Grey Market

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

Mr. Feldman

I do not woryy about clients one bit as I have as many as I can take, and as I noted above, most of them I do not charge money but rather work for them on a pro bono basis. I have probably given away more than $150,000 or more in free legal work in the past four years.

Moreover, I am a very generous person. Ask Ms. Waak and quite a rew others whom I have loaned books and tapes without even knowing them or sometimes meeting them. Ask 20 or so people whom are photographers today because I helped them.

Before I became an attorney I was a CPA. I have been a wedding photographer for 30 years.

From your note, I suspect you do not even understand what I have been talking about. But rather than stoop to your level I will just wish you well and hope that you do well in the future. Take care.

Kevin

[Michael Feldman]

Kevin, One of the things I don't understand is why you denied in response to Jennifer that you purchase gray market goods, when in Photo.net on February 03, 2002; 08:01 P.M. Eastern you said:

"by gray market I assume you mean lenses that carry the Hasselblad International warranty rather than the Hasselblad USA warranty. I own such a 50 mm cfi lens. It is super." www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001vxd

Your personal generosity is very impressive, but I don't understand what it has to do with whether one should purchase gray market vs. authorized imported goods.

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

Mr. Feldman

If you would look up the page a bit you would see that I am not trying to deny anything. I said "all except for one or two that were purchased in this country", thereby admittig that I have purchased what could be called a gray market good, just as I have in the past ordered film from New York, and purchased items on Ebay. All I am trying to do is make the point that I believe it is better to purchase items in this country if possible. My main argument is no different than General Motors asking you to buy a Cheverolet, or GM's Union asking you to buy a Cheverolet. My second argument, if you will reread what I have written, is that it is fine if you buy your stuff elsewhere, but if you do, then don't complain later when you can't get it locally. My third argument is that if you don't want someone telling you that your not worth what you earn, then don't tell other people they are not worth what they earn. That is all I am saying. Kevin

[Jonathan Brewer]

Why don't we just lay this to rest, with the fact that everybodies just trying the do the best they can and get the best deal they can find, which doesn't have anything to do with being UnAmercian.

I firmly beleive that after losing enough business because of their pricing folks around here will simply adjust prices, they aren't going to go hungry, they've made plenty. The 'Boss Hoggs' are simply going to have to admit it's a new game now with e-bay and the internet.

I firmly believe that more attractive pricing will lead to more sales not less, more jobs not less, and to more sales here and not Robert White but with your mind set you are refusing to see that. You have the right to your position and that's that.

[Jonathan Brewer]

A dealer has a lens that is 'marked up' $1000 over what RW sell the lens for, so someone buys the lens from RW, and not only that but tells his buddies about the deal so they buy from RW.

The dealer here with the overpriced lens makes nothing on the lens which doesn't sell, while RW sells five or six lenses, getting a lot more than the $1000 the dealer here is still waiting for, that doesn't make any sense. It just seems like the folks here have a problem understanding this. Well I'm done, C ya later.

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

Jonathan

Are you running the thread now? And can you prove your scenario?

Kevin

[Jonathan Brewer]

In an effort to give you credit, I stated that you had a right to your position, does that sound like I'm trying to run anything?

There's no need to prove anything, Robert White sells a lot at his reduced prices, there's no reason on earth, the folks here can't reverse the situation by making their pricing competitive with RW, what about that doesn't make sense to you?

Kevin.....regardless of how you would like it to be, there's no going back, I took all of one business course in school, but I remember they said you had to compete and be flexible. Robert White, e-bay, and the internet are here, and here to stay, the folks here are going to have to adjust and compete.

Even if you think I've failed to make a reasonable argument for my position, I'm not ever going to pay $1000 more for a lens to somebody here instead of Robert White to prove somehow that I'm an American, I'm an American regardless of who I choose to buy from with MY MONEY.

[Jonathan Brewer]

BTW if there is a lens that sells here for $2500.00 with that same lens selling for $1500.00 for Robert White, would you pay the $2500.00 on the basis that it confirms your Patriotism. I don't hear you saying that. Would you forego searching out competitive pricing and pay the highest prices here without question for the sake of Partiortism? Please tell me that because it would make my night!

You pay the dealer here $1000.00 more that Robert White, are you saying you know the dealer is going to divide up that extra $1000 and send equal parts to schools, hospitals, and the armed services?

You're threads imply that the dealers and middlemen around here somehow need the higher prices, the profits of which they will automatically pass on to schools and hospitals, I don't believe that, I wish it were true, and in some isolated cases it may be, but by my figuring, a honest businessman doesn't set out to gouge you in the first place.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Ed,

Rather than think about the political, social and economic ramifications of buying from one or another capitalist parasite, why don't you call or email Jef f Taugner <badger@badgergraphic.com> at Badger. He is a nice helpful guy. One advantage to buying from Jeff is that he has a nice return policy. Posting back to the UK might be a pain if you aren't happy with the camera. Also, Jeff offers, at least on the lenses, a one or two year warranty...

[Jonathan Brewer]

In all fairness I would mention some of the folks here in the U.S. that I've come in contact with who are fair, honest, and service oriented like Steve Grimes, Ries, Bostick $ Sullivan, Freestyle and some others I can't think of right now, so Robert White isn't all by himself when it comes to class.