Club Obi Wan

_ wrote:Well, sort of, KB...

Frankly, I can do everything that needs to be done - except make jackets. I've done it several times and it is an addiction of mine. At heart I am a serial entrepreneur. The obvious answer there does not work however: _ buys the business and runs it while he hires Riley or _ and Riley become partners? Never works. Retaining family in an acquired business is the kiss of death in my experience. Too much baggage. Each time I've done it I've had to fire the retained family member.

I know what works and what doesn't. For me at least, this one would not work. For Riley? Well, he needs to hire a _. It is about communications, my friend. Objectively? Riley ***** at it.

Well, I wasn't so much referring to your thought of buying the business, but rather, the main point of needing someone with ALL the skills of Tony. Yeah, someone else who could handle communications could potentially help the business, but they'd really have to know jacket making inside and out. If I'm not mistaken, with the exception of the boards, Tony handled most of his phone calls and direct communication with customers, and he was able to make the customer feel important. And most importantly, could do so without slowing down his business. It just seems that he wore alot of hats at once, and that was a huge part of what made his business work. If Riley couldn't handle all of those hats, it might just not work for him.

-KB

That's a fact...he knew how to work a phone, that's for sure...and all hours of the day or night, time zones be darned.

Regards !Michaelson

Well, everything looks easy when you aren't in the drivers seat. Once in the hot seat, Im sure everyone else would see things differently. You just don't see the big picture or the dirty details. Most would be shocked at some of the dirty games that go on in the hat world ( for example). People I had admired and liked turn out to dirty and nasty. I can't tell you how much advise I have been given on how to run things. When I give them some of the behind the scene details, they go " now I under stand" and don't have an answer different from what I had already.

Again, easy to coach from the side lines.

I have talked with Riley a few times and I think he is handling things just fine with what was dropped in his lap. I don't think he need any help. Belive it or not there is a much bigger world out there than Indy gear. How dare I.

All of the emails Tony sent me were in ALLCAPS. He probably composed the posts himself and just emailed them to whoever was posting for him.

Here's the pics showing the American Stallion swatch Tony sent me...

This one shows SL, Stallion, 747 and Indy4 from left to right:
http://s701.photobucket.com/albums/ww16 ... 328-1.jpg/

This is the American Stallion up close (the lower left corner shows a bit of SL as well):
http://s701.photobucket.com/albums/ww16 ... 329-2.jpg/

WOWSER. I love that leather! How does the thickness compare to 747 and Indy 4?

I don't think it's any thicker, though it's hard to tell from swatches as it depends on what part of the hide he sent me. It is definitely stiffer. I don't know if it could bruise _, but it's incredibly strong stuff. I would say it isn't going to drape like some of the others if that's important to you. When I hang swatches over the edge of a table, the stallion is the most rigid of all the types I have. That includes Nowak Goat, something he called "Soft" (goat maybe?), Holy Goat, Shrunken Lamb, Indy 4 cowhide, 747, Happy Cow and the American Stallion. I'd say the closest in toughness would be the Holy Goat and Happy Cow (at least of the swatches I received.

It is a great, widely textured hide with both grain and color variations. If you want a tough jacket that can be dragged behind a truck or slid several hundred feet on the pavement, this stuff would definitely save your hide.

It really is stunning, thanks for posting the description and picture, Tibor. I gotta get a jacket made out of that. I think it would make a great Indy jacket but that's not what I'm going for this time. I hope Riley will let me!

Allow me to eat a little crow this morning, if you would.

I had an epiphany this morning. I was thinking about what I perceive as faulty logic of folks who buying Nowak jackets as 'investments' for future sale, both here and offsite. It seemed risky to take what would become a piece of 'used clothing' the moment it arrived at the buyers location, and holding value would completely depend on who wanted it, and the numbers involved. I see it as extremely risky when being purchased for that specific reason, but that's entirely my opinion and not shared by everyone involved. That's fine. We all have our own plans and thought process on things, and what works for one may not work for another.....

