pipemakersforum.com

Sir, my name is Garry Weston and I am the chairman of John Hollingsworths pipe club Birmingham UK, we are the host club of the UK national pipe smoking contest, next years show is 10th June 07, the cost of the show is paid for by the club and sale of competition pipes to all participants, why we are contacting yourselves and other pipe/tobacco/tamper makers/retailers from around the world is to see if you would be willing to donate any prizes for the 07 comp.This year 06 we had a great responce worldwide and every competitor left with a prize of some kind, if you can/cant help us please let me know and please pass this on to anyone else in the trade you think may help.

Regards Garry Chairman JHPCB

If you require more info please contact me garryweston@aol.com

Okay, another request for free stuff. Does anyone know if this is legit?

He's legit.

I sent them a pipe last year, but I don't know if I'll have the time this year.

Garry is a regular poster on Smokers Forum, and he posts a list of all the donations there.

Rad

Rad

Thanks for the info. In light of recent scams, it's always good to check.

Hope things are going well in your neck of the woods.

RadDavis wrote:He's legit.

I sent them a pipe last year, but I don't know if I'll have the time this year.

Garry is a regular poster on Smokers Forum, and he posts a list of all the donations there.

Rad

Thanks Rad, I was wondering how I was going to prove my credentials when new to the site..

I hope some of you guys can help us out, Ime glad Rad Davis has vouched for me as ime a newbie to this site and was wondering how to prove this is not a scam... If any of you can help just mail me.

Regards Garry

We have our first promise of prizes from this website, Kurt Huhn has promised a pipe and tamper set.

Many thanks Garry

Anyone else willing to donate

madgarry wrote:Anyone else willing to donate

Hello Gary, I just sent you an E-mail... I'm pretty new to pipemaking, but if you think it would meet your standards I'd consider donating a pipe. Maybe for last place?

sethile wrote:

madgarry wrote:Anyone else willing to donate

Hello Gary, I just sent you an E-mail... I'm pretty new to pipemaking, but if you think it would meet your standards I'd consider donating a pipe. Maybe for last place?

Sethile many thanks, whatever you send will be appreciated, email sent

So far Kurt Huhn and Sethile have promised prizes anyone else up for helping, the size and cost of the prize donation doesnt matter

we do offer a bit of free advertising for those who do donate, all donations are listed on this forum, gray fox online and smokers forum, so people know who sent what and what company/manufacturer they are from. Also on the day all are listed on the sponsors board. This helped some makers after the 2006 show as members of smokers forum stated that the people who donated are the people they would now use for pipe/tobacco purchases and not those who didnt bother to respond.....

Don't let Scott fool you. Scott is a great pipe maker. His stuff just keeps getting better and better.

Nick wrote:Don't let Scott fool you. Scott is a great pipe maker. His stuff just keeps getting better and better.

Thanks for the info

Any others of you want to help

Hello,

I had considered helping after seeing Rad and Kurt's endorsement. However if it's such a good deal, this kind of hard-sell should not be necessary and is to be avoided:

the people who donated are the people they would now use for pipe/tobacco purchases and not those who didnt bother to respond.....

Instead of veiled threats, I would find it more encouraging if you had a website or some other on-line source that offered information and a bit of explanation, showed pictures of last years event, etc. to get an idea of what we are donating to.

Is this a one day event? A week long event? Are pipes and other tobaccania for sale? Is there a banquet, perhaps where awards, etc. are given, and sponsors and contributors acknowledged? Is the event only open to the club members or are you expecting general public attendance as well? If the general public is invited, how are they informed and encouraged to attend? Approximately how many people attended last year?

I'm not trying to be difficult. These are basic, reasonable issues for the organizers to address and for contributors to ask considering the work you are asking for. I've worked shows and fairs before (and have no problem offering donations; it's quite common) and while most are started with good intentions, some lacked proper resources and planning to be successful and are basically driven by one or two passionate club members whose real expertise is totally unrelated to putting on shows or fairs for the hobbies they love - they make a fine living at things like real estate, being doctors, owning a business, etc.

If Rad and Kurt vouch for you then I believe this is a real and legitimate event. However, as far as I know, everyone here works hard to create what they do and the evidence is in pictures here or on dedicated websites that are open for all to see.

You well know what you are getting, and with who. I'm only saying some of us might like to know the same.

Souljer wrote:Hello,

I had considered helping after seeing Rad and Kurt's endorsement. However if it's such a good deal, this kind of hard-sell should not be necessary and is to be avoided:

the people who donated are the people they would now use for pipe/tobacco purchases and not those who didnt bother to respond.....

Instead of veiled threats, I would find it more encouraging if you had a website or some other on-line source that offered information and a bit of explanation, showed pictures of last years event, etc. to get an idea of what we are donating to.

Is this a one day event? A week long event? Are pipes and other tobaccania for sale? Is there a banquet, perhaps where awards, etc. are given, and sponsors and contributors acknowledged? Is the event only open to the club members or are you expecting general public attendance as well? If the general public is invited, how are they informed and encouraged to attend? Approximately how many people attended last year?

