Since I seem to have spent the last year-and-a-half tracking down
all the stuff I need, who cares? Is this weirdo gonna start selling
again or is he/she just waiting for the olympics boom?

I don't really mean to sound bitter, but enough with the form/letter
emails already. I AM bitter. Very. Pull the site if you ain't gonna sell.

Maybe some people here have some info, or an opinion opposed to mine.
Personally I vote for total blacklist. Taking time off for revamping, ramping up,
inventoring, etc, that's cool. Just quit with the insulting nature to those of
us that USED to support your business.

I could go on and on, and perhaps I will in time. We need to start speaking out
about those that promise, but never deliver.

Flame away at me if you choose, but when I advertise something, you get it.

I'm with you. My experience with Rinis hasn't been good. When I want to buy something I want to send money and get the parts. With her it's like pulling teeth.

Oh, and that website has a layout that will drive you NUTS!

I'm with you guys. I did order some parts, and received them, but I will not do business with them again if I can avoid it. I called on the phone and was told that they were busy working on their website, and couldn't handle new orders.

If they can't handle orders, they won't need a website.

Send 'em to business 101 class.

SteveM.

I never had any problems in the past. Sure the website was awful, but I got the parts I needed in a timely matter.
My most recent experience was not good at all. I ordered a set of Ashtabula cranks via email. I got a reply asking for a method of payment, which I sent. In that email I asked if they had a bottom bracket to go with the cranks. Three days went by without a response, so i called them to make sure they got my email.
She told me "yes, I got your email, but when I saw you wanted a bottom bracket too, I said "just forget it - it's in storage and I don't want to bother."
She went on like this for five minutes lecturing me on how she did no want to bother with my order and how she was wasting her time with all the back-and-forth emails. First of all, she only sent me two emails before she decided to "forget it." Second, I don't need a lecture on the phone about her problems. A simple "no, I am too busy" would have sufficed. Better yet, she could have told me in the second email that the bb was off in storage, but the cranks were readily available.
I ordered the cranks, despite the rude service. They arrived in a timely manner, but they had several heavy rust spots, and were not the length she told me. They will work, but next time I need parts, I will not waste my time and money with them.

Ok, I'll take the opposing viewpoint I guess....

Relax. Buy your stuff somewhere else. It's not like she stocks rare parts or anything. That site has been picked clean. Anyway it is HER LIFE, HER WEBSITE, and HER CHOICE to hurry up and get the website up and running again...or not! Being bitter and upset seems totally misplaced.

Big deal...so you have to wait a little longer to order 1,000 feet of lime green brake cable and those 8 Ball valve caps.

Am I doing good with the opposing point of view?

I bought some stuff from her and it went fine, of course that was 3-4yrs ago. Can't complain about the 35.00 NOS Flow panel I scored on.

I don't like that website at all. Javacrap is a pain.

Tom -

I disagree (which is rare between you and I) I think the other members should be warned of her "less than courteous" business practices. A few years ago I wanted to buy some handlebars off of her site. I took the instructions from her website and called with the parts numbers. No answer, no machine.

So, I called a few more times. No answer, no machine. Finally, I emailed a few times. After several days had passed I finally got a response. So, I pose my simple question......"How many PART #XXX do you have in stock I will buy all of them". Several days pass, finally another email that says something to the effect......"I don't know I'll have to check - what do they look like". I remember thinking to myself....WTF......what do you mean what do they look like? It's your website and your part numbers and I requested information in the format that you told me to ask it in.

So, like a good little subservient customer I then sent an email describing the handlebars that I was interested in. Well, not to sound like a broken record, I waited a few more days. Finally a reply to my email that said......."I have X of them in stock, are these the bars you're interested in"? I about lost it - she sent me a picture of a set of bars that weren't even REMOTELY like the set I was interested in. Honestly, it was at this point I felt like giving her a piece of my mind for wasting so much of my time. I didn't verbally.......I just refused to ever even THINK about giving her my business again. (By the way, I called her a few times during the whole...."describe the bars" period too)

So, in summary it's important to pass this kind of stuff onto other members so they know what to expect. Isn't the point of this little community? I've talked to other people who've had similar problems with her but I've never mentioned it publicly here until now. I think it's gone on long enough without something being said.

And now, I've said it.

