TRACEY HEFT does it again. The Consummate Conservator

[FFB]

Jim, for someone who gripes about more things than 99% of the other people on the boards, you've got some nerve telling me not to complain about something.

 

Whether I like WHAT or not? The charge? Don't like it.

 

Obviously it does or you wouldn't be moaning about it...

 

The problem I have with Susan is that she won't even give you a ballpark, non-binding estimate to let you know generally whether it's even worth your time and money to consider having work done on a book. (This, despite the fact that she said before that she would give ballpark estimates at no charge.)

 

And where exactly did she give you the privilege of free consultations?

 

Then how come Tracey Heft and Matt Nelson are able to give rough, nonbinding estimates based on a scan (and how come Susan USED to do it)?

 

Maybe because they aren't as exact as Susan? And if Susan used to do it, she doesn't now....so get used to it and stop complaining...

 

Are they all working out of their garages?

 

Who knows? You're the one hyping them continually...you tell me?

 

Jim

[Zanarkand]

If I was in the professional resto business, I'd charge $50 up front for an estimate too. I'm trying to make a living here, I haven't got time to spend all day looking at scans and providing free email estimates to every Tom, & Harry who thinks they know what work their book needs. Basic charges for services and/or hourly rates are posted on my website. Go read.

 

You want your books returned faster, how about you quit bugging them for freebies and let them work on the books.

[arexcrooke]

If I was in the professional resto business, I'd charge $50 up front for an estimate too. I'm trying to make a living here, I haven't got time to spend all day looking at scans and providing free email estimates to every Tom, & Harry who thinks they know what work their book needs. Basic charges for services and/or hourly rates are posted on my website. Go read.

 

You want your books returned faster, how about you quit bugging them for freebies and let them work on the books.

[FFB]

If you were in the professional resto business, I think you'd have more than a little trouble getting any customers with that attitude.

 

If I was in the professional resto business, I'd charge $50 up front for an estimate too. I'm trying to make a living here, I haven't got time to spend all day looking at scans and providing free email estimates to every Tom, & Harry who thinks they know what work their book needs. Basic charges for services and/or hourly rates are posted on my website. Go read.

 

You want your books returned faster, how about you quit bugging them for freebies and let them work on the books.

[burntboy]

alrighty then - almost 2 hours and things have been quiet - and peace comes to the valley...................................

[joe_investor-migration]

If I was in the professional resto business, I'd charge $50 up front for an estimate too. I'm trying to make a living here, I haven't got time to spend all day looking at scans and providing free email estimates to every Tom, & Harry who thinks they know what work their book needs. Basic charges for services and/or hourly rates are posted on my website. Go read.

 

You want your books returned faster, how about you quit bugging them for freebies and let them work on the books.

Well said. Why offer a free estimate based on scans? The slope-brows would just end up shopping their scans to all of them for the cheapest price instead of basing their decision on reputation and quality of work.

[Zanarkand]

If I was in the professional resto business, I'd charge $50 up front for an estimate too. I'm trying to make a living here, I haven't got time to spend all day looking at scans and providing free email estimates to every Tom, & Harry who thinks they know what work their book needs. Basic charges for services and/or hourly rates are posted on my website. Go read.

 

You want your books returned faster, how about you quit bugging them for freebies and let them work on the books.

Well said. Why offer a free estimate based on scans? The slope-brows would just end up shopping their scans to all of them for the cheapest price instead of basing their decision on reputation and quality of work.

 

My only point is that on one hand, we have the contingent that believes restorers should be spending their time answering emails and providing free estimates from scans, then on the other hand we have the contingent that is all aghast over how long it takes to get a book restored and wonders why. 2 + 2 = ?

[FFB]

If I was in the professional resto business, I'd charge $50 up front for an estimate too. I'm trying to make a living here, I haven't got time to spend all day looking at scans and providing free email estimates to every Tom, & Harry who thinks they know what work their book needs. Basic charges for services and/or hourly rates are posted on my website. Go read.

 

You want your books returned faster, how about you quit bugging them for freebies and let them work on the books.

Well said. Why offer a free estimate based on scans? The slope-brows would just end up shopping their scans to all of them for the cheapest price instead of basing their decision on reputation and quality of work.

 

My only point is that on one hand, we have the contingent that believes restorers should be spending their time answering emails and providing free estimates from scans, then on the other hand we have the contingent that is all aghast over how long it takes to get a book restored and wonders why. 2 + 2 = ?

 

I don't think that one has anything to do with the other. Seriously, all I am looking for is what Matt Nelson and Tracey Heft are quite willing to provide -- a ballpark idea of what the repair might cost, so that I can decide from a cost/benefit standpoint whether it is worth it to send the book in to have a formal estimate written up. In other words, tell me if I'm looking at something around a $500 job, a $1500 job, or a $4000 job so that I can decide whether the particular book is worth getting restored. This is something that all of the restorers can do in a couple of minutes by looking at a scan, and it isn't like the ballpark estimate is binding. Susan says on her own website that she'll give a ballpark estimate based on a scan (SEE HERE), but when asked to do it, she tells you "Send me the book and $50, I don't give estimates based on scans." OK, then take the line off the website where you say you'll give them then.

 

I also didn't see a lot of griping about how long it took for a book to get restored. There was one comment by a guy who said a resto job shouldn't take an entire year -- and to be frank, he's right for the most part. The great majority of them don't take anywhere near that long.

 

Most of the waiting on the longer jobs comes when you have a book that is missing a page or a back cover or something like that. Once you've got all the pieces you need, there's no reason for it to take a year unless the person is completely backed up.

 

My impression from listening to Susan on her radio interview is that she isn't backed up with restoration jobs, and in fact, she had put her resto business on the back burner until recently, while she dedicated more time to her family and to her other passion, which is the decoupage glass art (which is really incredible stuff). I think the $50 policy is probably there for the reason that jimm94 said, which is to act as a filter to keep most of the minor business away. Fine, but if I'm not sending in a minor restoration candidate, I think she should abide by her stated policy and provide a ballpark based on a scan.