JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Jan 12, 2013 - 02:59pm PT
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What about that huge discount list in Gary's shop manual? Dude - Gary's bro-deal book - you were serious?
I've stated my point. Carry on.
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Dingus Milktoast
Gym climber
And every fool knows, a dog needs a home, and...
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Jan 12, 2013 - 03:00pm PT
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The only thing that annoys me about your posts
Lol early leader for the 2013 Bag-O-Dicks Nomination.
DMT
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Prod
Trad climber
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Jan 12, 2013 - 03:09pm PT
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Lol early leader for the 2013 Bag-O-Dicks Nomination.
Hey, how do I gen in on that?
Prod.
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Hankster
Social climber
Golden, CO
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Jan 12, 2013 - 03:12pm PT
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What about that huge discount list in Gary's shop manual?
That "shop manual" was sweeeeet!!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 12, 2013 - 03:13pm PT
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Julia
I've got an OLD pair of Ramer bindings too--the serial number on
mine is 0002.
I don't know why I keep them, I've never been much of a skier.
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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Jan 12, 2013 - 04:20pm PT
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I've stated my point. Carry on.
Idea: Why not just go speak your point(s) to the actual Gary Neptune?
He is a real living person, not some anonymous internet avatar. It's not like you don't know where to find him!!!!! Hahahahaha!
He's actually pretty easy to deal with unless you're just a total ass.
Think of it as the JLP Challenge. It's how they used to do things in the old days- when you had a gripe you went and talked to the person rather than sniping them from afar. Grown man sh#t.
Or whatever. Carry on yourself.
~ph
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John M
climber
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Jan 12, 2013 - 04:37pm PT
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Phil, thanks for the great stories. I really appreciated what you said about him running his store his way. Even if that meant losing customers. He had his ideals and that was that. I can understand that and I could understand how that might rub some folks the wrong way. I also really like that he treated his employees well. I had a boss who would take us waterskiing very early in the morning. That made a big difference in ones work experience.
Thanks for the great stories and the background. I enjoy seeing the pictures.
...
As for as the internet. I would advise not answering everyone. You likely wont change some folks minds. Even if you acknowledge their points.
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Alpinist07
Mountain climber
Nashville, TN
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Jan 12, 2013 - 04:44pm PT
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The new owner would be smart to take their time in making any changes. Observe what makes Neptune's Unique and what has put them on the map. Quick changes can result sometimes in unexpected disaster. There's more to running a business than what you can read on a spreadsheet or going over the books. Gary has built a classic shop and has a loyal customer base.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jan 12, 2013 - 04:44pm PT
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End of an era, or maybe period, or is it erathem,...epoch? I say we cannonize Gary.
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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Jan 12, 2013 - 04:53pm PT
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Thanks JohnM,
Changing people's minds on the internet has never been a preoccupation.
JLP and others who seem to only want to steer the subject back to their own soapboxes appear self-entitled and petty.
My comment stands for anybody: If you've got that degree of a beef with someone or a business, why not address it directly? Whether it's better financial support for the Access Fund or whatever the gripe. Particularly Gary Neptune. He's more than man enough to take it.
Anybody who knows anything about Gary knows he's an old-fashioned bloke.
If JLP were to go see him directly he could probably resolve all his issues. But it's obvious that he would rather take snide potshots from the internet. To me it's pretty weak sauce and I'll bet Gary would feel the same.
Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.
Maybe others can post some better climbing shots and stories from the Neptune crew. Mine suck.
~ph
Edit: Even if the slideshows were the 'only' thing Gary contributed to the community- that was in itself huge. Gary poured money into those shows over the years, far beyond waht other business would do.
These shows, as Julia noted earlier, became a staple of Boulder Thursday nights. These shows didn't simply benefit community- they actually created community.
The big hope now is that the new owners of the business feel as strongly as Gary did about bringing in great shows and presenters.
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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Jan 12, 2013 - 05:01pm PT
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I say we cannonize Gary.
Too late!
;-)
~ph
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Jan 12, 2013 - 05:33pm PT
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JLP is a weasel, a whining little Boulder brat.
How in f*#k can some little weasel who has done nothing for climbing come down hard on a community legend like Gary?
Fecking internet!!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 12, 2013 - 05:35pm PT
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What if Gary doesn't want to be a human cannonball?
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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Jan 12, 2013 - 05:44pm PT
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What if Gary doesn't want to be a human cannonball? Then we'll just have to go climbing or skiing.
Anders- Neptune probably still stocks Norwegian sweaters. There were several brands when I was there, not just Dale. Nordstrikk maybe?
Probably can get other Weegie stuff too. Maybe even a caribou hide.
~Phil
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Jan 15, 2013 - 04:44pm PT
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Austin, Texas-based Backwoods acquired Boulder, Colo.-based Neptune Mountaineering on Dec. 31 for an undisclosed amount.
