The Traveling Pick Sampler - Anyone Interested?

I alluded to this idea in another thread and would like to gauge the interest in this project.

The idea is this: send along, via US mail, a growing sample of quality picks to various Cafe members to try out. This could give people the chance to try lots of picks they've only read about here, and it could be lots of fun.

I will start by donating this Wegen pick. I will mail it to someone who will add another quality pick to the mix and agree to pass them along. I don't expect that anyone will put a Bluechip in the mix, but who knows (I don't own a BC). There are many great picks that don't cost a lot that I'm sure several members have lying around unused. There is Wegen (various types), Primetone, Golden Gate, DAWG, V-Picks, etc, etc.

Even if the lot got up to over a dozen or so, I'm sure a standard postage stamp would cover shipping to the next member. Would probably be best to keep them in a baggy or taped down to cardstock for the journey.

This might make for a fun and certainly an interactive thread. And when interest seems to have died down, whoever ends up with the lot could sell it in the Classifieds and donate the money to the Cafe. A good faith effort all the way around.

Is anyone interested in doing this? If so, PM me with your address and I'll get the Wegen in the mail to you.

Caleb, I think this is a cool idea! I will swap a couple of "V-Picks" for a while! I'll PM you later or you can PM me, I have grand children coming in a bit and may get side tracked.....(MAY?)
T

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Timbofood

Caleb, I think this is a cool idea! I will swap a couple of "V-Picks" for a while! I'll PM you later or you can PM me, I have grand children coming in a bit and may get side tracked.....(MAY?)
T

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I already have some V-picks but would be willing to send you the Wegen. You can then add the V-pick[s] and pass them all along.

Thanks, Caleb. Like I said in the other thread, I am interested in this, although I'd prefer being further down the list so I can hopefully play a little better by the time it gets to me. Not sure if it's "quality" enough, but I can contribute a 2.0 mm Dunlop Big Stubby pick. Personally, I wouldn't mind trying some cheaper picks that people like, too.

Caleb,

I'm in. I have a collection of picks I really don't use anymore. I'll toss in several and send it along to however is next in line. I'll PM my address.

Doug

Objects, PM me with your address and I will shoot you a couple of "V-picks". I want to give the Wegen a shot, never used one.
Chunky, I'm sending some to objectsession, then on to you I guess.
This might getting a little confusing but, fun.

Yeah. I'm a little confused - I thought this was going to be just one sampler that'd grow as people feel like adding picks. And I think it might be really confusing unless someone keeps a list all the people who are signed up instead of having each person seeing who posts next.

Does that mean, Caleb (as instigator) bears that little honor or, you (objectsession) since you made the realization that this might be a postman's nightmare, so to speak?
Just a logistics question.
I thi the simple route would be for whomever the last to receive send to the next poster? The bag will get pretty heavy given the number of possibilities.
I think I will mail to you then you to Chunky, does that make sense? As the chain grows the last poster can't read for a month, just in case they get the whole shooting match back in their lap?:))

I'll wait to see what Caleb thinks.

Might be good to hear some other people's experiences with this sort of thing, too. I know other online communities have done it, but I've never participated. Might be good to know about some pitfalls or concerns.

I don't think we can edit old posts on here. Otherwise, it'd be pretty easy to just have someone keep a list of the screen names in the top post of a new thread. Maybe a google doc could work. I just want to avoid the case where either two people think they are next or two people both think they're after the other person (so no one thinks they are next).

I'm confused, too. Can't you just take your mandolin to Guitar Center or your favorite mandolin store and try some picks before you buy? Or is this not allowed? Or don't they stock specialty picks for mandolin? Or enough choices?

(sorry, not trying to spoil anybody's fun)

Have your phone ready to snap a pic of the Guitar Center employee when you ask for a Wegen, V-pick, Blue Chip, Triangular D'Andrea, Triangular Dunlop Stubby, Dunlop 207 or even the new Primetones. Just saying...

I'm fortunate and live very close to Acoustic Music Works. Most are not that fortunate. I'm more than willing to share the ones that I've moved on from or just don't work for me anymore.

Doug

Sorry, I almost ruined a perfectly good iPad with projectile beer laughter! Chunky, you must have the same GC store as we have here in Kalamazoo! The famous phrase "That ain't no...." Was surely coined for the caliber of staff here.
The way it looks like it stands is, and correct me if I'm wrong,...
Caleb will send me something
I will then send Objectsession, the original and some additions,
Objectsession sends to Chunky.
This is doable, not too hard really, but, it could get a bit hairy if it gets too big.
Strictly honor system, right? If you find something you are really impressed go to GC and be prepared to get the most blank look you will probably see in your life, then call Elderly? (Or whomever is closest?)

