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Mike----- - Your views have touched a rather sensitive button with me. It�s a basic tenet of marketing that in order to sell you have to present a product that the consumer wants, not expect the buyer to accept what you�ve arbitrarily chosen to offer! While there are, indeed, many folks who were probably delighted to have a chance to buy the register for unstyled �B�s� and �G�s�, they are not a compelling segment of all John Deere 2 cyl. enthusiasts. As I recall, the registers were $40 or more. Most potential customers will not pay that amount for a book addressing a tractor model that they do not own or have a significant interest in. Reasonably, these buyers wait for the book that they WANT to buy. I use myself as an example. I have begged the Two Cylinder people (in letters and in person) for the publication of the register for the first numbered tractors. When they offer this, I will beat their doors down for the chance to buy a copy(ies). This is what I want. This represents the tractor(s) that I own and expect to own. This is where my prime interest lies. Should I be expected to buy 1, 2 or 3 registers that describe models that I have little interest in in hopes that the good folks at Two Cylinder will then offer one that I really would like to own? I realize that the economics suggest that Two Cylinder Publications would like some assurance that future editions will sell. For this they apparently look to the sales of the current offerings. Unfortunately, it just doesn�t work this way in marketing. If you want to play the game you must risk a bit and make sure that what the major segment of your projected market is offered what it wants. While I happen to desire the first numbereds, there must be thousands out there who would dearly love to see the registers for styled �A�s� and �B�s�, 20 series, various Dubuques, etc. The fact that these guys didn�t turn out to buy registers for the unstyleds is not, at all, surprising. As a side note, I suggest to Two Cylinder Magazine that they might consider that they may actually make MORE by charging less! It�s not too hard to pry $20 out of antique tractor enthusiasts for a book. It�s, indeed, something else when the price approaches or surpasses $40. I might be induced to pay $20 for the 30 series book, already offered, just out of curiosity and tangent interest. Certainly not $40. Increased volume gained by lower pricing might overwhelm loss of per unit margin. I realize that I have not come close to capturing all of the marketing dynamics of the thing. However, I do hope that I have described the sentiments of one of the multitudes who have stayed away in droves as Two Cylinder Magazine has bewailed the low sales of the published registers and bordered on threatening their readers with no further offerings until they, the reader, buys up what they have set out. I�m sorry that this has gotten so wordy. Mike, thank you for bringing this to the fore and presenting a chance to speak my piece. You might surmise that my comments are actually directed at the folks at Two Cylinder Magazine. I feel quite comfortable that with all of the folks on this forum, someone will make sure that they receive them. Peace!
Putt Putt
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