0324news

Are you ready for some REAL climate change?

    Wow! Can you believe it? We have survived, yet again, another wicked Michigan winter! This one was brutal, if you ask me! The guy who plows the snow, out of my store parking lot, made more money than I did, I should have closed and stayed home!

The Bottle Show . . . .
is that early sign of spring, the one that we all are looking for!
    Are you ready for some REAL climate change?
    I am fairly certain it will warm up and the grass will be green once again! God has not forsaken us! Well, at least not all of us!
    The bottle show, as I start this newsletter, is less than a month away. Vince and the show committee have been working hard to make this a great show!
    I think they have put their heads together, and, really put forth their best effort. With Vincent’s leading, three great Kalamazoo Clubs have pledged to help promote each others events as they share space at the Expo Center.
    Our Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club, the Kalamazoo Numismatic Club, and the Kalamazoo Model Railroad Historical Society, will all be at the Kalamazoo Fair Grounds on April 4, 2026!
As the flier says, “It will be the place to be!”

So my fellow Bottle Club Members, get the word out!

I get phone calls about bottles, stemming from the online newsletter, and I direct people to the show often! The interest is out there, even greater than I recall!
    Thank you Vince for pouring yourself into this, I want, as much for your sake, this to be a great show!

                         BUTTONS GALORE

    This month, at the Good Ol’ Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club meeting, we have a special treat! Guest speaker, Carol Danhauser from the Michigan Button Society will be giving a presentation on “BUTTON COLLECTING!”

    We had a member of the metal detecting club, Minnie Cathcart, who was a devoted button collector. She shared with that club her button collection and their story, and it was pretty cool! We have found pre and post Civil War hand crafted buttons from coins and love-tokens with our metal detecting. This should be very interesting!

Last Month’s Topic,
Metal Detecting . . . . Al Holden Pro Stock Metal detectors

            Most of my history, of how I got started in metal detecting, I have shared before in the newsletter. Perhaps too often!

             Back in the early 50's my grandfather’s business was very successful, and once he had good management, they started spending their winters in Fort Myers, Florida.

Being their first grandchild, there was a bond with us.

    It never occurred to them that they would miss me . . . for months!

    Before long, they were sending airline tickets for a one-way trip to Fort Myers. My folks would put me on a plan in Detroit, and my grandparents would be waiting in Tampa for the plane! I was about six years old! I was home schooled before it was even a thing!

    I spent a lot of time down in Florida and we FISHED!!!

    Skip ahead to 1968: I am now 17, and I drove myself down. Between fishing, I went to Fort Myers beach. Sure, I was interested in pretty girls, but I was fully convinced they would never be interested in me.

      But, I did see something that peaked my curiosity, a guy swinging this strange instrument, and from time-to-time, bending and scooping the sand. I was too far away to get a good look.

    He motioned me closer and explained what he was doing. He said, “I was about to take a break, let me show you some of my finds.” He and his wife were staying in a small rental cottage across from the beach, (sadly, all giant condo’s today)

I went inside to meet his wife, and we had some fresh picked lemonade. He opened three Tampa Cigar Boxes loaded with, lost rings, bracelets, charms, watches, toys and trinkets and lots of coins!

On a side note; when I was a boy you could go into the local news agency and ask for cigar boxes and they would always give you some! I loved the way they smelled!

I started selling Garrett Detectors in 1968 within my dad’s RV business. In 1989, I started selling them under the name Pro Stock Metal Detectors.

I have always considered my business seasonal, but with so many new competitors, it sometimes seems beyond a waste of time to come to work at all!

    I am told that the largest metal detecting dealer in the entire country is in Michigan . . . it isn’t me!

    I am without question, the oldest dealership in Michigan.

     The largest dealer is actually an Amazon dealer, who owns fulfillment centers in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and also in other states.

      For many years, the different companies who regarded me as
“Their Dealer” were willing to give me a territory, and they would guard it, by promising not to put another dealer right-next-door.

    Back in the 70's, 80's and 90's my biggest competition was,
(back at that time), the largest dealer in America. He was located in east Florida. He was a mail-order “Cataloger” who was a grand- hustler! The guy was a ruthless slick dealer! He would actually take orders, and payments, for product, that he didn’t even have!

    If a manufacture was discontinuing a detector model, he would swoop in and place an order for all remaining unsold units offering them pennies on the dollar.

    Once he had them, he would strip them from all identifying labels and apply his own. This old discontinued product would be renamed and promoted as “New Cutting Edge Technology” Product that was exclusively available only from his store alone.

