I've started to write this post a few times, and was sure it would be misunderstood. I'm not sure how to avoid that. So; please, just don't misunderstand. You have enough time with me now to understand my intentions, and commitments.

The main point is this: I'm going to have to spend time and effort, developing other markets. What I have tried to do, has been to keep everything in house. I have really put my heart and soul into this forum. Hoped to see it become a great business tool, as well as an enjoyable read. However; whatever forces that be (and 85% of them are just member determined choices), the membership has just decided that this format, this group, just will not be allowed to succeed, as hoped. By "keeping it in house", I mean that I have intended to offer my extra work, to the group of people which I've developed as friends over the last 19 years. I had intended this to be a "benefit" to this group of people. It's surprising how differently people can see things.

I've been in business since 1974. It's been quite a ride. For many years, I didn't sell a thing in the United States. It all went to Europe, Asia, even Australia. There have been a number of chapters. The People. The Politics. Japan. BIG Business. The Patent Years. The Dealers. Juicy stuff. This last one has had some odd traits. After the transition to Air Guns, I developed a large Website. With it's Daily Briefing Page ... I had no interaction with customers. However; most liked it that way. Because .... then as now; people simply do not want me to know if or when they read my materials. It's a secret. And, they don't like materials drafted for multiple readers. They like specifically drafted personal answers to personal questions. And then personally drafted follow ups. When I talked to six or eight people this way, I could spend the week on email - repeating materials which could be better handled in a more permanent format. And so; we launched the forum.

Now it's 9,200+ Gary posts down the road. With the quality of my work, 42 years of history, the unique nature of my products, and the lengths I go to to offer "terms"; it's still like pulling teeth. We have 5-7 friends who will actually participate in the forum. Targeting a small sale is like cracking a safe. How do you approach it? What's the combination? It's funny, for ten years, everybody who ordered a gun, wanted a knife to go with it. I had to decline, as I was not set up to make knives then.

Long story shorter - there are hundreds of places to broker fine work. I'm pretty sure I can pass the jury of standards. I just haven't wanted to take the time to develop the alternative markets, but that's been foolish on my part. I won't claim to understand how people who are attracted by high quality craftsmanship, refine their focus. If anyone thinks there's only about five or ten people here who recognize what my work is, they'd be mistaken. But, honestly ... I wonder if they think that if they hold out, everything will just return to the way it was. I won't require an income. I will be completely healed. I'll stop this forum nonsense. Forget the silliness of selling items which take less then a month to make, and just get on with clearing the ledger. Period.

I have spent enormous time and effort, attempting to make this forum a viable business tool. Raise the awareness of my work. Build friendships with those I build for. Instead, I spend uncountable hours crafting free entertainment. I seldom know who has read. And I suppose it's evident, that 99.935% of readers are quite able to resist the quality of work they have found offered for immediate sale here. And so; I have to devote time to development markets which pay. I have been investing time in work, and then setting it aside; in the event this was required. I'm going to be interested to see how many places have artists with work of this quality, offering no interest payments over 4 to 6 months. I have not found any in the places I've so far researched.

I'll be here. Some very good friends are here. Some of them have gone way out on their limbs supporting my desire to stay alive while trying to keep this experiment alive. I will always be grateful for their desire to help, and own my work. Most of them have other means of contacting me. Meaning, they've also spent time on my desire to keep Rendezvous alive. I appreciate that too.

Alright. I'm not turning off the light. I'm turning of several other lights. It's a big, big world. The main difference is that I won't post my activities, intentions, or extra products to the degree that I have. What is that often repeated definition of "Insanity"? ........ "Doing the same things over and over and expecting a different outcome." So; hoping people you have entertained for years might talk, and occasionally purchase a small item; doesn't fulfill enjoyment or pay bills. Both are real needs. I'll spend the time needed to develop my leads. I want to make sure it doesn't sound like I'm gonna take my ball and go home. But I need to take time to add to what I have.

Thanks for reading.
Gary



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2015 10:40AM by barnespneumatic.

Gary,
I want to say BRAVO... But I know that is not what you are interested in. However, I have often wondered why you did not pursue other markets. I have enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the forum (of late...) as it has been a learning opportunity for me. One that took me awhile to get into as I don't participate in other Internet forums or "social networking." I didn't really understand the value of it all until recently. You have taught me a lot with the interaction here. I really wish you much luck in the new outreach(s)/markets(s), and I hope to be able to follow you wherever you end up posting or selling your wares. I think it is clear that you are not an automaton (not simply a producer of airgun widgets), but rather an Artist, and I hope that through your other pursuits you can reach an audience that fully appreciates that. My best of luck to you, and I will still keep coming back to this forum as long as it exists.
Sincerely,
Jeff

Hey Gary
I do know it's gotta be tough trying to do all you do . Marketing has to be the hardest part of any business . No matter how good you are if people don't know then they don't know ! It's always going to be something to overcome in business and life . Once people want your services you can't keep up with supply and demand without expanding . Then the shipping ,billing , warrenties , R&D help help ! Then you put your soul into it and your enjoyment turned to work !
You have had a lot of irons in the fire in your lifetime. Maybe it's time to not try and do it ALL yourself even though you know it won't be done right unless you do it . You hafta delegate some parts out to focus your talent where it's best .
I have a really SMART friend who can tear apart and repair anything electrical and I mean TV , computers , DVDplayers cars , engines . He's a wizard but... He works in a tire shop changing tires . I always said to my wife that the world is deprived of his talents . I don't really know why that's what he chooses to do but I do know he's always tinkering on something in his spare time and fixing an old bowling alley pin set machine just for fun !
Only you know what you can do and why and I'm really glad for the time I have on the forum with you and others .
Just know one thing , I got your back and even though we have never met in real life ( maybe soon )
I'm offering a forum fist bump to you

Thanks
Kurt

Hi Gary,

I do believe that in order to keep your business running you have to reinvent it on a regular basis. You have being doing it all along since you started your business almost 40 years ago. So I think that this is a natural evolution and I also wish you good luck in these new business adventure. I only want to ask you a small favor, don't forget about us and whenever you have anything new to offer please let us know.

