Stories from the Sales Frontlines

tjc78

That happened to my Mother once. She was playing some slot machine and was down to her last bet and it didn't cover the max. Naturally, it hit something really good and $1000 payout ended up around $200. Still, it got her back her $50 and covered dinner. Still not a bad day.

abacomike

I suspect you just may be a bit more than a "casual" gambler?

Actually, I am. When I go there, I see people sitting at their favorite machines. Sometimes I play 5 cent machines and my favorite machine type always has this same group of people playing them. Obviously, I don't know their names, but they gamble there so often that they call each other by their first names. I think most of them are in their 60's and 70's, and I have seen them wheeling their wheelchairs right up to the machines. They go there almost every night. I go once a month, sometimes twice.

I don't like the electronic slots - I prefer the old fashioned "reels". I see so many gamblers playing the $5.00 and $10.00 machines. Good grief, you could lose a bundle in one seating.

kyfdx

I was thinking that I would like a $0.02 machine... Of course, I'd be playing $0.06 at a spin...

abacomike

I got a call from my dealership this afternoon. The car they ordered for me was originally scheduled for production today, however Mercedes in Germany pushed the build date on all the 2014 E sedans to April 1st. My car is now scheduled to be build on April 3rd and is expected to be at the dealership on or about May 10th. 7 weeks away from seeing if the deal they offer me is good enough to take. I hop they make me "...an offer I can't refuse!"

jmonroe

She says you won $11,610.00!

I'm late getting in here; big congrats on that.

It's going into my car fund! Wow!

Like you really needed it. Your twin brother wouldn't let you drive around in an old MB clunker.

jmonroe

isellhondas

Oh, it can become a sickness.

Here in Washington State a lot of bars have Pull Tabs. They are paper tabs and they sell for 25 cents, 50 cents or 1.00 each. You rip them open and if you get certain symbols you win money. Really lousy odds. Much worse than any slot machine but people get addicted.

I heard of a woman who moved to Las Vegas to be with some close friends when she retired from a job she had for many years.

This woman had never gambled a penny in her life but she got hooked on slot machines. Within just a few years she lost her entire IRA and her condo.

She now lives in a cheap apartment on her Social Security.

LAstly, how do you find the old "reel" machines? All of now seem to be electronic where you can win 88 different ways. I liked the old ones too.

Within a few years

houdini1

A nice little touch of class is always appreciated here.

abacomike

LAstly, how do you find the old "reel" machines? All of now seem to be electronic where you can win 88 different ways. I liked the old ones too.

At this casino, half are electronic and half are reels. They have many new reel machines as well which combine animated features with the 3, 4, or 5 reels. When I was there last night, I would guess there were at least 2-3 thousand people there. The place is huge. I would compare the are to the size of 2 football fields - lengthwise and widthwise.

explorerx4

Rolling Rock and Rock and Roll.

jayrider

My Grandfather had a small corner store in the 50's and had punch boards. You paid for a number of punches and each was pushed through with a small tool. The paper chances were small tubes of paper that you unrolled to see what if anything you won. He made great money on those and made the worlds best milkshakes for his number 1 grandson.

abacomike

I realize there will be many who will either lose their jobs or have their hours cut when they stop Saturday mail delivery. But let's face it, if the Postal Service is losing 5 billion dollars a year, and if ending Saturday delivery will close that gap, then I'm all for it! 95% of all the mail I get is "junk" mail. So one day less of going to the mailbox and pulling out leaflets, campaign flyers, food store ads, letters begging me to buy life insurance, join AARP, apply for a new credit cards, change my Comcast service to AT&T Uverse, add a satellite dish, buy another new car, etc., is just what the doctor ordered IMHO! I can get all that junk mail Monday through Friday - and leave Saturday and Sunday as days of rest from the junk.

If you really need something delivered on Saturday, call FedEx or one of the other commercial delivery services. We humans just hate change, but in this case, change is good!

imidazol97

Here's Abacomike in a couple of months on a test drive of the car the dealer ordered:
pepsimax.com/testdrive :P

I had only seen bits of this on the commercial, but the whole thing is hilarious. I found myself thinking that the way a few salespeople treat customers, some deserve a prank like this. It's hilarious to watch reactions during the "test drive."

roadburner

Congrats- wow!!!

roadburner

The 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS 409. Did it in 4.0 sec

You need to remember that US car manufacturers were notorious for supplying "massaged" test cars to magazines back in the '60s. On top of that, some magazines such as High Performance Cars and Hot Rod would often remove the air cleaner, the power steering belt, fit "Cheater" slicks and even advance the ignition timing in an attempt to get the best numbers.
This article pretty much says it all.

abacomike

Here's Abacomike in a couple of months on a test drive of the car the dealer ordered:

Me? In a Chevy? Doing a wheelie? You have to be kidding!