I'm not trying to be difficult. These are basic, reasonable issues for the organizers to address and for contributors to ask considering the work you are asking for. I've worked shows and fairs before (and have no problem offering donations; it's quite common) and while most are started with good intentions, some lacked proper resources and planning to be successful and are basically driven by one or two passionate club members whose real expertise is totally unrelated to putting on shows or fairs for the hobbies they love - they make a fine living at things like real estate, being doctors, owning a business, etc.

If Rad and Kurt vouch for you then I believe this is a real and legitimate event. However, as far as I know, everyone here works hard to create what they do and the evidence is in pictures here or on dedicated websites that are open for all to see.

You well know what you are getting, and with who. I'm only saying some of us might like to know the same.

Lets see, the quote you picked up on isnt a veiled threat, its the responce I recd on another pipe smokers forum from members of the pipe smoking public, in responce to the list of pipe makers and companies I named as people who had donated to the 2006 UK event, what they are trying to say is those are the people they would rather deal with as they helped out, those companys and craftsmen who said no or didnt even reply were not listed on any forum as I dont believe in shooting someone down just because they dont want to help us, that statement was just a general feedback I recieved, I may have put it down in the wrong context as its not meant as a hard sell and I appologise if you found it upsetting. My club does not have a website as even though we are the host club of the UK national pipe smoking championships we are one of the smallest UK clubs, all advertising is done via other UK clubs to known members and fliers in tobacconists and on a couple of smokers forums, one UK club that has links and some photos to the 2006 event is Norfolk pipe club UK http://www.pipeclubofnorfolk.co.uk/brit ... ip2006.php .Even though this is a national event its not as big as any event you would get state side, we have a max number of smokers of 55 but there are a few hundred people through the doors on the day. It is a one day event fully funded and financed from the sale of the competition pipe, the comp tobacco is donated from one of the UK tobacco houses and the prizes are all donations from various pipe makers/companys and members of various forums and clubs worldwide. My club has been running this event for the last four years and even though small by USA standards we are proud of the job we have so far done and that non of us have links to the tobacco trade, even though we have formed friendships with people from the trade, as for organising such events as this I myself had done nothing like this before until I did this, my day job is law enforcement, I am lucky in that my other comitee members do have experience of running large corporate functions in their day jobs. We do have trade stands on the day, Bill Ashton Taylor UK hand carver, Ian Walker Northern Briars UK hand carver, Mustapha Akkas IMP meershaums UK, Gawith Hoggarth and or Samuel Gawiths UK tobacco blenders also attend.I hope this helps clarify the event for you and I look forward to your responce.

Regards Garry

Hello again,

Thank you for your response.

I may have put it down in the wrong context as its not meant as a hard sell and I appologise if you found it upsetting.

I am not nor was I ever upset at all. I hope I did not upset you.

As I said I have worked shows before and the issues I brought up are just standard artist/vendor questions that need to be answered. It has nothing to do with your particular event. Some of the other people on this forum are from different backgrounds and have never worked shows and so don't know what to ask or expect in return for their efforts.

Also, as was hinted at by the first response to your post, we've had someone request free products under fraudulent pretense. I forget the details but the thread is here somewhere. Furthermore, the whole site was under attack by hackers recently and Kurt had to shut it down, while making new defenses. It has only returned in the last month or so.

So I hope you can now understand where I'm coming from when it comes to a stranger asking for free stuff. Your references are unquestionable though, so I've no worries there.

Now, that said, I looked at the link you provided; loved the story about the event earlier this year. That link and the answers to my questions you also provided is what you should have put in your first post.

As for myself, I can't say what I'll have ready. I'm currently working on a project that may take me to the UK in February. If that happens and continues I will not have enough time to even make myself a pipe.
I do like the idea though and, if you would like, I can send you an email when I know better which direction things are going.

Souljer wrote:Hello again,

Thank you for your response.

I may have put it down in the wrong context as its not meant as a hard sell and I appologise if you found it upsetting.

I am not nor was I ever upset at all. I hope I did not upset you.

As I said I have worked shows before and the issues I brought up are just standard artist/vendor questions that need to be answered. It has nothing to do with your particular event. Some of the other people on this forum are from different backgrounds and have never worked shows and so don't know what to ask or expect in return for their efforts.

Also, as was hinted at by the first response to your post, we've had someone request free products under fraudulent pretense. I forget the details but the thread is here somewhere. Furthermore, the whole site was under attack by hackers recently and Kurt had to shut it down, while making new defenses. It has only returned in the last month or so.

So I hope you can now understand where I'm coming from when it comes to a stranger asking for free stuff. Your references are unquestionable though, so I've no worries there.

Now, that said, I looked at the link you provided; loved the story about the event earlier this year. That link and the answers to my questions you also provided is what you should have put in your first post.

As for myself, I can't say what I'll have ready. I'm currently working on a project that may take me to the UK in February. If that happens and continues I will not have enough time to even make myself a pipe.
I do like the idea though and, if you would like, I can send you an email when I know better which direction things are going.

Cheers Souljer that would be great, thanks for your responce

Any more of you guys fancy helping, ime starting my last push for prizes as I want to be all done by March/April latest