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Why are the knives all gone? An explanation to price increases and constant OOS messages

Why are the knives all gone? An explanation to price increases and constant OOS messages
We’ve seen an influx of new members to the sub and one of the questions constantly being asked is “why is the knife I want still out of stock?” Longtime members, meanwhile, are more likely to ask why the same knife costs 30% more today than it did a year ago. These are good questions, but the answer is sufficiently complex that answering in a comment reply doesn’t give a full picture.
This writeup will aim to present that big picture. We’ll examine how we got here, the current state of affairs, and some predictions for the future.
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https://preview.redd.it/owygjsf4tvg61.png?width=227&format=png&auto=webp&s=ea8f629779e8d1509658cbbf2841548dbe1ae458

Part I: Demand for high-end kitchen knives is increasing

It’s hard to nail down exactly why demand has increased. There are many underlying causes and yet each of them individually only goes so far. We’ll consider them in combination to understand the surge.

Online interest in knives is growing

Let’s begin close to home. Here at chefknives, we’re about to reach 100k subscribers. That’s a meteoric rise from a small following just four years ago. Here’s how that growth rate looks:
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Growth in chefknives subscriber count 2015-present
For comparison, here’s that same growth trend compared to two subreddits with about the same subscriber count as of early 2018 (Delaware and Wildlife)
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Subscriber growth of chefknives (blue) compared to Delaware and Wildlife (green and yellow). Source: subredditstats.com
If you look at growth rates across other kitchen knife communities you’ll see similar trends. More people than ever are talking about their favorite work cleaver, looking for an “upgrade” recommendation, or asking how to sharpen their grandpa’s vintage sabatier.
We need to be careful in recognizing that these trends play a part in overall growth in phenomena like Reddit, a revival in home cooking, and more. Yet even when compared against these background events, the surge in kitchen knives is remarkable. Reddit approximately doubled its subscribers and posts between 2018-2020. chefknives has doubled three times.

Home cooking was undergoing an early renaissance leading into 2020

It’s no longer the idyllic 1950s. As economic pressure and then cultural allowances pushed traditional gender roles into a more diverse working environment, the reality of the American kitchen became at once more egalitarian and less dedicated. Critics decried the decline of home meals as a loss of culture. More pragmatic Americans saw it as an economic reality.
Ultimately that means more of us in the kitchen out of choice. Nowadays it’s unlikely that Redditors here have (or are) a dedicated parent or spouse who stays at home and cooks all the meals. More likely is a sharing of labor in the kitchen; or, where couples take regular home tasks those chores are less likely to be gender-assigned. Furthermore, the amount of couples choosing to have children is trending downward as the age of first-time parents goes up. Fast food and other pre-fabricated meals are cheap and readily available for those who don’t feel like cooking. Working adults are therefore more likely to choose participation in home cooking than ever before.
Against this unique backdrop began a rebirth of cooking at home - Google Consumer Surveys from 2015 showed discovery search terms on the rise (“best recipes” saw 50% increases year-over-year) and online populations spending increased time researching recipes. Social media programming like Tasty, Binging with Babish, Laura in the Kitchen, and Maangchi took over our Facebook feeds and YouTube recommendations out of nowhere.
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Source: Acosta research \"COVID-19: Reinventing How America Eats\"
And then, suddenly, home cooking became a necessity for us all. Restaurants closed and grocery stores faced massive supply chain issues shelving their most popular products. A population already casual fans of Bon Appetit and Beat Bobby Flay suddenly found themselves unexpectedly making fermented foods come alive and, while certainly not giving professional chefs a run for their money, then at least discovering their homemade chicken nuggets beat the hell out of Tyson’s frozen imitation.
Many of us saw 2020 turn our nascent interest into a favorite daily hobby. So, like the earlier run on toilet paper there began a run on high-end kitchen knives.

Entrenched brands are losing share in the high-end market

Until now I’ve delayed defining what high-end means. What exactly makes a high-end knife? We’re certainly not talking about $15 supermarket knives or the $30 indestructible house knife that line cooks use to chop parsley and open stubborn cans. Rather, we’re speaking of what somebody buys when they want to invest a little more. That’s the chef de commis who wants to start bringing their own knife to work or the home cook staring longingly through the glass front window of a Williams-Sonoma.
Unfortunately, once we get more specific about what a high end knife is, people tend to have wildly different standards.
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I fully anticipate this will be the graphic people seize upon in the comments section, which is why I added descriptive text. That probably won't stop a few screeches about what high-end actually means but, eh, c'est la vie
I’m not going to bother saying where high-end knives begin, but for now let’s simplify to somewhere >=$100. This limits us to a handful of brands (at major retailers, at least) and comprises the vast majority of discussed lines here on the sub.
If we look at Internet search terms for high-end brands, we see people losing interest in established names that cannot prove their price to performance value. For example, let’s consider Google search rates associated with traditional German brands like “wusthof,” “henckels,” “messermeister,” etc.
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source: Google Trends
All of these terms have seen a slow decline in search interest from 2007 onwards. In comparison, between 2014 and 2018 the interest in “gyuto” increased on average by 50% while more general cooking terms like “recipe” or “saucepan” have seen slow, steady increases.
Why are the traditional Solingen brands losing the interest of consumers? One theory is that knife designs are fads like clothing or trendy restaurants - a full-bolster Wüsthof and Nautica jacket may have been all the rage in the early 2000s, but interests simply change over time. If this theory is correct, the current “fad” of Japanese profiles, damascus cladding, Serbian chef knives, etc. are all temporary tastes which will give way to the next fad.
A related explanation is that the Red Queen hypothesis is at work - a theory from evolutionary biology that suggests adaptation is necessary just for survival. Indeed, many of the classic lines of these brands have changed little in the past years and certainly the main differences have been cosmetic. This explanation places blame for brand decline on the brand itself rather than consumer preferences. While unpleasant to point fingers, it’s worth exploring the other side of this coin to get a complete picture. In other words, let’s explore brands that are successfully adapting.

