Who's hoarding all the parts ;)

[droid]

Is it me or does there seem a distinct lack of custom parts available for sale on this and other forums.

Granted it would normally be me causing this problem 

[KevinP]

Is it me or does there seem a distinct lack of custom parts available for sale on this and other forums.

Granted it would normally be me causing this problem 

  I have them all and you will have to come over to New York USA to get them ....

[droid]

  I have them all and you will have to come over to New York USA to get them ....

what a dude !

Mind you with my yearning for parts I might just do that 

[KevinP]

what a dude !

Mind you with my yearning for parts I might just do that 

the door is open for you .......................

[ped]

if you're going over gary i'll give you my shopping list 
ped

[WhiteHot]

Agree. I just got a 1377 because of the supposedly huge aftermarket support and am finding it surprisingly lacking in choices and/or availability. Maybe I am just not looking in the right places...

[brz-ryder †]

Guys are getting out of making parts they got overloaded and ppl started bad mouthing for simple things so we lost out. When i got my lathe and mill i was going to try and make parts but after what i seen with the bad mouthing no way would i even try

Jim

[BDS]

The threads may have devolved into "bad mouthing" but IMO many of the makers created the firestorm due to their type of communication.and.. or mostly lack of.  Its just bad biz to offer a product as "stock" or available and then post a blurb on the site like ..."Im busy making parts.. if you email me about your order you wont get a reply.. if you call you may not get your parts at all."
Really? Hows about I just make my own parts and you dont have to deal with people who already sent you $$$ and just want their parts!? As a an example of a guy who has it right.. I point to our own Davio and his ebay site.. he does what he says and says what he does. No BS or over promised and under delivered parts on his site.

[droid]

The threads may have devolved into "bad mouthing" but IMO many of the makers created the firestorm due to their type of communication.and.. or mostly lack of.  Its just bad biz to offer a product as "stock" or available and then post a blurb on the site like ..."Im busy making parts.. if you email me about your order you wont get a reply.. if you call you may not get your parts at all."
Really? Hows about I just make my own parts and you dont have to deal with people who already sent you $$$ and just want their parts!? As a an example of a guy who has it right.. I point to our own Davio and his ebay site.. he does what he says and says what he does. No BS or over promised and under delivered parts on his site.

And a +1 on that from me too.

[droid]

Well I can only try, I have banged a few wanted ads up on the forums.

You never know someone might need some cash and be prepared to part with some kit.

[Davio]

This thread is close to home, so I might as well try to put my size 13 in my pie hole, I suppose. 

Thanks for the mentions on the ship we run.  We do send out over 98% same day or next business . There are nearly 400 items listed (and dozens more not listed and not for sale at this time).  In defense any vendors that have backed themselves into a corner, I can say that I can sympathize their pain.  Most of you may have no idea what it takes to build and maintain an inventory that allows that level of quick service.  Fortunately I spent a portion of my background as a Planning and Scheduling Manager in a large factory, so this is relatively simple compared to that complexity... but it is just my daughter Ames (fitting name, huh?) and I, so that is the "catch".  We can only do so much.  Thankfully that is quite a lot.  The few times we have been overwhelmed, I de-list some of the custom items for a few days.  The attitude is so much different when a customer waits to buy versus paying and waiting.  Old Indian trick! 

The custom parts we make are the things that are hardest to stay on top of (but the most FUN).  I get killed with muzzle brakes and custom barrel lengths with crowns at times.  Just all of a sudden there will be local, website and eBay orders of the same items.  Just last night I had to make five of the same muzzle brake.  Yet that style (one of over 30) had not sold in about a week or so.  I'll not say how many 14.5" .177 barrels I cut from 24" and crowned last month.  Crosman only sells the 7.75, 10.1 and 24", so the 12", 14.5, 18 and 21 are quite popular.  Off ebay orders are increasingly frequent complex custom packages (like ala carte) and we just have to make time for them.  Depending on what it is, I have to upfront ask for 7-10 days on the ones that get the "works"... or that need their parts hydrographed, etc.

Several of you forum brothers know that you may contact me (PM) and see the eBay / website / Amazon prices shrink quite nicely.  I have never stated that before because I figured if I have something you are interested in that you would do just that.  I do not come to CAPOF to hawk my wares.  I come here to learn, maybe teach and just be around a truly great group.  It is AMAZING how everybody gets along here. 

And since you cannot come to my shop to look and hold the parts like the locals, I accept returns.  If it is my mistake I reimburse return postage, too.  If you strip / lock up a PA because I left swarf in the threads (will never happen) I PROMISE you I will not tell you to "put some oil on it".  And if the red on the first set of the rock and roll grips bleeds into the white on the trip to England you will get your cake and eat it, too!  That did happen!   And if you place a $900 order and do not even contact me for two months... and then again two months after that, I will not cancel your order and tell you that I do not want your business JUST FOR ASKING!  Yep, that happened.  But I LOVE IT! It pushes me to make more and more stuff myself and usually nicer than theirs, too.