I'm with Braaaaaadddddd. I had no problems ordering a set of white Tuffs from her....but that was a few years ago and I haven't bought from her since for whatever reason.

A few years ago all was good dealing with her. Within the last year nothing but a pain in the arse!

I understand exactly what you are saying, and I agree that you should warn others. But there's no law against being a lazy, rude, forgetful businessperson.

My comments were more directed at Profiler's complaint that he "is bitter" because her website is not up and running and he cannot buy from her. (I have not been to that site in ages, so I don't know the current status of it. I'm just going by Profilers comment)

If I owned a restaurant and I decided to close it to remodel...should people start blasting me because they can't eat there? It's totally misplaced. Just move on and spend your money elsewhere - that is the best way to stick it to her in my opinion (assuming that's what you want to do).

Grrrrr! I'm feeling feisty today!

Can someone tell me what "101" is?

"101" refers to the base/entry level course in any education type setting Neil.

Suppose you want to take Accounting, you'd start with Accounting 101.

It's basically insinuates that the person needs to learn "the basics" of business.

It's one more than 100!


American college classes always start with 101 (or with 100 but you don't get credit for those as you are already supposed to know everything offered there). Accounting 101, then Accounting 102, Accounting 110... ect. Then you go to 201 and 202 and then 300 and 400 level classes. Different schools do it slightly differently but using "101" after a type of activity means rudimentary or beginning level.


Wow...accounting seems to be a common example....

I don't think she has all that much "super rare" stuff. I found some items, but nothing to wow-ish... If what she has is rare, its kinda spendy (IMO).

As in Underwater basket weaving 101... Its an entry level college course, at least I think it was

I ordered a Redline BB and Spindle and was sent the wrong BB cups that in the first place were way overpriced. then I discovered I was sent the wrong spindle... I sent her an email and she said that I ordered the wrong spindle (I did not) then was VERY rude with me about the BB cups and said that they were what I ordered and I should be happy with them because of the fact that she had them. the ones she sent me were the new style like you get from Dans Comp with a set of the shims. the ones advertised were of 90s vintage. If I went to a shop and was treated the way I was treated from her someone might get a loogie in the face or more.. what a sad person.

skip american cycle also. ordered five parts, they shipped 2. that was a month ago. won't return any emails so i have no idea if they are going to send them eventually or I should order elsewhere. they are big on ebay also. DansComp, J&R and ColoredTuffs have been awesome

Well, don't know what to say here about everyone else's experiences; but I've ordered from her about a dozen times in the past year or so, via email, and I've always gotten a response the next day, and parts arrived very quickly after payment. Only once did I receive a part not as described, a tire that was advertised as 1.75 ended up being 2.125, she took it back and paid for shipping with no problems. I've been very happy to date. Are all of these recent incidents everyone is talking about? How far back did problems start?

Never had a problem with her, maybe she's just getting old, give her a break.

Yeah, I tried, and failed, to make it clear that it's been within the last year
or so with the problems.
I can't understand how anyone is getting anything.
Everytime I email about placing an order I get a form email back saying
they are down and will contact me when they are back up. Always quoting
an estimated date, which passes, and starts all over again.

Yes Tom, if your restaurant closes for remodeling, fine.
But if you invite me in, show me a menu, take my order, and
then tell me to leave...well that's not warm at all.

I'm over my bitterness, I guess.

My experiences with Ginny have always been pretty good. Sometimes, she would be a little slow in getting back to me, but it was no problem, so I didn't worry.

I haven't dealt with her in quite some time, and it sounds like perhaps service has changed a bit. When I dealt with her a couple of years ago, she did tell me that she was a grandmother, and by the sounds of things, the business was taking its toll on her. I used to buy things like Cheng Shin Comp III's, bottom bracket sets, etc from her. But, I think like a lot of places, those sorts of parts are drying up.

I can't say too much negative about her. She was good enough to me, to cut a GREAT deal on this frameset. It was her original bike from bitd. She used it to ride around whilst on family holidays. It is now happily residing here in Christchurch, New Zealand

I've only done business with her a few times over a few years. It's always kind of been the same each time.

She doesn't know much about what she is selling, so she comes across as a flake about it IMO. She has come through for me, but things have to get pulled from storage, or she doesn't know what you were talking about.

I've tried to do it simple, by just saying, "I wan't this number off your web site". But she doesn't seem to know what part that is, lol.