Best,

julio

Just let me know when the reality show finishes filming, I'll record it on the DVR and watch the whole series.

And on a slightly more serious note, to quote some guy somewhere 'Ya gotta do what ya gotta do". It doesn't help anyone on the ledger or otherwise if you have to file bankruptcy or start selling off your shop tools to pay the bills.

Anyone who's spent even an hour reading the posts here knows that you're over-committed. Anyone who's on the ledger has probably known that for a decade. You've described in exhaustive detail how it's evolved, there's no mystery there. A lot of it is due to factors out of your control, but there's no getting around the fact that you bit off more than you could chew back in the MD shop and it's snowballed from there. You're hardly the only small (or large) businessman who's gotten in over his head, and far from the first artist whose vision has exceeded his capacity to realize that vision. In that respect, you're in very good company as far as business history goes. Ever heard of Tucker cars? Just one example, there are thousands of others out there keeping you company. Unfortunately you're a few million (or billion) bucks short of warranting a taxpayers bail-out, not to mention a bit short of the political connections required to make that happen. As always, the buck stops right on your desk.

I give you a lot of credit for continuing to honor your past commitments despite the obvious pinch it's putting you in, and I feel sure that you will continue to do so as long as you are able. Which brings things to the point. In order to be able to do so, you've gotta change the way things are going with your business model. That is inevitably going to result in ledger customers being unhappy with the new schedule and reorganization. There is literally no way you can make everyone happy, you probably couldn't if there were a dozen of you working to address the backlog unless one of them shows up with a time machine.

So back to point one, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I'll be interested in seeing how that works out, and I'm sure that a lot of other people on this forum will be as well. If it means one update post a week, or a month, or quarterly, so be it. Nobody on the ledger is going to be any better served by stressing you into an early grave any faster than you're doing it yourself. I hope they can keep that in mind when they're sharpening the poison pens to let you know all about it.

Hi Sean,

A few thoughts.

I'm not "going" anywhere. It's not as if I'm taking another job. Kelly and I are just looking to develop new markets for my work. There are numerous businesses to explore. And, we live near a very busy, high end, tourist area.

For the longest time, I just wouldn't believe that new markets were required. Our needs are modest. We are not in debt. We had developed 19 years of this newest group of clients and friends. We'd spent a huge effort building the base of our Rendezvous Forum here. With that base of clients/readership, and newly completed work for immediate sale; it seemed impossible that it wouldn't meet the need

However; who can tell. Are people reading in silence? Are they gone? Off to another site? Hey, you get sick, you move ... you loose your buzz ..... Click. For 42 years, nothing lays around here. People see fine work, and it sells. There are no old knives. No old airguns. No old anything that we wanted to sell. But; people have to see the work. If they aren't reading here ... then they aren't seeing work, and they aren't going to buy.

I figured the mystery was tangled up with the fact that most people simply will not post. I never understood - still don't. Why join a group you couldn't care less about. But, I knew the people were there. I'd see their names listed across the bottom of the page. But, any attempt to draw them into friendly conversation, just annoyed them. They'd come and read - I certainly didn't drag them here. But; once here ... nothing would induce them to participate. They were going to lurk, or leave. So; I guess many left. Lots of names that I worked long into the nights and weekends, to add extra special features and quality to their projects. And then, when I'd simply ask for a friendly hello, the responce was no. Not only no, but Hell No, and I'll leave rather then you asking again.

And so; when I made the posts saying that it would be helpful, as I was dealing with my set of life ... it would be really helpful if some would add to their collections, those things that they had inquired about before. The ones who asked before ... didn't. Thing is, the reason I couldn't service their request before; was that they'd come saying they'd take absolutely anything at all ... then I'd find they actually wanted to request a highly custom piece. Now; if they won't say hello, they surely won't buy some unspecified art from the back room of my mind. And so; are they out there? When they said they wanted anything, did they? They said they would have bought the one you just sold yesterday - so you make another quite similar ... and they don't. It's all a game of amusement and leisure time for some. For me, it's my life. And so; I need to research additional markets.

I could name a bunch of good friends, but I'd forget one. People who have helped, tremendously, by purchasing my small items. I'll be there for you, as you have been for me. Thank you. Still, that group of folks can't provide the income I need to work the ledger and stay current. Sadly, about 5-7 more, occasionally making a smaller purchase, would have been enough to keep it in the Family here. And, I just kept refusing to believe that they were not in the hundreds of members here. But; it's just wearing me out from the inside, trying to pedal my wares; when I was winning Major Best of Show Awards 35 years ago.

Ok, I have a few pics, but it's late. I'll be back tomorrow.
Thanks Guys and Gals,
Gary

Well said Rotorhead!

Gary,

I think you are on the correct path. You need to do what helps your business and income grow. I totally get that you need to cut down posting in here and focus on areas that actually bring in receivables. I have followed your progress for 8 years now and I see the frustrations and hoops you have jumped through to keep this forum going. But all around the internet it seems hard to get anyone to commit to anything.


I echo what most others have posted. Your dedication to the ledger, etc. Rotorhead hit the nail on the head!

All the best on your endeavors.

Pedro