I’ve been wanting to write for awhile, but a) I am not sure what to write and b) I’ve been so busy since coming back from vacation.\u00a0 I do know what to write, but there are so many things, most small items, most not connected to each other, so it won’t likely flow smoothly.<\/p>\n
POSTAL RATES<\/strong><\/p>\n Here’s a wonderful story:\u00a0 back in November or so, the Post Office said they would temporarily<\/em> increase prices for the holiday season.\u00a0 After the New Year, I waited and waited for the price to drop.\u00a0 Silly me.\u00a0 The USPS has raised prices at least twice in the last six months and they will again in mere days (10 July, I think).\u00a0 Of course, they were right – their holiday price hikes WERE temporary – only to be hiked AGAIN in a couple months.<\/p>\n TODAY – all packages I ship to California cost me money – about a quarter.\u00a0 Most other places I am able to “make” a quarter or 50 cents – that’s my shipping and handling fee.\u00a0 The cost of my time to pack and ship your orders.<\/p>\n Guess what?\u00a0 I’ll be raising my flat rate shipping charges in August.<\/p>\n COST OF MATERIALS<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you noticed how “inflation” has hit you?\u00a0 Virtually everything we buy now costs more than it did last year.\u00a0 That includes all of the material that I use to make my kits: paper, packing supplies, ink, balsa…\u00a0 Guess what?\u00a0 I’ll be raising my kit prices in August.<\/p>\n RUBBER<\/strong><\/p>\n Charlie Jones, et al, at FAI Model Supply is out of town\/state\/country for all of July.\u00a0 He was kind enough to let us dealers know before-hand.\u00a0 When I was in Costa Rica, I got the message.\u00a0 Knowing that I have two big selling contests in July (FAC Nats in Geneseo NY and the AMA Outdoor FF Nats in Muncie, IN), I hurriedly calculated what I needed without the ability to see my stock-on-hand.\u00a0 Then I doubled it.<\/p>\n I will be bringing all the rubber I have to Geneseo and Muncie.\u00a0 Of course, it will be first-come-first-served – UNLESS – you place an order online for Delivery to one of these contests.\u00a0 But hurry; time is running out for any sort of pre-ordering.<\/p>\n KITS<\/strong><\/p>\n Some time last year, two things happened:\u00a0 1) I passed 100 short kit designs available from me and 2) I passed 5,000 kits sold to you, my customers.\u00a0 To me, these are significant numbers.\u00a0 Free Flight is a limited hobby.\u00a0 And my little corner of it is even smaller.\u00a0 And yet, between you and I, we have hit these numbers.<\/p>\n Drawing plans, creating new designs, re-creating old designs, is a lot of fun for me and it is something that I do practically every day.\u00a0 It is almost relaxing for me.\u00a0 I would be doing this even if I was no longer selling.\u00a0 But, I like to share my creations.\u00a0 I guess you like most of them, as you keep buying them.\u00a0 Getting back to the price hike subject, I have always tried to keep prices low but reasonable.\u00a0 Your not getting full kits from me, so I find it hard to charge a lot.\u00a0 You DO get parts AND plans, unlike some short kit suppliers (I feel that’s a value added).\u00a0 Some of my designs will be complicated – large and complicated plans, many sheets of wood.\u00a0 For these, there is no easy way to keep the prices down.<\/p>\n I virtually cut these kits on demand.\u00a0 When you order, I generally have to cut the kit.\u00a0 Over the last several months, I’ve been cutting multiple kits instead of just one.\u00a0 That is so I will have a stock to bring to these two July contests; Geneseo especially.<\/p>\n But 100 is not the upper limit!\u00a0 I am always drawing something and and it is my intention that they will be built and flown.\u00a0 Then it is a small step to passing them on to you.\u00a0 Well, some of those complicated ones require several big steps.<\/p>\n GENESEO<\/strong><\/p>\n It was 2019 the last time we FACers gathered for our big meet in Geneseo.\u00a0 Coming off the trip to Costa Rica and the contest immediately following in Muncie, I decided that there would be no new planes for Geneseo.\u00a0 I simply had\/have too much to do and need to concentrate on putting my best foot forward at the XXII Nats.\u00a0 Then, due to gas prices, primarily, Winn Moore and I decided to ride together.\u00a0 This means that I can’t just take “everything” – I have to pick and choose – AND consolidate.\u00a0 We will be bringing Models and equipment for both of us, all of my sales goods (well, most of them), and two scooters.<\/p>\n I have selected (and pre-registered!) 18 of my models for competition.\u00a0 I have them packed in two large boxes, which was a complicated process.\u00a0 So complicated that I made a list of which models are in each of the three layers (one box has two levels of models), and I took photos of how they all are packed.\u00a0 This is in an effort to allow room in my vehicle for all of what Winn wants to bring.<\/p>\n I’ll be consolidating my sales good, too; making sure that I efficiently pack all my stuff.\u00a0 Getting the sales goods, one or two canopies, and two scooters into one 5×8 trailer might be a challenge, but I think we can do it.<\/p>\n Look for us to pull in to the flying field sometime Tuesday afternoon.\u00a0 With any luck, we will be able to kick back and relax in the evening, catch up with friends and prepare for a hectic Wednesday, not to mention Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – and the long drive home on Sunday.<\/p>\n Here’s one tip I will send out to all FACers going to Geneseo:\u00a0 DON’T FORGET YOUR DOCUMENTATION!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve been wanting to write for awhile, but a) I am not sure what to write and b) I’ve been so busy since coming back from vacation.\u00a0 I do know what to write, but there are so many things, most … Continue reading