    He hated me!
I would advertise the benefit of buying from a training-hands-on- dealer. In my ads I claimed “without training countless treasure could be missed!” It was all true!

    I was down to the Garrett factory for a dealer seminar. I was called on by-my-name, and my business name, as one of the top dealers in my region.
    This guy from Florida jumped up and pointed at me and shouted,
“I know who you are! I don’t like your way of doing business!”
Charles Garrett had to ask him to sit down.

    At another dealer seminar for Whites Metal Detectors, one held in Sylvania, Ohio, at my White’s distributor’s location, the factory was attempting to motivate and train their dealers.

    At that time, the thorn in most dealer’s side was that Florida Cataloger. He was buying in huge volume, and selling in huge volume. His prices, to the public, in many cases were almost what the small dealers were paying! Discouragement was everywhere!

    To respond to that, and encourage everyone that it was possible to compete, they had a large chart, picturing a map of the United States. On the map, each dealer was represented by a colored thumbtack. Each thumbtack marked an actual sale made by that dealer in each area, based on returned warranty registrations. The pin marked a customer's location and the pin's color identified the dealer who sold it.

          On that map, the Florida Cataloger was represented by bright yellow thumbtacks and they showed up nearly everywhere!

    That is, except, those yellow tacks were almost non-existent in an area centered around, Kalamazoo, reaching east to Detroit, west to Chicago, and north to far-above Grand Rapids. That area was peppered with light blue thumbtacks.

      Pointing to that area where the Cataloger had made no real inroad, the White’s rep said “This is Pro Stock Metal Detectors territory.”
Yes, I got a plaque!
    And you know what? I had no clue that was coming!

    Another problem with catalogers, is a product description that we call “Re-Packs” or “Re-Furbs.” I had never even considered such a thing existed!

      One year Whites had a seminar to train dealers on a first-of-its-kind computerized, digital, programmable detector. They knew that for these new and somewhat complex, metal detectors, to sell well, the dealers needed real training.

    So, as an incentive to come-out for this two day training event, if you came, you could buy into a special super-discounted assortment of re-packs or refurbished detectors. The savings were 50% less than normal dealer cost !!!
    These were all faulty detectors that had been returned for whatever reason. Often they would have a scratch or dent while others looked perfect.
    The factory would test and repair them, as needed, then, a 3X5 card was dropped in the box noting the detector was a refurbished detector.
    The factory needed (and do now more than ever) an outlet for refurbished product, otherwise it was huge loss of profit!

I do not deal in them at all!

    The weak link in this, was that 3X5 card! A box could be opened, the card removed, and dropped into a waste basket . . . so who’s to know?

The Florida Cataloger was the factories biggest outlet for re-packs . . . but he denied it!

    Shallow-water-hunting, as well as deep-water scuba diving with a metal detector, was catching on in a big way. With my location in the heart of the Great Lakes Region, I was in a great spot to be involved.

    Fisher Electronics in Los Banos California, the oldest detector manufacture in America (Since 1931) had cornered the underwater market with the best fully waterproof detectors, and I sold a boatload!

    One weekend, I had sold out my stock and even my display demonstrator.
    I placed an order with my good friend, Scott Warner, and the U.P.S. truck had just dropped off my order.

My first order of business was to put together my new display unit. Next, after it was all ready to hang in my display, as usual, I fired it up for some preliminary testing. Right away I knew something wasn’t right.

    This detector, which had a reputation for being a powerhouse detector, was not working right at all! I almost had to run a large coin within a couple inches of the coil to get any response! I started checking obvious things like voltage and control settings . . . it simply was not right.

    I called Scott and told him the detector was dead lazy and he told me to return it . . . it was replaced.

    Several months later, a man walked in, I greeted him, as I asked if I could help?

     He told me he was looking for a new detector. As always, I ask questions like, “Are you familiar with detectors?” And, “ do have one?” Next, if so “what area would you like to improve on?”

    He told me that he has a Fisher 1280-X metal detector and he would like something that goes deeper in the ground!

    My mind is racing! What detector do I have that goes deeper than that model? At that time, his detector was indeed considered the one to beat for depth, and I told him that!

    He went on to explain to me, the performance of his detector, and what I was hearing . . . well it just didn’t add up! I asked him,
“Do you have it with you so I can check it out?”

    He responded, “I brought it along in hopes we might do some trading.”
    You see, to him it was a new detector, his first, and as far as he knew, all was all well with the world.

