Full Version: Ad Specialties

From: UncleSteve [#35]
24 Feb 2005
To: Rallyguy [#34] 24 Feb 2005

Brian, If you want more information on SAGE and PPAI (and ASI also), may I suggest dropping by:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShortysDistributors/
which is a group dedicated to the promotional product distributors.... constant "where can I get's", supplier "reviews" good, bad, ugly, etc.

From: Rallyguy [#36]
24 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#35] 24 Feb 2005

Thanks a bunch Steve, I will take a look at it.

Brian

From: Liberty [#37]
24 Feb 2005
To: Rallyguy [#34] 24 Feb 2005

Brian,

From the sounds of what you are needing, you should look at distributorcentral.com. It would provide you with supplier info for free. And with ASI you could just subscribe to the basic service and get the register every three months in paper and you would have the ASI number for the credibility.

Good luck in all you undertake,
Mark

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#38]
26 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#35] 27 Feb 2005

Steve,

Could you create a link for the Yahoo (Ad specialties) group in our "Links" section, under "Related Forums"?

Sounds like a good resource.

Thanks,

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#39]
27 Feb 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#38] 27 Feb 2005

David,

I have signed up to join this group. This appears to be a very private group. You really get the "20 questions" before they let you through the gate. I have still not been accepted. They must really have some good information in there that they are trying to protect.

EDITED: 27 Feb 2005 by DATAKES

From: UncleSteve [#40]
27 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#39] 27 Feb 2005

They are somewhat fussy about joining.... and for good reason.

First, they are trying to keep it to advertising specialty distributors.

Second, a number of members were sued by a supplier for "trying to organize a boycott" of this supplier.

Norwood is the company doing the suing. (No relationship to SG that I know of!) The whole thing started with a thread about suppliers that also sell to end users and whether they are actively marketing to companies whose orders were initially sent in by a distributor.

This is a VERY touchy subject with the industry as you can imagine.

From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#41]
27 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#40] 27 Feb 2005

Steve,

We get a taste of that in our industry, but it is a major problem with the promotional products industry. I have an ASI supplier in my city who wants me to market their products, yet they have a retail operation under a different name that competes directly against me with the same products. Do you think I would stand much of a chance in a potential sale that involved bidding?

Fortunately, they have a pretty narrow product line.

The company owners and management are great people, they just don't recognize that they have business practices that do not sit well with those of us on the outside looking in. I have made them aware of my perception, but they continue to do as they feel fit and I continue to market their competitor's line of products in my community.

From: UCONN Dave & Lynn too (DANDL48) [#42]
27 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#41] 27 Feb 2005

David,

Just like CIP who have a beautiful line of of crystal awards but your bumping heads with AITG which appears to be their ASI, PPAI, UPIC,SAGE IMPACT clone. Same goes with RS Owens and on and on. We can compete for the smaller orders, but when you get large volume order you are out of the ballpark.

Dave

From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#43]
27 Feb 2005
To: UCONN Dave & Lynn too (DANDL48) [#42] 27 Feb 2005

Dave,

RS Owens is a great example. I would be a rich man if I could have a nickel for every RS Owens plaque that was brought in by local civic organizations to have a name and date engraved on it. I bet I have not done $200 in business with RS Owens over the past 4 years because of that. I don't even offer their products to my customers.

EDITED: 27 Feb 2005 by DATAKES

From: gpvikings [#44]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#43] 28 Feb 2005

We have taken RS Owens catalogs out of our lineup as well. Several reasons the least of which is they are horrible on deadlines. Recently, a local university (longtime customer of ours) had a rush custom plaque. We called ahead to confirm they could meet a rush deadline...they confirmed they could, for a rush charge. (even email correspondence confirmed the price of the plaque & rush charge) The day it was to arrive, no RS Owens order rec'd. So we call them, there seems there was a "problem with the artwork". Considering this was a duplicate order where all they were changing was a name, this was ridiculous, but even still, there was no call to say send new artwork or now we can't meet your deadline. They just tell us "Nothing we can do!" So my customer (irate with me!) gets online & gets a direct number to RS Owens & gets the VP on the phone who tells her, he'll have the plaque rushed for her & drop shipped to her & he'll see to it beginning to end that it gets handled for her. Made us look like complete fools! They wouldn't do a thing for us...but she a higer-up from a University, he "takes care of personally!" We haven't heard much from her since then, I'm sure she now works directly with them.

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#45]
28 Feb 2005
To: gpvikings [#44] Unread

Stories of R.S. Owens "torpedoing" their wholesale customers, while cultivating retail relationships are in no short supply.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#46]
28 Feb 2005
To: gpvikings [#44] Unread

Can you here my RS Owens catalog hit the bottom of the trash can?

From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#47]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#46] 28 Feb 2005

David,
I heard your RS Owens catalog hit the trash can all the way from Maui.

Chuck
Nameless Awards Inc.

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#48]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#46] 28 Feb 2005

David,

Don't throw it away. It makes a great "idea" book.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#49]
28 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#40] 28 Feb 2005

Steve,

The practice of large companies suing online newsgroups isn't a new phenomena.

Fortunately, a legal precedent has been set, in the form of a SLAPP law/ruling. <shrug>

The judge ruled the newsgroups were merely exercising their freedom of speech/expression. Furthermore, the judge found the sarcastic comments, contained within the threads, to be rather humorous.

We're not in Kansas anymore, and Guttenburgh himself, (the father of print media), would be proud to see so many of our modern converations being carried out in print :-)

Wouldn't you say?

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 28 Feb 2005 by DGL

From: UncleSteve [#50]
28 Feb 2005
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#49] 28 Feb 2005

Thank you! May I pass this info on to the people being sued? I don't know if their attorney is really up to speed on this.

From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#51]
28 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#50] 28 Feb 2005

Steve,

That suit looked like it was filed back in March of 2004. If you know, in what stage is the trial in right now?

From: UncleSteve [#52]
28 Feb 2005
To: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#51] 28 Feb 2005

From what I know, one defendant settled on the advice of his insurance company and the others are still tied up in litigation.

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#53]
28 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#50] 28 Feb 2005

Steve,

I read that tidbit in the morning paper a while back.

The paper I read, The Ventura County Star, may be able to point us to the source of the information. I'll check into that.

I understand the group in question is a closed forum, but maybe some of the people, not involved in the litigation, could come here and fill us in on the "trials" and tribulations.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#54]
28 Feb 2005
To: UncleSteve [#52] 28 Feb 2005

Steve,

Is there a legal fund for that group of people, that could be contributed to?

If so, I'm in.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

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