posted
I got a call today from a man named Jack. He needed "ready-to-stick" letters for a big box truck. He said it was a company name and a bit of artwork, which he had drawn. He said he makes metal letters, but does not have a plotter, and he used to buy stickers from a girl named Jill at SignQuik...was I her? I said no, seeing all kinds of red flags, etc. Just to be patronizing, I wrote him up a pretty hefty estimate. I had to do a delivery today in his neighborhood, so I dropped the bid off to him. It is in a huge old building near Pittsburgh that was once in a steel-related business. His office was ancient. Old brown & beige checkered floor, Jetsons-style office furniture, all shabby and worn, papers everywhere, an ashtray full of butts, a cup of cold coffee on the desk, and metal castings on the wall for all kinds of places that I recognized. He shuffled over and shook my hand. He was a bit crusty around the edges and he smelled kinda funky, but he had kind eyes and a ready smile. He has been making metal letters and castings since the 1960s, about the time I arrived on the planet. He is an architect/artist. His real name is Giovanni and he was born in Corsica of Sicillian parents. He is 77 and a cancer survivor. He listened to my estimate and without batting an eye said "sure". He showed me the sketch...customer Word-rendered, and agreed that it looked like crap. It was distortion-happy Times Roman, multicolored with an incorrect shadow. The drawing was one he had done from the nasty clip-art on the sketch using the grid system, and he had managed to make it look cool. He wrote me out a check on the spot for my deposit, and agreed to let me re-do the customer art. But I will use his rendering of the sketch cuz I actually like it. I told him I would have his stickers next week, and he said "It ain't a sticker, it's a sign, right?" and he winked. He knew about colors, layout, and 1-Shot "Ain't nuthin' like it, it's THE BEST." His brother was engaged to Mister Rogers' sister. He knew old Pittsburgh stories and he knew my dad. It taught me once again to stop being so cynical, and not to always pre-judge a customer. He was happy, and so am I. Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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What a nice story Jill, or should I say Experience.. I just popped in to check this board and to give my feet a rest, and to read this was refreshing, to say the least.
Thanks.
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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Thanks for the smile - I really needed it today.
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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Today I was referred by one of my trucking customers to a metal shredding yard.
I showed up on time, and the guy I met was crusty, but really nice and seemed glad I was there.
When I left about 45 mins. later, I all but had an order for five 4x8's, two 4x4's and dimensional lettering for his new building! I have to shoot him a price, but I think if it's anywhere near in line, the job is mine.
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Here's one on the other end of the scale...no crust at all...
Last summer, a 16 year old kid approcahed me about lettering his trailer for his DJ business. Initially, I figured this was going to be another one of those times when some kid's gonna chew on my ear for an hour over a beat up old trailer and when he gets the quote, it will most likely put a damper on his plans. To my surprise, he was very interested in doing some higher end stuff on the trailer (brand new) and offered to pay it all in advance. We worked out a design, price and schedule with little difficulty and he was very prompt at bringing the trailer here to work on...a day early in fact. We talked "shop" a bit and I found him to be both ambitious and realistic about his goals. He knows the value of good advertising and imaging, and is conscious of the effects of the image he projects to his customers.
He has recently contacted me about doing some banners and a few projects for his father's business as well, and has done quite well in the DJ business in just one year, upgrading his equipment and dong larger private functions and shows.
I consider him one of the most courteous and professional people I have ever dealt with in 15 years of sign work.
You never know... Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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today would be a nice day to get presently surprised....meaning...yes i would like a present after the week i've had...but i would certainly settle for being pleasantly surprised...by having a customer be nice, undemanding and be able to prepay. or hey at this point a check in the mail would probably make my day.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Sometimes we get so use to "justifying" our own SELF WORTH.That when we are understood by a fellow artist.It takes us by SURPRISE! Your "relic" knows (as should we all) that the only DIFFERENCE between artist is a matter of experience/time. Nice story
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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there are a lot of moments in my life shared with my jillbeans,most of them pretty silly. some sad, some mad, but when she tells a story,it is another work of art. jill can paint a beautiful picture with words ,too. she is a multi-talented little pixie.i am so proud of the person she is.she brings a smile and tears to my eyes.
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Giovanni just left my shop. He came up to check on the artwork I did. What a gentle guiding hand he has. I had laid out the list of services in Impact. Over the phone, he said it was too compressed, and asked if I would swich it to Futura, one of my fave old typestyles. So he came up and together we got it looking good. I gave him a small box of paint. He is bringing me an old sign book he has had "Forever". Turns out he lives in a house I have admired since childhood, circa 1830, with a tunnel in the basement, that was part of the Underground Railroad. It just keeps getting better. Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Glenn... HELL NO! It's "customer art"....sorry! the only cool thing is the sketch, which is Giovanni's rendering of a clip-art! The main heading is mega-distortion happy Times Bold. Kissy.... Did I mention he knows Gold Leaf too? He is so sweet. And funny to boot! He has more work for me too. Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I'm Changing my name to Giovanni, maybe you'll like (love) me as much as that other guy, Jill.
