[TheForge] The mind 1st to go

[Saint Phlip]

Jeeze, Frostig, you ought to get hit by trees more often ;-) You make
more sense than most folks who were NOT hit by trees ;-)

On Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 7:52 PM, Jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net> wrote:
> There's an old saying that covers this Andy, to paraphrase: Some know the
> price of everything and the value of nothing. Well, okay it sort of covered
> the idea, if it's off the mark, I'm blaming the TREE! <grin>
>
> A thing is NOT worth what the seller asks for it, it's worth what someone
> will pay for it. Anywhere you look you'll see prices above market without
> above market value. Of course as Mr. Barnum said, there's one born every
> minute, but I wouldn't bet the farm on finding em.
>
> For a gross example let's consider an anvil. I could go to the local Home
> Depot and have a brand new Peddinghaus shipped up and delivered in a week to
> 10 days. So, let's say I lay down some plastic and spend those ten days
> operating equipment, fabbing mud flap hangers or pumping gas. Depending on
> what I'm doing I may or probably won't make enough to pay for my new anvil.
> Still, it'll help defray the cost. On the other hand I spend those ten days
> looking for an equivalent anvil and surprise surprise I find one. (I'm
> pretending for the sake of argument I live somewhere finding a couple
> hundred lbs of quality anvil in good condition is a 10 day search) Okay, in
> either case I have a good quality good condition anvil of say around 250lbs.
> For one I had to work my butt off for 10 days and more to pay for it. In the
> other I got to shop, track down leads, sift through barns, back allies,
> garages, estate sales, etc. etc. but spent the same 10 days doing it. Cool,
> I LOVE looking through barns, sheds, talking to strangers, etc. etc. but
> wait a second I had to spend $?/gl for gas (In AK reasonable reg is around
> $3.35/gl) bought lunches and misc bribes. A box of doughnuts will go a LONG
> way you know.
>
> Anywho, even if both are equal quality tools their value is the same it's
> just how you pay it that changes.
>
> In the same vein another example: New vs. Scrounged materials. There's been
> I don't know how many times I've taken on a fab job and had plenty of
> material I'd scrounged on hand but bought new anyway. Why you ask? Because I
> already had time invested in the first pick and pack, then I'd have to clean
> it and otherwise prep it before putting it under the saw. The new steel
> though got loaded on my trailer by the supplier's fork lift and went
> directly from my trailer deck to my cutoff saw. On the fab table everything
> was not only straight and the right dimension it was clean and all I needed
> to do was tack and weld it. Bearing in mind the ONLY thing we're born with
> is time, which do you think was more profitable?
>
> As a hobbyist none of this is an issue so don't worry about it. However if a
> person wants to make a buck, even if it's just a self supporting hobby,
> these things are paramount. No matter what you do, as a contractor you make
> or break on the bid. Period. No matter which direction the cash flows
> there's a bid involved. There's more than the craft of the blacksmith to the
> art of success in this realm.
>
> Jer


-- 
Saint Phlip

So, you think your data is safe?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/23/schneier.google.hacking/index.html?hpt=T2

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

.I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary
notices I have read with pleasure. -Clarence Darrow