Neptune Founder Gary Neptune will remain on staff to help with the transition. Neptune recently chatted with SNEWS about the sale.
//Both family-owned companies originally opened in 1973.
What is the significance of the sale on the business?//
We’ll see. For me it’s a step in the direction of eventually being retired. As you know from the release, I’m keeping the museum and I’m still working here doing a lot of the things — especially during a transition period — but surely they won’t need me anymore at some point. I’m looking forward to a lot of fun and a lot of work. Backwoods will be able to bring a lot of things to this store that we could never do as a single store. They’re going to be able to improve a lot of things we haven’t been able to do very well.
What kinds of things will they be able to do that you couldn't?
For instance, they do Internet retailing. You can do that when you have multiple stores, but single shops almost can’t do it. It’s really, really tough and drains a huge amount of energy and money — a lot of stores have tried it and given up after they realized that. That’s an obvious one. Exactly how they use our store versus what they’ve already got going? [You'd have to] talk to them about the future there. ... They will have the ability to do what buying groups do. They have nine stores now, and that’s a certain economy of scale.
What will happen with the current staff at Neptune Mountaineering?
They will remain on. Inevitably staff will change because there’s a lot of turnover with young people who are in school. Plus, some people are going to like the new roles they’re being given and will be able to do a better job and get better training.
How long has this deal been in the works?
Two different answers: Some years ago I’d promised my wife by the time I was 70 I’d have sold the store or have it in the works or something, because we’ve got to have a few good years together. I began telling anybody who wanted to know, "Sure, I’m always for sale," but I hadn’t taken any structured steps in that direction.
Then we finally started getting more serious about it recently. As far as Backwoods goes, it’s just a stroke of luck that we connected. They were beginning to look at expanding in the Rockies, and we were getting serious about selling the business in some fashion. This just ended up seeming like a really excellent fit.
What drew you to Backwoods?
They have a great reputation in the industry. Since we announced the sale, all kinds of people have talked to me and I’ve heard nothing but good about them. I think they’re great people, they drive a good hard bargain because they’re business people, but they’re also very human. I like the fact that it’s a family-owned business.
Another thing that can tie in well with this business is their adventure travel division. That’s one of those many things that I thought about doing for years — but, again, it’s a whole other business and I didn’t have the resources to do it.
How will the store change?
Staff will be able to do a better job because they’ll be given the tools that will help them. I think it will be a good thing for everybody — consumers and everybody in the loop.
What are you most looking forward to about retirement?
I’m not even thinking that far ahead. It’s going to be a while. Like I said, I've still got the museum here and they want me to help out with the slide shows and the promotional things, possibly some training with other stores. There's a whole string of things like that that I’m still going to be doing. It will be a bit of an evolutionary process to see where I best fit in and where I don’t want to interfere.
What kind of changes does this mean for your long-time customers?
I don’t think it means a whole lot of change. They’ll still be getting what they always came here to get. They’ll see improvement, if anything. There will be more accurate stocking and goods and more sophisticated training of staff in terms of merchandising. Those are things I’ve wanted to do better and improve over the years, but never to the degree I’d have liked to. These are all subtle changes that will happen slowly. Honestly, I don’t think a lot of customers are going to realize it happened.
--Compiled by Ana Trujillo
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WTF
climber
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Jan 15, 2013 - 05:04pm PT
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Gary should have doped like lance that's how you get popular apparently.
The place rocked I always found it to be just fine and I spent plenty of money in there.
People are nice and well you get back what you project IMO.
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locker
Social climber
state of Kumbaya...
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Jan 15, 2013 - 05:13pm PT
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...
...
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Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
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Jan 15, 2013 - 05:19pm PT
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Oh well. Spend money there in the future and you'll be supporting business in what may well be the most bigoted, mysogynistic, gun-happy, flat-out deplorable states in the union
arizona...
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Somehow in the bubble
Big Wall climber
Colorado
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Jan 16, 2013 - 01:30pm PT
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I saw this thread a few days ago and thought it was just another rumor. I stopped by the store a couple of days ago and they were closed for inventory. I was really concerned at that point and stopped by again today and they were open and things looked the same but spoke with one of the employees about the buy out and it is very real. I hope the employees will stay the same and we do not end up with another REI. I looked at the Backwoods website and the gear is very REI. That would be sad to see that stuff in such a cool shop. It looks like another corporate take over that will cost the Boulder people again.
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cary
climber
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Jan 16, 2013 - 04:05pm PT
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PH
Thanks for all,it was a great place to work at for so long.Pam,I hope you are doing well. Sorry so many people did not know it like we did. Cant make em all happy. Look at Luke and scrubby having fun at snowbird. Those are the good times I remember. Do your best and try and make people happy is what we were told.Sorry for those of you who had a bad experience,that was not the our intention at all.
Keep at it if you can...
Griner
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