It then dawned on me...who did I know who bagged his TN jacket up with the logic that since Tony was gone, it was irreplaceable, and should it need repair, he wasn't around to fix it?

What does THAT matter? When we get something from Wings, we're on our own should something break or tear. We have to find a craftsman or shop that does the work. I just had my VIP relined last week, so it's a known fact folks get jackets repaired outside the purchase shop. That, and the fact someone could just come in the house and steal the bag with the jacket out of my closet. What did I achieve by putting it there?

Long story short, my TN CS felt pretty @#$% good against the cool Fall wind coming through the drivers side window of the Plymouth coming to work this morning.

It's sad to get so myopic as you get older. Hopefully these 'realizations' will keep coming as I age.

I still don't think folks putting away an example of his work for posterity a bad idea what so ever, as long as it's for the right reason....I just think MY idea wasn't the best choice, in retrospect. I guess I've just watched too many Antique Roadshow programs. "If this hadn't been used, it would be worth gadzillions!"

Ah well, never too old to change ones mind I guess.

So, crow for breakfast. Sunny side up, if you please. It will go down easier with my morning coffee.

Regards! Michaelson

M, no need to eat crow as we're all allowed to change our minds every now and then. So maybe you should have "waffles" with your coffee instead. Probably would taste better, I imagine. Enjoy wearing the TN; that's what Tony would want you to do.

That's a good idea. Waffles, with a side order of crow's feet. Sounds good!

Make mine to go. I have a class to produce.



Regards! Michaelson

Waffle and crow, you say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKGrSwOyT-c

French toast picture? WHAT french toast picture?

That's good to hear, Michaelson! Speaking purely from my perspective, I have a tendency for OCD and it often raises its particular head, making it difficult for me to simply relax and enjoy using purchases when they are new and most exciting to me. Consequently, I rarely get to enjoy my possessions to the highest possible degree and often end up underusing them in order to preserve the beauty of their untouched state. Sadly, with time, my interest in them wanes - you should see all the pristine, barely read books on my shelves and my Swiss Army knife from when I was twelve years old. I'm not saying my enjoyment at owning a TN jacket would ever disappear completely, but I'm sure, with each passing year, its specialness would become less stimulating for me. So if I owned one at this time, I know my natural instinct would be to preserve it and consequently hardly wear it. But ideally, I would want to be mentally free to enjoy it as much as I could during the 'honeymoon period', so to speak. Therefore, I salute your decision.

Understood. I'm wired a bit differently than that.

I use my 'stuff'. I've always adopted the attitude that if you can't use it, why own it, regardless of quality or item in question?

I don't abuse things, and take GOOD care of my stuff, as best one can with real world use, but otherwise I use my belongings. If that weren't so, I wouldnt' be sitting here with my 100 year old pocket watch in my trouser pocket, or my 1930 Parker fountain in my shirt pocket.

This TN decision was a departure for me, but it seemed to hold water based on the reasoning I've posted in several locations on this site.....that is until the realization today that none of us are going to get out of this alive. All that jacket will represent is a piece of good used clothing.

We are the ones who put the importance on the provenance of the item. Anyone else who got hold of it after my passing, especially a non-Indy fan, would just see a very nice unworn jacket and wear the stew out of it...something I should have been doing all along.

So, a reversal in thinking on my part on this particular situation.

Like I said, if you own two, I STILL think one should be retired as an artifact....but it really makes little sense to hide away something that is completely rebuildable. If I didn't already know that by driving a 1950 Plymouth on a daily basis, I sure had to relearn it again this morning.

Regards! Michaelson

And in keeping with Michaelson's catharsis, maybe now is a good time to tell him I've been reusing last week's coffee in the coffee pot. I mean, it's still good, right?

I do draw the line somewhere.

Regards! Michaelson

I wonder if being able to prove that a jacket had belonged to and been worn by "Michaelson" would add to its value? I mean, if a watch, with no particular provenance, could gain in value as Beloq proposed then somewhere on a future Antiques Roadshow one of our great-grandchildren could show up with that jacket and a flash drive containing COW postings, a PayPal confirmation, UPS label...

