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Post by radio on Feb 12, 2016 20:31:42 GMT -5
Rio's quality sucks on many items, including most sterling chains. I buy a pretty good amount of chains every year and have found that because a chain is marked "Italy" it is often not made in Italy! The Chinese easily mark their chains this way and small dealers, hobbyists and consumers are deceived thinking they are getting a quality chain. The Italians are the best chain makers in the world surpassing even most American companies in that field. A true Italian made chain is incredibly supple and doesn't kink, bind or scratch the wearer. I keep a couple of Chinese made chains on hand just to demonstrate the difference to customers and show what they are getting at Wal mart. That answered a lot of questions I have had Arlen. Just the fact that they falsely label makes you despise them. Appreciate the chain education. The chain about has to be purchased. Cheap chain on fine handmade piece is awkward in all respects. I was happy when a shop owner asked me to hang from leather since my style was harmonious with it. Even the leather was hard to decide it's origin. I suppose they mark it kangaroo when they have no kangaroos. Greek leather is highly rated. But is that what you are buying ?? I don't use any leather except on Bolo pieces, and I rarely do those except by custom order. I do have one in que that I also have to fabricate sterling and 14K Gold arrowhead tips for. Most of my pendants start at $100+ and I have several in the $500-$600 range, so only the best chains are used
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 12, 2016 20:40:28 GMT -5
radio my stuff was much cheaper but i still resented hanging it from a crappy chain. Don't send that thing my way. You sell it. Those bots were not worth that kind of money. They are littered around on a gravel bar or broken off of hollow geodes in fair quantity. I would have a guilt complex on such a trade.
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Post by radio on Feb 12, 2016 20:42:50 GMT -5
radio my stuff was much cheaper but i still resented hanging it from a crappy chain. Don't send that thing my way. You sell it. Those bots were not worth that kind of money. They are littered around on a gravel bar or broken off of hollow geodes in fair quantity. I would have a guilt complex on such a trade. Nope, that one is not for sale Guess you'll just have to send me more Bots if you have a guilt complex about accepting it
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2016 21:35:52 GMT -5
Not sure how this fits in this conversation, but...
I have a goal of having 4-5-6 small tiny businesses all making 10-15k per year.
What you have/describe seems to follow a similar path.
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Post by radio on Feb 12, 2016 21:51:26 GMT -5
Not sure how this fits in this conversation, but... I have a goal of having 4-5-6 small tiny businesses all making 10-15k per year. What you have/describe seems to follow a similar path. Reptiles Scott, reptiles
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2016 22:47:42 GMT -5
Not sure how this fits in this conversation, but... I have a goal of having 4-5-6 small tiny businesses all making 10-15k per year. What you have/describe seems to follow a similar path. Reptiles Scott, reptiles NEVER!!! no animals. Nothing alive. Living stuff prevents travel....
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 13, 2016 5:14:01 GMT -5
radio my stuff was much cheaper but i still resented hanging it from a crappy chain. Don't send that thing my way. You sell it. Those bots were not worth that kind of money. They are littered around on a gravel bar or broken off of hollow geodes in fair quantity. I would have a guilt complex on such a trade. Nope, that one is not for sale Guess you'll just have to send me more Bots if you have a guilt complex about accepting it Very much appreciate this as a gift Arlen. My dear wife has been drooling ever since she saw it. Looks like I lost this one. She is not so impressed with the rock thing but those bots do get her fired up. She has pushed me to collect them, and collects them only on times we go together. @shotgunner mentioned a 15K biz, those bots may be able to draw that much if targeted and there was a silver smith around. With cab skills.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 13, 2016 5:14:45 GMT -5
