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Post by millring on Apr 17, 2014 7:22:32 GMT -5
Did you see this? www.gofundme.com/SaveBuffaloBrosGuitars![]() I'm always a little conflicted about stuff like this. I mean, honestly the thought occurred to me (okay, VERY fleetingly) to put out a kickstarter appeal to my patrons to help me keep Bauman Stoneware viable without my needing to drive a bus and make pots for a commercial company. We all love these businesses that aren't always viable. Should places like Elderly and Buffalo Bros have a tip jar at their door to cover the 1000/1 ratio of looker/testers to buyers? ...especially in an era of testing in the brick and mortar, only to go online and buy cheaply? ![]() |
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on Apr 17, 2014 7:52:19 GMT -5
Goal: $300,000.00
Raised so far: $475.00
Not looking good for the Bros.
Mike
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Post by aquaduct on Apr 17, 2014 7:55:57 GMT -5
I see it as the last hurrah for the grand vision of free money crowd funding.
"Oops, we fucked up. Please help."
After the initial rush of new and novel crowd funded enterprises, the reality of everybody constantly asking for charitable donations (without even having to be a charity) is settling in. I saw it coming when you first saw the "Crowd fund me so I can quit my job and travel the world taking pictures of kittens and posting them to Facebook. Seriously, it's my life's dream", shit.
And we're bombarded with regular campaigns to fund somebodies CD project. People who want $15,000 to really realize their life's work.
As we get ready to release our third CD next week, all funded entirely by us and for half that price for all 3.
I've noticed through the years that there tend to be hard limits to what one can actually do with crowd funding. I've never seen anybody make more than about $2500-$3000 on a CD project. The reality is you only have so many generous friends and family.
These guys want $300,000. In the first 16 hours they're up to $485. Sounds like it's going to be a long haul.
As it should be.
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Post by millring on Apr 17, 2014 8:00:06 GMT -5
A potter who is as famous as an American potter gets had a house fire earlier this year. She had to jump from a second story window and she broke her back. In the fire she lost all her possessions. Someone started a donation page with a goal of $15,000 to get her back on her feet. In two weeks time it exceeded $50,000.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 8:16:44 GMT -5
I think folks are genuinely willing to help an individual in need, like an artisan who breaks her back trying to escape a fire in which she lost everything. But we're less willing to cough up dough for a business that says it suffered undefined "financial setbacks." I am no expert -- and I've never run a business -- but I'm thinking most "financial setbacks" are self-induced, and as consumers, we consider our patronage to be our contribution.
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Post by RickW on Apr 17, 2014 8:34:30 GMT -5
Have to agree with all the above. There are enough people in need who have got there through terrible occurrences in their lives, without also helping a business that just made a mistake.
I'm betting Buffalo Bros is hoping that some of the rich collectors they have procured for in the past will come and help.
Other thing is, the easy days of finding old guitars in closets is gone, and I also wonder if the guitar collecting mania will not start to die off. And with EBay, anyone can sell them. That business is a done deal.
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Post by RickW on Apr 17, 2014 8:36:36 GMT -5
And Peter, while we're at it, my wife and I would like to retire, and we feel we really desire a lengthy round the world cruise to get in touch with our feelings and mull over what's next in our busy lives. And my pension and our savings just don't cut it. Would you contribute to the venture?  |
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Post by drlj on Apr 17, 2014 8:49:56 GMT -5
Send me some money and do it now so you don't forget.
