The internet is not what it seems

[Kevin]

I know I know. Strange as it is, the internet projects itself to be better, faster, bigger, better...

I have a Victornox watch. Nice, but nothing special. It needed a new battery. So I look on the internet for Victornox repair places close by. Found http://www.swisswatchrepairs.com Beautiful website, very professional looking. And literally minutes from my house. So I send them and email and they say stop on over.

I pull up to the building with the correct address. No sign, nothing, two cars in the parking lot. Security door and I have to announce myself. One guy in an office / laboratory. That's it.

Yeah, he knew what he was doing and had lots of fancy equipment. And yes, I would recommend them if you need anything done. I suppose it is mostly work through the mail if you don't live close. He did say they had another lab with more employees working.

Anyway, I just had to laugh. The guy asked me if I had trouble finding the place. I've driven by his building many times, and never gave it a thought. But I suppose with expensive watches in his office, he wouldn't want too much attention.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I think lots of business with less than impressive storefronts have found new life on the Internet. Shipping is the big bug-a-boo for them. Hopefully an Internet business will have a small lightweight product like watches so as to avoid the 'cost of shipping' trap. Something that fits in one of those padded envelopes is the best.

 

[Kevin]

Yeah it was a legitimate company. He had some pretty fancy tools and his desk was covered with mailing packages.

I bet his rent is dirt cheap.

 

[6gun]

I hear what you saying Kevin, like back in the old west they had little shacks for business's but built a big fancy false store front to look impressive from the street, the internet is just a modern false store front, I often wonder how many of this big impressive business's are really in someone's garage.

 

[GunnyGene]

I know I know. Strange as it is, the internet projects itself to be better, faster, bigger, better...

I have a Victornox watch. Nice, but nothing special. It needed a new battery. So I look on the internet for Victornox repair places close by. Found http://www.swisswatchrepairs.com Beautiful website, very professional looking. And literally minutes from my house. So I send them and email and they say stop on over.

I pull up to the building with the correct address. No sign, nothing, two cars in the parking lot. Security door and I have to announce myself. One guy in an office / laboratory. That's it.

Yeah, he knew what he was doing and had lots of fancy equipment. And yes, I would recommend them if you need anything done. I suppose it is mostly work through the mail if you don't live close. He did say they had another lab with more employees working.

Anyway, I just had to laugh. The guy asked me if I had trouble finding the place. I've driven by his building many times, and never gave it a thought. But I suppose with expensive watches in his office, he wouldn't want too much attention.

There are thousands of quality small businesses that produce/repair all kinds of things that you won't find on the net. Including gun shops, custom knife makers, tools, clothing and fabrics of all kinds, custom woodwork, etc. In the last 10 or 20 years, many have elected to keep a low profile for a variety of reasons, and rely on word of mouth for advertising. This has resulted in essentially 2 separate economies - the one .gov knows about and taxes & regulates the hell out of, and the one they'd like to know more about. :wink: There are ways of fighting over reaching .gov that don't involve riots and gunfire.

 

[LAH]

Dry Creek Bullets was that way. Very small shop in my basement. You would never know it was there.

 

[Kevin]

Well there might be all sorts of reasons a small single owner might not use the internet, not just tax evasion as you suggest. Perhaps they don't have that much time for more business. Perhaps it is just a weekend hobby like knife making, and the guy has a full time job otherwise. Perhaps they just don't want the added expense and hassle of a web site.

I guess, I'm naïve, and think people aren't just out to scam the gov't. But yes, I do agree, these single proprietorships do produce superior goods than big companies. After all, it is there name on the door and knife or holster...

 

[GunnyGene]

Well there might be all sorts of reasons a small single owner might not use the internet, not just tax evasion as you suggest. Perhaps they don't have that much time for more business. Perhaps it is just a weekend hobby like knife making, and the guy has a full time job otherwise. Perhaps they just don't want the added expense and hassle of a web site.

I guess, I'm naïve, and think people aren't just out to scam the gov't. But yes, I do agree, these single proprietorships do produce superior goods than big companies. After all, it is there name on the door and knife or holster...

