Bill Watson???

[nickd]

Mark,
I understand David is planning to be at the Sussex, Aberdeen and possibly the Gilbert shows this year. Anyone planning to be at these shows can contact him and save shipping costs. Looking forward to the Sussex show!
Nick

[emmado22]

I just got in my last order from Bill......

[crankshaft45]

I spoke with Bill on the phone yesterday. Thanked him for all his years of help to the mule community and wished him well in his retirement. What a great friend and gentleman! He expressed the desire for an occaisional call just to keep in touch.


To Bill, may you have a long and healthy retirement.

[nickd]

any more information available on this?

[emmado22]

Well, we know for a fact that Bill has stopped all sales a week or so ago, and can only assume that the stuff he sold are being boxed up/heading to Wisconsin. When they will be ready for sale, and at what cost, thats the big unknown. It would be great if the new guy posted up an update so the speculation would stop...

In other news, there seems to be alot more parts availible on Ebay, at higher prices than what Bill and Dave sell/sold them for...................

[major519]

Supply and demand. Thats precisely why I ordered everything I think I need for my mule from Mr Watson before he closed down last week.
My initial fear was the fact that there are 3 big guys in the USA who deal M274; Bill, DK and MMA.
I was figuring on one of the other 2 to be buying him out, but, this speculation was put to rest by Bill himself. All
he indicated to me is that it was a fellow hobbyist, and not one of the other two. This at least is a small blessing as we all know what happens when
a business ends up as a monopoly. Hopefully the new owner will treat us right but who knows. It is a large investment I'm sure and what better time to review pricing than when a new owner takes over, especially if the other guys are setting the market pricing at the moment. Bill was always less than the competition and now a few new eBay guys are coming onboard with jacked prices.

[nickd]

OK so, lets figure this one out on our own. The parts were exchanged for a price. The price needed to be set at a level to allow the purchaser to have some return on the initial investment and still low enough to include the shipping. The new owner/hobbyist is in this for the money and has no immediate use for the quantity of parts Bill had. Personal money or borrowed money was handed over and the parts are or were shipped to Wisconsin to be organized, priced and sold. This is no easy task and could take months before a part is sold. I doubt the parts were transferred on consignment as that deal would be too sweet for the buyer. I would expect the new owner will have a new pricing structure and we will see a new level of pricing for mule parts.

[major519]

I have been around for a while, have worked in an industrial sales environment. I would agree that it only makes sense that prices would be adjusted accordingly due to the current market, investment etc.
We can only guess so time will tell how things go.

[emmado22]

It's a safe bet that prices wont go down........

[MILITARYMULE]

Several years ago I asked John Emery to work with Bill W and to buy his inventory on my behalf & he agreed. This was kept quiet. My involving my good friend Emery was necessary following the falling out that Bill W and I had after Bill W bought the parts from Leonard Groves out from under Kevin Winrick(Groves shop manager & the most knowledgeable mule guy alive). Kevin was a real loss to the mule community. To further alienate Watson I bought the parts Bill W was sending to the scrap yard(2 semi loads--net parts weight 48,564 #s) from Bill's hired hand at Groves & the scrap yard, saving them from the arc furnace. Following my actions I felt that Bill would not sell to me. For those of you who do not know of Leonard Groves, he was the largest & most successful mule business operator operating out of State College, PA. for many years. He had at his peak several hundred mules in stock and a shop employing 4 men. A real gentleman. Now back to my story. Emery wanted to rebuild mule engines and he and I agreed that he'd buy Watson's stuff for me and I would market the engines that Emery built. The arrangements went so far as to discussions on how Bill W would be paid(my $$$), how trucking would be handled(my ABF account), and that I would pay Emery an hourly wage for his labor to load the parts and ship to me. Emery said that he did not have the money or desire to buy Watson's parts. We discussed his progress with Bill W recently & on a regular basis for several years. Now John decides not to live up to our agreement and to buy Watson's inventory for himself with the supposed story that he needs to create a job for his sister & his machine shop business is slow. Friends stop at the bank or when Emery sees a few $$$ to be made. I have never had a supposed friend treat me in this fashion and am still in shock. When my "friend" Emery gets into the parts business expect heavily discounted pricing on parts that Emery has in stock. I'm working on a pricing structure still not finalized that will include deep discounts & may eventually include free parts to make Emery's payback of borrowed $$ difficult. A nice thing about having been in the mule business for years is that my inventory has been paid for with profits from sales for years and is free & clear giving me the latitude to price things at any level I see as necessary. When I called Emery he says that we never had a deal, yet he talked of things changing & the need to create work for his sister.

David Kelone

[Austringer]

Wow.....

[InsleyGuy]

[emmado22]

Well, thats good news for the community as far as parts pricing! Basic economics decides where the consumer buys.

Who/what is Leonard Groves and how did he become THE mule guy at the time? I think mule history is pretty interesting, and the story needs to be told.

[Rod]

Several years ago I asked John Emery to work with Bill W and to buy his inventory on my behalf & he agreed. This was kept quiet. My involving my good friend Emery was necessary following the falling out that Bill W and I had after Bill W bought the parts from Leonard Groves out from under Kevin Winrick(Groves shop manager & the most knowledgeable mule guy alive). Kevin was a real loss to the mule community. To further alienate Watson I bought the parts Bill W was sending to the scrap yard(2 semi loads--net parts weight 48,564 #s) from Bill's hired hand at Groves & the scrap yard, saving them from the arc furnace. Following my actions I felt that Bill would not sell to me. For those of you who do not know of Leonard Groves, he was the largest & most successful mule business operator operating out of State College, PA. for many years. He had at his peak several hundred mules in stock and a shop employing 4 men. A real gentleman. Now back to my story. Emery wanted to rebuild mule engines and he and I agreed that he'd buy Watson's stuff for me and I would market the engines that Emery built. The arrangements went so far as to discussions on how Bill W would be paid(my $$$), how trucking would be handled(my ABF account), and that I would pay Emery an hourly wage for his labor to load the parts and ship to me. Emery said that he did not have the money or desire to buy Watson's parts. We discussed his progress with Bill W recently & on a regular basis for several years. Now John decides not to live up to our agreement and to buy Watson's inventory for himself with the supposed story that he needs to create a job for his sister & his machine shop business is slow. Friends stop at the bank or when Emery sees a few $$$ to be made. I have never had a supposed friend treat me in this fashion and am still in shock. When my "friend" Emery gets into the parts business expect heavily discounted pricing on parts that Emery has in stock. I'm working on a pricing structure still not finalized that will include deep discounts & may eventually include free parts to make Emery's payback of borrowed $$ difficult. A nice thing about having been in the mule business for years is that my inventory has been paid for with profits from sales for years and is free & clear giving me the latitude to price things at any level I see as necessary. When I called Emery he says that we never had a deal, yet he talked of things changing & the need to create work for his sister.

David Kelone

I don't know about the above info (and really don't care), but I do know that in my dealings with Bill Watson over the years, he is one of the most honest men I have ever come across. He is as honest as the day is long and I am proud to call him my Friend. I also feel that John Emery must be a man of great character or Bill would not have made a deal with him. Time will tell the true story on the mule parts and the prices that will be charged.

[major519]

Wow, the politics begin...
I would hazard a guess to say that this post will become a giant pissing match very soon as soon as Mr Emery chimes in with his side. I believe the moderators will be watching carefully to veto commentary posted within.
Easy does it...