Hey Team,

I would like to thank all those that donate time to our Club. This Club has come a long way. It needs to keep getting better. We need people like BarStart, Mike, OldMagnet, and others to help us. There are a lot of good ideas on this thread. I ask you to get involved. Make it better. We need you. I would like to see positive changes, rather than those that complain. It's all too easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback. I respect those that help. GarlicPete, I know you put a lot of hours in for us, Thank You.

I knew a Hard Working Man that always acted like he didn't have a lot. He told me that his advisors were upset with him. He had over a million dollars in Cat stock, no others. He smiled at me and said," Look at all my Cats, They keep going on forever... So will my money in that Stock" hahaha I'm gonna miss that Smart OldTimer... I'm ok with the decision. I accept it. If it bothers someone too much, then get on the board and Help with positive changes!!!
Glen

I had joined this club back in the early 2000's after purchasing an old Caterpillar, I spent time on this bulletin board reaching out to those who could help me since no one was in my area. I later found no help at the time, even reached out to those I later found to be in the club with Caterpillars for their help and knowledge but with no success. Only the person I purchased the Caterpillar from was willing to help me in my journey. So I let my member ship expire cause I felt I was not getting much other than the models and magazine for the money I was spending. I later rejoined again around 2010 to give the club another shot only to find about the same answer same story left but later rejoined a few years back. I have realized and regretted possibly not making one more connection in the past 16 years to help me or find a part I need to complete my work. Many people with the knowledge of my project have passed and no longer can share their knowledge with me or the rest of us. So I with a few connections am up to just doing my project on my own at this point. I think it's a struggle for new generations to join when their neighbors have them other model tractors that they can just call the dealership on these days. If we are looking at growing memberships it would be interesting to see the demographic of where our members stand and think about how to get the younger generations involved otherwise all these great tractors will someday be scrapped and of no interest to those to pass down the passion. I also realize if someone does not have a D2 or later era then it is really hard to get answers at times, parts, or help. We as members all can help grow the membership by helping those that have an interest in Caterpillars, I myself became interested after meeting one person and became a member back in the day. At the same time the club needs to take steps to help reach new members not just by model sales or by past family members.

Please beware of the past success of toy sales. After collecting for 20 years the market was flooded from early 2000's till today. That being said the other dealers either stock very few if no toys, the Caterpillar dealers just want to sell parts not toys. Many of my well hundreds to thousands of toys have no value to anyone but me. The value is less than the initial cost to purchase. The ones holding value and profitable are those of limited quantities or only produced a few times. These toy models starting in the middle of the 2000's produces several tractors that were produced and reproduced over and over again on several model lines at times just adding detail to increase the price point. It's no wonder Ertl was sold and bailed before the toy industry took a hit they seen it coming and sold out. Yes the toy industry was profitable at one time but lacks the interest in younger generations who do not receive one as a gift for Christmas or get a new toy when they go to the dealership. It's no wonder you go to a farm dealership and the farmer and his kids walk in, go to a Cat dealership and there is almost no interest in a toy on the shelf. These newer generations have no interest in toys it's about technologies and the best of the best. These kids will not go on to purchase toys, create a collection, or pass them on to future generations.

My question is how many members in the club have there young kids collecting toys these days?

Is this driven off a want of our members?

I can certainly remember when the D2 model came out jumped on the first one, then the second one came out and I thought there goes the value increase of the first one, then the third, and then on. Well they were successful partially due to the limit quantity I believe. It's not cost effective to live by small quantities these days as the production costs have increased causing more models being produced per cost.

Honestly will say some toy manufactures have yielded the storm and did not make the same mistakes as others. But all in all the whole toy market took a hit, especially loosing the buyer and collector.


Today the market is so flooded the past mistakes of toy manufactures still shows in the value of the toys and has limited the collector population these days. Today is a local toy show, maybe I will take a few minutes to go get a price guide and see another year of declining value and remember the day it was back then.

I am not saying the new toy production will not be profitable or successful to the club. Time will certainly tell but please do not compare today to the post 2009 model sales. As I hear of many different models being produced I will purchase the first one then I myself consider buying others as they come along. Yes it's more profitable to reproduce the model with different variations but limits the value and continued interest.

I have followed the toy posting and looking forward to receiving it at the front door, and thank everyone who has put all their time and effort into making the model and design possible.