I don't think you're naive. It's not that people are out to "scam the govt" or deliberately avoid regs, taxes, etc. . Usually, it's for one of the reasons you mentioned, or because the demand for quality and/or unique goods can't be filled by mass production. There is room for both mass production, and hand crafted goods.

Ikea (for example) produces simple, generally low quality, furnishings at a low price for the mass market that may last 10 years if you're lucky. The market for them are young people just starting out with not much money. On the other end of the scale are woodworkers (like myself) that produce custom furnishings that will last for generations for those willing to pay for them.

Both markets create an opportunity for those who can fill it.

 

[caryc]

Yeah it was a legitimate company. He had some pretty fancy tools and his desk was covered with mailing packages.

I bet his rent is dirt cheap.

Nothing unusual there. If you have a successful internet business why waste the money on an impressive brick and mortar location?

He can reach many many more customers with that website than he can with a store front. Believe me, I know.

One more thing. You can have the fanciest website and still not have the business. You have to send out a good product. That's the whole thing in a nutshell. Once word starts to spread around you will get the business. It took me years to reach the point I'm at now.

If you don't have some new wonder product and the money for TV commercials, you're not going to put up a website and start making good money overnight.

 

[Kevin]

CaryC:
I suppose you are in same situation GunnyGene mentions, small single owners producing high quality products. Hey, I wonder what grips would look like from Ikea? (That is a bad joke.)

GunnyGene:
You made your point very well. I see what you are talking about now. But I would argue that Ikea furniture would last 10 years. Try 2? 3? I walked through their store once, not buying anything and will never return.

 

[GunnyGene]

CaryC:
I suppose you are in same situation GunnyGene mentions, small single owners producing high quality products. Hey, I wonder what grips would look like from Ikea? (That is a bad joke.)

GunnyGene:
You made your point very well. I see what you are talking about now. But I would argue that Ikea furniture would last 10 years. Try 2? 3? I walked through their store once, not buying anything and will never return.

:lol: :lol: I did say "lucky". Anyway, glad you got the point.

Just to drive it home for whoever is interested, one of my recent projects was a chest on chest made in the traditional way with handcut dovetails on all corners of the drawers, and cases. Solid walnut and spalted maple locally grown and air dried, no veneer although well done veneer (wood, not plastic) is perfectly acceptable on high end furniture. All of it from rough cut lumber, including moldings, feet, columns, etc. .

Here's how I did it: http://s79.photobucket.com/user/43gm94l/library/Shop/chest%20on%20chest?sort=4&page=1

Stands about 5' tall and 4' wide. If I'd done it for sale, I'd ask a minimum of $8k. Tiny market for this kind of work, but it's one of a kind. Took about 3 months to make ( I work slow).

 

[caryc]

GunnyGene,

Very impressive !!!

 

[gramps]

Ditto! Beautiful. You are a craftsman. It takes time to do the detail!
gramps

 

[GunnyGene]

Ditto! Beautiful. You are a craftsman. It takes time to do the detail!
gramps

Thanks. The hardest part was getting all the drawer details lined up.

 

[caryc]

GunnyGene, black walnut ?

 

[GunnyGene]

GunnyGene, black walnut ?

Yes. Bought it rough from a local farmer. The spalted maple for the drawer sides was one of my trees that blew down. The maple took about 2 years to dry, so I reckon the total time for the project was close to 3 years given the time for the wood to dry properly, design, and actual build. Mass production doesn't have that kind of patience. They have to get it out in days or at most weeks, which is why you see most modern furniture made of mdf with plastic veneers and stapled together.

We have a lot of antique furniture, and an odd thing is that guests are cautious about sitting on it. They think they'll break it I guess. Well made antique chairs, couches, etc. were built to be used and are nearly always stronger than modern furniture. If they weren't they wouldn't still be around. I always get a chuckle when somebody asks permission to plop down in a very comfy 150 year old chair or sofa. :lol:

 

[6gun]

Sometimes them small business owners go on forums and aint to friendly to folk and loose business over things they say, was looking to have some grips made but decide to just go with factory replacements instead.

 

[caryc]

Sometimes them small business owners go on forums and aint to friendly to folk and loose business over things they say, was looking to have some grips made but decide to just go with factory replacements instead.

