Sunday, April 28, 2013

Morning Glory Desigs is now a Dot Com!

Patience is a virtue.  Or so I am told.  Heaven knows I waited a long time for the price to come down on my domain name.  I purchased the .net version of my domain name for about $10 in 2006 when I started my business.  At that time the .com version was not available.  Someone had it, and was parking ads on it.  When it came up for sale the next year I offered $15 for it but was outbid at the very last moment before I had an opportunity to counter-offer.

Yes, bought up domain names are offered for auction on a lot of sites.

So I waited.  It appeared on auction for $750.  Holy S**t!  I was appalled by the hubris of someone looking to make a bazillion % profit on a lousy domain name. I made an offer of $100 which was rejected.  I waited.  The price continued to grow and I continued to wait.  I would make occasional offers, but clearly, I was the only one bidding. The price grew.  No competition.  I even got phone calls asking me to buy the domain, and would be given a special price. . . $1000 off the price of $3700.  I told them to call me when they would sell for $500.  That was my top price.

They kept calling, I kept saying no, and telling them to call me back when they were ready to get real.  I waited.  7 years later they were finally ready to get real and I bought the domain. 


I lament the days of being able to buy it for $15 but at least I didn't pay anywhere near the absurd asking price of $3700!  I understand profit.  But this was pure greed.

And now a commercial message to interrup my rant on the injustices of the world.  Thought you might like to see how much the kitties have grown.





Now back to my regularly scheduled rant.

One more lament about greed before I go back to work on my design work. . . . Why is it so wrong to have "enough" and not want to strive to have "more and more"?  As a business person I understand the need to make money at what I do.  But according to the IRS I should be making more money every year.  To lose money is the ultimate sin.  In fact, according the the IRS, if you lose money 3 years in a row you are NOT A BUSINESS!!!  The definition of a business, according to them, is someone who makes money.  Why not someone who meets their needs?  Who enjoys what they do and shares it with others?  Why not make some, lose some, break even?  Granted a business person needs to pay their bills.  But why the push for more and more and more?  Greed is an insipid motivator and clearly it motivates the IRS.

Yes, I am still battling with the IRS over my tax audit.  Yes my lawyer is likely to cost me more than I would have paid in taxes.  Yes, my stress level is still through the roof, and my meds to control my BP are only marginally successful.  Yes, I am still mostly unproductive as a result of the stress and resulting anxiety.  All because of greed.  Is it worth it?

I give away free blocks every month and have for the past 5 years.  It brings people to my website and results in occasional sales.  I am not aggresively marketing my work online because I still have a full time job.  When I retire next year I will ramp up my design work and my marketing efforts to offset the drop in the my salary.  I have already proven I can do that.  I invest in my business, overhead, equipment, supplies and support the industry which supports me.  It works for me. 

But you can't give things away forever.  So offering free blocks for a brief period of time, then offering them for sale is a buisness model that works. . . .mostly.  Hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- of people download my blocks every month.  And a couple even say thank you.  I appreciate those folks.  Some complain because they missed the free blocks and want them -- for free of course -- because they. . . well, because they want them, and feel they deserve to get them -- for free.  I feel your pain.  I love getting free blocks too.

I had a woman call me, while I was driving through the mountains on vacation, no less, berating me for taking down a free block.  She had been ill and just wasn't able to get to the computer to get her free block, and she had all the others, and it wasn't right that she should pay for one when she had gotten all the other ones free, and how could I be so heartless as to deny her the complete set when she had faithfully downloaded all the other for free???  REALLY? 

I told her she could purchase the missing block for $3 on my website.  OMG, I can't do that, she told me, she was on a fixed income, and had medical problems, and was supporting her grandson, six cats and a dog, and there was no money left over for something as unimportant as free quilt blocks!  REALLY?

Hope you are enjoying your free blocks of the month.  :-)

Reeze


19 comments:

  1. Oh Reeze....
    Please be comforted the thousands of people who download your designs, all appreciate you and feel your pain when someone is irrational as the lady you had to speak with while on vacation. I would have hung up saying "I can't hear you....."
    Personally, I am here, sending you daily hugs, waiting in anticipation for when the important things in life finally resolve themselves, so you can get back to doing what you love! It shows! Here's a hug!
    Take care, Leslie

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  2. The greed of people continues to amaze me. If she can afford to feed 6 cats and a dog on a fixed income, she certainly can afford $3 for a quilt block pattern. The sense of entitlement that has infected our society is depressing. I appreciate all your work and your generosity. I hope you get your IRS issues resolved soon. I worked as a bookkeeper for many years and know how frustrating it can be to deal with them.

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  3. I am glad to know that you finally got your domain! Congratulations! I appreciate your time and effort in making all the free patterns shared with all! I hope everything is resolved soon and you will be happy! Have a beautiful week!

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  4. Congratulations,that`s great.Wishing you an amazing week!!

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  5. I greatly appreciate your free blocks and would buy from you more often, except for the fact that most of the time when I click your link for the discounted price, it either is a faulty link or ISN'T discounted! I can't remember to keep going back, so I miss out all the time.

