In defense of "cottage industries".

[JohnH]

I fully support all of the gear makers out there who do a great service to the outdoor community as a hole.

With that said I don't follow your logic. Big companies with billions of dollars in inventory make mistakes so give the little guy a break? I am not seeing how difficult it is to receive an order, ship the order, adjust inventory. I have sold literally hundreds of items at a time on ebay and have NEVER had an issue getting them out in a timely fashion and the right item to the right buyer. I used google docs and made a spreadsheet with all my inventory, made it public (View Only) and put it in my page.

With that said, people are just that, human. We will all make mistakes from time to time. There is no need to compare them to major companies with thousands of point of failure, it's really apples and oranges.

-John

[NCPatrick]

I have sold literally hundreds of items at a time on ebay and have NEVER had an issue getting them out in a timely fashion and the right item to the right buyer.

Think it might be different if you had to make the items to sell? It's easy to ship existing inventory, much more difficult to create the inventory on demand, especially custom items... I hear ya though.

[Cannibal]

I agree with you to a point JohnH. Apples and oranges is exactly right and we can't expect an apple to taste like an orange. But we do sometimes expect cottage shops to reach the same level of service as the big shops. Why? More to the point, why do some people feel the need to scream from the top of the mountain when something doesn't go exactly correct?

I've sold dozens (nowhere near hundreds) of items on eBay and the like. It's easy when it's just about inventory. Did you hand make the items you were selling, or were you reselling items somebody else already made and sent to you? If you were making the items you were selling, hats off to you sir! Because then you realized how dependent your business was on the people manufacturing the materials you used to create your product. Your customers don't care that you're too small for your source manufacturer to put you in the priority line, it's your fault. All cottage shop people, not just 'ours', have to deal with that fact daily and they take the abuse in stride. I'm only saying that those of us that choose to purchase from cottage shops, should also be more willing to take things in stride.

Again, I am not advocating giving anybody a free pass when they mess-up. They have a responsibility to make it right as best they can. I'm only saying that the complaints and concerns can be handled respectfully. More often than not they are since we generally only hear the childish and personal stuff on occasion.

[lazy river road]

D-Fence (clap clap) D-Fence (clap clap) But in all seriousness. I figure the longer I wait patiently the more care and love that goes into my gear. If I rush the Vendors then they may just want to ship my gear not giving as much attention to detail as well as its really fun to become friends with these guys and talk to them about the gear they make and make for you and them be more willing to personalize gear and work with you. If people are mean to vendors, well I cant speak for any one else but when people are mean to me I remember and when they need a favor or ask for something special I tend not to stick my neck out to help them.

[Buenos]

I certainly appreciate the thaughts expressed here. As a part time knife maker I know I put a lot of myself into each knife I make. Time effort and money are all ingredients for a cottage made and sold product. Each thing we sell is personal, and has a bit of ourselves in it. Thank you for appreciating these things and acknowledging that we work hard so you can be happy with what we make. No one starts a hand craft industry to inconvenience or anger anyone. We just want to share with others what we have a passion for.

[whayneneal]

Sometimes it is just a matter of communication or lack thereof and whether or not there is proper follow up with what is promised. Occasionally, things come up and follow up is not possible as promised. This is where communication is especially critical. If these two things are accomplished it usually resolves most issue. I hope that is clear as mud.

As I have previously stated, I am happy to wait on quality, customized and specialized gear. I am currently patiently waiting on numerous vendors on this site. I prefer to do business with these cottage businesses because of the hands on involvement with the product. They are obviously going to be much more concerned about the quality of a product they put their personal stamp on. I would never call out a vendor publicly though. I find this unnecessary.

And yes, I feel like a kid again. Waiting for my submarine.

[Riverpirate]

I don't feel the need to defend the cottage industries. Their products and services will defend themselves..........or not. If someone feels the cottage industry is not fast enough or cheap enough, there's always Walmart.

[Riverpirate]

I do find it amazing though that used gear by a cottage can sell for as much and sometimes more that the original cost just becasue the cottage is too slow to keep up with demand. Must have been what it felt like way back in the old days when the law of supply and demand really was a law.

[Cannibal]

I do find it amazing though that used gear by a cottage can sell for as much and sometimes more that the original cost just becasue the cottage is too slow to keep up with demand. Must have been what it felt like way back in the old days when the law of supply and demand really was a law.

Always makes me giggle to see folks paying a 50-60% premium on MacCats on eBay. I guess it's an option if you need it quick, but it is kind of funny to watch.

[OutandBack]

Sometimes it is just a matter of communication or lack thereof and whether or not there is proper follow up with what is promised.

Communication is key even if there is a long lead time. I always email or better yet call to check stock.

Good example:
Arrowhead Equipment has a statement right on their website that says your new gear is made fresh upon your order.
I like that, it tells me right away it might take a little longer.

Bad example:
email confirming order,
have in stock, will get that in the mail in a few weeks...

No further explanation. Does in-stock mean I have the materials in-house and your next or 20th on the list?

I truly believe most if not all negative feedback would go away if the vendor would provide a little more info.