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Post by aquaduct on Apr 17, 2014 8:53:07 GMT -5
I think folks are genuinely willing to help an individual in need, like an artisan who breaks her back trying to escape a fire in which she lost everything. But we're less willing to cough up dough for a business that says it suffered undefined "financial setbacks." I am no expert -- and I've never run a business -- but I'm thinking most "financial setbacks" are self-induced, and as consumers, we consider our patronage to be our contribution. Absolutely. We contribute to folk's campaigns that are in need (medical, catastrophe, etc.) and I don't mean to impugn that. But Buffalo Brothers is short on cash flow to replenish inventory- a normal business operation and exactly the reason one gets a line of credit from a bank (where they'd actually be subject to "how the hell did that happen and how are you going to prevent it from happening again?" kind of questions). That isn't appropriate for a vague (probably purposely) charitable call for $300K. |
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Post by Marshall on Apr 17, 2014 9:05:05 GMT -5
Have to agree with all the above. There are enough people in need who have got there through terrible occurrences in their lives, without also helping a business that just made a mistake. I'm betting Buffalo Bros is hoping that some of the rich collectors they have procured for in the past will come and help. Other thing is, the easy days of finding old guitars in closets is gone, and I also wonder if the guitar collecting mania will not start to die off. And with EBay, anyone can sell them. That business is a done deal. I have no figures. But my gut tells me that the vintage guitar market is/was a bubble that is receding with the Baby Boomers cash flow dwindling to a trickle. My gut also tells me to eat cheeseburgers for breakfast. |
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Post by Marshall on Apr 17, 2014 9:08:33 GMT -5
And I wonder how many ma-&-pa stores went out of business over the years because Buffalo Bros and their ilk gobbled up the vintage/used guitar marketplace with traveling guitar shows and internet presence?
Live by the sword. Die by the sword.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 9:10:26 GMT -5
If they were Buffalo Bros. Bank they would have no problem getting bail out.
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Post by Marshall on Apr 17, 2014 9:13:37 GMT -5
I don't mean to be hard on BBs. They are/were one of the best of the vintage resellers in the world. Seemed like reputable people. I sold them my 1946 Epiphone Triumph at a Vintage Guitar show in Chicago one year. At the same show I sold my 1952 L7C to Chicago Music Exchange; took the cash and drove across town and plunked it down on a used 1996 Goodall Standard.
. . . , loved those winged bridges.
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Post by Russell Letson on Apr 17, 2014 10:55:03 GMT -5
As far as the vintage/collectible market goes, cross-reference this to the failed Risan auction.
As far as business practices go, BB ought to be looking for investors, not donors.
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Post by billhammond on Apr 17, 2014 12:15:34 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Neil Young’s campaign to fund his PonoMusic service surpassed its $800,000 goal by a factor of eight, making it the third-highest-funded project in Kickstarter history.
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Post by drlj on Apr 17, 2014 12:23:00 GMT -5
Buffalo Bros is under new ownership. I am not sure how long the present owners have been in charge--a couple of years, maybe? Maybe they got in over their heads or had some other problems, but I have been told that things have been run quite differently since the new people took over.
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Post by billhammond on Apr 17, 2014 12:35:12 GMT -5
Buffalo Bros is under new ownership. I am not sure how long the present owners have been in charge--a couple of years, maybe? Maybe they got in over their heads or had some other problems, but I have been told that things have been run quite differently since the new people took over. I bet Mitt Romney could turn it around.  |
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Post by Lonnie on Apr 17, 2014 13:32:43 GMT -5
I'm still trying to figure out why Neil didn't just pull the 800G out of his own pocket. Besides that, I've heard that there is a lot of money in Porno Music.
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Post by Lonnie on Apr 17, 2014 13:36:12 GMT -5
30 minutes ago, BB posted this on their gofundme campaign site:
We are so excited to see all the support we are receiving to help Buffalo Bro's Guitars. Just know you are helping to create a legacy that will last for years to come!
Total contributions as of this moment: $725.00
Are they being sarcastic?
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Post by dickt on Apr 17, 2014 13:40:47 GMT -5
At least with most CD kickstarters you get a free CD, a T-shirt, a house concert if you give enough, etc. What does BB give you? A set of strings? A free guitar tuning?
Peter--I get the feeling that those CD kickstarters for $15K include money to hire ACTUAL musicians--Chatham Street doesn't need to do that!
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