Re: (ET) Bill Gunn no longer accepting orders

["Max Hall" <maxo iname com>]

I would join $100 co-op.

Indeed, I am as flexible as I am enthusiastic about keeping parts 
available.
I love my ETs and I rely on them!

Here's another thought, which may have already been suggested.... it is a
combination of two ideas, one from a thread a half-a-year old, and one new
one. It is probably not quite workable, but I'll throw it out there because
it may have useful parts. (It is about stock, not about knowledge; I like
the ideas that have come before about that category.)

The old thread: a web-based PARTS registry. (I mentioned that I am working
on a PHP3/MySQL database for another application very similar in function 
to
this.) With this registry, everyone with parts to share (sell or give) can
put them up in the database; thus any of us could know who has a part
needed, but no one person has to inventory the world of parts out there.

The essence: a distributed ownership model of replacement parts (reducing
the inventory level for any *one* person to a simple, manageable level,
while maintaining a large stock, but, with the database, making it still a
searchable inventory as if it were central.)

The new idea is an extension of that: find out how much it would cost for 
us
to buy up and distribute the rare and essentials of Bill's stock, and we 
all
buy...
- what we can afford to buy (and store)
- the parts we owners believe are useful

The win-win is that Bill gets the well-deserved financial benefit and
relative simplicity of a liquidation, and we get the the long-time benefit
of parts availablity within the user community.

Ok, I have other things I am supposed to be doing...

bye for now,
long live the ETs,
-Max


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pestka, Dennis J" <Dennis Pestka TycoHealthcare com>
To: "'Travis Creswell'" <ozsolar ipa net>; <Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 7:39 AM
Subject: RE: (ET) Bill Gunn no longer accepting orders


> I would be in favor of this $100 COOP
>
> Dennis
> Elsberry, MO
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Travis Creswell [mailto:ozsolar ipa net]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 12:30 PM
> To: Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
> Subject: RE: (ET) Bill Gunn no longer accepting orders
>
>
> Oh this really stinks.  I, for one, would be willing join a COOP with a
$100
> annual membership just to keep Bill going.  I spoke to him about this on
> Monday and he wasn't terribly interested.  So the COOP might not work at
all
> regardless of what kind of deal we can put together for Bill.  We didn't
get
> into any details as he sounded very tired both physically and mentally.
> Those of you who've talked to him over the years might be able to detect
> this as well.  As an owner of small business that I started from scratch
12
> years ago I can certainly understand his feelings.
>
> Does anyone else think some sort of COOP that defrays Bill's storage and
> engineering costs is something even worth talking about?  250 members x
$100
> each = 25k per year.  That might be enough to keep him interested.  But
1000
> members x $50 year might be?  I have no feeling of the amount of active
> owners nor do I know how many would be willing to pay or what they would
> pay.  I'm just throwing this idea out.
>
> Nay sayer's please keep your comments to yourself.  I don't care if you
can
> fix everything on the tractor in your own machine shop.  It's probably 
> not
a
> good idea and there might no be enough owners to do it anyway.  So again,
> please keep the negative comments to yourself.  I'm not asking you to be
> involved in this.  I bet there are a lot of owners like me out there who
> have the skills to find and change out the broken part but not enough 
> time
> to reengineer and manufacture broken and irreplaceable parts.
>
> Travis Creswell
> Joplin, MO
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu
> [mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu] On Behalf Of Christopher
> Zach
> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 8:46 AM
> To: Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
> Subject: Re: (ET) Bill Gunn no longer accepting orders
>
> So it's not worth calling Bill anymore, correct?
>
> Drat. I wonder if he will still do motor repairs. And where I can get
> new skids and the like for my snowblower.
>
> Ah well.
>
> Chris
>
> JAKrug EBAerospaceAndDefense com wrote:
>
> > Hello All,
> > It is true.
> > I was just on the phone with Bill G. when this post came in.
> > Jeff
> >
> istinfo/elec-trak
>
>
>
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