The high-end market is pivoting away from Europe and toward Japanese manufacturing

If consumers have a new standard in aesthetic and performance then how can existing brands stay relevant? Large household names like Zwilling, Victorinox, Wüsthof, Kai, and Messermeister have had varying success in introducing new knives in large western retailers. Focusing on the American retail space, we see that knives which successfully embrace the new consumer demand already own or else license pre-existing, non-Western manufacturing. Struggling brands, on the other hand, try to adapt Solingen practice to produce novel designs and the result ranges from “interesting interpretation” to “missed the point.”[1] [2] [3]
I won’t try to explain why Wüsthof hasn’t had luck making a competitive nakiri or why Messermeister allowed their awful “usuba” design past the concept phase. Suffice to say, the knives that western retailers are pivoting toward tend to be Japanese imports. This may be occasionally disguised by branding, but make no mistake that these are not German copies. Zwilling simply purchased a large manufacturer in Seki City; it becomes obvious when you put them side-by-side with the other Seki manufacturer sold at major American retailers.
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Knife lines sold under a German and Japanese brand respectively.
Meanwhile, co-opting manufacturing (either by rebranding OEM knives or simply sourcing from the same supply chain) is not exactly a new concept. While this practice is less visible in major brands, it is prolific in the Japanese native market and within smaller retailers in the U.S. For example, take the first design from the Zwilling vs. Kai graphic above and see how it’s copied ad nauseum:
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I'm not sure how many of these originate from the same knife blanks vs. different sources of steel that just happen to look very, very similar.
Okay - so what does this mean for Japanese and European manufacturers? For the Europeans, things are not looking good. Unless they somehow convince consumers that their performance to price ratio is going up (and this is a losing economic proposition at present), then major restructuring of their industry is on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the remaining question for Japanese manufacturers is twofold: (1) how do they compete against manufacturing in countries with even lower production cost bases and (2) can they scale up fast enough to deal with this demand? Keep these questions in mind as we’ll soon return to the problem with supply.

Conclusion: the global health crisis caused a run on already sparse supply

The COVID demand surge is unique because potential customers cannot be guided by in-person sales staff toward the high-margin knife they want to sell. Indeed, retail sales of the same Solingen brands listed above have actually been strong even as their internet searches have declined - which is why you continue to find them in malls. So, absent retail staff, interested consumers turned online and the growth rates at chefknives illustrate that.
Meanwhile, online communities have been building their following over years. Each community tends to have their favorite brands with some overlap, but this knowledge base tends to be built up over years and decades. That’s because trusted reviews are infrequent (we want more!) and consensus takes time to develop. As consumers turned online, they found communities recommending products already facing scarcity issues.
What do you get when combining exponential demand with a shift in consumer preferences for a relatively small market of available knives? A run on supply.

Part II: Supply cannot scale

High-end knife manufacturing is unlike low-end manufacturing

Low-end manufacturing is all about limiting cost and producing volume. Typically parts and processes must work together with high tolerance for error - imagine trying to grind a precise geometry when the heat treatment isn’t even and one portion of the knife abrades more quickly. So, there is almost always a tradeoff in performance for price and production at scale. Workers can be trained in a single task, such as soldering the tang to the blade or inspecting heat-treated batches of blade blanks. Many tasks may be automated altogether with humans only inspecting the results. When most Redditors think “mass production” they likely imagine this kind of manufacturing. Yet “mass production” doesn’t mean low-end by default.
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Typical factory setting of Japanese knife manufacture. This particular factory produces both low and high-end knives
High-end knives can be similarly produced at volume, but the production process is more demanding. With higher performance requirements come lower tolerances for error and this means additional training for workers. Heat treatment must be more exacting so that grinds can fit within tighter parameters. This often requires cross-process knowledge so that the sharpener, forger, and metallurgist each understand and can identify minor discrepancies in the others’ processes. Sometimes the sharpener, forger, metallurgist, and polisher are the same person - though this is less common than marketers would like you to believe. Eventually, workers can specialize in a single aspect like polishing or forging and they become so good that others will solicit their services as part of their own process.
So in summary, high-end manufacturing requires more training. Some of that additional training is cross-disciplinary while some is highly specialized. In practice, this means working in various positions across production before settling into a specialty. All that additional training takes years, which is why apprenticeships and decades-long careers are the norm in high-end Japanese manufacturing.

There are limits on how quickly new workers can be trained

Now equipped with understanding of the training required for a high-end manufacturer, we’re ready to dive into the story of a Japanese bladesmith who we’ll call Kenji. It’s 2018 and he wants to scale up production rapidly.
First a little bit more about Kenji. He didn’t start his career in bladesmithing - in fact, despite his city being famous for metalworking and knives, everybody told him that industry was moribund back in the 2000s when he went to university. So, he worked his first years designing heavy machinery before a family emergency unexpectedly brought him into the family business. Years later, he has grown into a management role for the production where he has two full-time employees plus an apprentice. One of those employees is the father of his childhood friend. The two families’ knife businesses merged several years ago.
Now it’s 2018 and Kenji is seeing demand skyrocket. He knows that even if production doubled, he would have a hard time meeting demand. So, how can he double production as quickly as possible while maintaining approximately equal product quality?
In short, he cannot. We’ve already covered how slow training can be, but hiring experienced workers to train them can be equally taxing. That employee whose child was schoolmates with Kenji? None of his sons went into knife making because they saw it as a dead end professionally. Similarly a generation of family businesses shrunk or died out and so Kenji was a dying breed when the market suddenly became hot. Even as knifemaking becomes a viable career once again, finding apprentices is not simple. Many are mindful that consumer interest could quickly return to apathy and such a career does not pay dividends for decades.
Kenji’s story is the norm in high-end Japanese production. Even at a breakneck pace, it will take him several years to double production. If the market should falter during this time, it would be disastrous for his business’ solvency.
Historical data for "Kenji"
YEAR EMPLOYEES PIECES PRODUCED
2014 2 330
2015 2 310
2016 3 335
2017 3 440
2018 3 490
2019 5 570
2020 6 355 
Ballpark numbers for the manufacturer Kenji manages. In mid-2018, he began subcontracting the majority of his sharpening and polishing labor and changed his product line to use more prefabricated steels. 2020 saw major business interruptions due to the COVID19 crisis.

Price increases are slowed by the business landscape

Meanwhile, the free market capitalists here on Reddit have been positively wetting themselves waiting to ask “why don’t the knife makers simply raise their prices?” The simple answer is that Japan’s economy is a free market economy in the same way choosing dinner as a family is a free market decision. Piss off your partner and you can guarantee you won’t get any dinner.
Of course price increases have been happening over time, but slowly. Many makers are still fulfilling backorders - sellers swap stories about shipments arriving for orders placed years prior. Others are under obligations to sell via wholesalers or trade brokers who behave territorially when vendors or other middlemen encroach on their network. Finally, every maker is conscious of how their prices play into the overall landscape of colleagues and competition. Did you apprentice under another bladesmith? If so, what happens if you start selling your knives for more than him? What message would that send and how would he react?
The net effect of this is a market with unusually rigid prices and inflexible scalability. These problems are not intractable, but like all market shortcomings they require time to fix. Beginning in 2020, that time suddenly became equally scarce.

