Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Vic's Place

What is the real story?

I got, as did many others, a postcard saying he's going out of business and selling it all - NICE NOTICE!!! He has left a lot of us in a bind with our customers with his lack of inventory and his lack of regard to communicate with the customers that have supported him.

Now he posts a message telling us that Vic's Place still may have a beating heart after all. I think that people should stop wasting their time and look for another source for pump parts, as I have had to do. I refuse to wait for the life boats, because this ship is sinking!

I have tried numerous times to contact them with little to no luck and on the rare occassions when I have gotten ahold of someone, I've been told that their inventory is low or they are out of stock.
What is it exactly that he has a buyer for?

Come on LUCK, get a life. In these tough times in our country a business has to do what it needs to do to survive. Seth made a choice that he felt badly about. He has now taken the time to hopefully find a solution for us. He, and Vic before him, have always beeh there for us. Quitcherbitchin and hold out hope like the rsst of us. I've never not had someone answer the phone and parts will be coming soon from what I understand.

I have called vics many times over the years and have ALWAYS had the phone picked up by a live person.

If you are complaining that seth is out of stock now then you should have called him earlier. That postcard was giving some pretty good deals. I am sure guys are stocking up.

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Scott Wright-
http://www.frontrangegas.com/powerine.htm

Let's see if I'm getting this correctly; you have exactly one post to your credit here..... and you're telling us we shouldn't waste our time on a fellow oldgas member that has done nothing but help the hobby and been an immense help here.

You're barking up the wrong tree here brother.

Nice way to try to start trouble.

Seth sent out the postcard to all of his customers, some of which probably do not visit this board. How else should he get the word out, lets see, call everybody.... I dont think so. He handled it well.

Sounds like you have a personal problem with Seth and are trying to drag his name through the mud to me. Nice.

By the way. Keep this civil.

Ryan

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visit my website for original gas pump parts

thepumpdump.com

[This message has been edited by Ryan Underthun (edited 04-24-2008).]

I am not trying to start trouble as some may think and just because I have never posted before now shouldn't count as me being less than anyone else in the pump community. I have been doing pumps for quite some time and until a recent injury haven't had time to post to this site, although I do follow it.

I understand a man has to do what he has to do, but being a retired business man, I just feel that he could have given his customers a little more of a heads up, but what do I know, I must be in the minority.

I am sorry I can't help to circle the wagons, not do I intend on slinging any mud.

Luck of the Irish. PAST GAS in Cocoa Beach FL has a decent inventory, I have been buying from Walt and Terry for years and never had a problem, email me if you want the contact info. Great people to deal with also, Rick

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Visit 15th Annual MASS GAS BASH
September 7th 2008

fisrt off let me say its unfortunate the seth is closing his business, but he is still running the business and what i mean buy that is i called there today and got right through to debbie with no problems and my order was handle as it would be normally. also with my order im getting a discount since he is closing his business so at least he is trying to help all of us on oldgas. he could have just closed up and done nothing. but he didnt so i dont think we should be slamming him during this time. everybody at oldgas should support him and his family during this transition. also stop and think how many people he has helped here on oldgas. i know that would have given up long ago if it wasnt for people like him and oldgas. thats just my two cents.

Luck,
For "not trying to sling mud", the words in your post do pretty much that.
Sounds like something for you and Seth to discuss privately.

I understand your frustration of losing a supplier, but life is tough. Do what you need to businesswise and move on.

Mark

Hey Luck or whoever you are,

There is always ebay, and tons of other suppliers like Ron Scobie at www.gaspump.com . I buy a lot of my parts from Kelly at "pergls" however you spell that name!!! Anyway, there is also Webers and past gas who I have never dealt with to date - I see their ads in the national press from time to time and just need to give them a call someday.

If I had the money right now, I would try to buy his whole operation from him but it is just bad timing right now for me to do that.

Its not that big of a deal that he is going out, there are lots of people like me that make parts for pumps and you can find us on this board.

Travis E. Towle
Topeka, Kansas


[This message has been edited by travis_towle (edited 04-24-2008).]

I had a pump I was in the middle of and yes the notice came Vic;s was closing. Yes I did have to get some parts from another vendor but on the stuff I ordered (last Monday) I saved 15%. Went to gas pump heaven and got the rest of the parts and then ordered glass from Mike Slama. There are many vendors for reproduction parts so Vic's closing won't kill you. I like to spread my buying around to keep them all going. Vic's did have by far the best catalog the industry has ever seen. Keep it to help order from other vendors as I find it very useful. Let's see. The Studebaker company is going to fold. Oh my I can't ever buy another car. Seems like the country survived that one.Looking for a shoulder to cry on Luck. Don't look here to slam Vic's. MY2cents. HAGD Ted

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Ted Pam & Ethyl Roach
Lodi CA.
Looking for Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Douglas, Gilmore and Richfield

First off, I'd like to thank you guys that have obviously noticed how hard we've worked over the years to keep inventory on the shelf, to keep prices down (although many items we sell, are selling at an embarrassingly low margin), to be there with technical help regardless if it ever profited us or not, to get items out quickly, and to be friendly all at the same time.

Second, I'd like Luck Of The Irish to tell his fellow Irish brother how he could've better alerted the hobby about the impending closure of Vic's Place. I direct mailed 22,000 postcards straight out of my PERSONAL pocket alerting you to 2 FREAKIN' MONTHS of discounts before we closed. Mind you, that I have already started spending time in my new employers' ventures, and I'm still coming in at nite packing orders since the girls that work the phones are so inundated with calls that they are about to quit. Please tell me, how much notice should I have given where you wouldn't have felt it necessary to rip me in anonymity?

Third, I'd like to know what you or anybody else for that matter, would do if you had 4 kids under the age of 12, and you were offered a position making SUBSTANTIALLY more money than you are currently. Oh yeah, and you were offered health insurance(which you weren't able to afford for yourself prior). AND you were offered many other perks that I won't elaborate on or I'd feel like I was bragging?? And this was all being offered to you as a small business owner at 30 years old in the midst of an economic collapse?? I don't think I'll wait for your answer.

Last, it was my intent to liquidate the assets of Vic's Place thru April & May, have an auction of ALL my original merchandise in June and that would be that. A few interested parties have stepped forward with the bankroll & knowledge to buy the company, why not let it be carried on by someone else?? You asked, what exactly would they be buying?? That in itself shows the depth of your understanding. The inventory, while depleted is still sitting at around $250,000. I own tooling & art-work, worth in excess of $100,000. I have a customer roster in excess of 20,000. I have a website that received 7.5 million hits last year. I have an ebay store that grosses six-figures. I have macinery & equipment & a phone system & network...I could go on & on, but most importantly, I own a tradename that, by the response to your topic is obviously very well respected and has been at the heart of this hobby since the late 80's.

Anyway, I believe I have answered the questions you posed, so I'd hope you'd answer mine....and that is, in your obviously superior business-sense, what would you have done in my situation????

Seth

I think you have handled this well. I also think that you should take this as a compliment it is really funny. When this guy thinks repo parts he thinks vics just like tisues are kleenex.

[This message has been edited by ward zaharia (edited 04-24-2008).]

personaly i love vics ordered there a few time an never be disapointed an i think seths stuff is awesome so i dont know what your whining about lol

seth you said it all!again,one of the best!!!