Leus wrote:TreverT wrote:
Someday I should write a blog of all the insane hobbyists I have dealt with over the years... Churchwarden stem guy alone would have Kurt cackling for an hour.
Trever, it has been a whole day and you still haven't told us about crazy churchwarden stem guy. I think this is extremely inconsiderate and rude.
Also, fishnets.
A Typical Tale of dealing with hobbyists...
Some years back, I posted on our blog a pic of this big crate of churchwarden stems that we'd found in the briar cave after we purchased the French business. I've probably got 500+ of the things, a lifetime supply. Not long after we moved back here, I get an email from Crazy Churchwarden Stem Guy asking if I'd be willing to sell him any of these. Being in a good mood after escaping from Brittany, I say, "Sure, how many?" This begins a RIDICULOUS series of emails...
He writes back to ask how much they are. I have no idea, we bought them as part of the business stock, so I look around online and quote him a price comparable to PE's prices. This is my first wasted working time. Keep in mind that since we bought the supplies in euros, even selling at list probably means I'll make a grand total of like five bucks on thirty stems sold.
Some time passes, and he writes again. If he buys 25 rather than 20, will I give him a discount price? Roll eyes, "No". What about if he buys 30? Where is the next line for a discount price? I don't have price lists because I don't sell parts. I've already had to waste more working time just digging through my sent email folder to jog my memory as to what I quoted him originally. I think I tell him something like, if he'll get 50 I'll discount the price a wee bit.
More time passes. He writes again, asking if I'll give a discount if he buys 40. I say NO, and add that I am not a parts dealer and he should just buy the damn things from PE. I am tired of this. Chastened, he assures me that he wants to buy the stems. He asks for the exact measurements of the stems. We have moved back from France and our garage is one giant pile of boxes, but because I am a nice guy, I go out and waste probably half an hour trying to dig through this stuff till I find the box of stems and measure them for him and send the dimensions back. I've probably wasted a total of two solid working hours on this moron now.
About SIX MONTHS PASS. No word. Then one day I get an email saying he wants to buy some churchwarden stems and how many does he need to buy to get a discount. I dig out my old price quote AGAIN and send it to him, and he says he wants 20-some stems, and to send him a Paypal invoice so he can pay for them. I go to Paypal, make out an invoice for the stems and shipping, send it to him, and never hear from him again.
This is what dealing with hobbyists is typically like. They want maximum bother for minimum cash, they only want to buy five briar blocks but they want me to dig through the whole stash and send them the very best five, only after I've sent them the exact dimensions and weights for each block, they want to buy four stems and want exact dimensions on each, yadda yadda yadda. Great way to spend an eight hour day and make $15 of profit for it.
And BTW, I think Crazy Churchwarden Stem Guy is on this forum so if you ARE, YES, I am talking about YOU, and this is exactly what I think of you. Never, ever email me again or I will rip your face off. On the plus side, you have become a good story.
![Image](http://i.imgur.com/zof8H.jpg)