Conclusion: the global health crisis slowed production of an already scarce supply

As the world left the late 2010s, Japanese manufacturing was struggling to scale its production and downstream sellers began to slowly change pricing expectations to meet the new demand surge. Both changes were gradual if not energized - scarce supply was spurring young people into rejoining an industry long thought dead in Japan. Eager young apprentices began showing up to job openings in Sanjo, Seki, and Tokyo for the first time in generations.
Then suddenly that already scarce supply lost crucial days of business production as Japan first began implementing workplace hygiene measures before entering a state of emergency from April until May. These along with other interruptions have severely hampered production capabilities during a time when the business pipeline could hardly afford it.
The run on supply that we explored at the end of Part I is different than the slow demand increases from the decade prior. Large manufacturers had time to expand operations into China and Indonesia while small manufacturers took on apprentices. OEM practices improved and producers were able to streamline their work over months and years. Everybody lagged a little behind with the promise that soon, supply would begin to scale as young apprentices became journeymen and then master smiths.
This run on supply caused a multiplier in demand as production scaled down. Manufacturers no longer lag slightly behind their orders - vendors are reporting it will take years for operations to recover and resume the same pace they had before.

Part III: What’s the future of kitchen knives?

Now we know why the knives are all gone and that the problem is unlikely to be resolved in a few extra months of production. So, what does the future hold for high-end knives? I will propose some educated guesses for what happens over the coming years.

Either Japanese manufacturing practices will scale and expand their industry or else interest will move on - potentially to China, Indonesia, and Vietnam

The Japanese market is already being eaten from both ends. At the very high end, we’re witnessing the rise of custom makers in the US and Europe whose individual pieces command price tags well into the “collectible” range for Japanese knives. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturing is eating into the bottom range of Japan’s knife market with Indonesia and Vietnam closing in. Some of this movement is driven by Japanese companies who outsource low-end manufacturing, but it’s likely that jobs continue to move offshore en masse.
The key question is whether Japanese manufacturing can scale quickly enough to preserve their market share at the $100-500 range. The domestic Japanese market likely needs 10-20 years to scale up production. The question is whether foreign manufacturing needs this long to capture market share, even if Japan does manage to scale up eventually. The past five years have seen neighboring countries scaling up their production quality and doubling quantity every few years, so things are not looking great for the domestic Japanese market. Here is a predictive model based on the past five years of growth.
Predicted model of market share after 15 years wherein Japan doubles production while China, Indonesia, and Vietnam each double every 3-5 years.

Today’s most popular knife fads will be replaced by new ones

One thing we haven’t mentioned until now are the hangers-on of high-end knives. For example, the prolific Sakai Takayuki VG-10 damascus knives are streamlined imitators of more expensive knives like Anryu or Yu Kurosaki. They take certain aspects like the hammered (tsuchime) finish and suminagashi pattern and build the knife around them, allowing the knife to spread more quickly because of the reduced prices.
Yet there are even more extreme imitators coming out of China and Southeast Asia who move faster and are less scrupulous about marketing. They flood Facebook with ads featuring shiny damascus blades with handles so colorful it looks like an M&M mass murder. These companies move massive volume before customers grow wise and thus hasten the lifetime of the fad. For some, it’s an educational experience. For others, they’re just happy they scratched the itch.
At any rate, movement like this eventually spells the end of one consumer taste to be replaced with another. So, I predict that the current fads (VG-10 damascus, hammered finishes, serbian chef knives) will soon fade and be replaced by others. One way this prediction might come to pass is that two years from now semi-scam companies will start advertising cheap cu mai (five layer steel with a stripe of nickel) offerings instead of their current Sakai Takayuki imitations. Or maybe it will be a faux kasumi finish or etched core stainless-clad instead.

Successful manufacturers will begin to partner with small, non-Japanese makers to innovate in their designs and production

Zwilling has already done this with Bob Kramer once, so why not again? The most popular U.S. custom makers are struggling to produce at volume, so these partnerships could solve the problem from both ends. I predict we’ll soon see some version of Wüsthof releasing a line of Maumasi-designed blades or Victorinox licensing Don Nguyen’s handles.
This will, of course, come with challenges. Knife enthusiasts mostly have bitter tastes in their mouths with the memory of the Shun Ken Onion and members of the forum here have pointed out that ZKramers struggle to produce consistently good geometries. I don’t necessarily predict these partnerships will produce good high-end knives.

Conclusion

The knives are, indeed, all gone. And that’s unlikely to change for the near future. The brand you desperately want to come back into stock will continue to face shortage issues for years and may never come back at all. But that’s okay.
Instead, newcomers will soon replace the current favorites. Five years from now, the most sought-after knives will have diversified and new names will replace the old ones slowly. In the past five years, those new names have mostly been Japanese. I suspect the new ones may not be.
Until then, may the back in stock notifications be ever in your favor.
submitted by marine775 to chefknives [link] [comments]

