I suppose, I play on both halves of the field as I buy a lot of stuff and I also sell. I rarely receive any "gifts" with my purchases, pen related or not, I do however, appreciate immensely when I get "something", this has been something that I always took some attention to so, every time I sold something, I would always thing of something that I could "chuck-in" as a "gift".
Is like the "tipping" issue in restaurants, some see it as a normal things while other, wouldn't give a toss about it.
When I started selling wood on eBay 8 years ago, I always follows this principle of mine and, unless restricted by parcel weight, I would always send "something" extra, a simple gift in my view...!
After some time, I started to get some people that would get "nasty" on me if I wouldn't include something extra, not taking into consideration if was any space/weight left, to do so. I started to feel "obligated" to include something and that, put me off completely so I stop putting any extras/gifts in any parcel, no exceptions...! It really got me mad...!
Slowly but surely, I started to get some indirect comments/insinuations from some of my regulars that didn't know what happened or why I was no longer adding any gifts to the order, these gifts were for pen turners, shorts from other species that weren't part of the order. These shorts could be anything from 2"1/2 to 4"+, most were simple not long enough to make it to full size, and in most cases, were/are the end of a longer piece so, the quality is no different than the full size blanks.
I didn't like the fact that, a couple of idiots should spoil the fun for everyone else and stop me to do what I always did so, I started to add the "gifts" and even more than ever before. Is not difficult to work out what the good people though of it and I made a promise to myself that, I wouldn't allow non-deserving people to bother me much, I just ignore them...!
Now, why am I saying all this, some would say...??? well, that is a point that I'm trying to make from my own experience and that is also, how I see it if I'm to be the "gift's" recipient and that is, I don't agree for a minute that, "we" should demand what we want as gifts, that's nor right in my books, going that way is imposing to the "seller" something that is entirely up to him/her to determine what that "gift" should be.
With all due respect Monty, and I'm sorry to say it, I don't agree with your poll and the sentiment behind it, which is wrong, in my view...!
There is never a single "gift" choice that will please everyone, no seller should be put in the position that has to almost have a data record of what each customer "wants" for a gift, this is all very wrong, as far as I'm concern, be thankful for what you get, period...!
These are my though and my story, I'm sticking with it...!:wink::biggrin:
Cheers
George
Sent by my disc sander...
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