Bit it was entertaining. Thanks for sharing that.

roadburner

Sometimes people ask me how a kid from a rural Kentucky county became hooked on BMWs. A lot of the credit must go to fellow Kentuckian David E. Davis Jr.- and his 1968 Car and Driver article entitled Turn Your Hymnals to 2002.
In 1994 Mr. Davis spoke at the BMW Car Club of America's annual Oktoberfest. He was kind enough to autograph my original copy of the article, signing it with the admonition "No Boring Cars!"

imidazol97

>Me? In a Chevy? Doing a wheelie? You have to be kidding!

You were just recently talking about the Hot Corvette you had, weren't you?

fezo

Hey! Good to see a man with the program...

abacomike

You were just recently talking about the Hot Corvette you had, weren't you?

A Corvette is not a Chevy - it may be produced by Chevrolet, but it is definitely not a Chevy. A Lexus is not a Toyota, but it is produced by Toyota. An Infiniti is not a Nissan , but it is produced by Nissan.

What I'm attempting to say is that I've owned Chevys and a Corvette - the Corvette is no Chevy!

fezo

Gee, Mike. Heck of a nice little win.

Down here we discovered the downside of casinos as government revenue. For maybe 20 year or so Atlantic City was as good as printing money. Unfortunately they did nothing else to make the city something to visit so when they started putting casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania people stayed home in droves. The latest casino,Revel, is already in Chapter 11 and trying to use $100,000,000 the state was giving them as collateral to hold back the wolves. Problem is that money from the state is theoretical - to be paid out later and they won't pay it to anyone but Revel. What a mess.

explorerx4

Now the casino's in New York are taking business away from Connecticut.
I've never been to either of the casino's in CT.
Got a nice little package in the mail today.
Still waiting for the chicken to be done.

abacomike

Down here we discovered the downside of casinos as government revenue.

Atlantic City has gone downhill because of Indian Gaming Casinos on the Northeast. The Mohawks in New York have a hotel and Casino that could put any AC Casino to shame. Connecticut, New York and the rest of the areas north of AC offer the same gaming but much closer and less expensive (hotel rooms) than AC or Vegas.

But you are correct in one respect - the Casino Corporate Big Wigs did little or nothing for the AC area. But also remember that AC was in a sorry state of affairs for many, many years west of the beach area. Go six blocks west and it was always in sad shape. So it was a combination of proximity, the economy, and the tremendous competition from the Indian Casinos.

nyccarguy

Congrats on the big win! I'm happy for you!

Interesting production dates for your E350. If it was to be produced today (3/20), it's my son Henry's birthday (he turned 4). April 3, your new production date is my birthday (I'll be 37).

murphydog

So I am looking at a upgrading to a Digital SLR - can't decide between the Canon T4i and the Nikon D5200

Any thoughts suggestions from this group? I know there will be opinions.... :shades:

mako1a

We have a Minolta SLR digital (not user friendly). Sits in the camera bag.
Too big, too complicated.

I have a Nikon CoolPics camera that fits in a shirt pocket, takes 2 AA

and is the go to cam for quick shots or to events because it's small.

My wife has a Canon Power Shot which is larger than the Nikon, uses 2 AA

but still easily portable and takes pics approaching SLR quality.

HD handheld movie cameras also have still shot capability for less $$ than either of your choices. Just my opinion.

abacomike

Interesting production dates for your E350. If it was to be produced today (3/20), it's my son Henry's birthday (he turned 4). April 3, your new production date is my birthday (I'll be 37).

Congratulations to Henry on his 4th birthday. As for you NYC, stop making us old guys envious of your youth - you're just a spring chicken - literally! I actually can't remember when I was 37 Yeats old - that was 31 year ago and I was a public school principal. My kids were 8 and 7, we had just bought our first house (4 bedrooms, living room, formal dining room and 2.5 baths for $31,500).

