Pardon the Dustin Hoffman "Marathon Man" movie line...

Maybe it's safer to speak over here, Carl. Somehow, I don't think Mike has access to this area of the forum...




I was somewhat taken by his sudden sharp verbal attack myself, and had to go back through the previous messages in that line to see if anything could be singled out. I'm not sure I could even pin anything on the "usual suspects"...

Carl, Mike's not the only one with an arrogant streak over there. I'm detecting the same broad sweep of smugness from several of the alleged Estes Employees. It almost sounds like a corporate "party line". It's clear there is still a strong level of contempt for our variety of consumer. We're educated, knowledgeable, and savvy. In short, we're a threat, because we're NOT of the simple-minded impulse buyer mentality they want to target their products toward.

I'm not even a manufacturer, and I really chafed at the open hostility they have all demonstrated toward the "other companies", declaring them as "operating illegally" simply because those companies may not have needed to spend millions of dollars trying to cover their backsides with the new CPSIA act. Estes seems to be implying they're the "only true path" in rocketry because they've 'suffered' such deep-pocketed expenses trying to get into compliance. Have you (or has anyone) heard anything regarding what Quest has had to spend, if any, to come into compliance?

Mike doesn't like criticism. It shows. Neither does Barry, neither does the other fellow on the forum who tried to put his spin on things. Back when I had the chance to speak with Mike directly, he came across the same way. His voice crackled with self-righteousness about the issue of motors, demanding "What haven't we done for you? What (engines) have we not given to you?", as if we should be eternally grateful for the few meager selections they dole out, or as if to say, if Estes isn't offering it we don't need it.

Carl, maybe the best thing to do for now is just let him and the others rant, and you sit back and absorb the carnage from a distance. Glean all you can, but don't engage them directly. You'll hear everything you need in time...

__________________
Craig McGraw

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SAM 0044
AMA 352635

If I might quote a Classic movie,

"I'm with you Boys"

Delmar form O' Brother Where Art Thou,

My true opinion of these Estes folks is best left unsaid.

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Sheryl has kept me from posting until now. He is showing the side that I have been warned about from many of his friends. I have been privy to many of his emails and Barry's emails that show the level of contempt they have for "forum people" and "hobbyests."

They must really be hurting financially, for them to be courting the hundred or so faithful that they threw overboard so many years ago.

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Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com

Smart girl, that Sheryl!

Mike certainly has made valuable contributions to the hobby, and I'm not trying to take away any valid credit for his talent. I'm wondering about their overall financial health. If I understand this sale of the company correctly, there are two prospective buyers interested: A toy company, and a group of hobby-oriented rocketry-friendly business types. Could this be an indicator that the hobby interests are getting stronger, and that Mike and his gang are trying to keep their jobs for a while longer? Maybe all of this talk about "retirement" is just a smoke screen to mask a very real fear of being ousted completely?

__________________
Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
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SAM 0044
AMA 352635

I was gone all weekend and just came home to this mess.

__________________
Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
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Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

Well, it wasn't me...I've been standing in the corner just listening.

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"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

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