I've also tried to be very specific. In the case of the Chrome Spokes she was advertising, I wanted "This many, of this MM length, and this thickness/gauge...etc"..... But she was completely baffled. They say 20 inch wheel on the box, and that is all she knows. "They are supposed to fit a 20 inch bike wheel". ....

If you ask her if a chain-wheel has a 135 BCD, you will probably not get a response.

I have always gotten what (pretty much) what I wanted, in the end. But it is always a little strange. I think you need to copy the picture, and paste it in the email, and say..."I want 1 of these things, that looks exactly like this." But if you say..."I want 1 of these things, that looks exactly like this, only I want it in BLUE, NOT GOLD." You are hosed for a few weeks of further clarification communications. lol. ...

I have no ill feelings for her, but you can't be in any hurry, and you have to be very patient with her, as she really just has no idea what she is selling. ....To me that's the real oddity, she does seem to know for a glimpse in time, but really doesn't .... She knows it's worth something, and she obviously has sources to get it, but it seems far removed from her personally.... Like ....her brother-in-law is rich, and in the bicycle wholesale business, and has sources on cool old stuff, and wanted to help his widowed relative make ends meet, so he suggested she sell some of the cool stuff he finds for her ...online.

Yeah, I just made all that up, but she is a sweet person that has somehow come into possession of an old warehouse of stuff, and is selling the stuff to finance retirement trips to Vegas....or something...lol.


But hey, I bought this from her as one of my first projects...




And I turned it into this...



And, that led to another, and another, and.... it led to where it is now for me.

So while I agree that she runs a very unorthodox business, in a rather unusual manner, and some strange things tend to happen during the course of doing business with her, I could hardly harbor any ill feelings toward her. I just know what to expect, and when to expect delivery.

Sounds like a good lead in to an interview.
Who's the site reporter/interviewer?
Might be a good story.

So far it's been a nice informative thread for me. I'll just add a couple more cents
and let it fade away.

I had no idea that this was truly a one-person operation. Well, maybe some idea
but it seemed far-fetched. I doubt even I could (or would even want to) handle
that amount of stock and run the orders. And I'm smart. (keep it down, folks )

Perhaps someone here that's between jobs or whatever could offer to
help out. Seems like she's sitting on a gold mine and nobody
pick up a shovel...

All pure speculation on my part of course. Maybe this will just continue to be
one of those mystical mythical magical parts of our little obsession. That's ok too.