If I forget, let me wish you a very happy upcoming birthday. May you be happy, prosperous and kind!

driver100

So I am looking at a upgrading to a Digital SLR

I'd like to help but what is a digital SLR?

Anything to do with a finger?

abacomike

I'd like to help but what is a digital SLR?

A digital single lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that does not take rolls of film, but rather has a storage clip for storing as many as 100+ digital images. You the take the clip and plug it into your computer and print your own photos or you can take the clip to Walgreens or the like and they will print the pictures for you. It is similar to a flash drive you use for data or music. The digital pictures can be reviewed through the camera's read out screen immediately after the picture is taken to see if the shot has to be retaken.

The camera's storage clip can be erased once the pictures are printed and used over again. The photos are sharp and clear. Another thing you can do is photo shop the pictures to enhance their quality, if you like, on your own computer. Once the digital photos are loaded into your computer, you can adjust color, size, etc.

Amazing how things have changed. This is why Kodak is in big trouble - film is rarely used in today's cameras. The only place where film is still used is in movie production. Just about everything else is digital.

But you already knew all this - you just wanted to see if anyone would bite the bait - and I did!

[Deleted User]

I was an early adopter of digital cameras, including SLR technology. What I've learned is that the first SLR model is less important than the brand. Most SLRs are extremely capable today and becoming harder to differentiate unlike the early days. The lenses are the critical factor now. The brand you invest in today will lock you into a lens mount that you'll likely carry forward from SLR body to body. In short, the lenses stay and the bodies go.

I'm a Canon guy, personally, but either Nikon or Canon will treat you right. They're both investing in the future and innovating, so you're safe with either of their mounts working with the bodies you purchase later. The sensors are so sensitive and accurate today that the lens glass is now the limiting factor. When thinking about an SLR, focus (ha, ha, get it?) more on the quality of the lenses you'll buy. There are very good aftermarket varieties available today that will save money over Nikon and Canon, like Sigma and Tamron.

tjc78

can't decide between the Canon T4i and the Nikon D5200

I have an older Nikon DSLR and it really has been a great camera. The photos are outstanding even though it's only 6MP.

In all honesty the deciding factor to me would be which camera is faster between shots. One of the best things about the newer DSLR cameras is how quickly you can snap shot after shot. This allows you multiple chances to get a quality shot on fast moving objects, etc.

Also be sure to get a very good memory card, that makes a big difference in how the camera performs.

graphicguy

murphy....I'm with tyguy. It's not the camera brand that's important, it's the lenses.

Personally, I like Olympus DSLRs. I have a couple of them. But, before that, I had an early Nikon DSLR (which I paid dearly for as an early adopter). I sold the Nikon body but kept the lenses, because I really like Nikon lenses and will probably buy another some time down the road.

Do yourself a favor and go to one of the local camera shops where you live (not Best Buy or Costco) and talk to one of the people who're knowledgable. Those places are usually competitive on price, too. So, make sure to buy from them after you make a decision.

Best Buy and Costco are good if you already know what you want.

murphydog

Thanks everybody!

I am thinking of going body only and then picking out a couple of lenses. The costco bundles look attractive, but everybody tells me the included lenses are junk.

Anybody make a purchase from B&H? Low prices, no tax and free shipping

driver100

A digital single lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that does not take rolls of film

No, I honestly did not know what an SLR was, but I enjoyed reading your explanation which made it very clear. I had no idea there was such a device but, I can see where it would be a nice thing to have.

I do know about film and Kodak and how the great ones can fall in our brave new world.

isellhondas

I'm in the market to upgrade my point and shoot Nikon. It a 12 MP and it takes good pictures but I would like something faster. Our son has a Sony that looks like a cross between an SLR and a point and shoot. You can change lenses on it. I like the way it can shoot pictures in rapid succession by just holding the botton down.

I'm a cheapskate so I'm still looking. Learned some good stuff from you guys!

tjc78

No, I honestly did not know what an SLR was,

Not to nitpick, but long before Digital SLRs there were Film based SLRs. In short an SLR camera (using mirrors) allows a photographer to look through the lens and see exactly what he/she is shooting versus a "point/shoot" type camera that you simply look through a viewfinder which isn't as precise.

