Group Buy on '32 Rails?

I'm getting ready to build my Model A Tudor Sedan and I plan on using some '32 rails. I'm sure there are a few other HAMBers out there that are looking to do the same thing. Has anyone tried organizing a group buy for '32 rails? Maybe a bunch of us So Cal guys can get a deal on 10 sets or something and have them freighted to a hub and we all go and pick them up. Or, maybe we can get 10, 20, or 30 sets of rails lined up online and hopefully work out some kind of deal with a manufacturer. I've personally participated in a bunch of different group buys for different thing over the years and most manufacturers are willing to work a deal when people commit to buying in volume. Why not do one for '32 rails?

Whatcha think?

 

Greetings from Long Branch,NJ,Americas first seashore resort and 7 time U.S.summer capital.... good idea....I for one would be interested in some kind of group purchase if the price was right.....keep us posted.
Lee

 

Ryan is spot-on as they say!

 

I fully intend on becoming an Alliance member (don't really know why I haven't yet already) but I'm looking to go direct with a manufacturer for a slightly better price. I acknowledge and appreciate the support the Alliance vendors provide but times are tight right now and I'm looking for the absolute bottom dollar (hate to admit it but it's true).

If my plan doesn't jive with HAMB policies then let me know and you can shut 'er down. If I do happen to get some buyers organized and we get rejected by a manufacturer then to Riley I'll go.

So carrying on... anyone else interested? The minimum magic number is usually 10 buyers.

 

Most of the time manufacturers won't sell to individuals because it seems to hack of their vendors...

 

Second that - Riley Automotive.
Try it, you'll like it!

 

i think i could work if you are careful , if not you could get into jam. i did it once on a batch of walker radiators.... i insisted that EVERYONE pay for it up front , including any tax and shipping charges. all were shipped to one location and i delivered them , which wasn't a problem since all the guys were local

 

All's this does is cut the throats of the dealers who have done a "buy in" with the manufacture... Support you local HAMB vendor who has already spent the money..

I'm sure Eric at Riley can take care of the order.

 

Support Eric at Riley. It is the right thing to do.

 

he did right by me on my p&j ladder bars

 

I would be interested. Let me know what kind of price we can put together and the price breaks. I may be able to convince a few friends.

 

I have to say, You won't be disappointed if you go with Eric, He's a stand up guy, and will give you all the support you need.

 

One more vote for Eric and Reily Automotive. I bought a few things from him when he first started and got the best deal out there and the shipping was free. Support our Alliance vendors, it's the right thing to do.

Frank

 

If I may draw a parallel to the construction industry, or really any industry...

The low bid doesn't necessarily mean you're getting an equal product. No matter how tight money is, there are certain areas where one shouldn't scrimp on quality parts.

Frame, brakes, tires, suspension components all come to mind.

Just my opinion, but a quality frame is not money that you'll ever regret spending...Call Riley

 

How about a group buy from Riley? I would be in for that!

Ps. another plug for Eric who is a friend of the family who I have yet to meet.

 

You have two fundamental problems here -

Dealer price on ASC rails is $525 -you aren't going to get them any cheaper, they sell at this price in quan***ies of 10+ all day long. I order ten pairs at a time myself for our shop. It is not like they have huge inventories of rails sitting around and can't move them. You might get them down to $500 flat if you ordered 20-25 pairs.

Secondly you can get them from most places for $650 street price(ala Eric at Riley). So wholesale is a $125 discount.

Given those two points, are you really willing to organize this great group effort and put up with the h***le to save a little over a $100 in a $15-25k project?

 

Very good points TimD.
Tim
MBL

 

I know I would be more than willing to let someone tack an extra pair on one of my orders, they would pay their shared of the freight of course, brining my per pair price down.

I'm sure there has to be shops in SoCal that would do the same.

 

While we'r on the subjest are the American Stamping rails a lot cheaper that others out there? I was told the ones from the Detroit area took less jig time to correct and build.

 

You can buy directly from ASC.

You might think it would but it doesn't. The HAMB isn't Riley's only incoming business. In most instances internet based sales are a companies smallest purschasing segment. There are plenty of studies that show web based sales only make up about 10% of the aftermarket automotive world. This group buy is going to be 10 or 20 guys which might make up 1% or 2% of the entire market. This isn't going to hurt any jobber out there.

We're organizing a one time group buy. We're not getting setup as a dealer. They had to buy in to get and maintain a certain level of discount to they can have continued sales. This group buy does not impact their future sales by any amount.

Also consider that group buys or other discounts exist outside of the HAMB. You can't police outside purchases nor am I only allowed to purchase from Riley just because they're an Alliance vendor.

I've worked for a few performance aftermarket automotive companies and I've never once seen a group buy hurt anyone. If any one retailer wants a piece of these potential sales then they should step up and offer the deal. They could very easily do this if they wanted. If they don't, no biggie.

 

That's what I'm trying to do here. If we can get some buyers organized ahead of time then it looks more attractive to a manufacturer or retailer.

A discount is a discount and that's a savings no matter how you look at it. You might think everyone has the ability to dump $20k into a project but I sure as hell don't. I'm trying to build my car for less than $10k. Any little bit helps.

 

My only comment in that Riley might not even want to screw with one set of rails. I asked him awhile ago and he said that he made such little money on them that it almost wasn't worth the h***le . . . so I bought directly from ASC.

A group purchase might work, but for the big *** h***le of trying to organize 20 guys to get their money into the pot all at the same time . . . my guess is that I'd just as soon spend the extra $100 and just go buy them (from Riley if he wants the business . . . or direct).

 

That's a good point but I don't think it applies to this situation. I'm looking to purchse in volume for a one time sale from an AMERICAN manufacturer. These are quality parts. There are only a couple of them and they all pretty much offer the same exact thing; a copy of an original '32 rail. It's not like I'm going to go buy a rail made in China for half the price of an American piece and have to worry about it snapping in half and me killing a bus full of nuns.

I'll be cutting and welding the **** outta mine anways...

 

I guess my point is you could go flip burgers for the amount of time and energy you are putting into this idea, and make a $100. Putting in some OT at work or doing a side job in your trade would surely be easier?

I saw some kids doing a fund raiser car wash last weekend - high school aged kids. There were at least 20 of them. If those 20 kids all went and got a $5/hr part time job, they would be earning $100/hr - FAR more than they would be doing washing 4-5 cars a hour for a $5-10 donation each. The funniest part is one of the mothers had a large cooler full of drinks, and a huge ***ortment of snacks - a solid $50 worth - So that was an hour of the car wash down the drain...

 

Spend a dollar to save a nickel...

 

This isn't really meant to discuss the merits or disadvantageous of a group buy. I'm posting to see if anyone is interested in being involved.

I just got off of the phone with ASC and they're interested in working with us. They have a standard cut but are willing to do more based on volume. So all we need now are buyers...

 

I'd get in on that for sure.

 

It would depend on the price and where we would have to pick them up at? If they were shipped to ca. and we had to turn around and shipp back to Tx. that might get expiensive.