"Well, for such a unique cultural artifact, coupled with the fact that it was made by Tony Nowak, I would put an insurance value on this of at least $ "

LJ

Long John Tinfoil wrote:I wonder if being able to prove that a jacket had belonged to and been worn by "Michaelson" would add to its value? LJ

I wouldn't suggest trying it. It may actually cause it to lose value with such a connection, no matter the maker.

Regards! Michaelson

Who knows? In a 1,000 years even you may be worth something.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

That's what they told him 1,000 years ago!

binkmeisterRick wrote:That's what they told him 1,000 years ago!

TMFR

I knew it!

Nope, Michaelson. See the last few comments above. That's my ancestor trying to sell him a rubber sword.

Where to you guys keep finding my old yearbook photos?

Actually, that was taken during one of the first Renfaire's my youngest daughter attended...that or a DragonCon. I can't recall now...

Well I am getting ready to measure my jackets up for Riley, as far as pictures go, do you zip the jacket up all the way or just leave the jacket unzipped as far as photos for Riley to see how my Wested and U.S. Wings fit me. Just am wondering, maybe I should do both. I guess I am being paranoid.

IndianaChris

IndianaChris711 wrote:Well I am getting ready to measure my jackets up for Riley, as far as pictures go, do you zip the jacket up all the way or just leave the jacket unzipped as far as photos for Riley to see how my Wested and U.S. Wings fit me. Just am wondering, maybe I should do both. I guess I am being paranoid.

IndianaChris

I would do both just to be on the safe side.

You go away for a couple of months and then this happens Riley, I am sad to hear this, but sometimes hard choices are to be made.

I always wanted to buy a CS. Guess now is the time to act an to throw all other plans I had out of the window, right?

Regards, Geert

I've just had to bite the bullet and cancel my order for a TN. What with one thing and another there's really no way I can afford to spend £1000 on a jacket just now as much as I want to.... Not if I expect to be able to eat and buy any Xmas presents. Bummer but just have to get on with it

I hear what you're saying...
I lucked out in that I'd been spending the last several months saving up to place an order for the LC Jacket anyway (which I've now ordered with Riley)...
but I was originally shooting to have the money in place for the end of November, so when his announcement came it was more like a "dash to the finish line" for me...
I never would've been able to make it work if I'd just been trying to suddenly pull all that cash together straight outta the gate...
I sympathize with ya, djd.

Thanks pal. It is just so much money and I could easily get hit for another £200 import tax.... I have a couple of fedoras in the pipeline that are already paid for so plenty to look forward to

Well I just got off the phone with Riley... he'd given me a call to confirm that my Jacket is done and ready to ship.

We had a chance to chat a little bit and while I'm (naturally) VERY excited about this, I'll admit that it feels pretty bittersweet, too... this being the last jacket I'll get from him... the last opportunity I'll have to do business with him.
Sometimes people can have remarkably different business dealing with the same person or organization... but Riley always did right by me, anyway.
When his Dad passed away so suddenly I simply accepted that I'd never get to own one of the fine jackets coming out of that workshop...
Then Riley picked up the pieces and did his best to see works-in-progress through to the end and to take care of the unfinished business his Dad left behind... he didn't have to do that, but he did. And while I don't envy the challenges he faced in terms of the organizational hurdles of taking the helm, in time I could certainly see that he was carrying on in Tony's footsteps in terms of the Quality of the finished TNO Jackets being made and delivered to their new owners.
It's because of this that I was able to own my one Raiders Jacket... let alone, to own a second TNO Jacket.

Earlier this week, Riley sent me a short e-mail regarding my jacket that ended with the words "Getting started now!"
I got so shamelessly excited by this, I wrote him back the following (I just wanted to share this with all of you, as well as making an open admission of how jacket-geeky I'm feeling right now)

"Wow...
Riley, I know you're gonna think I'm a maniac when I tell you this, but MAN just reading the words "Getting started now!" has got me SO stoked!

I can hardly get any work of my own done tonight because I'm so busy thinking about the amazing work that you'll either SOON be doing (or are ALREADY doing now) on this new jacket of mine... all those great Last Crusade details... the amazing LC distressing job you'll be doing on it... WOW!

