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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 06:45:11 AM
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Don't know where the high shipping and handling charge is initiated... and realize there need to be some costs involved... I just ordered Peter Medeiros book... really glad to hear of it, and have it coming...
But the Paypal S&H fees-- $11.35 on a $39 book! yikes. I think this came up before for me, when ordering Hawaiian "must have" materials..., perhaps Paypal is like ticketmaster and it's an unavoidable necessary evil. I'd gladly give the extra $ directly to Peter! Just wonderin' where it all goes--time and money!
So I really couldn't wait to have the first wave of Peter's publications-- but is there a better way next time?
Thanks to Peter for getting these releases going. We've been waiting!
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Hookani
Lokahi
232 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 08:15:48 AM
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It's worse going the other way. Mainland to Hawai'i is nuts. Many times I've paid more for shipping than the item ordered.
Ho'okani |
Ke Kani Nahe YouTube
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 09:08:11 AM
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after speaking with Peter, it really is fair enough...not so much pay pal, it's just the cost. And I want their endeavor to flourish. I ordered the correct item--the Methodology--, and am anticipating. It looks pretty in-depth, (not surprised) and will get my fingernails sharpened, and brain cobwebs dusted off.
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 5:19:28 PM
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You have to bear in mind the weight of the materials being shipped. Weight translates to fuel used. What's happened to gasoline has also happened to Jet fuel for carrying mail. Or carrying people, for that matter. I won't bad-mouth the oil industry-this time. Andy has enough trouble keeping people civilised in The 'Patch without my tirades. Peter's book is a treasure trove, the stories about the songs and players is a wonderful read. I can see myself rereading much of this for a long time to come, not just as part of the learning process. If all them Math & English text books in school were this interesting,I woulda learned some of that stuff! (There's 3 kinds of people in the world, those that can do math and those who can't.) Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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mpi_50
Lokahi
USA
133 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 10:50:42 PM
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I was taken aback by the costs also, but it is a neccesary cost. I will be making a purchase soon myself. |
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Bing
Lokahi
USA
100 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 06:17:37 AM
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In defense of the shipping and handling cost. It is exactly that and it’s up to the shipper not paypal to set the rate. Case in point: The medium size Priority rate box from the post office costs $9.80 (including the box) to ship anywhere in the US. And that is up to 70 lb.. It is a two to three day service for delivery. Peters other choice would be Media Mail which costs about $4.00 and, from Hawaii, will take 30 days or more. There is a cost in making up the box, stuffing newspaper around the book, typing and printing the label and taking the thing to the post office. For this Peter charges $1.55 fair enough. If you paid an hourly person to do this you would be lucky to break even.
I have a self published book that I sell and ship exactly as Peter does and paypal and the USPS priority mail shipping is the best solution for the price.
Bing |
Bing |
Edited by - Bing on 11/07/2009 06:19:22 AM |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 3:24:53 PM
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As an aside to all this, Peter shipped the book wrapped in the October 28,'09 issue of the Windward Oahu Islander newspaper. We read that, as we were unwrapping the book, and saved a page for future reference. Was like a free gift packed with the book. Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 11/07/2009 3:25:27 PM |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 03:08:24 AM
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Peters book defines and teaches ki ho'alu in a way that could not be more detailed or clear. With this book, I finally have something that can be understood and appreciated by any professional teacher in my area. When I first met my new teacher (MA in music, btw), he said that neither he nor any of his colleagues had ever heard of Hawaiian slack key. He is aware of slack now because I play it sometimes at recital, but now I can drop this in his lap and say, "this is what slack key is Mr. Nelson", and he can read and understand it in a way he and his colleagues can relate to.
No doubt that most of you have paid for a text book at a college bookstore so you know a book like this is a bargain when it is less than $80...it is half that BTW.
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Bob |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 05:59:39 AM
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I know times are hard, but me, I don’t think $11.35 is very much to pay to send something thousands of miles and across an ocean. |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 07:51:20 AM
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With today's technology, most technical publications are offered as downloadable pdf or similar formatted docs. Without minimizing Peter's effort in any way (I got one of the first copies), it might be possible to get Peter to reformat this as an electronic document and offer it on the website in digital format, leaving the printing and form to the user's own skills and equipment. Not free on the front end, but the marginal cost of delivering a copy quickly goes to zero. Peter, then, gets to keep almost all of the cost. That is, however, after he sells all his physical copies. |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 09:04:48 AM
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quote: Originally posted by chunky monkey
With today's technology, most technical publications are offered as downloadable pdf or similar formatted docs.
I'd be curious to hear from Mark on this subject, since he has used that format for a slack-key publication. I'm not sure what the issues would be with copying/sharing capabilities, though. I let a friend leaf through my copy of Peter's book, but I would not feel comfortable sending him a pdf file to "leaf" through.
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 09:49:27 AM
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quote: quote: Originally posted by chunky monkey
With today's technology, most technical publications are offered as downloadable pdf or similar formatted docs.
I'd be curious to hear from Mark on this subject, since he has used that format for a slack-key publication.
I have one book available via pdf & hard copy. Originally it was only available as a pdf; but a number of folks requested physical copies. I found an on-line on-demand printer (createspace.com) who'd handle the orders, printing and fullfillment (sorry, Lawrence, Amazon bought them). I can order short runs at a decent price to sell at festivals, workshops etc.
Even though the downloads are cheaper, faster and more convenient (you can print out just the songs you are working on, and make notes all over them) I'd say I sell 25 hard copies to every pdf copy.
Do people steal (as in "share") pdfs of my book or TAB? Not much, actually. If they do, it is not often enough to make a difference in my meager cash flow. Usually it's the opposite, someone will ask permission to teach using my TAB & offer to pay for the copies.
I tell them I support the street singer's royalty scheme, whereby I ask that he or she drop a coin in the hat of the next street performer they encounter. Who knows, it could be me.
quote: now I can drop this in his lap and say, "this is what slack key is Mr. Nelson"
This teacher would not be me, so let's not get started defining slack key all over again.
B'sides, Peter answers that question quite thoroughly in his book. Which arrived lovingly packed in plastic peanuts. I suppose that's one way to get those nasty indestructible little buggers off the Island!
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Edited by - Mark on 11/09/2009 09:51:27 AM |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 2:52:41 PM
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quote: (sorry, Lawrence, Amazon bought them)
Well, if Amazon, Walmart, American Airlines, Monster Cable, Bose, and Paypal would all merge, then I would have only one company to avoid!!!
(forgive the diversion)...
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Mahope Kākou... ...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 11/09/2009 2:54:34 PM |
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Hookani
Lokahi
232 Posts |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 03:48:50 AM
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FYI: My teacher is Dave Nelson and teaches in N. Illinois. I didn't even think of the possible linkage to Mark when I wrote it. Mark did though! LOL |
Bob |
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 2:35:26 PM
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geez, I was gonna pull my post... felt embarrassed, but now, just glad to know ya'll. I would have flown to Hawaii to pick up Peter's book.
This purchase could be classified as a best first buy, and great way to start/introduction to slack key... And incidently, terms like scordatura, and all those are just Italian, and in my book, very much like Hawaiian ( is Hawaiian a Romance language?)....anyway, not scary if taken one at a time (with a music dictionary, a musicologist, or mixologist nearby.)
But still, "kanikapila", does still scare me. |
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