2021 Beginners MegaThread

Hello There!
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My name is u/houseofcards32 and welcome to airsoft! This thread was created to help beginners and newer players out there. I hope you will get something out of this post, as it contains almost every bit of information you need to get started. This thread gets updated every year with new information and sections, so assume the 2019/2020 guides are out of date. This thread will be automatically updated on January 1st, 2022. At the bottom of this thread will include all of the guides I have created so far, if you are looking for something that is not in here, I would look there first.
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This thread also has a video for each section created by me. Don't want to read the massive wall of text that follows? No worries! Sit back and watch the short 1-3 minute videos on the topic.
Consider liking and subscribing to my youtube channel, cards32 , as I don't make money off of these, but I do make it for beginners/newcomers benefit. Under each section will be a video for that specific section.
How to start airsoft in 2020
Battery Guide (LiPo vs nImh)
Stick with an M4/AK if you are an airsoft beginner
Lancer Tactical is bad
2021 Beginner Thread video playlist (in order)
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Are you looking to start airsoft? Do you need information about the basics? Well look no further! This guide will have 15 sections:
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  1. Basic Information
  2. How much does airsoft cost?
  3. The best beginner rifles (AK/M4 variants) for $100-250
  4. Things to generally avoid when playing
  5. What should you bring to your first airsoft game
  6. What weight bb should I be using?
  7. Can I start airsoft as a sniper?
  8. What eyepro/lower face projection should I invest in?
  9. What is a "MED"?
  10. What is a GBBR?
  11. The Search bar
  12. Orange tips and their legality
  13. Airsoft youtubers
  14. MSW (MilSim West)
  15. What are some cheap gear brands to get as a beginner?
  16. Lancer Tactical
  17. What airsoft shops should I buy from?
  18. Don't go out and spend $1000 before playing
  19. Comparing paintball and airsoft is like comparing apples to oranges
  20. What are the most common gearboxes?
  21. Other guides that may be useful
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Section 1: Basic Information
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Your first airsoft guns is one of the most important purchases you will make while playing airsoft. As your first gun, it should be reliable, affordable, versatile, easy to work on (V2/V3), high performance, and compatible with as many upgrades and accessories as possible. This means buying and AEG, or Automatic electric gun or Sub-Machine gun (also known as an SMG). Forget about buying sniper rifles, pistols, gas guns, and other exotic airsoft guns until you have more experience, money, and at least one backup weapon.
To play airsoft it is HIGHLY recommended that you have the following items:
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All airsoft AEG's come with a magazine out of the box (sometimes a mid cap), but is highly recommended that you have 2-3 of these while you are playing. Eye protection is the most important thing in airsoft. All airsoft fields/sites require you to wear goggles/masks while playing. For more information check section 8.
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Section 2: How much does airsoft cost?
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Although airsoft is markedly cheaper than other shooting sports, it's still an expensive hobby. Site fees vary greatly but will typically exceed $25 for a day's play. It is reasonably common to spend in excess of $400 buying, upgrading and accessorizing a single airsoft gun. Gear and clothing can be similarly expensive. It is possible to play airsoft very successfully with just basic equipment, but even the cheapest possible equipment required to play airsoft safely will still cost you a minimum of $100. If you want a competitive advantage, or to play more advanced simulation games, you should expect significant additional expenditure.
It is common for users to approach airsoft with unrealistically low budgets. If you have less than $100-150 to spend, you are not realistically in a position to play airsoft. We will not compromise your safety by recommending you skimp on personal protective equipment. We refuse to recommend Low Power Electric Guns ('LPAEGs'), spring pistols and other ultra-low-budget airsoft guns because their performance is so poor, and their life expectancy so short, that they represent a false economy. You may still be able to afford to rent gear at an organized airsoft site, but not for more than a handful of games at most.
FAQs:
1. ⁠I think I can afford to play. What's the next step?
If you haven't already,read the rest of this guide.
2. Why are you lying to me? I can easily find airsoft guns that cost less than $100.
In airsoft, as in most aspects of life, there is a minimum price below which a product cannot be made fit for purpose. It is possible to buy something approximately gun-shaped for less than $100. Do not confuse this with the ability to buy a gun that will be sufficiently powerful, reliable and long-lived enough to play airsoft with. LPEGs, spring pistols and ultra-low-budget airsoft guns are utterly inadequate for airsoft play and will break rapidly, at which point you will be back to having no gun and will also have lost whatever you spent. In addition, you still need to buy suitable Personal Protective Equipment ('PPE'), which is an absolute prerequisite of play and not free. THE ONLY EXCEPTION to this rule is spring shotguns. The tri-Shot ones. They shoot anywhere from 3-6 bb’s at a time and most shells hold about 30 rounds. These shotguns are only optimal for CQB arenas and highly urban fields. They have extremely limited range so keep that in mind.
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3. The best beginner rifles (AK/M4 variants) for $100-250
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To get into the hobby of airsoft, you will need to have a decent budget. Most beginneintermediate guns cost anywhere from $100-250, but that cost does not include bb's, magazines, batteries, and a charger. Some guns come with a wall charger and a battery, but most users (including myself) recommend throwing the wall chargers away. This is simply because the wall chargers are normally very low quality. Most players recommend starting airsoft with an M4 or AK style variant AEG. Please note that Lancer Tactical rifles are NOT included in this guide, please check section 16 for more information on this topic. Note that the current Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing, so things might read out of stock on the websites listed. I would check other websites if the items listed are not shown. Commonly recommended choices are:
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4. Things to generally avoid when playing
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Airsoft is an honor sport, when you get hit, raise your hand high and display your dead rag. Also yell “HIT” as loud as you can so the other player who is shooting you knows that you are dead. Not displaying your dead rag can lead to being shot more than you want to. Calling someone else’s hits are normally frowned upon as you’re going to cause problems on the field and airsoft drama is not worth it. If someone is suspected of cheating, call a ref/marshal over to observe the player. When you are in the field/game area, DO NOT TAKE OFF YOUR EYEPRO!! EYEPRO is the #1 important thing in airsoft. If a bb hits your eye, you more than likely will be blind. Keep your EYEPRO on at all times while in the field. If you are fogging up, walk off the field. Avoid overshooting other players, once you see a dead rag or a red rag come up, or hear “HIT” stop shooting them. Dead men tell no tales! If you are dead, and a teammate asks where you got shot from, simply say: “dead men don’t talk” and walk back to your respawn.
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5. What should you bring to your first airsoft game
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So you’ve finally bought your gun and gear and you’re heading out to your first game. As mentioned previously, you want to make sure you come prepared. As well as your AEG, you want to make sure your batteries are charged and you brought an extra magazine or two. You also want to bring WATER! Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you need to do in airsoft. Being dehydrated will ruin your day and cause problems for you. Also make sure to have a good amount of bb’s for the day. it is highly advised that you wear boots while playing, running shoes can get dirty easily and there will be mud somewhere on the field that you will end up stepping on and getting wet. An extra pair of socks is also a good idea!
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  1. What weight bb should I be using?
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This question is very common with a lot of newer players. LPAEG’s (Löw powered Airsoft guns) and Walmart airsoft guns use .12 gram bb’s. DO NOT RUN THESE IN AN AEG! This bb’s are cheap and will break the internals of your rifle. You don’t want to throw your money away do you? I didn’t think so. The lowest weight you can use in your replica is .20 gram bb’s. There are a lot of brands out there for bb’s: Elite Force, BLS,, HPA, KWA and so on. All of them are good brands to buy from. If you are planning on playing indoor, most users will recommend .2-.28 bb’s for the best range and efficiency. If you are planning on playing outdoor, using .28’s and higher is optimal for the best range. Just keep this in mind: the heavier weight, the slower the bb travels.
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  1. Can I start airsoft as a sniper?
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It's not recommended no. You can do whatever you want, but sniping is not beginner friendly. Sniping is an expensive virtue and will take a lot of money and time for you to get a rifle that shoots far. Buying a stock sniper will mean you have to put money and parts into it, as the only “good” stock sniper rifle is the SSG24, and the Silverback SRS. The popular airsoft youtuber, Novritsch, has made sniping extremely popular with noobs as he shows a lot of action and gameplay with his guns. Keep in mind that being a sniper is not all action and takes patience and time. His videos are short for a reason. You do the math.
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  1. What eyepro/lower face projection should I invest in?
