SYD Sydney Meetup - Saturday May 20th - 1.30pm - 4.00pm

[todras]

• When: Saturday 20th May, 1.30pm to 4.00pm

• Where: The Riverview Hotel, 29 Birchgrove Road, Balmain. Upstairs in the courtyard Google Maps Reference

• What to bring: Whatever you like, new soaps, creams, hardware or even nothing at all

• Public Transport: It is a 20-25 min bus ride on the bus from Central Station Stand B - Bus Numbers : 441, 442 and 433

We have again confirmed the Riverview Hotel for the now regular Sydney P&C Wet-Shaving meetups, if you have never attended before our meetup's are very casual and relaxed with an emphasis on there being no pressure whatsoever.

We tend to grab a bit of lunch, have a few beers or a couple of cup's of coffee and have a very chilled afternoon, it's a great opportunity for new members to come and say hello, pickup free samples, or ask any questions about any wet-shaving issues they may be having with a wealth of experienced hands always more than willing to help, share and offer their advice.

Most people tend to bring along their recently acquired soaps and aftershaves, their new razors and blades - in fact anything whatsoever even remotely shave related is welcome.

We have the big kahuna himself bring along a few examples of his recent timepiece acquisitions at the last meeting (now the bastard has me hooked on obtaining a watch that is no longer made). There is definitely a place for DE, SE and straights at the meet-ups and a chance to ask, query and enjoy!


APR Winter Fragrances!
As this meeting falls on the 20th May, this is of course the date that the Winter 2017 Australian Private Reserve Winter Fragrances drop.

I will again bring along both Soaps and Aftershaves as if people want them it is a chance to save on postage and to be frank, it would be bloody stupid not to bring them along and then expect Sydney people to pay for postage as the meeting is on the same day.

As was at the last meeting when APR dropped, the focus will again entirely be on a friendly get-together and not an APR event or official launch... I come along to see you guys as friends, to talk shaving and to see what everyone has been up to (and to what you have scored in the last month) rather than to sell soap and splash.



I will also bring along the new Eufros soaps, some Mystic Waters and anything else interesting I pick up in the coming weeks. I will post to this thread from time to time, as it's a good way to remind myself to bring stuff to the next meeting - I encourage everyone else from NSW to do the same, the more cool stuff people bring along the more fun we all have (and the more ideas we all get for stuff we want to buy).

It goes without saying everyone is more than welcome, be it from NSW or indeed any of the other states and territories.

@Monsta_AU @SydBJW @borked @MrT @tullfan @nav1 @Nonick @Question @Mark @Mark1966 @Brendan @dewynter @pyrokov @cranky @thisISjoel @gthomas04 @Snooze @shavetheman @the_shaving_sailor @RustyBlade @Rami @Itsonlyblood

 

[Itsonlyblood]

Im in. Depending on how long i sleep after my early saturday start at work. I might even bring some stuff this time. No idea what, as it will likely pale in comparison but I will see. Its a great afternoon guys, if you can get there, do it.

 

[alfredus]

I hope the soaps go on sale before the meet

Just kidding of course - I hope you have a great time guys

 

[borked]

Im in. Depending on how long i sleep after my early saturday start at work. I might even bring some stuff this time. No idea what, as it will likely pale in comparison but I will see. Its a great afternoon guys, if you can get there, do it.

Pfft, bring what you're passionate about, what you aren't and ready to flip and what you've NFI about and after advise upon.
Indeed, bring non shave related items of masculine interest to trade as well (such as a quality multi-tool that I was lucky enough to obtain).
Most important thing is, to bring yourself

 

[borked]

I hope the soaps go on sale before the meet

Just kidding of course - I hope you have a great time guys

Or you could come and surprise us with your presence

 

[todras]

I hope the soaps go on sale before the meet

Just kidding of course - I hope you have a great time guys

Not a bad idea @alfredus, it would save me having to get back from the meet, put the post together and what not then muck around with orders. Let me have a think about it...

I am thinking about opening up pre-orders also following on from @nsavage and his comments too, it would take some of the stress out of it on the night to, with people flooding my website with refresh's etc

What time would suit you ?

 

[Snooze]

Not a bad idea @alfredus, it would save me having to get back from the meet, put the post together and what not then muck around with orders. Let me have a think about it...

I am thinking about opening up pre-orders also following on from @nsavage and his comments too, it would take some of the stress out of it on the night to, with people flooding my website with refresh's etc

Wouldn't the pre-sale concept help you also @todras - in terms of production run, allowing more stock for non-P&C members and easing your own time-pressure on the launch day?