[size="7"][/size] TO ALL CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE BEEN MONITORING THESE POSTS. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING 12-15 HOUR DAYS FOR MONTHS TRYING TO PUT UP A COMPLETE USABLE SITE. I KNOW THE OLD SITE HAD MANY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE JAVA FORMAT AND THAT ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT I DID NOT HAVE ALL MY ITEMS LISTED HELPED ME MAKE THE DECISION TO DO A NEW SITE. I DID NOT KNOW AT THE TIME WHAT A HUGE UNDERTAKING IT WOULD BE. AT THE PRESENT TIME I HAVE WELL OVER 4,000 ITEMS LISTED ON THE NEW SITE. I AM ALMOST FINISHED AND DECIDED NOT TO LAUNCH IT UNTIL I HAD THE MAJORITY OF MY ITEMS LISTED. ONCE IT IS LAUNCHED I KNOW IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BE ADDING ITEMS ALL THE TIME. I DO NOT THINK THE AVERAGE PERSON REALIZES WHAT IT ENTAILS TO OPERATE A ONE PERSON BUSINESS WITH THE ORDER FILLING, WEBSITE MAINTENANCE, ETC. BELIEVE ME IT IS NOT EASY. AS FOR SOME OF THE THE PROBLEMS I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS DISCUSSED HERE WITH THE OLD SITE. FIRST OF ALL I DO NOT KNOW HOW ANYONE IN THERE RIGHT MIND WOULD EXPECT ME TO KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE ITEMS I HAVE FOR SALE. THEY THROUGH A ITEM # AT E AND ALLOT OF TIME DO NOT EVER SAY WHAT THE ITEM IS AND EXPECT ME TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. HOW WOULD I EVER BE ABLE TO EVER KNOW ALL THE #'S FOR ALL THE ITEMS. THE # IS FOR VISUAL IDENTIFICATION ONLY. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS IF A CUSTOMER SAW A PART SHOWN IN ONE COLOR AND WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD IT IN ANOTHER COLOR THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD KNOW WITHOUT GOING TO THE WAREHOUSE AND LOOK. HOW WOULD I EVER BE ABLE TO REMEMBER THAT INFORMATION ON ALL THE ITEMS I HAVE IN STOCK? LIKEWISE IF SOMEONE ASKED ME FOR EXAMPLE WHAT THE BCD OF A CERTAIN CHAIN WHEEL IS WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE WITH OUT LOOKING SINCE I HAVE SO MANY CHAIN WHEELS ON HAND. I DO NOT THINK IT IS UNFAIR FOR ME TO EXPECT SOME CONSIDERATION ABOUT ANSWERING QUESTIONS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED MY BEST TO FILL ORDERS PROPERLY AND IF I MADE A MISTAKE WOULD ALWAYS CORRECT IT WITH NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. LIKEWISE IF A CUSTOMER MADE THE MISTAKE ON THERE END I TRIED TO CONSIDER WHY THE MISTAKE WAS MADE WHEN THEY PLACED THE ORDER AND CORRECT IT TO THERE SATISFACTION. MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I SENT THE WRONG ITEM IT WOULD BE REPLACED WITH THE CORRECT ITEM WITHOUT EVEN ASKING FOR A RETURN OF THE INCORRECT ITEM. MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT I OPERATE A ONE PERSON OPERATION AND I AM ALSO NOT A COMPUTER WIZ. EVERYTHING I DO ON THE COMPUTER HAS BEEN SELF TAUGHT SO THE UNDERTAKING OF THIS NEW WEB-SITE HAS BEEN QUITE A UNDERTAKING. I DO NOT THINK THE AVERAGE PERSON IS AWARE OF WHAT ALL HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN TRYING TO LIST 4,000+ ITEMS IN A WAY THAT THE ORDERING COULD BE DONE EASILY, CORRECTLY AND WITH NO PROBLEMS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IT A LITTLE FASTER IF NOT FOR SOME UNDERLYING REASONS. #1 BEING THAT I AM CONSTANTLY DAILY BOMBARDED WITH PHONE CALLS INQUIRING ABOUT PARTS, AVAILABILITY AND WANTING TO KNOW WHEN I WILL BE READY. I CAN'T GET MUCH DONE WHEN THIS IS ALWAYS HAPPENING.#2 BELIEVER IT OR NOT I DO ALSO HAVE A PERSON LIFE TO TEND TO. I A 63 YEARS OLD AND DURING THE SPAN OF TIME I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE NEW SITE I HAVE DEALT WITH A VERY SERIOUS ILLNESS IN MY FAMILY-- MY HUSBAND WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT-- 3 DEATHS IN MY FAMILY AND THE DEATH OF MY CLOSEST FRIEND. I AM SORRY IF HAVING TO DEAL WITH THINGS LIKE THIS HAS PREVENTED SOME PEOPLE FROM BEING ABLE TO BUY THERE PARTS FAST ENOUGH. I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION AND PATIENCE MOST OF MY CUSTOMERS HAVE SHOWN TO ME IN MY QUEST TO PUT UP A MUCH BETTER SITE. TO THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE PATIENT AND CONSIDERATE THEN I HAVE TO SAY IT IS YOUR PROBLEM NOT MINE. I WILL BE NOTIFYING BY EMAIL PAST AND PRESENT CUSTOMERS SOON THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO ACCESS AND BE ABLE TO PURCHASE FROM THE NEW SITE. ANYONE WANT TO ORDER IS WELCOME. THOSE WHO WISH TO SHOP ELSEWHERE IS FINE WITH ME TOO. I HOPE IT LAUNCH WILL BE WITH MINIMAL PROBLEMS BUT I GUESS I WILL NOT KNOW THAT UNTIL IT IS ACTUAL OPERATION. THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN UNDERSTANDING.

Wow! this goes to show that we never know what goes on in everybody's life, but we like to jump to conclusions sometimes, I am sorry for your lost and do appreciate what you are doing for the hobby. You could have easily just closed up shop, but you are still working hard at the hobby.

OUCH WELL SAID

Hmmm..... People talking before they think on here? Well, I think I have done that. Maybe not. Well maybe...

I have nothing but positive things to say about Ginny's.

I can't wait until they get back up to order a couple small things, but I am in no hurry.

