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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22671
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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 Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 5:34 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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Good luck to both of you guys in your new formed venture..improve the good, discard what doesn't work, stay in touch.
..and stop offering free shipping. We all know it isn't free. Put fair margins on your stuff, let the pros handle shipping so you can focus on the stuff that is really important.
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3118
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:40 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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My wife will be quite happy with the switch to pretzels and that means I can probably buy more stuff. I'm glad that's straightened out 
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2331
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:40 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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I saw a few comments about this topic a week or so ago in some other Threads. I've used Van Café for years as my primary parts source.
Well, Vanagons are disappearing daily. Here in the east they are far and few between. I use to seem them quite often down through the years. Although I started owning and driving VWs in 1973, it was 1985 when I got my first Vanagon (83 AC). 32 years ago, even here in the rust zone, there were lots of Type 2s and Bays........ all gone now!
I know there is a Part it Forward thread (something like that). Sadly, I know of guys who were driving back roads finding them (Vanagons) to part out.... Vans that could have been saved. Very few local ads for Vanagons or parts now.
Also, I notice there are loads of parts in the Classifieds here in the Samba that are primarily from the West Coast (the no rust zone). Surely, many of those Vans could have been saved.
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:19 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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Nice to see you around again, Andy! 
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9613
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:45 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| Gauche1968 wrote: |
| What's going to happen with prices? Van Cafe offered excellent service and reasonable prices. While I have no doubt that Ken at Vanagain excels at the the former, his prices tend to be considerably higher than his competitors. I hope the new operation is able to maintain the level of service and cost competitiveness VC was consistently able to offer. |
I wonder if prices are relevant to business success? 
Can a small shop with small-shop customer attention dole out expertise PLUS offer better prices than a big shop that doesn't give, or even HAVE the proper expertise, waiting at a phone? Or even HAVE sales staff who own a Vanagon? You cannot just go out and harvest Vanagon owners from the general populace and sit them down in "expert seats" waiting for sales calls. When you need staff --- you have to fill the seat. Usually "yesterday" and this fella doesn't have a Vanagon.
It's very difficult for a shop to have enough experts on-hand to talk to customers, especially DIY customers. If the expert billed out at $80/HR to help someone understand their Bentley, one MIGHT comprehend the value of the service he/she is receiving. Although more likely, the customer would feel "ripped off" for $80/hr. NEVER even considering this assistance is not available anywhere else (period). Other sales calls LOST while talking to ONE customer are that - losses to the business. This shows up on the balance sheets and after a few years of this, the owner just gets "tired", realizing the business model he "enjoyed" is no longer viable.
The presence of readily available discount options (for the same items) are more important to the customer than expert assistance. The customers call the expert, get all the info, then buy from the discount seller. And they feel OK about it too, its THEIR money to do with as they please. They are voting for how they prefer it. Which is Van Cafe for the free expert assistance, discount seller for the parts. ......for as long as Van Cafe can survive.
I wish Van Cafe kept going in Santa Cruz, it was on my bucket list to visit. DANG! But think it's also pretty darn __lucky__ for VC, that RMW is taking over Van Cafe's business. And keeping the name alive. This is probably the exception rather than the rule.
Furthermore,,,, I'm pleasantly surprised that the "vanagon industry," focused on a vehicle 30 years out of production, anticipates enough volume to grow. Very best of luck to RMW.
Don't think for ONE SECOND that OUR vanagons would be viable without these van-focused businesses, and their enthusiasm. I think it's GREAT that these businesses service our vans. I'd like to see GoWesty too, and RMW of course, Burley and all the others. I think my van's just about ready to drive the entire West,,,,, just gotta get the kids out of the house.... Maybe even BusDepot & VanAgain.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:06 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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Now would be a good time to rename the biz something novel, like Volks Cafe or whatever.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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Jon_slider
Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007
Posts: 5091
Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:23 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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I think Casey was being ironical.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 9752
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:29 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| Nix the foodstuffs altogether. If I want cookies or pretzels, I am fully capable of buying the precise cookies/pretzels I want. I don't suffer from the delusion that those things are free. I'd rather not get things like that and either have a slight reduction in cost or have the business make a bit more profit for themselves by not needing to buy and ship cookies/pretzels. |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2331
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:46 am Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| E1 wrote: |
| Nice to see you around again, Andy! |
Ah, baby sitting the youngest grandson today! I do more lurking than commenting.