There are some great guys out there... and I do not know them all, but I am very impressed with Don Cothran (the man and the parts), Blue Fork, Bryan and Associates, Chongman (my brother of another Mother that I cannot reach), AC Customs (nice adjustable piston) and others.

Lots of stuff planned for 2014. You will get a kick (no pun intended... well maybe just a bit) out of the new PA's that I will post on my thread really soon.  It will be better and cheaper.  Now THAT is what I am talking about! We'll be Metal Plating on metal AND PLASTIC (grip frame plastic covers plated with metal ).  We'll see fairly soon. Wood grips and forearms will happen just as soon as I find time to start it.  I already have the equipment... just setting there for nearly all of 2013.

So... The parts are not in New York.  They are carefully hidden in Georgia!   

[quickster47 †]

The threads may have devolved into "bad mouthing" but IMO many of the makers created the firestorm due to their type of communication.and.. or mostly lack of.  Its just bad biz to offer a product as "stock" or available and then post a blurb on the site like ..."Im busy making parts.. if you email me about your order you wont get a reply.. if you call you may not get your parts at all."
Really? Hows about I just make my own parts and you dont have to deal with people who already sent you $$$ and just want their parts!? As a an example of a guy who has it right.. I point to our own Davio and his ebay site.. he does what he says and says what he does. No BS or over promised and under delivered parts on his site.

No truer words have been written on this subject so far and I agree 100%.

Carl

[BDS]

Good input Dave, and I too once ran the "MRP" for a relatively large co., maybe thats why (like you) I don't see 20 or 30 part "numbers" with a known lead-time as an issue, even for so-called one man shops. Heck, you could keep all the re-order points and data on index cards like 40 years ago! 

I think my old boss of many years ago said it best "just because one of your guys is a master machinist, it doesn't make him Supervisor material, most master machinists don't even want to talk to other humans let alone supervise them!"

[droid]

Likewise with me, ex material planner, buyer, progress chaser, operations manager amongst other things.

I have run my one man business for over 12 years now, I have never failed to ship same day of order in all of that time. Yes it can get frantic sometimes but that's just how it goes.
Customer always comes first, I offer a no quibble warranty and above all I communicate with my customers, always acknowledging orders and always confirming despatch and tracking details.

So I feel quite justified at getting annoyed with some of the chronic attitudes with some of the suppliers. Of course once I get a poor service I just go elsewhere.

I have had dealings with Davio and he is a great example of how it should be done, hats off to you mate.

[Davio]

That's a good truism, BDS!  One of my favorites is "Piss Poor Planning Perpetuates Piss Poor Performance". Maybe a tad raunchy, but it is so true.

Yeah, just-in-time inventory saves space and doesn't tie up a fortune maintaining large quantities of all the parts.  But taking orders for the future and never catching up is no good either (unless selling melons (no pun intended) from the back of a pickup truck).  A hybrid system with re-order "triggers" is best for the middle size operation imo.  Even Wally World wants to keep the shelves full and re-order and receive so that they never run out... but they do.  I have my own "system" and it serves me very well.  It is flexible and changes with the uh.. changes.    

But nothing can overcome the shortages from the major suppliers on OE and aftermarket goods.  Breeches one month, LPA MIM sights over and over, Eunjin, JBS and certain of the Beeman "Silver ______" (fill in blank with jet, arrow, sting, bear as needed) pellets here and there, the tall peep scope mounts lately, etc. Knowing (keeping track) of what tends to be unavailable over and over is good to know. Seeing not only the ratings from reviews but also the number of reviews versus other like products is very revealing about what people buy (and like). 

I respectfully and sincerely offered my "advisement" totally free to a comrade in obvious need about a year ago, but was ignored.  I know exactly what he needed to do and it would only take a few weeks to blow out the cobwebs and make it fun again.  Let the horse pull the cart again!  Pricing is a major inventory tool as well, but we'll not give away the farm today.

People are funny.  I bought a product on eBay from another seller that I could have gotten from several places (even built one), but I wanted it quickly and I could stand the price. He emailed me that he usually does not sell to competitors. What?  Where do you draw the line?  Is Crosman a competitor?  PA? Where do you get the stuff that you don't make yourself... except from a competitor?  Does being a competitor mean the enemy?  I do not want to think like that.  I got the item and gave glowing feedback because the item was righteous and the shipping was spot on.  And I will keep that walnut stock 2260 with a steel breech for as long as it pleases me.  We capitalist pigs buy and sell from one another all the time!  Why not?  You got it, I want it and I can stand the price.

Davio has climbed down from the stump and is leaving the building!