Let's see, how do I say this?

I am the one who started this thread. I never knew this was a one-person operation. All I knew
was that I used to be able to order all the cool stickies I needed. Then it all stopped and I couldn't get them anymore.

As I tried to state earlier, for one person to even attempt to keep up with
that sort of inventory, demand, webby-sort of deal would be impossible..
Just impossible.

I did not know it was like that.

I apoligize.

I have bought from her a few times and shipping to Australia was sweet and cheap. No complaints here. I need a few bits on there but I can wait.

Ginny, I think it's great that you posted up a response here.

What you do single-handedly is a huge feat. You are correct, most people have no idea what goes into such an endeavor.

I think it would be awesome, as it was suggested, to get a VBMX interview of sorts from you.

This group has a vast knowledge and vast history in VBMX. On this board there is virtually no question that goes unanswered on the VBMX topics. This group is a veritable "Who's who?" and "What's what?" of the VBMX world. Everyone has a story, everyone has knowledge to share, and everyone knows something that someone else does not. Everyone holds pieces of the puzzle, and while we are here, the whole picture is available for viewing, because someone was there, someone has photos of it, someone knew the person, and it all comes together right here.

People here also hold some of the largest collections of VBMX bikes and parts ever amassed. Collectors tend to know every item they own, and have specific knowledge on every single item in their inventory. Many of these collectors become sellers, and when they do, they tend to know every detail about every item they sell, and every item they buy with the intent of reselling, is hand picked due to their knowledge on the items. This is far removed from your average retailer.

I maintain that you are a sweet person, and you are one to give it your very best, in order to please the customer. However, I think many people here have a hard time (including myself) understanding your perspectives as a retailer due to the differences in how our (collectively as a group) VBMXers generally approach our collections. We know everything we possibly can about every VBMX item we collect. That makes it hard to understand anytime someone has something and doesn't know the entire history of it, who made it, when it was made, whether it was a good part, or a bad part, it's strengths, it's weaknesses, what bikes it came on as standard equipment (if any), ... ad nauseum.

In short, there are many, many, people here that truly have an encyclopedic knowledge on most of the items you sell, and they simply can't comprehend how you can have an item, and not know everything there is to know about the item, and exactly how many of them you have, after all, we do.

We carry with us almost Pavlovian "conditioned responses". You say Flight Crank, ...we say, "Single Pinch or double pinch?", or "Wrap around or Not?". You say Pro-Neck, ...we say "Bull-dog, or Cat?" or "Stamped or Un-stamped?" and "Square or Rounded". You say Sunshine, ...we say "Sealed or Unsealed" and "High flange or Low flange?". You say California Lite, we say "Johar, or Perry Kraemer?"...

We are also a fairly tightly bundled age group. We were the ones on the front lines of BMX between 1975 and 1985 here, and we were all (mostly, lol) between ages 6 and 20 years old in that time frame.

In short, you are somewhat of a mystery to many of us here. Everyone has a story here, and has a VBMX history here, and clearly, you are involved in VBMX being a seller of many of the core items we seek, but we seem to have no knowledge as to why, and I think most everyone here would love to find out, and expand the VBMX picture with a few more pieces of the VBMX puzzle.

Personally, I would love to know more about you as it pertains to our hobby and history. So, I can easily think of a few impromptu interview questions to ask if you don't mind. You don't have to answer them if you don't want to of course, but I guarantee the interest in your answers would be genuine for all of us here.


Were you involved in BMX racing in the 70's and 80's yourself, or via kids involvement, or via being a Track Operator?

Has bicycling in general always been a part of your life?

Has the bicycle sales business in general always been a part of your life?

Clearly your business has some real niches, how did you find yourself in this niche? IOW, How did VBMX items become a specific interest for you?

Do you collect items yourself, or focus on reselling them only?

Are you related to Stu Thompson?

Do you know Eddy King? (Hint: just say "yes" to this one)

Have you ever been a monkey on a sidehack?

I am sure there is lots that people here would love learn about you and your VBMX business if you are willing to share. I'm also pretty sure it won't hurt business any, and if anyone gets impatient about the time it takes you to respond (should you so decide to) , they will surely endure a good flogging from Elvis et al...

What he said! lol

Dang Ted ,your gonna give her a stroke....

Oh i never had a problem!!!awsome lady!! who would have thought..