Well, I have a long list of things to do to my Van before summer. I have a parts list that some vendor will be getting the order rather soon.
We're planning another trip to Alaska next summer. As you may know, we had to abandon the trip last summer and turn back at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It's just a very long story and I'm sure this thread is not the place for it. We did swoop down through part of the west on the return trip.
_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. |
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shagginwagon83
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 3800
Location: VA/TN
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:00 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| bokonon42 wrote: |
https://1password.com is awesome for that. Its a bit of learning curve to set up all of your stuff with it, but its indispensable for me now. It created unique random passwords for each website i visit and stores them locally for me so I can login with merely a couple mouse clicks. It also sync'd to my ipad & iphone so i have my passwords there as well. Not to sound like a salesman (I am not affiliated) but its incredibly awesome and a good security layer for your online interactions.
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This is okay to use but I recommend not using it on public networks. Someone could set up a man in the middle attack and have access to all your accounts. It's okay to use but only use it on 4G or your home internet. Never at Starbucks or somewhere the 1337 haxzors can be hiding.
Also, please change the Van Cafe site to hash (encrypt) the passwords stored on the database. Most people reuse passwords (I have different security level passwords) and customers are at risk.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan |
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3118
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| ?Waldo? wrote: |
| . I don't suffer from the delusion that those things are free. |
It's called marketing, or maybe "brand differentiation". It's a personal touch that may sway someone to place an order with the cookie-giver rather than the non-giver.
Even my wife asks, "did they send cookies" when a box of van stuff shows up. I would bet she even passes the story along to her van-owning clients, "one place even sends cookies, I think their name is Van Café or something like that".
Labs and other subcontractors send xmas cookies etc. to my office every year while others don't. Guess which ones I tend to remember when I need to subcontract something? It's not that I'm a cookie whore, it's just that that extra little thing solidifies their place in my mental roll-a-dex.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 9752
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:32 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| I know what it is and why. I find that type of gimmick a turnoff. Quality merchandise, fair prices, quick shipping, and good customer service are all that are needed to ensure my business. I appreciate that RMW and Van-cafe have always met those criteria and couldn't care less about cookies. |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:36 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| ?Waldo? wrote: |
| I know what it is and why. I find that type of gimmick a turnoff. Quality merchandise, fair prices, quick shipping, and good customer service are all that are needed to ensure my business. I appreciate that RMW and Van-cafe have always met those criteria and couldn't care less about cookies. |
Van Cafe is the place that gives away the cookies....
Ah, nevermind, I think you mean you would use them anyway, not just for cookies. 
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:46 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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New Business Concept:
Gutagon
Cookie and pretzel bakery that works on buses out back and mails a free oil plug gasket with parts, I mean, baked goods.
Win-win.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 9752
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| The cookies were never any sort of encouragement for me to choose Van-Cafe although I purchased plenty of parts from them for the other reasons stated above. It was always a bit weird and borderline gross to eat cookies that were bouncing around in a box of auto parts. Definitely not something I'd want added to a company's overhead or as a hidden cost to my bill - which is inevitably what it was. |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:53 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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I always saw that as just a nice touch and a "Thanks," and doubt there was a 0.0005% parts markup just to cover cookie costs. Markup calculations would suck.
And with all this endless talk of cookie and pretzels and bobka it's clearly a strategy all businesses should do.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3118
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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Cookies or website pop-ups? They both take a bite out of a business' marketing budget.
At least we're not arguing over the semantics of "merger" anymore.
_________________
'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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Jon_slider
Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007
Posts: 5091
Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:58 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| SCM wrote: |
| At least we're not arguing over the semantics of "merger" anymore. |
Lol!
Exactly, Distract and conquer.
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My Soapboxes: Inflation; Handling; Gearing; Decoupling; Swepco |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22671
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 2:02 pm Post subject: Re: Van Cafe to merge with Rocky Mountain Westy! |
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| SCM wrote: |
Cookies or website pop-ups? They both take a bite out of a business' marketing budget.
At least we're not arguing over the semantics of "merger" anymore. |
Can I get chocolate chips merged into my cookies ?
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