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  6. You'll never please everyone! Some people will always be "glass half empty". Enjoy your faithful and friendly customers and rejoice in your talent.
    Have you ever seen "Madagascar" the cartoon movie? There are some penguins I like to think of when dealing with difficult or unappreciative people that always makes me smile.. Their quote "Just smile and wave..." is very apt.

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  7. Thanks so much for all the supportive comments and sweet notes. It is very encouraging and I so appreciate all the wonderful quilters who download my blocks and send me pictures of their versions of my blocks. I love seeing what you do with the designs. And yes, sometimes people can be frustrating, but mostly they are wonderful. That is why I love doing this so much. I just try to "smile and wave." Thanks quilters. You are the best!

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  8. Hello Reeze,

    I just read your new entry and am appalled by the call that you describe. I invite each month! Your free blocks and I enjoy it. If I miss a free block it is obvious to me that the month is over where the block was free. I knew beforehand that he is only a month off. For me it is outrageous then to reproach you for something that you have nothing to do. It was their affairs they held down the block to load. If you possibly politely requesting that I find ok, but then I have to accept the No and try not to force the others to give me the block.

    I thank you that you share your pattern with us freely.

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  9. Oh Reeze,
    I cannot fathom how some people can always expect someone of your talent and generosity to continue to provide free anything, especially in your IRS circumstances. I am so glad to hear that you got your domain name and will continue to share such cute pics of your beautiful cats. Take a deep breath of fresh spring air and know that we support you wholeheartedly. Keep strong.

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  10. The money (greed) is the evil of mankind. the more you want to have more.
    What a story!! Glad you had a happy ending.!
    Congratulations!

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  11. I'm not sure how anyone on a fixed income can afford to feed all those pets. But it's not just pet food, it's everything...prices are constantly going through the roof. So yes, we all love a freebie, but gee whiz, if you miss it, you miss it. Either come up with the $3...which is pretty darned cheap, if you ask me...or make your own substitute, which requires an imagination. Heaven forbid. LOL Reeze, we might not say it all the time, or nearly enough, but trust me, we appreciate all you do. ;-)

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  12. I appreciate your free blocks and have purchased those that I have missed and without issue. Your fees for that are indescribably low too.

    Good luck with the IRS

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  13. From another of your quilting fans, Reeze--don´t let any of the Greedy make you do anything that´s not good for you, for as long as you can! We love you especially when you get to be you...and more hugs from Germany,
    Bobbi

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  14. Hang in there Reeze. I do agree with all you have stated, and years ago it used to be "no profit in 5 years" then it is a hobby..........HOBBY? For all the hard work, effort in designing, etc?

    This country has become so greedy it is just not the same USA that I was born into. About the lady complaining about $3.00.... To bad. $3.00 for a pattern is nothing compared to some designers.

    Do we have to resign up for the newsletter, or has your list been transferred?

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  15. Reeze, I would like to Thank you once again for the wonderful work you do. There are many of us out there that do pay for missed blocks and don't complain. It really does amaze me what some people will do, actually, it doesn't any more! Keep up the good work, and congrats on your dotcom, and best of luck with the audit.

    Edie

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  16. wow, that is awful to be happening, like someone said this isn't the same usa that we grew up with. even the vets say it isn't the country they fought for. I just wanted to say congradulations on finally getting the site you so long waited for.I also want to say thank you for all your hard work. Your work is great and the prices are so reasonable, I can't believe the lady fuss about that. if her income is so tight how does she quilt at all? I love getting your e-mails and watching your new furbabies. thanks for sharing them with us, they are adorable. personally we are on our last fur baby that we will have.She just had her 18th birthday so she knows what she wants by now and is a little bossy, LOL good luck to you in all that you are going through hope it gets straight soon. Ravonda

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  17. I am amazed at the lengths sometimes people go to, to get something they feel they should get for free. Let's see now, if you offered 12 blocks in a year and they missed one of them, do they honestly feel that 3.00 isn't worth the money that they got with all the other free blocks then something is wrong with them. They aren't even accounting for the time it's taken for you to design, stitch it out, put it on your site and then allow for many people to download. A month is more than enough time to have to download.

    I feel for you with your IRS woes as well, but I will tell you this from my previous experience, even if you made a penny of profit, it's still a profit. Ya gotta try and make a profit or you can't claim things as a business expense. I have been that route with the IRS, know it quite well and I'm sure that in the 20 years since I had to deal with them it's probably become way more cut throat, but they are a stickler about that profit thing. :)

    I'm sorry you didn't know me to get some advice, cause paying 500.00 for a .com .... Yikes, I wouldn't even pay that for a domain name. I'd rather just come up with a new name and redirect people to the new one from the old one. It would have been cheaper to do that especially if your using a host, as it's a simple .html page with a redirect line in the head of your document. Hugs!!!

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  18. Its the details of our lives I think that in some respects make the impact. Its only once in a while the big picture matters. I loves these photos of the details.

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  19. Good grief! Well I for one THANK YOU!! I have missed a few in the past, and either did without or bought them. I appreciate wonderful designers like you that offer your work for free.
    Thank you again.

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I'd love to know what you think! Thanks for sharing your ideas.