Re: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.Libby responds
I don't think this is finished yet, but this has been a very lively day for Alpaca Talk!
I don't see it as bickering.
This is a good thing. We all have opinions and they're good ones.
Better than that, this has had us engaged in spirited debate about certain aspects of the industry
that may, or may not need changed. But everyone seems to be thinking....
Yes I agree, spending 5 grand to make 50 is better than getting nothing in return for a small expenditure.
I don't think anyone is begrudging any farm that does. In other businesses I've been involved in, we stayed
small and agile, found a niche and tried to fill that niche better than anyone else. There is plenty of room
for everyone and much more room for new entries into the market. I would love to see alpaca farms up &
down our road. If I'm going to spend $20,000 on an alpaca I would visit every farm in the area.
It's like a McDonalds, Wendy's & Burger King on the same corner.
Together, we will succeed or fail in this industry. Yes, we all compete a bit. But I think we have to gain
the mindshare of the general public. That is the task at hand. Everyone from small to large. Either advertise,
or take advantage of free PR. Sponsor an event, hook up with a charity, buy a small ad in a theatre program,
........... sooner or later people are going to wonder where all these alpaca farms came from.
Gary Simpson
Brookville, Oh
----- Original Message -----
From: willowbendalpaca99
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:11 PM
Subject: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.Libby responds
Well said Libby. My point was that all of these things are only
expensive if they do not work. If spending 5k to join one groups
affords a person the opportunity to sell 50k, I would say it was a
good investment of funds. If you spend $250 and receive no benefit,
it was a bad use of funds. It is not JUST the amount of money, as
seems to be the emphasis in this discussion.
It appears that there is a whole lot of history that some of us are
not privy to. And that is OK.
When Doug and I started in this venture...we looked to the successful
breeders (like Magical) and said..."that'
years". We did not look at those struggling and say "Boy, I hope we
can be just as broke and complaining as they are in a few years".
While we love our animals and are proud of each achievement, birth,
and new member, we also recognize that to us.... this is still a
business. And success breeds success. I would much rather associate
with those who have been successful no matter how "small" the success
than those who constantly look at the negative side. We have been
very fortunate to associate some wonderful people in the business and
avoid HUGE mistakes. Without the "Good Ole Boys" or whatever term
was used....the industry would not be what it is today. And that
would not be a good thing.
oops....I thought these crias only came in the daytime hours...it's
4:00 and it looks like we may be getting ready to have one.
I look forward to this discussion..
this new little one. Sorry for the abrupt end.
Patti Jennings
WillowBendalpaca.
--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
>
> Hello Heather,
>
> Gosh, and I didn't even call you a member of the "old girl's club,
etc.
> etc." Imagine your reaction if I had done that! (smile)
>
> Not sure what the lifetime membership fee was but you can't buy it
> anymore. It was offered only to those in the industry at that time
when
> it was offered and there are only a handful of members because
there
> weren't many members at that time. (No, we aren't life time
members).
>
> Please let me quote. You said: "Oh yes, I Love Alpacas is the
brainchild
> of the leader of the old boy's club." I think you meant that to be
pretty
> insulting based on that and the rest of your post and I think my
reaction
> was pretty mild. Had I done that to you, I suspect you'd have said
more
> than I did.
>
> Glad to hear about Gary's selling success. It's been a tough year
for
> everyone!
>
> I'm not going to get into a mud-slinging contest with you Heather.
Been
> there, done that.
>
> I'll try one more time since I wasn't clear enough for the benefit
of new
> people. My point was that if you don't like the price tag for a
> particular coop, do it yourself. I do not mean that to be
insulting and I
> believe you know that but just in case, I'll try again...What I
mean is
> that you can have 200 breeders at $500 each or 300 breeder's at
$200 or
> whatever combination you want at whatever marketing budget you want
if you
> think AOBA or ILA or something else is unfair. The more
advertising, the
> better. Jerry's goal was to get more marketing dollars into the
industry
> for the benefit of everyone and of course, his goal was to help
those in
> the coop. Many people, even those not in I Love Alpacas, have sold
as a
> result of this coop and that is a good thing! We don't begrudge
anyone's
> success and hope that you do your own marketing coop and that it
works!