Not sure how this fits in this conversation, but... I have a goal of having 4-5-6 small tiny businesses all making 10-15k per year. What you have/describe seems to follow a similar path. Yea Scott, your idea is interesting. I know some people that buy out old factories and resale the carts and tables after repurposing them. I have done it on a small scale, but those guys may end up with 100 tables and 100 carts. repurposing them and then selling. So each batch is a product that falls into those kind of incomes. Once they have a dozen batches of 50-100 repurpose able pieces they sit back and do Etsy on them. My plant biz has dwindled, fire pits caught the slack and wife's lighting biz is getting us by. And those RR litters. Between the four we do OK. We do the plants together and I do the pits. She does the lights and has me help with repurposing on occasion in trade for cooking Ha. The pups are just a pleasure but she handles the brunt of their demands. All four incomes are seasonal or have surges. Am moving forward with some fire pit systems that distribute heat better. Forced or convected heat from the pit with smoke reduction. A system that creates a warm zone outdoors when it is cold like heated chairs and/or floor. Gotta have something to improve upon. People get bored with repetition.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 13, 2016 6:27:58 GMT -5
I am not insinuating that I have talent for working rock or making jewelry, but I really suck at promoting and selling it. Hence why I have slowed to a standstill with it. These days, you have to be a computer/marketing wiz to understand how selling on the internet works. If you don't know how to do it yourself, you end up paying someone else the big bucks to do it for you. When your profit margin is already pretty slim, you can't afford that kind of monthly outlay. Might as well be $3 million for 30 seconds of ad time during Super Bowl! There has got to be inexpensive adult/community college classes to learn this. Making a web site these days is easy, getting it out where people can see it is the real work! The small business association in San Diego puts on seminars now and again for free. Maybe I need to start paying attention? Naw, think I'll head to the beach today. (See? The curse of living in Paradise. You just cain;'t get anything done, lol.) Kudos to you, James. I think you are on the right track. (That sucks about your competitor cheating like that. Wonder if there is a way to foul him up?) I have 2 competitors that make similar fire pits to mine. One of the two has full control of local search 'fire pit atlanta' and firepitsatlanta'. I am firepitsatlanta. They have used my name in their key word/title areas. If I was selling in a competitive market like jewelry magnify such by 100's. Dog eat dog world out there. I can probably solve this issue since I only have one or two competitors by optimizing my new web site. I guess it is a new game out there Jean. Have fun at the beach and beware of the great whites Yeah, I don't like those great whites one bit! Dang large, white tourists/snow birds from the cold white north. Now there's a sight you can't unsee. This being President's Day weekend, I'm sure there are many of them in town enjoying the SoCal weather... Oh, you meant the sharks! No worries, I don't go in the water. Actually, I didn't even go to the beach yesterday. Don't care for the crowds, fighting traffic, and getting sand in unmentionable places. C'mere, let me tell you a little secret... I have learned that the sun that shines over my house is the very same one that shines at the beach, ten miles to the west. Really! So I can save the hassle of driving to the beach, looking for a parking spot, fighting the crowds, etc., etc., and get my necessary doseage of sunshine at home. Which I did. "Crazy in the sunshine, yes indeed.". Appropriate lyrics from the Grateful Dead. Gonna be another splendid day - all weekend actually - but I have some work that needs to be done. There's always next week!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 13, 2016 6:58:32 GMT -5
Hells Bells rockpickerforever. You go to the beach to check out the studly dudes. Ha, my Florida camp is inland 40 miles. ZERO traffic and few humans, oh yea. I never go to the beach. It is always a zoo. They can have it. Now Daytona beach is 50 miles. Too much trouble to get in over there. Especially during bike week in March. It is bike week every week there during warm weather though. Lots of beach adornments too. me too old for that stuff. Never thought about you guys having the snow crowd visit.
