Went to West Marine yesterday to buy shaft zincs.

Old Salt · May 6, 2008

LOL Yeah right *o

If you knew anything about speech and parliamentary debates the participants are judged by others and not self judged. (a point that seems to be lost on you).Your arguments are weak and self serving. I will let others be the judge, but your complaints had no solution other to complain more and then go into a non-sequiter about the sitting president *o. Weak Fred very weakDebating societies judge debates based on delivery, points brought forward (and a few other parameters). On a scale of 1-10 you get a 2-3 on delivery. Many times your point was just whining which relates to incoherent solutions. On points brought forward you get a 1-2, all you offer is the complaints and no solutions other than to blame everyone else and the big oil companies.I'll let others decide but in the mean time you need to take control of your destiny and quit blaming everyone else that you are too lazy or ill prepared to buy zincs from somewhere else than West Marine. This is not a country (like there have been MANY others in history) where you HAVE to buy it from only one place or where somebody has a gun to your head. whimpy debate

Old Salt · May 7, 2008

LOL. How grand

Looks like you completely overlooked all the posts I had writen. Especially # 57 which made extremely good and salient points and ripped your alluding to want force companies into fixed price . Be-damned the consequences. Selective amnesia of other good points written don't work for you Fred and never would parlimentary debates

One more arrow to deflate your balloon comes from someone who most would consider the subject matter expert, and I dare say, knows even more about the subject than you or even I.“We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism.” .......Nikita KrushchevIf you want I can try and find his shoe that he used for a gavel and serve it up for humble pie if you'd like.Do the right thing and never buy from West Marine again. That would make a statement

John Nantz · May 7, 2008

Maine Sail: Good price!

Thanks for shareing.And I suspect that's probably Portland, Maine, and not Portland, OR?Oh, and forgot to mention in my previous post, the guy (boss) who liked to say "I don't get ulcers, I give 'em", had a heart attack!He also liked to walk around the office with a coffee cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other, with his hands kinda shaking a little bit. The other thing I remember was if he had a hot topic to talk about his face would get all red as if there was a head of steam building up inside. Glad I don't work there anymore.Can't wait to get out on the boat. Still have the winter cover on her.

patrick · May 8, 2008

Metal prices have gone way up recently

I have some 4/0 copper wire that is now more than six times the price I paid five years ago. As to zincs, the Port Supply price is pretty reasonable and I got the Canadian ones in the Blaine Wa West Marine store last month. They were about $6. Then you add the exhorbitant sales tax ... but I won't talk about that. Besides I am not sure how to spell exhorbitant.Why not get a P.S. card and stop the nonsense?

Maine Sail · May 8, 2008

More people don't get a Port Supply Card..

Because they require you to be a legitimate marine related business and now require the following: 1) references from other marine wholesalers 2) a state tax resale certificate 3) business license 4) company letter head and/or if you have it, a web site. They have drastically tightened up who they give PS cards to this year. The games that were played in the past, with folks printing out business cards from their home computer with a fake business, is over. No marine related business no PS card..Patrick perhaps you could share with us how you got a PS card without being a marine business??

Don S/V ILLusion · May 9, 2008

Port Supply account

They make it sound more onerous than it is to obtain one. The prerequisites are fairly flexible and the benefit, in terms of cost saving, far exceeds any effort it takes so if you own, run or operate a legitimate business, apply for the account and see what happens.

Maine Sail · May 9, 2008

Don..

I think it depends on your local PS rep. Ours is a total Jack A$$. I do consulting work for a good friend of mine who owns a marine canvas company. We have accounts with major suppliers including Taco, Redrum, Bainbridge and many, many others. We wanted a "cash only" Port Supply account because there are already so many accounts with "terms" that it's hard to keep track of for a small business. We had an open account then had a request to change the parameters which is very simple to do. Our one request was that it NOT be a tax free account and that we pay tax a check out because most of the items we'd be purchasing would not be items for re-sale such as Sunbrella and they would be billed under labor. Also each receipt is tagged to each job so it's easier to keep track of if we pay the tax a P.O.S. Our local PS rep denied and then closed the account because he thought and decided our items should be for re-sale. In short, he tried to tell Seth how he should bill and run his business. When Seth beds a screw fro a canvas job he does not charge for the 3M 4200 its just built into the labor....We've since gone above our reps head and will have our account back in working order soon but I do think it's a matter of who your local PS rep is....

