Barry,
I really am sorry to hear that your 'hobby business' failed. But as a
business venture, it sounds as though it was just a tad bit mismanged.
Like you, I too have assembled an assortment of spares over the years. Most
of these I will never need. I, however, have chosen to not use these as the
basis of a hobby business. Instead, I use them to further the hobby. As
such, they are available to my friends either for free, or usually for
whatever they might want to pay. And, as such, they are also NOT AVAILABLE
to some people for any price. Sadly, but as I said to Jarrid Gross just
last week, "Sunbeam ownership does not preclude the possibility of flaming
a**-holery," and our "family" definitely includes a number of people with
those qualities.
Which brings us to the flaming a**holes who took your overdrive and rear
axle.
If I were operating a hobby business with my parts pile, and, for example, I
was asking $400 for a used overdrive unit and someone wanted to take it away
"for evaluation," then I would have asked for a $500 fully refundable
deposit. The guy brings it back in the same condition he took it, he gets
it all back. He brings it back broken, or in pieces, he might get some of
it back. He doesn't bring it back, I don't care.
It's a business now. Can't treat it like a hobby, even if it IS a 'hobby
business.' Didn't you ever leave a $60-dollar deposit to rent a $40-dollar
tool?
> It would not have helped if you had charged those prices - but if you had
> negotiated reasonable prices for the articles - and been able to collect
them
> - it would have been an orderly market - we might all still be in
'business'.
If this is an attempt to blame me, or the way I operate my 'hobby' for the
failure of your 'hobby business,' then I beg you to rethink your 'hobby
business' practices. Again, I'm really sorry for your unfortunate
experiences, and I do not mean to offend, but you can not ignore the fact
that ANY business managed in such a manner will fail. Period!
And, if by chance they might be online, to the pea-brained, numb-nuts,
needle-dick slime balls that stole your overdrive and rear end, I'd just
like to say "A POX UPON YOU!"
Ramon
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