In essence it's a more complex/precise tool for professionals and enthusiasts. Any professional photographer will have this type of camera and probably many different lenses, filters etc.

dino001

You are correct. Even new crop of digital compact zoom cameras have "digital viewer" through the lens, not direct, i.e. you can only see it when the camera is turned on. The "true SLR" cameras use mirror and cristal prism to see exactly what will be registered by the matrix and you can see it without the power switch on.

robr2

Any professional photographer will have this type of camera and probably many different lenses, filters etc.

To use solely for artistic work. I would venture to say that 90% of all professional photographers work exclusively in a digital medium - especially commercial photographers. The digital medium lets them to take many more shots and allow for waste without any cost. With film, they have to be more judicious of the shots they take and they could miss opportunities to take better shots.

Now I'll toss in that I have a old Canon SLR that I use quite often but it's limited to special events. Film and processing is expensive and often I can't justify the cost.

tjc78

I would venture to say that 90% of all professional photographers work exclusively in a digital medium -

Absolutely, it just makes sense. The quality is more than there now and makes their life so much easier. The photographer who shot our wedding must have taken close to 750 pictures that day. He deleted any right away that weren't up to snuff and I think our preview book had near 600 pics. No way you would end up with that many on film.

jmonroe

Learned some good stuff from you guys!

Like there was a ’66 Grand Prix convertible? :P

jmonroe

gogiboy

Murphy--

You don't speak to your main demands of the camera. Also, what scale output are you looking for and under what conditions do you intend you use your equipment?

I agree with tyguy in that the SLR body, while important, pales in comparison to the lenses you use. All the major manufacturers make a lot of pretty suspect lenses along with some real gems. The gems usually cost a lot (more than the SLR body) and the lesser quality cheapos typically come with the kits widely advertised and sold. Those lenses are serviceable, but not good in many circumstances.

As someone who has lived through the many advances of cameras from the 70s-2010s I can tell you that digital constantly undergoes technological advancement in a way that never happened with analog. Hell, the biggest change in film SLRs over the last 30 years was autofocus.

Excellent lenses hold their value and can easily be resold. SLR bodies and cheap lenses quickly depreciate as new models are introduced.

I have owned both Canon and now Nikon SLRs. Having said that I probably get more use out of my Canon G10 "portable", which offers a number of the same features of an SLR minus interchangeable lenses, because it travels with me in my messenger bag every day. Of course SLRs can run circles around any point-and-shoot when you have the right lens. My Nikon D700 can shoot equivalent 6400 ISO, which no point and shoot can do--at least not without considerably more image degradation. If you shoot in low light without a flash, as I often do when photographing models for my work, nothing beats a fast lens and a large dimension CCD chip. That said, I still really like black and white film processing and the magic of the darkroom better than photoshop.

Gogiboy

graphicguy

Murphy...i frequent Costco a lot. Which cameras are you looking at?

driver100

In short an SLR camera (using mirrors) allows a photographer to look through the lens and see exactly what he/she is shooting v

Good info! Appreciated, learned something today.

isellhondas

If I were a betting type of person I would be more than happy to take your money that there was NEVER a '66 Grand Prix convertable.

ANY Pontiac guy (like me) will confirm that...but...wait...you actually SAW one!

So, I guess you wouldn't ever believe anybody or any publication on this one?

:confuse: :P

jmonroe

ANY Pontiac guy (like me) will confirm that...but...wait...you actually SAW one!

I know what you are saying and like I have said before, I have read the same thing. I can’t explain why I saw a ’66 Grand Prix convertible on the showroom floor when I bought my ’66 Bonneville. Which by BTW, was sitting outside the showroom, in the cold, in November ’65.

I can still see it. It was Burgundy with a black top that had the sewn in glass that did not have to be removed when the top was put down. The salesman showed it to me when I voiced my concern about yellowing plastic rear windows that convertibles were famous for back then after a few years. I even remember the salesman saying that the Grand Prix was not as long as the Bonneville (6 inches maybe) because it was built on the Catalina frame. FWIW, the sewn in non removable glass thing is what started this whole discussion.

I’ve been accused of losing it a few times but I sure hope it doesn’t apply to this.

jmonroe

boomchek

You guys get mailed delivered on Saturdays?