Riley, I know I should apologize right now that I've got you taking time away from your work to read such a "gushy" e-mail from a customer who's also a fan (and after all, I know you've got plenty of other customers to look after (and other e-mails to read) too...
but I just want you to know (well in advance of even having this jacket in my hands) how much I greatly appreciate what you're doing... and that you made this opportunity available for one "Last Call"...
and as I sit here writing this e-mail I ALREADY know that you're making a jacket that's gonna take my breath away.

Growing up I always wanted The Raiders and The Last Crusade Jackets of my dreams... Talking with your Dad pushed that dream into full gear for me and then YOU saw it through and gave me a jacket that stops people in their tracks... now this one last jacket from you... Riley, I can't thank you enough.

I only wish there could've been a way for me to have eventually gotten a Crystal Skull Jacket from you, but that was not to be for me, it seems... I just wouldn't be able to make that work.
Perhaps one day down the road I'll be lucky enough to purchase one from another Member who's similar to me in size... I hope so, because your Dad made a h###uva jacket that I would've LOVED to have owned.

Riley - again - many, MANY Thanks.
It's been a privilege to own the Raiders Jacket you made... I'll wear the Last Crusade Jacket you're working on now with just AS MUCH pride.

All the Best,
Fox"

Wow Mitch, that is great that Riley got your jacket done. Hopefully he gets back to my e-mail. I sent him an e-mail back from my previous one a couple weeks back and I have not gotten any samples yet, he said he was getting some of the Shrunken Lamb leather used for the 888 series jackets in a darker color I believe. Anyway I sent him an e-mail today with my jacket measurements along with pictures of my Wested jacket and U.S Wings. Hopefully I will hear from Riley soon.

IndianaChris

Congrats on the quick turnaround on your LC jacket, no doubt it'll be a masterpiece!

Thanks very much!

Riley and I actually first began "discussions" on the LC Jacket (featuring many references to both Tundrarider's and nephilo's beautiful LC Jackets) back in May right after we had agreed that he'd make the Raiders 747 that his Dad and I had originally agreed upon... but frankly, I needed the additional time to assemble the cash. So, in a way this was an order that Riley always knew was coming down the pipeline...
but yes, once I'd told him I was sending the money, I suspect he must've started work on the jacket not long after that!

I'll be happy to post some photos of this jacket as soon as it arrives (and I have the opportunity to do so)

Which, I guess raises a question...

Most photos of TNO Jackets have been posted - fittingly - in the "Nowak Jacket Owners Thread"...
THIS Thread, of course, has been focused on the subject of Riley closing the doors to the shop, where it puts peoples orders, general questions and conjecture, etc..
So far, the only photos have been of a tauntaun sleeping bag and a mischievous, time-travelling Michaelson...


With this in mind, perhaps one of us could start a NEW photo Thread for the purpose of showing the LAST of these jackets? Perhaps called "Post your 'Riley's LAST CALL' TNO Photos Here" or something like that?
(I write "one of us" because someone ELSE might get their next TNO before I do, after all...)

MODs, would it be okay to start yet another variation of a TONY NOWAK ORIGINALs Jacket Photo Thread?

Or should stuff like that be posted here in this Thread... or the "Nowak Jacket Owners" Thread?

...Or does it matter?

For my money, keep all the TNO pictures in the TNO thread. New members, especially, consistently comment how there are multiple threads that seem to cover the same things.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Agreed, Jeff.

I'd suggest just keeping the photos in the already existing threads.

Regards! Michaelson

Yep, keep 'em in the existing threads.

Yes, it should eventually fade away as the jackets stop coming out of the shop.

You can only show so many photos of jackets in their limited numbers, that's for sure.

Regards! Michaelson

As far as I know, it's not even being watched, so excellent point.

Time to lock this one down.

When you folks get your promised jackets due to the closing of the shop, please post them in the already existing TN jacket threads.

Thanks, and best of luck to you, Riley.

Regards! Michaelson