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Re: [Killietalk] shipping report comments
Some would call those who sell first class fish at a club auction for $2
less $1 to the club as "hobbiests". I call them "suckers". It got so bad at
MAKA that a group of people (the same ones who bring items to auction month
after month) got together and said enough. The club auction rules were
amended to set a minimum opening bid for pairs, bag of juv, bag of eggs,
etc. to $4. And some of the same people who bring NOTHING to the auction
month after month opposed it. Well too bad. I can assure all that no one
makes any money selling killies for $4 a pair. But just maybe they can now
feel like "hobbiests" rather than "suckers"
............Ron Schulz.......Dutchess County NY
On 9/24/06, Keith Cook <kcook at sdgdocs_com> wrote:
>
> I understand there is a difference between being a business owner and
> being
> a hobbyist. I would like to think that hobbyists who are members of the
> AKA
> are part of the national organization because they are interested in the
> wellbeing of the hobby nation wide and not because they feel the AKA is a
> ready-made market where they can make a profit. I hope members are
> interested in helping other members nation wide, and that they aren't JUST
> interested in "what can the AKA do for me," though this is certainly part
> of
> why all of us join.
>
> I personally had fish in three shows this fall, two of which have been
> money
> losers for me. I'd do it again. Yesterday I GAVE a pair of fish to a 10
> year old boy. Again I lost money, but I think it's good for the
> hobby. Will
> he take care of them? I don't know. 15 years down the road he may
> remember
> having killifish once and may make an effort to find some again. Helping
> out
> grown adults in a similar fashion has the possibility of quicker return on
> our investment. But just like in marketing, you will have more "duds"
> than
> good returns, but that doesn't mean we should quit trying.
>
> Let's all help each other out. If you have a few spare fish, send them to
> a
> show. Don't send 100prs of F1 Aphyoseiom justdiscoveredi and expect a big
> return. You know who your audience is and you know you will NEVER get back
> all you deserve when you add up all the time and money and yada yada yada.
> Do it for the hobby, not for the money. That is what Wall Street is for.
> And again, I know business owners have to do things differently. They have
> to make money to stay in business...but the rest of us.......
>
> Oh, and since his name came up, Craig Rees has been a consistent supporter
> of my local show. He almost always sends a few pair of something.
>
> Keith
> -----Original Message-----
> From: killietalk-bounces+kcook=sdgdocs_com at aka.org
> [mailto:killietalk-bounces+kcook=sdgdocs_com at aka.org] On Behalf Of Monty
> R.
> lehmann
> Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 2:08 AM
> To: killietalk at aka_org
> Subject: Re: [Killietalk] shipping report comments
>
>
>
> In response to"
> "Hi Monty Its nice to see you doing so well in shipping fish. But
> when i looked on my porch this week there was no box from you
> to support the Michigan show."
>
>
> Hi Karl,
>
> I am not surprised that you did not get a box of fish from me. I stopped
> sending free fish to shows some years ago. I will give a couple of
> examples why: I received a request for fish from a club who said they
> were desperate for fish and would gladly recompense me for some rare
> fish. I responded by sending them 14 pairs of fish. There were two
> pairs of Diapterons, two pairs of A. rectogoense, two pairs of a
> cognatum, etc. There was not a common nor ugly fish in the box. I asked
> that my shipping box be returned. It cost me $19 to ship the box. A few
> weeks later I received a check in the mail for $17. That was the total
> amount they compensated me for 14 pairs of fish, and they never said
> thank you or even returned my box!
>
> Second example: A friend in a club called and pleaded with me to make
> their upcoming show a hit by sending fish in support. I sent 26 pairs of
> fish in two boxes. I am always very short on shipping boxes and told the
> club that I had to get my boxes back. Profuse promises to return my
> boxes
> were given. After they received the fish I never heard from them again.
> I called to remind them to return my shipping boxes and the club
> treasurer
> told me that my boxes had been auctioned off!!!
>
> A few more cases like that followed. Your club might not treat me so
> poorly,
> but I am far past the point that I want to risk experiencing that level
> of
> frustration and anger again.
>
> My days of playing Santa Clause to clubs is long over. I have found over
> the
> years that many people do not appreciate free fish anyway.
>
> If asked by a club, I would provide fish at a discount price so the club
> could
> have more fish in their auction. I was not asked in this case. I have
> at
> least 60 pairs of available killies in my tanks right now, but I am not
> going to give them away. The only time I donate fish nowadays is to the
> National Convention or if I am asked to give a talk, to offset the
> travel
>
> expenses incurred by the club as a result.
>
> Regards,
>
> Monty
>
>
>
> Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9.
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>
>
> Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9.
> Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/
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> http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalk
>
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