Is Copper The New Gold?

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Jeff

spokesperson for goodbuyguys.comOn a recent cross country plane trip, I found myself seated beside a very talkative Oriental man.  He spoke pretty good English, and after a while I understood that he was a Chinese mining engineer who was on his way to Africa to begin an assignment for his company at a copper mine.

I told him that I was in the business of selling extension cords, and the conversation quickly turned to his assessment of how China was moving to become the world’s dominant player the copper trade.

A recent article in Bloomberg Business Week brought me back to that conversation.

The article was titled “Copper: China’s Red Gold“, and it lays out in detail how China is aggressively moving to control as much of the world’s supply of this common metal as they can and how no other governments seem to be paying attention.

China has spent over $100 billion buying up mining and energy companies since 2008 and at least $5 billion of that has been for copper mining reserves all over the world.

Why should you care?

If you are in the sound, lighting, concert or special event industry, copper cable is central to your life.  While it is possible to move the transmission of low voltage data to fiber, the only practical method for moving the high energy required for lighting stages and pushing speakers is copper.  If you need to move high amperage electricity from one place to another (like a dimmer rack to a lighting fixture or an amplifier to a speaker cabinet), then copper is your only choice.

Modern large scale concerts and major theatrical events depend on tons and tons of copper cable, and it looks like that in the future this is a market that the Chinese will control.

Back to my airline seatmate.  His company was so focused on their African mining project that he expected to be on the job for at least two years before he was given a break to visit his family back in China.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties.  We sell copper cables from Hosa, Mitee and Century Wire & Cable.

Posted in Pro Sound, Pro lighting, audio cables, audio visual, extension cords, speaker cables | Leave a comment

Glad I Didn’t Invest In That Career

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Jeff

spokesperson for goodbuyguys.comBack in the days when I worked as a production manager for large corporate events, the sub-contractor whose job I envied most was the guy who provided the teleprompter service.  Corporate CEO’s wanted to be able to deliver their remarks without looking at a script and they all thought they looked like big shots on a stage with prompter screens.

The teleprompter tech was the last to show up, got to spend his time working directly with the corporate executives, and had his gear packed up and was on his way to the airport an hour after the show was over.  It might have not been the most exciting job in show business, but it definitely was the easiest.

I came across a new application for the IPAD today that puts a whole teleprompter into a brief case. Using the Ipad with some proprietary software and something as simple as a microphone stand, anybody can create a prompter on their own.

Even better, you can download a free app from the Apple Store and with a piece of glass, you can make your own for about $5.00.  It even makes use of the IPAD box!

And, of course, you’ll need duct tape.

Here’s a video that shows you how.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and HB extensioncordsand OnStage Stand mic stands.

Posted in Pro Sound, Pro lighting, audio visual, good business ideas, special event production | Leave a comment

Watching A BIG TV

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Jeff

good idea jeff from goodbuyguys.comI took my son Kevin to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band last night in Greensboro.  I had seen the E Street Band before several times, but my son, who is about a third the age of Springsteen,  and had never seen his show, was knocked out.

One of the things that was most enjoyable about the show was how video was used.  The Wrecking Ball tour reverted to “old school” image magnification, something that used to be the industry standard, but which has been replaced by flashy active screens.

The three projection screens just magnified (made larger) the images of of the performers. No video inserts, no airplanes landings, no man on the street interviews, just the show made larger.

Best of all, it did nothing to call attention to itself.  The screens were not  the overly bright, in-your-face active screens that demand that you look at them, sometimes in a way that completely washes out the performer.  Best of all, because the images were projections, they made use of very high resolution video, giving detail that active L E D screens are not capable of delivering.  All image and no pixels.