First step is to realize there is a problem and get over the notion that any correction is a personal attack. I think we are about as close to that as this group has been.
Second step is to broaden the resource base in support of the representatives.
My proposal is that each of the club officers expand their reference base by selecting and teaming up with outside resources, either inside or outside the club. These would not have to be attending positions but more of a mentor type arrangement where the officers represent a broader knowledge base than what we have now.. For example I can see Wombat teaming up with Mike Meyer and probably one other individual on a consulting type basis. Garlic Pete with Barstart and maybe one other financial contact etc to where all the business and hobby functions have broader coverage. It would be up to the individual officer to acquire and sustain their representative group and demonstrate that it is not just a "good ole Boy" arrangement. I would be open to such an arrangement if it is determined there is a niche but as far as running for the Board, that isn't going to happen.

Mike Meyer touched on a good point that I'd like to reinforce.
Seems to me the open discussion on the development of the D4 model went well. Why is this format not used for significant financial decisions and programs as well. Start with a concept or proposal, open it up for discussion. There are plenty of good minds out here that I'm sure are willing to contribute, just don't short circuit the time allocated to do so.

Good suggestion Pete, Wombat and I are 4 hours drive apart but already talk on the phone most weeks about ACMOC and old Cats, I said to Neil yesterday I'd sure like to see BarstartSue help if she could, I believe she only has one more test to sit before coming a full CPA but her plate is usually pretty full with work, study, kids and volunteer work, but she loves old Cats, knows most folks in California and is as honest as the day is long.

I'd also like to see one of our Directors based in the UK as soon as possible to provide a link through England, Ireland, Scotland and into Europe, we need to pull our international Chapters together better, and I really liked Wombat's suggestion of a larger feature magazine at least once a year, maybe a Christmas copy with more stories, even if we have to pull them out of old Cat magazines, I'd much rather read about old Cats opening up scrub in 1953 or pushing new roads in 1943 than about new toys sitting on a shelf in 2016, but again it's about people stepping up and submitting stories to be published.

We have 2,800 financial members apparently, but only about 1% use this Forum so the magazine still remains the link to the other 99% and needs to continue to grow, the folks who left our Chapter 2 founded a new Club in England called the Link Club and I'm a financial member of that too, they do an outstanding magazine 4 times a year full of stories and there might be the opportunity to use some of their stories in the ACMOC magazine if the lines of communication were repaired?

If we can get some smart computer folks to help us on the Technical Library project obviously there are enormous opportunities for connecting better with our members through their phones and ipads, the younger generation don't write letters or even emails much anymore do they so there is an opportunity for the magazine to be sent out digitally to those who want it (not me!!) saving the Club money on postage, and for real time links to organised ACMOC Chapter activities and even better access to members youtube movies about their Cats, assemble them in a library instead of the current hit and miss. Our membership is getting older in a hurry and we need to engage with the younger generation better if we are to have any hope of saving these old Cats.

Those are great challenges suggested by you and Wombat but I think we need to take some baby steps first.
I think the biggest hurdle to acquiring more help is that anybody that jumps into the current ring is going to get dumped on. This needs to be overcome by further distributing decision ownership. That can be accomplished by clearly defining just what help is being requested and breaking that up into increments that potential volunteers can fit into their area of expertise and schedule. No one is going to show up without clear direction and objectives or blanket function.

By the way, if the general membership thinks there isn't a financial management problem I challenge you to present a copy of the financial reports to anyone that is familiar with accounting and financial management as their profession. You will be shocked at what they tell you.

"Barstart" wrote:

LOL, thanks, Mike!

I've already finished all the exams and got my CPA license almost two years ago. My teenage son thinks I'm important because I have three monitors at work. Time does fly! It's the masters degree in tax that I'm working on - another 3 years to go.

Had to work today, and it will be 6 days a week until February, when it turns into 7 days a week, but I finally got a little Caterpillar time this morning.

Well done Sue, thanks for taking the time to double check those numbers, I can see us calling you Dr. Sue in no time!

Just stumbled on this thread, pretty sobering reading.

Being in leadership positions for my church and for our small water utility, plus raising kids and doing my job, I am not in a position to help much right now. That said, I am a financial consultant and investment advisor to over a dozen pension funds, and I train investment committees on fiduciary oversight regularly. I am afraid I have to agree, putting all $200k in one stock, even Cat stock, was not a decision I could endorse. I would be happy to provide my recommendation on how the Club's long-term assets should be invested- if my opinion can help, I just need a full understanding of the Club's time horizon for these funds and a feel for its risk tolerance. (No charge of course)

I know it is tough getting folks to help run a volunteer organization,and I sure do appreciate what you all do. The club and the site have helped me tremendously with my Cat, and provided a ton of education and camaraderie. Not too many years down the road I will be retiring, and I hope to be of some service to the Club then.

Greg