Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Alphabug, you may want to relax about it being exactly on or about August 20th. You seem to just hang on that date, all the time threatening to buy elinchrom if it doesn't happen. I think you are trying to scare PCB into making sure that your order gets to you when YOU want. I doubt you are.

If they have PROJECTED they will be ready by August 20th then it may be several weeks later if their vendors let them down, then it has to ship thousands of miles, add another week or two, then it has get to the distributor, orders have to be checked and sorted, repackaged, shipped, add another week or two.

I would say if everything did go exactly as scheduled, you'd be lucky to have them by the end of september

take a chill pill, or go buy the Eli's

My "dates" are only quotes from PCB and Colin Smith the Australian distributor.

I have spoken to the Australian distributor personally and I relay information here (with, I might add, their permission) for the benefit of those who haven't had the level of contact I have with them.

I was informed that the shipments for Australia leave the factory on Wednesdays and generally arrive here in Oz the following Wednesday and arrive at the AU warehouse generally no later then that Friday.

I **DO** realise that PCB is at the mercy of his suppliers, but I have not seen any posting from him that at this stage he expects the August 20th date to slip, but I'm sure that he will keep us informed if he does.

If my posting of information like this for Australian customers offends you, please feel free to ignore my posts.

Likewise, if you find it offensive that I advise Australians of other products that may suit their needs, again please feel free to ignore me.

Regards,

AB.

I know PCB likely can't and won't do this, but I've got to keep myself busy thinking about something during my wait, so...

My college economics class had a solution for supply/demand inequalities. That is to sell the same product to different people at different prices, maximizing both supplier profit and consumer satisfaction. I.e. this is the principle on which coupons and rebates operate.

The demand for Einsteins obviously outweighs the supply at the given price at this time.

In the fairness model, PCB loses money (since demand is outstripping supply, and some people are marking them up on eBay/FM/etc), while the customers lose by waiting in line seemingly indefinitely.

The economics solution - let the market decide. Every day let people bid on the N units shipping the next day. The bidding starts at $499 at (say 7am pacific), goes up as people bid, the top N bidders win at the end of the day (say 7pm pacific), and it starts over the next day.

PCB wins and makes more money for his amazing product. Impatient customers win, feeling smug about skipping the line. Patient customers win, feeling smug about their patience and savings... You might even call this a win-win-win situation.

So come on, Paul. Do the free market thing. Auction a few units every day. I'll build you a webpage to do it, or do it on eBay if you must.

Alright, wasn't that fun. Class dismissed.

I've heard the same story told a different way.......

An ISP has three international data lines, all identical.

Naturally, the more customers using a line, the slower that line will be.

Therefore he sells access to Line "A" at $1.00 per unit, access to Line "B" at $1.50 per unit and access to Line "C" at $2.00 per unit.

Line "A" is cheap, crowded and slow, Line "B" is reasonably priced and working at maximum "efficiency" and Line "C" is expensive, fast and under-utilised.

I bid.....Oh wait....I'm in Oz, no bidding for me :D !!

AB.

We don't do "price to what the market will bear." My strategy is to price for maximum volume at a decent profit and treat customers like I would like to be treated and it works . . . we get maximum volume and market share and lot's of "decent profits" and customer good will. But I goofed on initial Einstein price estimates way back . . . they really should sell for $599. At $439 profit is near zero, at $499.95 profit is slim but decent. If I had distribution . . . like B&H and all, it would be $800.

I don't like games and manipulation.

>> I goofed on initial Einstein price estimates

Heh. I sorta figured that out; it's why I pre-ordered all of mine. Feel free to take additional price increases once mine ship. ;)

I realize you get more product ideas than you'd ever have time for... but maybe get with some picky pro shooters and design an "Einstein Pro"... same light but with metal case and deluxe hardware doodads... bigger fans, etc. I dunno, ask Galbraith and Hobby how they'd improve it. A certain segment of the market would happily pay a premium, I'd think.

so... any ideas on what the number is up to? :)

Above 1275 ;)

But below ~1300, because that's where I'm at and I haven't heard anything yet

Just confirming they are above the 1250's. I got my email and ordered today.