How bout...CrazyGiovanni?
CrazyJack
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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You know how I feel about guys named Jack, Jacky. And Billy, he said, "It's not a sticker, it's a sign!" In a sarcastic way. Today he told me about all the windows he used to gild. And the huge cast letters he's made for 40 years for big banks and churches. And the movie sets he used to paint for the Civic Light Opera in Pittsburgh. And he gave me a cast metal lion's head with an open mouth. But that's not all! Read on. I added a new topic. Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I guess you could call it sarcasm, but spoken with a wink it sounds like an affirmation between artists that "stickers are for kids... signs are for profit" so carefull what you call your work & make sure to charge enough.
Sounds like a great aquaintance & congrats of the Atkinson book!
posted
Hey JG.... Nope, he has no accent, not even a Pittsburgh one, which is kinda unusual. Only when he puts one on to act cute! His lingo is more of a constant one-liner joke repertiore. I asked him "Did you get a haircut?" And of course he replied, "No, I got 'em all cut!" Love...Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Jill...hope you didn't think I was being a "smart butt" (just bad humor).
I have a few of those "ole codgers" in my life too. Aren't they wonderful?
One of them that had adopted us and visited us every thursday afternoon for about 15 years... and told us every story he ever had about Norman Oklahoma during the depression and all his war stories (He served in wwII, Korea and VietNam).
He passed on about two months back... he came in and checked on my progress as I restore an old 1946 Jeep and after he died his brother brought me a "cast collectable" wwII Jeep and told us "Forrest" wanted me to have it...sure choked me up, then about a week later he stopped back and gave me a Characture drawing of Forrest that someone had done when he was stationed in VietNam, it now hangs next to my desk.
We sure miss him a lot...but it's nice to have memories of him around to disipate the loss.
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
posted
it is nice to hear people talk about old folks with such endearment. i have loved old people since i was a little girl. so much character,wisdom, encouragement,love to give. and... most of them are passed by and forgotten. i worked in a nursing home for 15 years, loved every minute of it. cried when they died, laughed when they were cantankerous and missed them when they were gone. babies are cute and cuddly, but old folks are treasures. fiddles
posted
Bump! I saw Jack again today. In this post I discussed his gift of Atkinson. Today he gave me a Spanjer book that is easily older than I am. Jack is about 85 now. He lost his wife about a year ago and some of his twinkle is missing. He is still working and painting signs, in fact I was delivering stuff to him to embellish. He is still sweet and charming too. What a treasure he is. I always love to visit him, just to rub elbows with a little bit of history. Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Thanks Don. My dear friend Bill Berberich just stopped by, and we perused the book. (a life-long wall dog) I told him I might will it to him. It is older than I thought. What does MCMXLI translate to? The cars and trucks in this thing look to be from the 40s. And I think I might have gotten Jack's age wrong after re-reading the original post in this thread. Either that or he was fibbing about his age. He still has his dashing goatee and good cologne. Today he showed me programs from the musicals and stage plays that he built sets for. Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I must be loosing it! I read the post and said to my self what I nice story, then I started scanning the responses and saw my own response and it sort of freaked me out there foe a second, cause At first I could remember reading it... lol
But Jil I would love to see a shot of toy and Him together in his office, that would be cool.
And that is how cool the story was, is, cause I enjoyed it the second time around.
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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A customer of mine who sadly passed away earlier this year was described by many as the surliest man they had ever met.
I never found this to be true, sure the guy used the f and c word as every second one but he always made it clear exactly what he wanted done. Paid his bills on time and never once moaned about having cancer.
I found him to be a breath of fresh air and although he swore a lot he wasn't ever actually grumpy.
He always treated me well and I was glad to know him.
Hopefully Giovanni will be a great contact for you Jill
-------------------- Anne McDonald 17 Karnak Crescent Russley Christchurch 8042 New Zealand
"I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure" Posts: 877 | From: Christchurch | Registered: Sep 2006
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I love this story...can't wait for the sequel and movie. Isn't it amazing how artists just seem to be drawn together like some universal force is at work, pulling them together.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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![[Wink]](wink.gif)
or hey at this point a check in the mail would probably make my day.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[FYI]](graemlins/fyi.gif)
fiddles 
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