We tip our hat to the set designer, and Pete’s Big TV’s, the video production company, for a job well done.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and HB extensioncords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

Posted in Pro Sound, Pro lighting, Staging, good business ideas | Leave a comment

The Internet Is Not A Phone Book

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Jeff

spokesperson for goodbuyguys.comOne of the things that makes our online sites different from lots of others is that we display our phone number prominently.  If you’ve ever tried to contact Amazon or Ebay by phone, you know what I am talking about.

The larger and more prominent the site, the less likely it is that phone contact will be an option.  Even though it can be terribly irritating, I understand why.  Let me explain.

I’m an internet content creator.  I spend most of my day adding content to our web sites to provide what we hope is useful information to customers and prospects.  That includes detailed explanations, product specifications and comparisons and “how to” animations and tips. We’ve been at it long enough that we feel that our sites far outstrip our competitors when it comes to providing information that supports what we sell.

We are blessed that most our sites do well in what is called “organic” search, which means that they show up in search results when you seek out products and information using standard search protocols.  If you search for something like “gaffers tape” or “Procell battery“, you’ll always see our sites on page 1.

For some people, finding us through search simply means that they look no further than the phone number.  Rather than take time to look through the site using a very powerful built in search function, they just reach for the phone.  Almost without exception, there is a more useful and illustrative answer to their question on the site than anything I could possibly tell them on the phone.  Every time I get one of these calls, I’m tempted to bury our phone number more deeply in the site (or at least no longer make it toll free!).

Oh, and while we’re on the subject.  When you send us an online request for our catalog, how about including your mailing address.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and HB extensioncordsand OnStage Stand mic stands.

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What About The Gospel of Blue Screen of Death?

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Jeff

good idea jeff from goodbuyguys.comI left the live “hands on” sound business about the time digital mixing consoles started to gain wide acceptance.  I was an early skeptic, but, obviously, this technology is ready for prime time.  What started in use on major tours and on Broadway has filtered down to high schools and many churches with price points that are now competitive with the high end analog consoles from ten years ago.

An article I read today might just turn me in to a skeptic again.  It details the decision of a Tennessee church to upgrade their sound system by using a computer (PC) based digital mixer that they put together by assembling components themselves that use the processor and other capabilities of a standard desktop computer to control their sound system.

The director of audio for the church estimates that they saved about $15,000 by taking this route, getting a high end digital mixer with 48 inputs and 48 outputs for just $6000.

It all sounded great until I got to the part where they talked about using a Dell computer for the heart of their system.  I’ve never used a desktop computer that didn’t deliver up the “blue screen of death” or otherwise do something that demanded rebooting at least once a day.

I’ll be surprised if this solution to sound system upgrading proves to be workable.

“He Is Risen” takes on a whole new meaning if life after death requires a three minute boot cycle.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and HB extensioncordsand OnStage Stand mic stands.

Posted in Pro Sound, arts education, audio visual | Leave a comment

Want A Promotion? Learn To Look At Me!

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Jeff

mic stand mic for buybattery.comI get to work with a lot of young people, and it makes my days much more enjoyable.  Between my office and working as a volunteer at the local high school and as an usher at  my church, I am exposed to lots of great kids.

However, one thing that I have noticed that is a real problem is the difficulty they all seem to have with eye contact.  If  there is any sort of a screen present (computer, tablet, smart phone, laptop, whatever) they almost always prefer to watch the screen rather than to look at me.

While I’m the first to admit that I’m not much to look at, I don’t think that these young people realize the potential cost of failing to look at the person who is speaking to them.  If I have a promotion or pay raise, a better assignment, or a little bit of useful knowledge to pass along,  they are much less likely to get their hands on it if they can’t look me in the eye.

Regardless of how much time they spend in some sort of virtual world, the young person who takes the time to  understand the power of looking at someone when they are speaking to them has a very useful skill and, potentially, a strong competitive advantage.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and HB extensioncords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

Posted in arts education, good business ideas | Leave a comment

Why Apple TV Is A Non-Starter

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Jeff

spokesperson for goodbuyguys.comRumors of Apple bringing a television to market have been around for several years, and every time they prepare a new product announcement, there is lots of speculation among the technorati, that it will be an Apple TV.

