[CR]Baron C. --- it's a business, folks!

(Example: Production Builders)

From: "c. andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 18:26:56 -0800
Subject: [CR]Baron C. --- it's a business, folks!

Dave van hook wrote:

He has failed to respond to numerous repeated requests for an explanation despite the fact that I explained to him that I am a member of this forum. The item is still for sale at the inflated price. I call this behavior neither honest, nor courteous...I call it rude and dishonest! Dave Van Hook Hershey, PA

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without more detail it's a little tough to analyze the situation Dave describes. Perhaps he could fill us in a little more? What harm could there be in that?

With what we have to go on here, though, an analogy works for me, along the lines of:

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I have a nice Lamborghini kit-car replica up on ebay. I put up lots of pictures, and I'm just selling it for what I have in it, as represented to me when I bought it. I don't know anything about cars, however. Someone e-mails me with the astonishing news that this "kit-car" is, in fact, a real lambo, worth 10 times what I'm selling it for. And let's say that this turns out to be true.

What am I supposed to do? Sell my kit car to the highest bidder for 1/10th what it's worth? No. I'm going to cancel the auction, and put the item back up for sale at a price that makes sense.

This is an extreme, and admittedly somewhat silly version of what Dave just described (as best as I can tell from the limited info Dave provided.). If Baron is trying to get the best market price for his stuff, well, that IS what he's in business to do. If you've seen his shop up in Santa Barbara, and his family, you'd know that he has a business to run, profits to make, and a life to live. He's not in business to do charity work.

So, I don't find what he did to be rude or dishonest in ANY way, and I think Dave is out-of-line to characterize Baron in that way. I've done numerous deals with Baron, and I've talked to Baron and his wife, and I've enjoyed their hospitality more than once, and I'll do my bit to nip this kind of scrofulous talk right in the bud. Baron's a great guy to do business with...just don't forget, it's business that we're doing here!

It amazes me, sometimes, the way some of us seem to think that trade in this little cult is a freakin' charity and we're supposed to be getting bro deals all the time. Grow up!

Charles Andrews
SoCal