Jimmy and Jack

[Tom Matthews]

Jimmy ad Jack,

Thanks for stopping by for a visit yesterday - I always enjoy hearing your ideas and trading some stories. Yesterday's meeting is a lot like the ones I was talking about where AW would say, "this is how you NEED to do it" and "this little thing has killed more ducks than a freight train could carry", etc, etc. I don't have much of that any more, and it's fun to hear and see those inventions born out of necessity. Those are still the best ideas and will always sell.

When this all got started ten years ago, customers were more accepting of minor flaws and had more patience with new ideas because there were no alternatives to the products. We did not have people calling us and threatening us with lawsuits because the paint came off of their decoys, and nobody ever cussed our customer service people (maybe because that person was me, and I would just hang up on them), but times have changed, and the great ideas are dangerous now because today's customers will return the product in less than a New York second if they think they can get a new one. Because if this, your awesome decoy line keeper idea is scary, but I want to try to use it if we can come up with a fool-proof way to put it on the keel without getting a million keels returned. If you want to pursue it, then I'm game but we have to make it perfect the first time.

I was so fired up after you told me that I needed to call JB that I could not sleep last night. I am not sure what to say to him, but I am going to do it today. Thanks for letting me know that.

I look forward to seeing you guys any time you are up this way.

Best regards,

Tom

[hiballer]

Tom, As usual we enjoyed seeing you again. And look forward to our next meeting. The woodies are just as awesome as the others, but our ploy didn't work. She took one look and said, It is gorgeous, tell Tom thanks, and then she took her Drake woodie and set him on the mantle next to the Widgeon. Oh well, I guess, that's a small price to pay if it will keep the peace. Thanks again and hope to see you soon. Jack