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Eyepro is the most important thing in airsoft. Airsoft is a sport that requires you to have eye protection on at all times while on the field. Lower face protection is required for most players under the age of 18 in most American fields. Anyone over the age of 18 can normally just get away with goggles, but you don't want to have to go to the dentist do you? Didn't think so. There are different types of eye protection for airsoft, ranging from basic shooting goggles, to face masks that protect your face. There are a lot of different goggles and masks out there, but here are some of the most populamost recommended items. Any eye protection you use MUST BE ANSI 787.1+, otherwise you cannot use them! DO NOT USE MESK EYE PROTECTION UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! They are not anzi rated, and their have been hundreds of cases where someone will shoot someone with mesk eye pro, and the bb will explore on the outside of the google, allowing the bb fragments to get inside an eye.
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9. What is a "MED"?
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If you’ve played airsoft before or are just hearing about this for the first time, a “MED” or minimum engagement distance is utilized in airsoft. Most airsoft guns have semi, and fully automatic. Most fields in the US, do NOT allow full auto within 40-50 feet. Imagine coming around a corner and getting shot with 10 bb’s because the person around the corner didn’t switch to semi. This isn’t Call of Duty, spraying your bb’s all over the place will achieve very little, if not anything. When you get closer than 40-50 feet, switch your AEG to semi. Airsoft, for the most part doesn’t hurt, but getting shot 10-20 times in a row certainly will. Don’t be that guy who full autos people from 10 feet away! It’s being an asshat, and will probably get you kicked out!
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  1. What is a GBBR?
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GBBR(Gas Blow-Back Rifles) are the hyper-realistic guns. If you have a larger budget and would like a more realistic experience these are the guns for you. Not usually recommended as starter guns because of the cost of gas and accessories, but not to be entirely ruled out for a select group of people. These guns require maintenance, but most would consider the work to be put to the background in the face of the utter satisfaction of using one of these guns. Check out GasBlowBack for more information on this topic.
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11. The Search Bar
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The search bar is a tool that is at the top of this sub that is used to search for a post or topic. This feature is not used by any beginners as they will probably ignore this guide and ask the question anyways. Most questions have been asked before and you will find your answer. To use the search bar:
A. Open reddit
B. Click on airsoft
C. Using your eyeballs, look at the top of your screen
D. Using your fingers, type in whatever you are looking for (I.E BEST BEGINNER SETUP)
E. Using your eyeballs, look at the results
F. Realize that most people will just ignore this guide and continue asking the same questions every single day.
G. Profit!
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  1. Orange tips and their legality
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Orange tips are required for retailers, but you are more than welcome to take them off after you receive your airsoft gun. Just note by doing so you will void your warranty. Also please do not take your airsoft gun out in public and follow basic gun safety. Please check your local state/county rules before doing this though. Note that random strangers on the internet will NOT know your local rules, so I cannot empathize this enough.
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  1. Airsoft youtubers
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A lot of users will watch certain youtubers and get a impression of the hobby that does not exist. Remember: Their job is to get views and entertain you, they cut out the parts that are boring. Clickbait content is what most beginners watch and please note that cheaters in airsoft are not as common at they make them to be. If you are interesting in learning more about clickbait, I made a video breaking down airsoft clickbait on youtube. There is of course great content creators out there that don't just make clickbait and I implore you to go look for them.
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14.MSW (MilSim West)
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MSW is considered the only "true" Milsim in the US. Interesting in going? Read the Tacsop.
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  1. What are some cheap gear brands to get as a beginner?
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It is also pretty common for airsofters to think they need to spend a bunch of money on super expensive gear to get started. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Good gear does not equal skill (BY ITSELF), and while having good gear CAN help you play, it won't make you a special operator by itself. Most users are on a budget anyways, and investing in cheap chest rigs is a great option to stay within your budget. Note that most of these recommendations will be chest rigs, simply because of the price and functionally of them. Condor is one of the most budget friendly airsoft gear brands out there, as they will be on this list a bunch. NOTE: THE CHEAP CROSS DRAW VESTS ARE NOT INCLUDED ON THIS LIST SIMPLY BECAUSE FOR THE MOST PART, THEY SUCK. Some good budget options ($0-100) would be:
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  1. Lancer Tactical
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So Lancer Tactical is not on this guide for a multitude of reasons. For starters, in 2017, their CEO was arrested at shot show under the pretenses of producing non-anzi rated goggles and advertising as such. They were producing goggles that were direct copies of Revision, and lied about their goggles being rated for airsoft. But the primary reason as to why they are not recommended is that their quality control is fucking horrendous. Lancer has created 2 "generations" of guns, with the 2nd generation "having a different oem" meaning that they were magically fixed. Spoiler alert, the QC is still garbage and even their "prolines" having terrible QC, with Reventian having to be SENT 3 for a review, and his 3rd one died. But if you don't believe me on the QC part, check out a compilation of lancer's breaking in the past year.
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  1. What airsoft shops should I buy from?
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Recommended US-Based Retailers
Infantryshopusa
Airsoft GI
Evike
Amped Airsoft
Airsoft Extreme
Airsoft Atlanta
Trinity Airsoft
Gas Blowback Central
JustAirsoftAmmo
InfantryShop
Canada based Retailers
Alberta
007 Airsoft
Badlands Paintball
B2 Airsoft
Buy Airsoft
Capital Airsoft/Force on Force Tactical
Comex Hobby
PM Hobbycraft
British Columbia
Badlands Paintball
Camouflage
Milsig
Phoenix Tactical
Trigger Airsoft
Viper Action-Air Innovations
Manitoba
Badlands Paintball
TBD Airsoft
Xtreme Tactics
Newfoundland
Frontline Paintball
Nova Scotia
Venture Airsoft
Scotia Arms Airsoft
Ontario
Action Air Canada
Airsoft Depot
Badlands Paintball
Blackbiltz Airsoft
Canada Wide Airsoft -No Website.
Challenger Airsoft/My Airsoft -No Website. FB Seems inactive.
Chigun Hobby Store
Daymark WindsoSOAR Hobby
DMZ Airsoft & Paintball
Flagswipe Paintball
Forest City Surplus
Gear Up Airsoft
Hero Outdoors
High Percision Airsoft
Infinity Arms
JS Airsoft
JT Military Surplus -No website.
Maier Action Games
Maple Airsoft Supply
Niagara Quatermaster
Nick Sports Shop & Central Surplus
Platinum Paintball -No Website.
Rapidfire Airsoft -No Website
Toronto Airsoft
Ultimate Airsoft
Prince Edward Island
Andy's Airsoft
Quebec
Aventure Airsoft Lanaudiere
Divison XP
Fighter System
Headshot Airsoft -No Website
Tactical Center
Taktik Airsoft
Saskatchewan
SackSoft Armoury
Online ONLY
Airsoft Parts Canada
Ultimate Airsoft
Replica Airguns
Upper Canada Tactical
Western Canadian Airsoft Supply
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Asian-Based Retailers
Redwolf Airsoft
eHobby Asia
ebAirsoft
WGC Shop
Echigoya - Japanese shop, best source for TM guns
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UK Retailers
Zero One
Action Hobbies
Airsoft World
Land Warrior
Fire Support
Wolf Armouries
JD Airsoft
Combat South
Dave's Custom Airsoft
Bespoke Airsoft
Skirmshop
Patrolbase
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  1. Don't go out and spend $1000 before playing
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It is also very common for users to approach airsoft with spending a bunch of money. Please don't do this. It is always recommended to rent before playing. After renting, don't go out and buy a shit ton of geaguns. Stay cheap, and don't go all out. Regardless of what you have seen on youtube, having the best gear does not make you the best player. How stupid would you look if you went out and bought a brand new Umbrella Armory and full Crye's if you don't like the hobby? Simply put, don't go out and buy expensive gear, like said above, stay cheap and go out to have fun.
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  1. Comparing paintball and airsoft is like comparing apples to oranges
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Comparing paintball to airsoft would be like comparing apples to oranges. They are two completely different hobbies that are very different. Paintball uses balls of paint that cannot go farther than normally 50-60 feet, whilst airsoft uses more realistic looking markers that can go much farther. If you are a paintballer, no problem, just don't come in here and try to compare the two :)
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  1. What are the most common gearboxes?
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The V2 and V3 mechboxes are the most common gearboxes found in M4/AK series AEG'S. If you are more interesting in learning about the V2 gearbox, check out the V2 gearbox guide. V2 gearboxes are found in most M4 series AEG's, while V3'S are found in AK series rifles. The MP5 often uses a modified V2/V3 gearbox, it all depends on the brand. The Airsoft Tech is a great resource if you are looking to expand your knowledge. Negative Airsoft is also another great resource, consider checking him out here.
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  1. Other guides that may be useful
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Changelog:
5/30/19-Fixed Formatting and added suggested eyepro section
6/1/19-small typos fixed and section about MED’s added
12/7/19- reposted for Christmas influx of new gun posts
12/7/19- added section on GBBGBB’s.
12/9/19- added section on searchbar and typos
12/27/19- added how the older guay guay are outdated
1/1/2020- post was unpinned so new thread is made.
1/1/2020- updated part about specna
1/19/2020 - orange tip section added
5/16/2020- removed specna cores from the Recommended list of guns due to bad QC
7/22/2020- reposting thread with more updated links as well as adding E and C to the recommended section
7/22/2020- added sections 13 and 14
7/22/2020- Videos added for each section
7/22/2020 - Added more options for eyepro
7/22/2020 -Fixed AMP AMP AMP issue
12/25/2020 - Added 5 new sections
12/28/2020 - Removed G1 CM"s from the recommended M4's.
12/29/2020 - Added new beginner guns to recommended section
12/30/2020 -Fixed spelling errors and guide overhaul
1/1/2020 - Guide re-published
submitted by Houseofcards32 to airsoft [link] [comments]

Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis

NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html
NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1.
https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html
NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%)
NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar.
https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866
NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below
https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
!!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should.
In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase.
Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below:
https://www.playboy.com/
https://www.playboytv.com/
https://www.playboyplus.com/
https://www.iplayboy.com/
Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success.
“Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.”
https://www.scientificgames.com/
https://www.microgaming.co.uk/
“This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.”
https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/
As per their SEC filing:
“Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1
They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon.
https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era
Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea
“Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.”
“According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently:
https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae
Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress.
Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait.
https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/
Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html
Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05
Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing:
“For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.”
“In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.”
They are profitable across all three of their current business segments.
“Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders).
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm
This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world.
"Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.”
Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame:
“As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn.
The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :(
He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :)
Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw.
I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003
Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this:
“Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy.
“Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative.
https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html
Y’all like that China money?
“Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.”
Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose.
I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing
“Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.”
“Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.”
Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong.
Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will.
Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way.
Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains.
TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here:
WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though
https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf
Or here:
https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx
Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.”
STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon.
Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.
submitted by jeromeBDpowell to SPACs [link] [comments]

[Inspo & Commentary] Rings

You've seen jewelry, let's talk more about rings. Scroll down for the list of designers.
soundtrack

Gallery

Inspo Gallery on imgur

Getting Started

Assuming you're reading this because you would like to wear rings and currently don't, here's a quick FAQ.

Materials?

Most common precious metals used in jewelry are silver, gold, platium and variations thereof. You will rarely find pure metal jewelry, reason being that 100% silvegold is actually soft and will warp and become damaged with little effort. The most common alloys for jewelry are:

Karats?

When buying jewelry it's important to know what the precious metal content is (or whether it's made of precious metal at all) as this plays a huge part in the quality of the jewelry and how much you should expect to pay.
Sterling silver is the benchmark for quality silver. Sometimes referred to as .925 silver, sterling silver is 92.5% silver by weight. The vast majority of silver jewelry is made of sterling silver - anything new that doesn't specify the quality (.925 / sterling, .999 / fine / pure) is of dubious quality and should be avoided.
Gold content is measured in karats. The scale goes from 0 to 24, with 1 karat being 1 part gold to 23 parts other material. Therefore, 16K gold is 50% pure gold and 24K gold is pure gold. The karat rating for white gold or rose gold is the same - 18K gold and 18K white gold contain the same amount of gold but the gold is alloyed with different materials to change the colour of the resulting alloy.
Metal alloys are generally much harder and resistant to wear. A higher percentage of pure precious metal is not necessarily better or more desirable.

Plating?

Plated jewelry is made from a material coated with a very thin layer of the specified metal. Plated metal is much cheaper than pure metal or an alloy. The material beneath the plating is usually copper, nickel, brass or silver. Jewelry from fast-fashion stores like H&M are generally made of copper or nickel plated with silver or gold.
Vermeil is a restricted term for a specific kind of plating. Whilst plating can be done to any metal with any plate thickness, vermeil is always silver plated with a layer of gold at least 2.5 microns thick.
Be cautious with plated jewelry. The price makes it very attractive but there are down-sides:

What should I buy?