If we all preorder and pay, this might help with cashflow and planning ?

Just a thought...

 

[todras]

It would help with time-pressure @Snooze , the rest has been planned some time ago with a view to looking forward

There are a few contingencies I will need to examine before locking it in, but I am tossing around the idea of opening pre-order's for soap+splash sets only of the 3 varieties next weekend.

There is no way I would do soap only or splash only orders, it else it would become more trouble than it's worth. A large part of the community just want a set, no hassles and no mucking around. People wanting bits and pieces, soaps only or splashes only could do their ordering on the 20th when the website goes live and the retail outlet does it's thing.

Leave it with me

 

[Mark1966]

It would help with time-pressure @Snooze , the rest has been planned some time ago with a view to looking forward

There are a few contingencies I will need to examine before locking it in, but I am tossing around the idea of opening pre-order's for soap+splash sets only of the 3 varieties next weekend.

There is no way I would do soap only or splash only orders, it else it would become more trouble than it's worth. A large part of the community just want a set, no hassles and no mucking around. People wanting bits and pieces, soaps only or splashes only could do their ordering on the 20th when the website goes live and the retail outlet does it's thing.

Leave it with me

Me first

 

[alfredus]

Not a bad idea @alfredus, it would save me having to get back from the meet, put the post together and what not then muck around with orders. Let me have a think about it...

I am thinking about opening up pre-orders also following on from @nsavage and his comments too, it would take some of the stress out of it on the night to, with people flooding my website with refresh's etc

What time would suit you ?

I am not sure what to recommend you here my friend...but seriously I think you should do whatever works best FOR YOU.

At the end of the day, if one of us misses out on a product, it might be a bummer, but if you stop the project altogether because you're unhappy it would be a real shame (or more a disaster).

In any case, I take one of each of the soaps, more than happy to refresh or you just send me an invoice? As I said, whatever works for you.

Pre-order would be of course easiest for us, but then you have to deal with all the "I will pay next month, can you please hold for me and give me a discount on top" type requests

 

[Mark1966]

I am not sure what to recommend you here my friend...but seriously I think you should do whatever works best FOR YOU.

At the end of the day, if one of us misses out on a product, it might be a bummer, but if you stop the project altogether because you're unhappy it would be a real shame (or more a disaster)....

Ditto!

We will bang on here and argue about lines but most of that is hot air. If I didn't get any new APR releases for a year I would live, the envy would not kill me. Far more important that the 'business model' be not just sustainable for you but actually protect your enjoyment of the project.

 

[todras]

I am not sure what to recommend you here my friend...but seriously I think you should do whatever works best FOR YOU.

At the end of the day, if one of us misses out on a product, it might be a bummer, but if you stop the project altogether because you're unhappy it would be a real shame (or more a disaster).

In any case, I take one of each of the soaps, more than happy to refresh or you just send me an invoice? As I said, whatever works for you.

Pre-order would be of course easiest for us, but then you have to deal with all the "I will pay next month, can you please hold for me and give me a discount on top" type requests

Ditto!

We will bang on here and argue about lines but most of that is hot air. If I didn't get any new APR releases for a year I would live, the envy would not kill me. Far more important that the 'business model' be not just sustainable for you but actually protect your enjoyment of the project.

You guys are good value, both of you

I had been dwelling on the idea of pre-sales after discussing the idea with a bud in the US who implemented it with a recent release of his, we had a number of discussions about the logistics, implementation and what his experiences were so that was the formative process for me in deciding to do this - obviously (fortunately) I am on a much smaller scale - his experiences working a 40 hour week and pulling 4 days in a row where he was up to 4am packing orders were most instructive. Without being rude, I can never let the community or the public dictate how and when, and indeed where APR goes as that would be disastrous as @alfredus has pointed out

If I get time this weekend I will post the pre-sale thread in the artisan forum and open it up, it will assist a great deal in diffusing the order rushing. It will also enable those who buy in the pre-sale to receive their soap and splash before the 20th May

 

[borked]

@todras one thing to remember with regards to all of this, what got you into it and why

 

[Mark1966]

@todras one thing to remember with regards to all of this, what got you into it and why

Amen to that!

