Originally posted by Daniel
<br />I see business advertising on these groups as a benefit to the groups. it gives people more of a reson to belong to them. not only can they share a common interest. but they can find new resources for that interest. If they can save money at that as well. then why look anywhere else. If I could just make it any way I wanted it to be that would be one feature that would be included.
True that it's a reason to belong, but if you're offering something that's an ebay auction, I can find that source just as easily myself by going to ebay. I doubt many humans know ebay doesnt exist. Even if they didnt, they're going to be disapointed that they'll have to go create an account, hand ebay a credit card number, then enter a bidding war just to get some blanks. I dont consider that a favor to a member.
I guess I still have a view of these groups that says we really are not that big of a fish. That it is pretty much of a favor that suppliers think of us at all. possibly the reality is quite different. and I know for some penturning is there bread and butter.
when it comes to wood suppliers I think it is pretty much across the board (get the punn) that suppliers go out of there way to offer blanks at all.
This site has a few thousand members I would imagine, seems like there are new members every day, I wouldent say it's a small fish at all. As far as blanks go, there's money to be made there. Selling small versions of something is always more profitable than selling large versions. I wouldent feel too brokenhearted for suppliers, they're selling blanks because there's money in it. If not, there would be a lot less of them.
Bill B. would be an exception.
Yeah, he's a great example of someone who both sells and turns. I dont really consider him a supplier because (and I could be wrong, still learning what everyone does) I dont think he preps the wood himself. I think he buys blanks at a bargain and sells them at a bargain, and it's not a constant thing. It's more sparatic than someone I would consider a 'supplier'. But passing on blanks at a great price, straight sale, to the members of a board, is the way to go.
blanks are time consuming and dangerous to cut. they still count inch for inch as wear and tear on equipment. and the market for them is relatively small in comparison to other consumers of wood. just how much position do we have to make requirments of any kind.
With an attitude like that, we'll always be had through the nose. lol It's like gasoline, we pay a high premium because they know we want it and we'll pay what we have to. To an extent all sales are like this. You cant mark up something nobody wants. The pen blank market is just a small niche and not a lot of people are even aware of it. How many Corian suppliers sell blanks? Not many, but I bet if they knew they could get a buck for a half inch by half inch by 5.5 inch blank, they wouldent be tossing out their scraps. Same with wood I would imagine. Sure, there's dangers and wear prepping these things, but that's included in the price and included in the understood risk with any woodworking. I could have a chunk of acrylic blow off the lathe and embed itself in my face, that doesnt mean I'm doing anyone a 'favor' by supplying them with pens.
seriously I don't think my view is necessarily flawless or even accurate it is simply my since of how we fit into the grander picture. I welcome yours and anyone elses view on that.
Well, that's what it boils down to. We can all talk till we're red in the face but in the end, it's just our views on things. The problem is you try to state your opinion and there's always a handfull of people who jump on you and try to accuse you of starting a war. Likewise, people guising flames as questions causes it to be even harder to state a legit problem. I dont believe for a second that this topic was started out of genuine concern of what this forums thoughts on this seller was. If so, there's no reason to even mention TPS, he should have just asked the question. TPS has no effect on his relationship with the members of IAP and the addition of that to his 'question' there was unnessesary and only added to play on the rift some people harbor. That's my main problem and what got this ball rolling.
by the way, it is refreshing to be able to have an opposing opinion without thinking I offended you.
Likewise. Some people here dont like me because of my PMG post months ago, people like the joker on page 2 who accuse me of 'following' this person around just cant let things drop. I questioned his wood long ago and if anyone is a member of TPS, I stated how I didnt like his attitude in the first post there. His "I'll be supplying your wood" entitled post in the introduction forum is a prime example of his lack of his grasp on cooth. With people like Adpot Wood that we try to help, someone flopping their nads on our dinner table and claiming it for their own is a poor way to make an introduction. I've had my problems with him from day one, but some knuckleheads think I'm following the guy around just because I post in 2 posts of his here. People here have problems with opposing opinions because people make problems out of them. It's a shame, and as you said, refreshing when people can talk like big boys without someone crying and running home.
, but I've had some dozen people trying to convince me to go back.