Sizing?

It can be difficult to size jewelry, particulary if you're doing it yourself. Here's some methods you can use ordered by ease/accuracy:

Sizing Tips

Remember that each of your fingers is a different ring size. The fingers on your dominant hand will be thicker than the fingers on your non-dominant hand. The size of your fingers changes depending on the temperature so rings that are loose when it's warm may fall off when it's cold or vice-versa. When measuring at home take a few measurements in different rooms, inside / outside or at different times of day to get an accurate measurement.
If you're not fussed about which finger the ring will sit on, measure a few candidate fingers of similar size (±1) and order a ring in the size between. If the ring arrives and it's too large / small then wear it on the larger / smaller finger.

Where to buy?

Designers

So you want a ring but you don't know where to look. Great! See the gallery for general inspo and check out the list of designers below.
I've tried to categorize the list to make it easier to find the kind of rings you're interested in. If you have suggestions for more designers please let me know in the comments.
Most designers will produce other types of jewelry e.g. chains, bracelets, necklaces, pendants in a similar style.

Simple Rings

Small-to-medium size rings with plain or very simple designs. Stacking bands, signet rings, rings with a single motif like a chain, feather, nail etc.
designer web ig price description
TWOJEYS twojeys.com @twojeys $ Silver-plated brass rings with unique designs offering a cheap entry point into jewelry. Occasionally do sterling-silver variants of popular designs. Bit of a weird "community" drop-based Instagram presence.
Vitaly vitalydesign.com @vitaly $ Modern-architectural-streetwear-techno-vampire jewelry in raw or gold-plated stainless steel.
Silver999 Etsy - Silver999 not found $ Tons of sterling silver designs with pop-culture / religious references.
Onyx.925 onyx925.com @onyx.925 $ One man and his surfboard making plain rings with a rough, hand-crafted look in the south of England. Potential for custom hand-engravings.
The Silver Stone thesilverstone.co @the.silverstone $ Simple motif designs with various inspiration, made in California.
Love for C/O lovefor.co @loveforco $ Swedish design inspired by religious iconography.
The M Jewelers themjewelersny.com @themjewelers $$ NYC jeweller dealing exclusively in custom-made. Letters, names, years of your choosing. Wait for a holiday for 45% off.
Scosha scosha.com @scosha $$ - $$$ Don't be fooled by their instagram - their mens' offering is mostly simple signets.

Industrial Rings

Medium-to-large rings with lots of sharp angles, clean lines and bulky shapes. Man-made, brutalist aesthetic.
designer web ig price description
OSS oss-oss.com @ossofficial $$ Brutal-industrial-spaceship rings from Spanish designers based in Paris.
Iolom [iolom.jp](www.iolom.jp) @iolom_official $$ Principally works with brass and sterling silver; elegant clean lines and geometric shapes. Distribution outside Japan very limited.
Chin Teo chinteo.com or ssense - chin teo @chin_teo $$$ Natural meets industrial with a mix of clean, wound designs vs. rough-hewn and hammered bands.
Werkstatt:München werkstatt-muenchen.com @werkstattmunchen $$$ Big, biker-industrial rings. Lots of wound-bands and stacking sets. Some skulls.
Parts of Four partsof4.com @partsof4 $$$ Huge. Impractical. Outrageously large, really, gigantic. Some of the most unique jewelry I've seen, for better or worse.

Natural Rings

Various-sized rings with designs or textures inspired by nature. Think flowing water, rock formations, gemstones, emphasis on natural wear and tear. The counterpoint to industrial's man-made aesthetic.
designer web ig price description
Innerstone inner-stone.com @_innerstone_ $ Sets of delicate stacking rings and bands with textures inspired by nature.
Alice Kaufmann alicekaufmann.com @alicekaufmannjewellery $$ Danish designer creating organic pieces based on the flow of the metal itself. Some zero-waste pieces made from by-products of other designs.
Alicia Hannah Naomi aliciahannahnaomi.com @aliciahannahnaomi $$ Australian designer creating delicate-yet-rough rings inspired by the nature around her.
gone.archive gone-archive.com @gone.archive $$ Polish designer creating rough-hewn, primitive designs like rock-formations. Extensive use of black diamonds.
Fallow Store fallow.com.au @fallowstore $$ - $$$ Not a designer per se, but a reseller of other designers similar to ssense. Grungy, big industrial/nature inspired rings. A good place to follow to get inspiration; stocks many of the designers on this list.
Sofia Lorena Perelson sofialorenaperelson.com or Fallow Store @sofialorenaperelson $$ - $$$ .999 fine silver / gold rings in simple designs. Due to the softness of fine / pure metals the ring will tarnish and warp creating a unique, highly personal piece of jewelry.
Alex Skeffington alexskeffington.com @alexskeffington_ $$ - $$$$ "Inspired by the elements, the human body, rock and roll, techno music, a theatrical lifestyle and deep personal emotions. Her designs feature unique organic forms of .925 silver, in heavily textured freehand surfaces. Each piece bares luxurious weight and significant stature."
Kei Shigenaga keishigenaga.com @keishigenaga $$$ A clash between of rough-hewn oxidized metal and elegant, flowing silver with elements of kintsugi repair.
NODE by Kudo Shuji nodebykudoshuji.com @node_by_kudo_shuji $$$ Wild sci-fi designs often contrasting clean, melting chrome-like sections with heavily oxidized, distressed parts. Distribution outside Japan extremely limited.

Biker Rings

Big fuck-off rings for letting everyone know you ride a Harley Davidson, play in a rock band and do a lot of drugs.
designer web ig price description
Clocks & Colours clocksandcolours.eu/ @clocksandcolours $ Detailed, medium-sized rings under various themes - western, nautical, nature. I find a lot of their designs to be tacky but they have some simpler pieces I've considered purchasing.
DAD of Sweden dadofsweden.com @dadofsweden $ Lots of skulls.
The Great Frog thegreatfroglondon.com @thegreatfrogldn $$ What you think of when you think of biker rings. Worn by all your favourite rockstars. Big skulls, motorcycles, animals.
Songyan Jewelry Etsy - Songyan Jewelry @songyan_jewelry $$ Jewelry by Chinese designer Songyan Han. If The Great Frog were founded in the East.
Han Cholo hancholo.com @hancholodesigns $$ Pop-culture rings. Voltron, He-Man. Makers of the MF DOOM ring.
Black Rock Jewel blackrockjewel.com @blackrockjewel $$ BIG rockstar rings from Copenhagen. Chunky rings, big stones and skulls.
Lugdun lugdun.com @lugdunartisans $$ Handmade ancient viking rings and pendants. Maybe the most unique thing on the list outside Macabre Gadgets.
King Baby kingbabystudio.com @king_baby_studio $$$ Big rings inspired by Americana. Clean silver and gold designs.

