by the numbers, please

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

Just a few quick comments on membership and tool rentals - 

If the price of a year's membership was $20, I'd send a certified check via
Concorde, special delivery, dancing girls and all. The value of the
information here is inestimable. I'm a pretty good wrench-twirler, and
experienced in all kinds of strange stuff, but I can honestly say that if
it were not for the information I've gotten time and time again FOR FREE
off this list, I wouldn't be driving an Audi - it simply wouldn't be worth
the hassle - I already have a full-time job. It would break my heart, but I
need to have a life, too, and I WON'T LIVE for a car - any car. This list
makes parts, advice, help (and sometimes flames) immediately available. As
we well know, our cars are NOT appliances, and take more than a little
attention - why reinvent the wheel - it is already here for free, and even
if the price was $20, it has got to be the best bargain going.

Tool rentals - price of tool collection divided by subscribing list
members. If we have $10,000 worth of tools (not unreasonable, but I'm SURE
we can do better), and we have 2,000 subscribed members, that's five bucks
each. As far as people complaining about having a 4000 and why should they
help buy A-4 specific tools, well the A-4 guys are helping buy the
4000-specific tools, and even though I don't plan on buying an A-4, I doubt
I'd begrudge Christian Long (for instance) the 42 cents-share of my five
dollar membership so he can work on HIS A-4, with a tool I'll NEVER need or
use on my type 44 stuff.

Where I see problems is in tool damage, administration, shipping, and the
membership functions such as renewals handling. These tasks may take
considerable time, even if all renewal notices and correspondence are
handled via e-mail (and they should be - licking stamps to put on envelopes
is stone age stuff). There would also need to be a bank account (maybe
accepting credit cards for membership and tool rental fees - keeps the
paper pile down!) - and if there is a bank account, someone's name has to
be on it, and the bank account must be listed with the bank as a non-profit
or the 97 cents interest it earned last year will get reported to the IRS
on SOMEONE'S tax return . . . we should not need to form a non-profit
CORPORATION ($$$$), but I think the IRS has some form to register a
not-for-profit association.

I think we CAN and we SHOULD do this, but we will need to plan it carefully
so the tail doesn't start to wag the dog. I know, I'd put some time in on
it - after all, the list saves me hours and hours, so I think it might be
fair to give a little of it back!

Best Regards,

Mike Arman