From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

Had a customer call me asking for a source for some aluminum to make
some mold cooling plates. I knew he couldn't buy it for the same price
I do even from my vendors, and I told him who my vendors are. Coast and Midwest. With a very strong preference for Coast personally, but
Midwest ships... when ever they are darned good and ready anyway.

I told him I would just throw a piece of bar on the saw and cut some for
him if he wanted. At a fair markup of course. I know I can sell the
aluminum I stock WAY less than any of the online vendors and insultingly
less than local metal yards and still make a good profit because I buy multiple 12' pieces at a time. From a few hundred pounds to several
hundred pounds post of the time.

He told me what we wanted and I did the math several times, and I was
only paying a couple dollars less per piece than he found online. It
didn't make sense. I buy hundreds of pounds of 12 foot bars. Well, I
agreed to sell him what he needed in a flat rate box, match the price,
and sent him an invoice. Then I realized I was doing calculations based
on price per foot, and he wanted 4 inch long pieces (6 x 4 cut from 6
inch wide stock). Oops. LOL. I called him and said "DON'T PAY THAT INVOICE." Now we are both much happier.

He paid the new invoice before I finished typing this post.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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