- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
- Messages
- 1,400
- Reaction score
- 23
Gentlemen.... its been a while... I have been getting a slew of emails and PMs as of late regarding my custom gear.. As a for what it's worth.. I started making gear back when Sideshow first came on the scene with Indy products on the heels of the KOTCS "Indy resurgence" .. So to say the least.. Ive been cobbling together belts, holsters, and whips for a bit.. moving in on 12 years now actually... To be honest I just got tired.. I literally spent the vast majority of my available "hobby time" building gear sets for fellow collectors and rarely ever built projects for myself.. Irony is that once I took my breaks I just didn't have it in me to work on my own stuff due to some burn out.... But, one of the interesting aspects of having done these sets is that I have met collectors from all over the world.. I actually regret not creating a "customer map" and putting a pin in every city where I have sent gear.. because it literally spans the globe.. and that makes me very happy and gives me a sense of accomplishment in being a tiny tiny part of stitching the community together in a common thread, if you will, across the globe.. A good 7 of those 12 years were spent as a single parent trying to raise two small kids while being a cop at the same time.. which, without a doubt, is a challenge.. One of the fundamental rules I made for myself is that I would strive to make turnaround time from payment until I shipped goods as brief as possible. In the beginning years I swore I'd ship within two weeks from getting paid.. I just can't be "that guy" who takes payment and then takes a year (or more) to deliver.. just comes off as very bad business in my opinion.. Over time I was having orders lag up to a month at times and I felt HORRIBLE for it... I mean that in all sincerity.. I get it that I am not making life saving cancer meds that someone has an exigent need to receive.. BUT.. if I take your money, I want you to be happy with how you spent it. In over a decade my complaints have been pretty much zero.. folks were happy with what they got.. Granted there are true artists out there who can run circles around me in terms of talent.. But, I do feel confident that what I carefully hand make is good quality gear. And every time I see a custom Indy sell on eBay for well over a grand, and it has my gear on it, I feel like I have provided something cool for a fellow Indy enthusiast and hope that the attempt at decent craftsmanship I put into a set is enjoyed for years to come. (Although, admittedly, when I see some of my very early gear out there I do kind of cringe because I had NO idea what I was doing)
In the end, I do want to help out newer collectors and those of us who have been around for a while who want to embellish their Indy collection so they have something to enjoy and be proud of.. So I do want to jump back in and make some gear here and there.. Here's what I need from you though.. A bit of understanding.. In the past I could have 4 or 5 orders going at a time. This past year - after swearing I would NEVER consider marriage again.. I met someone who not only treated me like I never imagined I could be treated, but also loved my children as if they were hers. In this long absence from the board I have been focused on creating a stable, loving home for me and the kids, and since this past October, for my wife.. And it has been one of the most peaceful, purposeful experiences in life for all of us.
I am most certainly interested in building gear sets for friends, fellow Indy fans, movie nerds (which I am most certainly myself !) and enthusiasts alike.. I just have to pace myself in how I go forward to balance home life, work life, and my own personal sanity ! All that to say, I am open to sitting down in the shop and building gear for those interested - but at a limited pace. Which - is better than being completely absent altogether I guess. I am more apt to go forward - as I have often considered in the past - to build sets in my limited freetime - then advertise completed, ready to ship sets, here on the board for those in need. Knowing how busy my schedule is with a very consuming career as a police sergeant and being a husband and dad for a family that comes first - turning out a pile of gear quickly is a challenge. So just bear with me, but... As Indy told Willie under the statue of Kali.. "I'm Back"
In the end, I do want to help out newer collectors and those of us who have been around for a while who want to embellish their Indy collection so they have something to enjoy and be proud of.. So I do want to jump back in and make some gear here and there.. Here's what I need from you though.. A bit of understanding.. In the past I could have 4 or 5 orders going at a time. This past year - after swearing I would NEVER consider marriage again.. I met someone who not only treated me like I never imagined I could be treated, but also loved my children as if they were hers. In this long absence from the board I have been focused on creating a stable, loving home for me and the kids, and since this past October, for my wife.. And it has been one of the most peaceful, purposeful experiences in life for all of us.
I am most certainly interested in building gear sets for friends, fellow Indy fans, movie nerds (which I am most certainly myself !) and enthusiasts alike.. I just have to pace myself in how I go forward to balance home life, work life, and my own personal sanity ! All that to say, I am open to sitting down in the shop and building gear for those interested - but at a limited pace. Which - is better than being completely absent altogether I guess. I am more apt to go forward - as I have often considered in the past - to build sets in my limited freetime - then advertise completed, ready to ship sets, here on the board for those in need. Knowing how busy my schedule is with a very consuming career as a police sergeant and being a husband and dad for a family that comes first - turning out a pile of gear quickly is a challenge. So just bear with me, but... As Indy told Willie under the statue of Kali.. "I'm Back"