 

[todras]

@todras one thing to remember with regards to all of this, what got you into it and why

Of course man, I could not have taken APR to this point without allowing the reason and intent to guide what I do and why I do it. The hours that I have spent discussing the present state, the future state and the where, how and why APR will go with my wife and others almost come close to the hours I spend on the perfumery, or developing and refining the chemistry for the Aftershaves. One does not simply outlay large amounts of capital for oils, equipment, glasswear on a whim my friend, the man who does that is a fool and will find that what he thought he had was not passion and love for it, but something entirely different.

The easiest way to thing of Australian Private Reserve is that it is about a guy who works very hard in a profession that is very taxing. A man needs an outlet, a hobby, a release and he found it on an Australian Wet Shaving forum when he decided he wanted to learn about making aftershaves. With the help of some chemists that saved him 1 year in development of an aftershave (2 actually, experts, what are the bloody odds of that) and his appetite for fragrances and the history of perfume he decided to make them himself so he could always make the fragrances he wanted, when he wanted because that's what he truly loves doing.I am a man who got sick of not having aftershave for my Mystic Water!

After some months another guy came along, a stoic and highly principled bloody Queenslander of all things who went out on a limb and contacted me and offered to work together to make soap, he did this because he was interested in soap, wanted an Australian soap, and he loved shaving. That act of him doing that, taking that risk, proposing to make soap became and now is, the other half of APR that completes the whole.

It's two blokes in Australia, who live in different states, who have different lives but who work together because they are passionate and enjoy wet-shaving. There is one who likes fragrances and chemistry, and the other who likes making the best soap he can so he can shave with it. There is no more to it than that, I do what I do because I enjoy it, he does what he does because he enjoys it. We are growing it steadily, to a detailed plan of business and contingency and it is hitting the markers exactly like I have planned, envisaged and hoped for but with more enjoyment and fun than I could have ever imagined. It's not a fairy tale and yes there are challenges, occasional stress due to time, etc but I use my long honed and hard earned vocational skills to navigate forward through the bumps by adaptation, clear thinking and an outcome concept as the destination. Not woo-woo, just clear logical thought and variable mapping to circumstance.

So yes @borked, I remember that it is the action given life from an initial concept that is evolving organically, and that in watching this evolution from concept, the non-tangible reward establishes a feed back loop to the passion for doing it.


Now that we have that out of the way, let's get this Sydney meetup thread back on track. It's so far beyond off topic it's almost comical

 

[borked]

We really are lucky to have such member within our fold here, indeed, I feel pride to be considered a member of such a community
Us Aussies are disproportionately blessed within this niche interest worldwide.

 

[todras]

If anyone coming to the Sydney meetup has any of the Wolfpac soaps, can you please bring a tub or 2 along, it does not have to be new I just want to check it out

We really are lucky to have such member within our fold here, indeed, I feel pride to be considered a member of such a community

Well I am slightly embarrassed but also realise we are lucky to have all of the members here really, most of the time <coughs>

When I conceive of P&C as an online forum as it regards the conception of community (and I have only been using it for a year or so) I find myself returning each time to the foundation than Monsta implemented that provided the scaffolding from which the membership and community grew. A simple idea really however instructive in many ways for where it is currently, has been previously and will be going forward. The structure itself and critically it's implementation were essential to what we have now, online fora are critically sensitive and dependent on initial conditions and I say that having been an administrator and moderator on a fair few over the previous 15 years - the structure itself is mandatory (duh) but the design, policy and tone of it are equally essential and require careful, judicious actions to ensure growth, patronage and a positive collective experience i.e. There used to be a lot of forums, FB aside many of them folded due to gross deficiencies in the faculties I am referring to.

From a technical sense forum software and the technical infrastructure are fairly elementary things for someone like Monsta, however the action of providing the foundation (The P&C forums) to facilitate the discrete subject matter of the area (I know P&C covers Alcohol, Watches, Fashion too so it's a broader discrete) of wet-shaving is I think, probably where the thanks should equally fall to if it were to be said. He built the structure and he judiciously cultivated the community

 

[the_shaving_sailor]

bring non shave related items of masculine interest to trade as well (such as a quality multi-tool that I was lucky enough to obtain).

herd that bloke who traded you is a handsome bastard.

ps: I'm definetly in can't wait to see all again.
I have a wilkinson sword set for you all too look at

 

[todras]

I will be bringing only 1 or 2 sets of the APR to the meetup for people to smell and sniff - unless anyone specifically orders prior then I am happy to save you on postage. I really want to come along and see what everyone else has picked up in the last month, our meetups are always good for that

 

[RustyBlade]

Wolfpac Silk Road will be with me and few new razors.