I think that Apple is missed their opportunity and this will never happen.

I remember how excited my family was when we got our first high definition tv.  I hooked up a computer, interfaced a dvd player and our old vcr, subscribed to satellite tv and installed an antenna on the roof to get broadcast HD programs. We even have surround sound with a sub-woofer!

The thing hasn’t been on in weeks and I can’t remember the last time either of my kids sat down in the family room to watch television.

It is clear that they would all rather watch whatever they are watching on their laptops, their smart phones or their IPads.  The ability to watch what they want, when they want to, and wherever they are is clearly much more valuable than a big screen, good quality audio, and a high definition image.

That is not going to change, and no matter how “smart” and interconnected an Apple television might be, they are too late.

And the high definition tv in our family room  that cost $900.  You can now by a comparable unit for $199!

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and HB  extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Need an extension cord for your obsolete big screen tv?  We got ‘em!

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Time To Change More Than The Time!

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Jeff

spokesperson for goodbuyguys.comI’m not sure who originally came up with the idea to link the change to and from daylight savings time to remembering to change your smoke detector battery, but I would like to shake their hand.

This is a great way to be reminded to take care of this simple, but critical domestic task twice of the year.

We also tip our hat to First Alert (maker of smoke detectors) and Duracell, who have partnered to give away 100 smoke detectors with Duracell batteries as part of the campaign to change your detector batteries this weekend.

You can learn more about the giveaway by going to Facebook and searching for “Duracell”.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Click here for smoke detector batteries.

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A Good Product Is Hard To Find

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Jeff

I took a call this morning from a customer interested in our M1 Adhesive Remover. We have just recently added some cleaning products to our web site, and this led to an interesting discussion with our new customer.

First off, his application for M1 was the removal of mildew. Most of our customers use it to get adhesive residue off their cables, so mildew removal was a new application for us. I am going to give it a try. This customer says that it is much better than chlorine bleach.

The more interesting part of our discussion was posed by his question “Why is this stuff so hard to find?”. M1 is made by a small company in Georgia and you won’t find their products in Home Depot or Wal Mart. No surprise there. These national retailers make you jump through lots of hoops to get on their shelves and lots of small manufacturers don’t even try. Even if you do succeed, pricing pressures by the retailer may mean that you never really make any money.

He found us on the web, using a Google search . I tried it myself, and was amazed to find that our site, thetapeworks.com was the first site on the page. It struck me as odd that we would score better than the maker of the product. In fact, the maker of this stuff could not be found anywhere in the first five pages of search results. I finally got tired of looking.

While we are happy to have a page 1 ranking, it is really surprising that so many businesses continue to miss out on such a powerful tool for building brands and selling their products.

Got a suggestion for using M1 or an observation about brand building on the web? Let us know.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Electratrac and Coast Wire extension cords, OnStage Stand mic stands, and lots of other useful production supplies

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How We Treat Our Best Customers

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Jeff

I rarely go to the grocery store during the week, but I was out of the office this morning and stopped by to pick up something for lunch.

I grabbed a couple of items and jumped in the express line.  To my right, each of the next three lanes had at least two young mothers with one or more children in tow.  My items cost less than six dollars, but their overflowing carts suggested that they would spend a hundred dollars or more by the time they left the store.

What sort of thinking would lead the store management to allow me to jump in a quick serve line, but force these loyal high dollar customers to line up one behind the other and wait to be served while they attempted to keep their kids entertained?

Seems backwards to me.

Why not have a “moms only” line, one where the store would provide a little extra service while assuring that these valued customers were able to get in and out with as little complication as possible?

Parents purchasing for the family will be back to the store over and over again, yet grocery stores continue to serve the lowest dollar customers with the highest level of service while they buy items that they may not purchase again for weeks.

Just something to think about.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Share your insights on customer service with our readers.

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