    I played around with it, and, sure enough there was a real issue here. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it struck me!

     I quickly went to my file cabinet and pulled that Fisher Invoice from several months earlier . . . Yep! Sure enough! There it was, that same serial number!

    I explained what was going on, and I asked him, “Where did you buy this?” It was purchased from the Florida Cataloger. I asked him if he saw anything like a card that identified the detector as a re-pack?

    There was nothing! He is finally following this, and boy is he getting upset!
“You have no idea how far I have traveled, and the hours I have spent using this thing!!!!”

    I fixed him up, and took the flawed detector in as a trade knowing full-well I would get full credit after returning it. So, the customer, still hot, left, but he left somewhat happier.

    As soon as I could, I called Scott, to share the story and see just what he knew about it.
He said Al, I returned it to Fisher!

    I decided to follow this rat trail to the end, so I called Fisher direct, to see where that would lead me. They denied knowing anything about it . . . even with my evidence! They simply claimed
“Somehow it slipped through the cracks.”

    I shared this story with a friend from Whites Electronics, (another Al’), and he told me that he could see it happening to any company!
    He told me all companies go though large numbers of re-packs. The only ones they fix are the ones that don’t work at all. If the technician turns it on and it comes on, it moves on to new packaging. They don’t waste time trouble shooting. Most returns are perfectly fine anyway.

    The customer contacted the Florida cataloger and confronted them with all the findings. They brushed it off and said had he contacted them, they would have offered to take it back with a restocking fee!

     Here is the real kicker, if it is returned, and inspected for any scratch or dents (It is a re-pack so it may have arrived at the buyers home scratched or dented already) no return! And, there is that case of restocking fee, which includes the original shipping cost, which HE already paid! It was all crooked as can be!

    That same Florida cataloger didn’t get away with all his crooked behavior after the Internet started growing. Word spreads fast and his dirty deeds came to light real quick! He started hiding behind new names! One was Big Boy’s Hobbies.

    You might say that one was a full-on attack at me! He advertised “Big Boy’s Hobby” with a Plainwell, MI. P.O. Box Number address. Then that mail was forwarded to his Florida address.

    One day one of my Newaygo MI. customers came in with a metal detector problem. It was a model I would have never sold him. I asked “Where did you get this?” He responded, I ordered it from YOU through your Plainwell mail order site. He went on to say, “ I’m so glad that you have that, it is a two hour drive for me to get here!”

    Have you ever had someone steal something from you, and at the same time they deceived a good friend to do it?
    That leaves a sick anger in the gut! Thankfully, the manufactures put a stop to it. He still continues to use that name and four others. He has to hide from his reputation!

LAST MEETING
    Folks, if you missed it, we had a big turnout at the February meeting! It sure makes it nice to have all our friends from the Grand Rapids area join and support us!
    Vincent has be keeping up with the meeting’s attendance sign-in sheet. Here is the list of happy faces we all enjoyed seeing!
       Vincent Grossi, Scott Hendrichsen, Kevin Siegfried, Eddie Nickerson, Gary Dean, Ashley Carlson, Dann Louis, Lynn Kozik, Al Holden,
Steve DeBoode, Elmer Ogg, Terry Hopkins, Len Sheaffer, Juli Sheaffer, and Tim Hayes.

    We had scheduled, to speak at the February meeting, our dear friend Gordy Hubenet. He was planning on presenting a talk on patent medicine, and medicine bottles.

    However, living a life as a double agent, a man where the fate of modern civilization is often placed on his shoulders, well, we understand plans can change with just one call on that red phone!

    Whatever came over me, I don’t really know, but, I volunteered to step-up and fill the gap.

    I gave a quick run down on treasure hunting with a metal detector. A subject I can cover without a safety net.
        I had stopped at hobby lobby and purchased some new foam board, and, bright color markers to update my visual aids. But as usual I was directed in a different direction.

           My granddaughter has been having some health issues that the Kalamazoo doctors were puzzled by, so we were refereed to Henry Ford Clinic in Novi, MI. On the first trip I had planned on working and my wife was to drive her over.
    The weather started to get real bad overnight, so I volunteered to drive. I-94 was bad with patches of black ice. The gals counted the number of slide-offs . . . . there were many!! I just kept my eyes on the road and hands steady on the wheel!
    So I didn’t get my new visual aid charts finished so we worked with the old tattered ones.

Hope to see you all
at the meeting!