This may be a little off the track, but one of the main reasons I splurged on a Shopsmith about fifteen years ago was the fact that they had a store in Montreal where I could go for advice and training if needed.
This store closed along with others many years ago but the Canadian distributor in the Toronto area offers some woodworking courses and they can be taken using the SS. Unfortunately they are a six hour drive away but someday I hope to use layover time on a trip to spend some time learning something new.
The downside to this story is that there really is no marketing so few non-Shopsmith owners know this service is available. Result, no New Sales.
I'm the same as John, no local support at all. I refuse to deal with the Cdn distributer, he lost my $$'s many years ago with his (as it was then) "You're only allowed to by from me attitude." This may have changed but I still have the bad taste in my mouth.
As to wood show, I stopped going about 12 years ago, it go to be that every vendor carried the same cheap junk. Going to find quality was not top on their agenda....push the crap out the door was the sales moto.....
I feel that the woodworker will pay for quality good, but it has got the information and the goods to the customer and not up to the customer to find the them.
I am new to the forum, but I recognize some names from previous Sawdust sessions. I am curious about recent events at Shopsmith....classes and sawdust sessions have been cancelled. Is Nick leaving?! That would be a BIG marketing mistake in my humble opinion. The overall economic crisis is contributing to Shopsmith's problems(as well as everyone's problems)
Nick probably is the best salesman or advertisement Shopsmith could ever have!!
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop. .
.
Bob
SS needs to get it's name and product out to the public. The SS name is not well marketed in the upstate New York area.
Advertising is expensive and so are road shows, but the name and product information has to get out there.
Here in "upstate" New York, Syracuse, Rochester, Utica, and Albany in the recent years the Wood Working Shows have just about disappeared. Saratoga - North of Albany still has a show. It is successful, because the vender's sell product and make enough sales to make it worth their investment. There is no SS presents at the show.
I signed up years back to support SS when they came to our local HD, but they never came into New York State.
Internet sales help keep overhead cost down, and many local small business in my area are closing up shop because they can not compete with the internet and the big box stores.
All manufactures are facing shrinking markets. IMHO SS needs to get their name into wood working magazines, continue to build a quality product, and highlight the benefits of ownership.
Their wood working training is the best in the industry and it is a great lost to the industry that they have discontinued it.