Maine Sail · May 9, 2008

Don..

I think it depends on your local PS rep. Ours is a total Jack A$$. I do consulting work for a good friend of mine who owns a marine canvas company. We have accounts with major suppliers including Taco, Redrum, Bainbridge and many, many others. We wanted a "cash only" Port Supply account because there are already so many accounts with "terms" that it's hard to keep track of for a small business. We had an open account then had a request to change the parameters which is very simple to do. Our one request was that it NOT be a tax free account and that we pay tax at check out because most of the items we'd be purchasing would not be items for re-sale such as Sunbrella and they would be billed under labor. Also each receipt is tagged to each job so it's easier to keep track of if we pay the tax a P.O.S. Our local PS rep denied and then closed the account because he thought and decided our items should be for re-sale. In short, he tried to tell Seth how he should bill and run his business. When Seth beds a screw fro a canvas job he does not charge for the 3M 4200 its just built into the labor....We've since gone above our reps head and will have our account back in working order soon but I do think it's a matter of who your local PS rep is....

Rob Hessenius · May 9, 2008

P.S Accts

Guys~I worked for WM for ten years and have a little knowledge to the ability of obtaining an account. Mainesail you are pretty accurate on the way they are usually attained, sometimes. It was strange when they made it a hassle for a legitamate to get, talk about making them jump through hoops. Then there would be a guy who really had a business, but not marine related that wanted one for his boat get it in a snap. I really did not care who had one, they spent $$$. Lots of commercial accounts that do nothing marine related have PC accounts, but buy items that WM had the abilities to obtain. If you didnt spend enough $ you would lose it just as fast as you got it. It is pretty tough in general to get a acct without going under a microscope.I have been watching this thread go on and I am amazed at how it keeps "morphing" to all these facets.

Paul Akers · May 9, 2008

Maine Sail?

Hamilton, in ME is good. I bought the same zincs for my boat via www.boatzincs.com and online!

Johnnie Walker Black · May 9, 2008

Foil Helmet?

Sounds like someones wife ran off with the West Marine manager or something! Gentlemen: We need to remember that we live in a market driven society. If it was so easy to make money selling these products; there would be a marine supply store on every corner. Do you go bitching for your price match at Starbucks? Shop where you want, or get your price match, but don't bitch about a companies decision to make some money. You have heard of a thing called "paying the rent" right. If you need to get the product in hand right now, you may have to pay more; otherwise, wait for your internet order to ship. At this point, we all know that West is higher priced than you will find on the internet. It's like knowing that you shouldn't grocery shop at the 7-11. But, sometimes you need something right now, and you pay more. The thing that amazes me and so many others, is that certain individuals are so pissed that they may be asked to pay more. I'm sure your teaching the top dogs at West Marine a lesson by brow-beating some cashier while getting your price match. Maybe on your next trip to WalMart, you should pick up a huge roll of tin foil and make yourself a really thick helmet so the government can't tell you what to do anymore!PS.Tin foil 12"X50'Kmart 3.49Walmart 2.59Meijer 2.79Down with that evil Kmart!!!T

Ross · May 9, 2008

Johnnie Walker, Just to pick a bone ----

it ain't tin foil its Aluminum foil. They haven't sold tin foil for many years.

Johnnie Walker Black · May 9, 2008

I stand corrected.

Aluminum foil.T

Ross · May 9, 2008

That's alright . I have an aluminum box that holds

my businees papers on the job and I affectionately refer to it as my tin box. ;D

Ctskip · May 9, 2008

How does that helmet thing work anyway?

Helmet ! I didn't get no stinkin helmet. Be it tin or wood I want one!!! If you don't like my prices, bring your wife by, and we'll dicker some. We screw every third person and pass the savings on to you. Keep it up, Ctskip

jimq26 · May 10, 2008

Here's a "tin foil" hat for you Ross

(nm)