> That would be terrific. It does take hard work but it's very
possible to
> do! I'm sure Jerry would be happy to help you set up such a
program if
> you have an interest.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Libby
>
> Libby Forstner
> Magical Farms, Inc.
> Litchfield Ohio
> (330)667-3233
>
>
>
> Heather Zeleny <alpacatalk@
> Sent by: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
> 11/11/2008 12:07 PM
> Please respond to
> AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
>
>
> To
> AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
> cc
>
> Subject
> Re: [AlpacaTalk] Let them eat cake.Libby responds
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Libby,
> I'm terribly sorry if you felt my post was unfair. And in fact, I
> barely spoke about ILA at all. By the way, I said "Old Boy's Club",
not
> "Good Ol Boys". Two entirely different concepts.
>
> And Libby, it's very easy to say, "If you think it's too expensive,
> don't complain about it, set up your own system". Ah yes, very easy
to
> do if you think $5k is a bargain. Let them eat cake? Yes, I'd much
> rather complain than have more money than 95% of the rest of us...
> Libby, those comments are extremely insulting.
>
> If all of these $1500 and $5k PER YEAR programs are within one's
> budget, I guess there is no problem. But if you add up all of those
> fees, just participation in them can be 100% of some people's
annual
> GROSS income! And you choose to characterise me as unfair, because
I
> feel that the pricing scheme set up by those who are already very
very
> rich, is unfair? Oh that Heather, she's just a complainer. It's
exactly
> like telling sweatshop workers or migrant farm workers they can
just
> get another job. They don't have just sit around and complain.
>
> Your condescending attitude toward "the rest of us" would be
laughable
> if it weren't so insulting. I remember last year when you tried to
> convince me that the "Benefactor" program at AOBA was made up of
> "generous" souls. When in fact, it is a quid pro quo agreement.
THEY
> get the newest leads, at the lowest price. THEY get the membership
> directory in electronic form, so they don't have to pay for
eblasts.
> THEY get:
>
> 2009 INDUSTRY BENEFACTOR PROGRAM *
> Gold Benefactor $1,500 Annually*
> Platinum Benefactor $5,000 Annually*
>
> Alpacas Magazine Subscription
> Use of appropriate Annual Benefactor Logo Design
> Appropriate Benefactor Notation in Membership Directory
> Annual Recognition Award with appropriate logo for Display at Farm
> Recognition on AlpacaOwners.
> Recognition at National Conferences as a Benefactor
> Alpacas Magazine Industry Benefactor Recognition Spotlight listing
in
> Winter Issue
> Annual Excel Spreadsheet of Membership Database (2nd Quarter and
4th
> Quarter) *Gold*
> Excel Spreadsheet of Membership Database Updated Quarterly
*Platinum*
> Option to purchase leads after 30 days at $0.20 cents per lead.
Leads
> produced during January are available on March 1 and so on
*Platinum*
> Listing In Every Issue of Alpacas Magazines as Platinum Benefactor
(for
> current calendar year as a Benefactor) *Platinum*
> Honorary Seating at AOBA Annual Meeting and Auction
> Annual Platinum Benefactor Collectable Display Award
> Permanent Listing on Platinum Benefactor Plaque at AOBA
Headquarters
> for each calendar year of participation
> * Must be Farm Member to Participate
>
> There used to be a Lifetime membership at AOBA, I think it was $5k
but
> I'm not really sure so don't attack me if this figure is incorrect.
> Now, it's $5k every year.
>
> On Nov 11, 2008, at 6:38 AM, libby@... wrote:
>
> > Hello Gary,
> >
> > Heather is blatantly unfair with this post. I guess the "good old
> > boy" is
> > Jerry, my husband.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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