In Canada it's Monday to Friday only unless you're Fed Ex or UPS or a private package delivery company.

gogiboy

Another great place to pick up new or nearly new gear is from craigslist provided you live close to a decent size metropolitan area. You can meet the person at a neutral location and test the stuff out. Most cameras are built well enough that the one-year manufacturer's warranty isn't necessary. I've bought new and used without incident. A surprising number of people will spend before they think and buy equipment they don't use or use minimally or, to save a few bucks, buy grey market warranty gear that the manufacturer won't honor. Others (wedding/event photographers) buy and upgrade constantly or buy back ups--kind of like Mike and his near-annual Mercedes upgrade (just kidding). Buying slightly used can save you a bundle over new.

I may be an outlier, but I've yet to send a camera or lens back for repair and that includes at least 6-7 bodies and at least an equal if not larger number of lenses.

Gogiboy

boomchek

We bought a Nikon bundle on our Boxing Day (same as your Black Friday, except our day is Dec 26th) at Best Buy.

I'm not a pro and still learning everything so I just bought the cheapest bundle there was - Nikon D3100 with a normal lens, bag, extra batteries, etc for $369 I think. If I outgrow this camera I'll invest in something better but for now this basic bundle is good enough for me. Besides if you're going to shoot in full auto mode anyways, might as well stick with the cheaper DLSRs in my opinion. The higher models make more sense if you know how to use all the settings for exposure and lighting and stuff.

abacomike

I know what you are saying and like I have said before, I have read the same thing. I can’t explain why I saw a ’66 Grand Prix convertible on the showroom floor when I bought my ’66 Bonneville. Which by BTW, was sitting outside the showroom, in the cold, in November ’65.

There may be a plausible answer to this seemingly impossible "sighting" of a '66 Grand Prix convertible - it was an early release '67! I had a '66 royal blue Grand Prix coupe which I bought new in New York and drove to Chicago when I moved there for graduate school. I wanted a convertible, but they only had the Bonneville or Catalina convertibles, so I settled on a hard top. I do remember my salesman telling me that the Grand Prix convertible would be in soon if I wanted to wait.

But you aver (how do you like that word?) you saw one in the showroom in the beginning of the model year. That is the only confounding part of tour "sighting" if, on fact, the Grand Prix convertible was not produced in 1966.

I 'be followed your posts now for almost 2 years, 6 months as a reader only and 1.5 years as a contributor to the forum. From what I know of you, *jmonroe, I would have to believe that you actually saw something that did not exist! A similar situation occurs frequently with UFO sightings - we all know they don't exist, but people see them all the time.

What we need is corroboration of this sighting - we need to find someone else who has seen one. That has to be a doable task!

My money is on.......!

houdini1

Too bad you didn't buy the darn thing. You would have one of the rarest cars around ! Worth a fortune!

abacomike

jmonroe, I found this article at Conceptcarz about the production of the Grand Prix as a coupe and one year (1967) as a convertible. Just a little more food for thought.

The 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix was a 2-door, 5-passenger hardtop that was priced at just under $3,500. A total of 36,757 were produced. They had a wire mesh grille enclosing rectangular parking lamps. On the front fenders were 'Grand Prix' insignias and there were elongated V-shaped emblems on the ribbed lower beauty panels. In the back were fender skirts. Under the bonnet was an overhead V-8 engine displacing 389 cubic-inches and offering 325 horsepower. Inside, the Grand Prix's had a monochromatic interior and Strato bucket seats. Standard equipment was similar to the 1965 model.

This particular example has recently been given a restoration which included a rebuilt suspension, drivetrain, engine and brakes. The car was built in California in the fall of 1965 and spent much of its life in that area. It came factory equipped with temperature controlled AC, power steering and brakes, power windows and driver's seat. Power door locks and a custom show quality stereo system were installed, though the factory radio is still located in the stock location. The aftermarket radio is set into the console. The amplifier and subwoofer are built into the trunk side wells.
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013

One of the signature most popular personal vehicles of the 1960's, the Pontiac Grand Prix was also the first in a long line of posh Pontiacs this still continue today. During the 60's, luxury stood for performance, and the Grand Prix had tons of it. Released in 1962, the Pontiac Grand Prix has become a legendary vehicle that set the styling trend for the entire industry, and has continued to be popularly produced to this day. The Grand Prix has becoming Pontiac's largest automotive offering in production as of 2006. Originally introduced as part of Pontiac's full-size model range for the 1962 year, the Grand Prix name has been applied to vehicles in the personal luxury car market segment and the mid-size offering. The sole body-style available on the Grand Prix for all years except 1967 was a two-door hardtop. 1967 featured a convertible Grand Prix for one year only.