From: m35products (m35prod@optonline.net)
Date: Sun Aug 07 2005 - 10:56:36 PDT
Your ideas are great, but unfortunately, a bit naive.
To get a "good deal" on tires, you and your friends, or even your fellow
members of MVPA (once you join) will need to purchase an amount slightly
greater than 30 tires. Try 3,000, 30,000, or 300,000 tires. That amount will
get the attention of the manufacturers. They may even allow you to consider
yourself a dealer, but it's doubtful. Their other dealers might get a bit
upset, and call you names. The dealers who sell tires and who advertise in
the MVPA journal already have figured out how to discount their products to
the max, and still make a living. If it could be done, it would have been
done already. I needed 500 military tires for an overseas contract. I paid
close to retail. I wasn't even allowed to talk to the factory for that
"small" amount of tires. Do you want to buy more than 500 tires at a time?
How many tires does your local tire RETAILER sell each year? The number is
probably in the 10,000 to 100,000 range in a suburban setting. Find out, and
then ask him if he needs a partner. Mention that you need thirty tires. When
he stops laughing, spend the money to buy thirty tires at his asking price,
and be content with the knowlege that he stands behind his products, will
honor warranties without question, and that he does this after paying for:
delivery,
storage,
tools,
inventory,
disposal fees,
licensing,
industry group memberships,
travel,
training,
advertising,
mortgage,
accounting fees,
phone/fax/internet,
office machinery,
paper supplies,
furniture,
repairs,
postage,
rent,
taxes,
security,
payroll,
insurance,
heat/light/AC,
donations to the ambulance and fire departments,
and coffee, donuts, and benefits for his employees.
With the above business details in mind, why not set yourself up as a major
tire distributor, then advertise in MVPA and other enthusiast magazines, and
sell at a deep discount to other MVPA members? Then you will have
accomplished your goals. It should be easy, as I'm sure you have thought all
this out. These expenses listed above are some things to consider when
formulating your business model. (You'll need to justify all of these to
your investors, by the way. It takes a huge chunk of money to start a
company up, and to keep it going. You're looking at a 10- to 20-year payback
on investment.)
How many MVPA members are there? How many buy NEW tires each year for their
HMV's? How many of these fellows have the disposable income for tires, even
at wholesale prices, rather than at surplus prices? How many miles does each
HMV get driven each year? You're not talking the DoD, Verizon, Roadway,
FedEx, or the US Postal Service, here. I put 200 miles on one M35 last year.
The 20-year old tires are a bit funky looking, but they hold air. That is my
criterion for replacement. When my Fire Department needed 10 tires for its
M35, we bought them from Saturn Surplus, and got a great deal. They were
matched, 90% tread, less than ten years old, came mounted on rims, and cost
around $100 each, including delivery. Will you be able to beat that price?
If so, put me down for ten tires.
To get a good deal on other products and services, the same rules apply. Ask
yourself what benefit any manufacturer would receive by selling a
ten-thousandth of a percent of his inventory to you and your buddies at a
discount. You have suggested a scheme to get tires cheaply. That is
commendable, but the expression that comes to mind is "Been there, tried
that, got rebuffed." This hobby, even more so than your average vintage-car
club collecting, is not a poor man's hobby. And being in business in this
hobby is being in a hobby business. Most of us have our day jobs, too.
Step up to the plate, join the MVPA, and write the check for the tires. As
Woody Allen said: "The high point of my childhood was going out with my
family and buying something retail."
***This email has been inspected, and is certified free of any
name-calling.***
Arthur P. Bloom, Pres.
www.M35products.com
Discount on all products for MVPA members.
MVPA member #20238
Small business owner.
----- Original Message -----
From: <santoken@bright.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] ASSISTANCE REQUESTED & The MVPA
> On another note, would anyone be interested in teaming up and perhaps
trying to get some better deals on stuff that we all need? I for one need
10 tires, my close buddy here needs 20 tires. That's 30 tires. Anyone else
need tires?
>
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