Don't argue with a guy you want to do business with. :mrgreen:

 

[6gun]

Sometimes them small business owners go on forums and aint to friendly to folk and loose business over things they say, was looking to have some grips made but decide to just go with factory replacements instead.

Don't argue with a guy you want to do business with. :mrgreen:

The customer is always right.

 

[GunnyGene]

Sometimes them small business owners go on forums and aint to friendly to folk and loose business over things they say, was looking to have some grips made but decide to just go with factory replacements instead.

Don't argue with a guy you want to do business with. :mrgreen:

The customer is always right.

No, the customer is not always right. In fact, the customer is quite often wrong.

 

[6gun]

gunny
Sometimes attitude makes a small business out of business.

 

[Kevin]

Gunny Gene-
Wow. I can see the 8k price tag on that. It would last a very long time. Beautiful. I have a walnut dresser. It was my grandfather's he used it as a tool box in his auto repair garage way back when in Iowa. I don't use it but it sits in a corner and just makes the room look nice.

 

[caryc]

Sometimes them small business owners go on forums and aint to friendly to folk and loose business over things they say, was looking to have some grips made but decide to just go with factory replacements instead.

Don't argue with a guy you want to do business with. :mrgreen:

The customer is always right.

You weren't a customer when you starting arguing with me here on the forum. You are just some guy on the internet. Do you actually think I'm going to cry because you stated here that you were not going to buy a pair of grips from me?

Hay pal, this is the internet. I will argue with people here but if I found out one of them lived in my neighborhood do you think I would be rushing over there to punch his running lights out? Hell no. If someone here wants to start an argument with me, I'll argue right back.

But like I said, this is the internet, it's not a personal thing. I have nothing against you but I'll not back down from an argument with you. And, if you ran a business you would understand that the customer is not always right. Deal with some people and you'll soon realize that that old chestnut doesn't really fly. I don't need business bad enough to take abuse from anyone.

 

[6gun]

See what I mean?. :roll:

 

[caryc]

See what I mean?. :roll:

No, explain it to me.

 

[Colonialgirl]

CaryC:
I suppose you are in same situation GunnyGene mentions, small single owners producing high quality products. Hey, I wonder what grips would look like from Ikea? (That is a bad joke.)

GunnyGene:
You made your point very well. I see what you are talking about now. But I would argue that Ikea furniture would last 10 years. Try 2? 3? I walked through their store once, not buying anything and will never return.

:lol: :lol: I did say "lucky". Anyway, glad you got the point.

Just to drive it home for whoever is interested, one of my recent projects was a chest on chest made in the traditional way with handcut dovetails on all corners of the drawers, and cases. Solid walnut and spalted maple locally grown and air dried, no veneer although well done veneer (wood, not plastic) is perfectly acceptable on high end furniture. All of it from rough cut lumber, including moldings, feet, columns, etc. .

Here's how I did it: http://s79.photobucket.com/user/43gm94l/library/Shop/chest%20on%20chest?sort=4&page=1

Stands about 5' tall and 4' wide. If I'd done it for sale, I'd ask a minimum of $8k. Tiny market for this kind of work, but it's one of a kind. Took about 3 months to make ( I work slow).

BEAUTIFUL !!!! I'll probably see it on Antiques Roadshow someday if I live that long and priced at $25,000 to $35,000 .
Pamela

 

[GunnyGene]

BEAUTIFUL !!!! I'll probably see it on Antiques Roadshow someday if I live that long and priced at $25,000 to $35,000 .
Pamela

Unless there is massive inflation, you'd have to live a very long time indeed to see that kind of appraisal :shock: . This will go to one of my daughters in 20 years or so, and probably to one of their offspring eventually.

 

[6gun]

BEAUTIFUL !!!! I'll probably see it on Antiques Roadshow someday if I live that long and priced at $25,000 to $35,000 .
Pamela

Unless there is massive inflation, you'd have to live a very long time indeed to see that kind of appraisal :shock: . This will go to one of my daughters in 20 years or so, and probably to one of their offspring eventually.

It would also have to be made by a very famous furniture brand for that kind of money, it always more about the brand then how well something is made.