad a job Mark.
Support in views will always be there, things change though in that your channel might take a different direction where it doesn't cost money to put videos together. You did stream gaming with your mate for a while and that seemed to go okay? You are in a unique position compared to American reviewers/creators in that the games you grew up playing will be unique to the UK, so in short... You could expose yourself and your toys to the US to bring them a new nostalgic perspective.
I appreciate there might not be a great deal to discuss about the basic games, but quick 5 minute videos (game play, voiceover, occasional cut back in person) would keep the channel ticking over and from a cost perspective just emulate the games - I don't think anyone really cares if you didn't have the original and those type of elitist purists I wouldn't lose sleep over losing.
Personally I like your fixing videos, not quite as bothered about the creating Everdrive type carts or product reviews (I appreciate you get the item free so have to cover it) etc. Pretty sure you could start a higher tier Patreons, that could mail you faulty systems (they pay return cost/parts, or perhaps a costly tier that you could cover the postage), that gives the channel content without buying anything. I appreciate that putting those videos together, filming etc is time consuming, hence why the 5 minute blurb videos on old games might be better for keeping things active.
Anyway, hope things are good with the family and remember, say no to crack. Unless its the Mrs that offers it to you.
Will miss the channel and your witty banter. You have a unique style and unique content that will leave a gaping hole in the retro gaming RUclips scene. Hope you can come back once this pissing country sorts itself out and things get better again.
You're a thoroughly decent bloke by all accounts, times are tough, do what you need to do for you and your family. :)
Do what you need to do Mark. I suspect that there is residual stress from the fire and god knows what else. That is the sort of thing that can precipitate divorce and all sorts. Go get the ratchet straps, and hold it all together matey.
Good luck with everything Mark, take care of yourself.
Family always comes first, there is no need to justify anything, navigate your sailboat as you see fit captain! keep up the good work sir.
oh no ! I knew something was up when you cut your hair !! anyway, happy to hear that you are prioritising your family . hopefully things will blossom again for you all soon.
This video was hard to watch, I feel for you, wishing you and your family the best.
I feel for you m8. Sad to hear but I totally understand. Take care and still great to hear you are making some content.
Love from Poland 🍻
No worries mate, been there got the T-shirt... things will get better - stay strong and think of your family x
I live in the US. So from the great state of Tennessee I love watching your work.
Best wishes Mark. Hope to see you again, as and when you can mate. Take care of yourself!
Chin up mark, your content is not only interesting its the only one that makes me laugh doing the geek! I look forward to whatever content you make when you get the time. Cheers.
Like the other commentators say, look after yourself and your family first - if you can do more MFS vids in the future, amazing, if not, thanks for a great ride! :)
Mark mate, honestly, all this channel ever needs is a soldering mat, an old console in need of modding and your personality 😊
I revisit those videos constantly
Sorry to hear this, I really enjoy your videos. Take care of yourself and your family.
I think the answer is clear Mark, time to move to Tasmania. Worked for me!
Looking forward to the new downsized content! Take care, Mark!
Really sorry to hear this Mark. Good luck in all your future endeavours.