Side note, Chunky, my sister lives in the Pittsburgh area (Ross township) I visit from time to time maybe we can swap mandolin stories sometime?

Ok, folks, sorry for any confusion. I tried to be as clear as possible in my original message but I guess it didn't work. The idea is/was for me to start the deal with the Wegen, send it on to another member who would add a pick or two - so on and so forth till there would be a lot of picks being passed around. I wasn't planning on trying to keep the thing going or oversee it, but just get it started and see where it went.

Obviously anyone can pass around any pick he or she wants to in the meantime.

I'm passing the Wegen to Timbofood since he PM'd me first.

I'm going to ride the Wegen and see how it feels, sounds, etc. the I will add a couple of V's to the mix and send it to objectsession. Then it's in object's court.
Should the collection ever make its way back to Caleb, I like his idea of a raffle, a buck an entry and send it to Scott for the next "Restoration project?" Or not.

Sounds good to me, Caleb. No reason to make it complicated if it doesn't have to be I guess.

If it's okay with all of you, I'd rather take myself out of the list until later. Kinda want to try a few more picks if I can. So, Timbofood can send on to Chunky But Funky, then we can go from there.

Sign me up (I'll message you my email address). If I have any spare picks that aren't in the set when it arrives to me, I'll add them.
So far everyone in the thread is in the US. As much as I'd like to see out of US players included, I'd suggest limiting to the US for shipping and customs reasons. Someone in Europe might want to consider starting something similar over there.
Jeff Mando-- I doubt that Guitar Center or other local stores would care if you came to test drive picks, but very few have a wide selection of picks which are particularly good for mandolins. Best I've seen was Elderly Music, and even that mecca for strings didn't have everything.

I've been getting a few PMs so I thought I'd put this out for all to see. I am going to mail (tomorrow, 17 August) the Wegen to Timbofood and that will be my only part in this deal. After he gets the Wegen and tries it out, he can add whatever he wants to the mix and then he'll take on the responsibility of mailing from there, and so on and so forth.

I'm not sure how (or if) this deal will really work, but it was an experiment in creative thinking in hopes that it could be a fun thing for all who wish to be involved.

It's not going to be a five minute test drive for the Wegen, I need to hit it hard for a day or two,
Chunky, PM me your address and I will send my additions to your envelope. Then, I guess I am out of the loop.
Caleb, see how a committee can confuse the simplest ideas, reminds me of world politics.

Caleb-- are you sending Timbo a list of people who responded along with their email addresses so he'll know who's #2 on the list. Each person can send that list along with the picks, crossing their own name off the top of the list.

Add me to the next in line. I am assuming that the person who has the picks would PM the next person in line to get the mailing address.
And, I'm also assuming that this is not a trading system. We are just trying out what's in the bag and adding to it, then passing it along to the next person. No swapping or taking picks for yourself. If you find something you really like, then you leave it there and buy one yourself.

Hate to be the wet blanket here. but a Pick Tour was done on the Cafe a whole bunch of years ago. It made the rounds of quite a few people, and then just mysteriously (?) vanished. Never to be seen again. Somebody, somewhere, has them.... If you're reading this and you have them, please send them back to Pete Whatshisname, who was in charge of the Tour. LOL (Anybody else remember that?)

bratsche

I would like to be added to this list. I have mostly used Golden Gate but I would love to try some other brands.

Paul, no, sorry, I didn't forward any addresses. I figure I'd just let Tim pick it up on his end when he's done with them. Maybe Tim can post when he's done and then see who contacts him first? Just an idea.

mandobassman, yes, the idea is to leave the picks in and pass them along. The point is to find something you like and then go buy it.

bratsche, I don't see your comment as a wet blanket, and I wasn't trying or hoping to be original. If it's been done before and failed, that's too bad. If it fails this time, same thing. I just thought it would be fun. I did a similar deal a few years ago with a DVD here and someone ended up claiming it was "lost in the post" somewhere. I didn't believe it but if a person's character is worth the price of a DVD or a bag of picks, they have bigger problems than what I think of them.

Chunky, the Wegen just arrived and first taste is pretty good, I want to work it with the band and see how it does fighting a very loud banjo player. Adding three "V-Picks" to the mix.
PM me your address and I will send the stack on when I get through testing the Wegen, probably a week or so before I get together with the band but, I will send them after I test ride it a little bit.
Tim

Your comment about BC in the original post brought up an idea. Maybe the nice folks at BC would be interested in donating one or two different kinds to the mix?

If it was my business, I would think that's a pretty good opportunity to sell a certain number of them for the cost of donating a couple. Might work if this goes to enough people...

Myself I think I will hang onto my BCs for now. :)