Re: Super Scout

[IHMagellan@domain.elided]

I must say I'm disappointed to hear about SSS conducting business in this way.
One thing I'm not sure about from the post is whether or not you paid in
advance (check or credit card).  I don't know if I want the answer to that
question.  I've stopped doing business with other companies for similar
reasons.

I'm also disappointed to hear that SSS is in a financial situation that would
lead to such poor customer relations.  I'm not sure of the reasons for this
but I'll make a couple educated guesses.

It takes a huge amount of money tied up in inventory to operate a business
such as this.  Many of the items SSS sells are reproductions that they have to
purchase in quantity in order to get them reproduced.  Many others are NOS
parts that have to be purchased whenever they happen to become available and
placed in inventory for an indefinite period.  All of that inventory does
nothing to pay wages, rent, utility bills, etc.  This type of business makes
it easy to get into financial trouble, especially in such an unpredictable
specialty market.

What SSS needs is cash flow.  That's where I think we, the IH community, are
at fault.  I'm sure I'm not the only one of us who knows that SSS has items in
stock that I need, but haven't taken the time to call or go and get them.  I'm
not talking about things like Kayline tops that come from other suppliers with
SSS as a middle man.  I'm talking about NOS or used parts that SSS has gone to
the trouble to seek out and purchase over the years so they can be sold to us
now.  These parts are sitting in inventory waiting for us to purchase them.

Another thing that I would guess has hurt SSS recently is the Internet.
Before Internet communication was so widespread, SSS and other Light Line
dealers were basically the only source most of us had for parts.  Now with the
rapid communication available between so many people, the number of potential
suppliers has exploded.  IH fans are communicating very effectively with each
other to find parts, sometimes to ridiculous extremes.  I know that I have
people contact me regularly wanting used parts that would cost $10 or $15 new
from a Light Line dealer.  It's not worth my time to bother with something
like that, but since the communication is so easy some people we go to great
lengths to circumvent the regular dealers.

I'm not condoning the poor customer relations that SSS is apparently guilty
of, but I do think they need our support.  SSS has done a lot of good for the
IH community as a parts supplier, as sponsor of Nationals, and as a promoter
of our hobby in general.  Where would we be without SSS?  I know there are
other Light Line dealers, but they are all facing the same market changes.  We
don't know that the others aren't experiencing similar financial troubles.

I urge anyone who has been delaying purchases of stock items from SSS to get
motivated and help bail them out of their difficulties.  Hopefully, the issue
with Kevin's top, as well as any similar cases, can be resolved
satisfactorily.  I'd like to see SSS and the other Light Line dealers stay in
business for many years to come.

Jerry Muncie