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Post by radio on Feb 13, 2016 9:02:55 GMT -5
Hells Bells rockpickerforever . You go to the beach to check out the studly dudes. Ha, my Florida camp is inland 40 miles. ZERO traffic and few humans, oh yea. I never go to the beach. It is always a zoo. They can have it. Now Daytona beach is 50 miles. Too much trouble to get in over there. Especially during bike week in March. It is bike week every week there during warm weather though. Lots of beach adornments too. me too old for that stuff. Never thought about you guys having the snow crowd visit. Maybe you should attend fantasy fest sometime I sure hope we get some of those snowbirds migrating through Branson this weekend! January and February are pretty lean, so one has to have a bit of cushion in the old bank account to get you through. But, like the Swallows to Capistrano, the tourist will return to Branson
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2016 11:51:44 GMT -5
Not sure how this fits in this conversation, but... I have a goal of having 4-5-6 small tiny businesses all making 10-15k per year. What you have/describe seems to follow a similar path. Yea Scott, your idea is interesting. I know some people that buy out old factories and resale the carts and tables after repurposing them. I have done it on a small scale, but those guys may end up with 100 tables and 100 carts. repurposing them and then selling. So each batch is a product that falls into those kind of incomes. Once they have a dozen batches of 50-100 repurpose able pieces they sit back and do Etsy on them. My plant biz has dwindled, fire pits caught the slack and wife's lighting biz is getting us by. And those RR litters. Between the four we do OK. We do the plants together and I do the pits. She does the lights and has me help with repurposing on occasion in trade for cooking Ha. The pups are just a pleasure but she handles the brunt of their demands. All four incomes are seasonal or have surges. Am moving forward with some fire pit systems that distribute heat better. Forced or convected heat from the pit with smoke reduction. A system that creates a warm zone outdoors when it is cold like heated chairs and/or floor. Gotta have something to improve upon. People get bored with repetition. I developed that idea by watching you! I envy your lifestyle.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,165
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Post by jamesp on Feb 13, 2016 12:01:43 GMT -5
@shotgunner
Ha, developed from hustling and an allergy to corporate work.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,165
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Post by jamesp on Feb 13, 2016 12:21:26 GMT -5
Hells Bells rockpickerforever . You go to the beach to check out the studly dudes. Ha, my Florida camp is inland 40 miles. ZERO traffic and few humans, oh yea. I never go to the beach. It is always a zoo. They can have it. Now Daytona beach is 50 miles. Too much trouble to get in over there. Especially during bike week in March. It is bike week every week there during warm weather though. Lots of beach adornments too. me too old for that stuff. Never thought about you guys having the snow crowd visit. Maybe you should attend fantasy fest sometime I sure hope we get some of those snowbirds migrating through Branson this weekend! January and February are pretty lean, so one has to have a bit of cushion in the old bank account to get you through. But, like the Swallows to Capistrano, the tourist will return to Branson No sin against a little reverse carpet bagging
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 14, 2016 3:41:07 GMT -5
Hells Bells rockpickerforever . You go to the beach to check out the studly dudes. Ha, my Florida camp is inland 40 miles. ZERO traffic and few humans, oh yea. I never go to the beach. It is always a zoo. They can have it. ...and lead me not into temptation... James, that would just be asking for trouble, lol. I'm too old for that stuff, too. The young stuff does not enthuse me. Forty something years ago, used to spend A LOT of time at the beach. Life was much saner then, less crowded and less complicated.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 14, 2016 8:00:12 GMT -5
The times have certainly changed. Age has changed things too. I may consider a good rocking chair soon rockpickerforever. The age of our youth was an exciting time though. Not so sure it could have been any better.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 14, 2016 8:14:23 GMT -5
Ha! I may be old, but I've still got some life left. Lots of things I still want to do. Still plenty of time and energy to stir it up and cause some trouble. Not ready for that rocking chair just yet.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 14, 2016 8:52:11 GMT -5
Ha! I may be old, but I've still got some life left. Lots of things I still want to do. Still plenty of time and energy to stir it up and cause some trouble. Not ready for that rocking chair just yet. Rock on child. That's the spirit.
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Post by toiv0 on Feb 15, 2016 20:58:23 GMT -5
I know you don't use much heat in the south west, but I believe there is a market for some rocket stoves. There is all kinds of varieties out there and I am building a cast core mass heater. There are only a few people makeing the steel versions and are pretty simple to build. Just have to find some hippies with money or preppers who have lots of money. With your welding skills and ingenuity I might buy the first one for my yurt I will be putting up in NM.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 16, 2016 0:28:36 GMT -5
Ha! I may be old, but I've still got some life left. Lots of things I still want to do. Still plenty of time and energy to stir it up and cause some trouble. Not ready for that rocking chair just yet. Rock on child. That's the spirit.
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