Forums Horror Collectibles
New Blog....shameful bit of self promotion...

Hey Guys,

I finally got a chance to write a new blog for the te. Please check it out and comment to let me know what you think. There is no point in us doing them if no one cares or if no one reads.

http://www.horrorbid.com/blog/blog1.php/2009/04/19/what-i-hate-about-the-mask-collecting-ho

take care, Tommy

Great blog Tommy.

That one really struck a nerve with me.

Unfortunately, it seems this is becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Hey Guys,

I finally got a chance to write a new blog for the te. Please check it out and comment to let me know what you think. There is no point in us doing them if no one cares or if no one reads.

http://www.horrorbid.com/blog/blog1.php/2009/04/19/what-i-hate-about-the-mask-collecting-ho

take care, Tommy

Many, many thanks for blogging about this issue Tommy (and staking your purchang ability on it).

Seems most of us have talked about this at one point or another and communication is always at it's center.

When you've got somebody's money and something goes wrong with the order the seller should immediately contact the buyer . .. not wait around for an angry message.

I'm all in support of a plan Booman and I came up with a month or two ago.

Here the seller would offer two options:

A.) Pay a lower price (like $200) for a mask and make a non-refundable down payment of $50.

This way the mask can take up to several months and you paid the lower price for it.

If the buyer happens to get screwed out of the mask by a shady deal than they are only out $50 and not $200 or more.

Pay less but wait longer.

B.) Pay a Higher price of (say $300) and you get your mask within 2 weeks. Pay more for

speedy service.

This might not be full proof but it would be a better system than what we have right now.

What do you guys think?

I agree mostly. Although there are some great mask makers out there such as David Pope and Gary Mongar who keep excellent communication even after you've paid. And those 2 examples alone are only a few I'm sure. Sometimes a delay in response is fine with me because I have a trust for the person, such as JITB. I know Andrew will deliver so if it's been a few days between emails I don't worry at all.

On the other hand, I'm sure I've dealt with a few people who haven't been great with a response. Can't remember exactly who but that doesn't matter

ive said it before and ill say it again, i personally dont think mask makers should sell a mask unless its in stock

that would be akin to me buying a tv from best buy but having to wait for samsung to make it

i know there are a FEW exceptions of those who make masks and get them out very quickly and email you often and answer all questions (sam, frank, gary) but for the most part most arent very good when it comes to answering you on the status of your mask when its shipping etc.

again not trying to be a dick or anything but for the amount some of these guys charge i shouldnt be waiting any longer than a week 2 tops

dont make promises you cant keep when it comes to HUNDREDS of someone elses dollars, people tend to get worried about that kind of loot especially these days when youre lucky if you have a job

Like I said on the blog comments, I thought Tommy really did an excellent blog and hit on one of the biggest pet peeves in the mask collecting market. It's unfortunate but too many artists

do this as a part time thing and don't treat it as a buness transaction. Once they have your money in hand it's up to them to get the project done and unfortunately other things in their life end up taking priority over your mask nce they no longer have any incentive to get your product out. I like the practice of half the payment due up front and the other half due when the product is ready to ship. That will give the artist some incentive to get the product out.

Personally I don't mind a longer wait if:

1. there's a good reason for it, and

2. I know about it.

As has been said many times before, communication is the key. Yes sometimes things do come up that are unforeseeable that do cause delays but there is no reason to keep the customer in the dark.

Another thing that doesn't help is that there are people out there who habitually take their customers money, wait 5-6 months before sending anything out, and see nothing wrong with that. If anyone complains that's unreasonable they mply don't care and take the arrogant "If you don't like it, don't buy from me" attitude. I'm sure most of you know exactly who I'm talking about.

On the other hand, I'm sure for every 'bad artist' story out there there are a bunch of 'bad customer' stories too...unreasonability doesn't only go one way.