Macabre Rings

Macabre / goth rings. Skulls, death & witchy things.
designer web ig price description
Blue Bayer Etsy - BlueBayerDesignNYC @bluebayer $ Lots of unique designs, although some of them seem to be lifted from The Silver Stone or vice-versa (particularly the goat and branch rings). Not sure what to think but I grabbed this from the streetwear list.
BLACK SØLV blacksolv.ca @blacksolv $ to $$ Goth, romantic, and sci-fi influences with polygonal shapes and desaturated gems. Lightly femme aesthetics.
Macabre Gadgets macabregadgets.com @macabregadgets $$ Big rings made of marble with some silver / gold elements. Design inspired by the macabre - lots of skulls, skeletons and dead things. Infamous for their dick ring. I have yet to any of their pieces pulled off outside of their lookbooks. Please share any everyday fits you find with me so I can justify buying one of their pieces.
Brooklyn Smithy Etsy - Brooklyn Smithy @brooklynsmithy $$ Another Etsy store selling all kinds of designs including a fair few skulls and eyes.
KD2024 kd2024.com @kd2024_lsdluxurysilverdesign $$$ Intricate designs in a mix of gold & silver. Claws and other animal parts. Lots of big stones.

Fashion Rings

Mainstream, avant-garde or high-fashion designers that don't fit into the other categories.
designer web ig price description
Lucas+ lucasplus.com @lucasplusjewelry $$ NYC designer creating jewelry with his "positive" motif.
Khiry khiry.com @khiryofficial $$ Inspired by the designer's African heritage.
Voodoo Jewels voodoojewels.com @voodoojewels $$ Rings with lots of multi-coloured stones.
Good Art goodart.com @goodarthlywd $$$ A bit of a bizarre one. While most designers focus on traditional jewelry, Good Art makes a lot of... things. Chapstick caps, AirPod cases, corkscrews and smoking pipes.
Cody Sanderson codysanderson.shop, Sorrel Sky, Buyma, Grailed @codysandersondesigns $$$-$$$$ Native American silversmith creating jewelry based on traditional Navajo designs in Santa Fe, NM.
Tiffany & Co. tiffany.com @tiffanyandco $$$ Probably the most famous jewelry designer in the world. You may be tempted to write them off as over-priced and over-hyped but (as a biased Tiffany-bracelet owner) I have to admit that the quality is incredibly high. Their silver pieces are rhodium-plated and there is a noticeable difference in the durability and brightness of my Tiffany bracelet vs. other silver jewelry I own. Edit: I can't actually find any evidence that their silver is rhodium-plated. It's important to do your research before buying things!
Thomas Sabo thomassabo.com @thomassabo $$$ Big rings inspired by Asia. Lots of small stones and inlays. One of the more successful designers with physical locations in tons of major cities / malls.
Alexander McQueen alexandermcqueen.com or ssense - Alexander McQueen @alexandermcqueen $$$ Rings in classic McQueen style.
Gucci gucci.com @gucci $$$ It's Gucci.
David Yurman davidyurman.com @davidyurman $$$ I suppose you might consider these to be rings for classic menswear. Signet rings with marble or some other opaque stone, elegant bands. Some outrageously intricate signets with fuckton of stones and sky-high prices to match.
Ugo Cacciatori ugocacciatori.com @ugocacciatory $$$ Big, intricate rings and bands in either silver or a mixture of silver & gold.

Vintage

Places to buy vintage / second-hand rings online.
designer web ig price description
VintageJewelryEden Etsy - VintageJewelryEden not found $ Vintage European silver jewelry sold in the USA.
1st Dibs 1stdibs.com 1stdibs $ - $$$$$ All sorts of vintage jewelry from across the spectrum.

Custom Signet Rings

Signet rings were traditionally engraved with a design and worn on the pinky finger. You would use the signet to stamp and seal letters with your personal insignia in wax.
designer web ig price description
Deakin & Francis deakinandfrancis.co.uk @deakin_francis $$ - $$$$ Established 1786. Custom signet rings and other jewelry in a variety of materials, shapes and stones.
Dexter familysealrings.com @dexterrings $$$ - $$$$ Custom signet rings in a variety of materials, shapes or stones.
Rebus rebussignetrings.com @rebussignetrings $$$$ Exclusively gold, custom signet rings in a variety of shapes or stones.
Hancocks hancockssignetrings.com @hancocks_london $$$$ Established 1849. Custom signet rings and pendants in a variety of materials, shapes and stones.
Coast Handworks coasthandworks.com @coasthandworks $$$$ Custom engraving of bands and signet rings by a modern designer & engraver based in Canada.
Castro Smith castrosmith.com @castrosmith $$$$ I really hope you're still reading because Castro Smith does some incredible work. Hand-engraved, incredibly detailed signet rings in multiple tones. Ready-to-order one-of-a-kind pieces and the opportunity to order bespoke.
Ruffs ruffs.co.uk @ruffs1904 by quote Established 1904. Custom signet rings in a variety of materials, shapes or stones with the opportunity to recycle existing jewelry.

More

Thanks to danhakimi and everyone else who left nice comments in the jewelry thread and encouraging me to make this post.
Note: my only qualifications for creating this post are owning a few rings, enjoying wearing them and having access to Google. Please read the comments and take everything with a pinch of salt. Thanks x
submitted by undertheechotree to malefashionadvice [link] [comments]

[MEGATHREAD] Share Your Pricing/Shipping Experiences When Buying AB

Hi All!
With the global pandemic still going on, a lot of sellers big and small are finding themselves out of stock on many items, facing longer than expected delays in trying to restock, and pricing increases. Adding to that, the political climate has further affected pricing and/or delivery times for some countries.
We thought it would be best to create a central thread where ABers can help one another by posting their personal experiences with pricing and shipping regarding their AB purchases from this past year to help all of us understand what the “new normal” will be at least until things hopefully settle down this fall.
Until then, even Amazon is not living up to the next day delivery standard that they’ve set. Please be understanding when communicating with your AB stores and parcel carriers.
For some light reading:
Washington Post - Pandemic aftershocks overwhelm global supply lines
One year after the coronavirus pandemic first disrupted global supply chains by closing Chinese factories, fresh shipping headaches are delaying U.S. farm exports, crimping domestic manufacturing and threatening higher prices for American consumers.
The cost of shipping a container of goods has risen by 80 percent since early November and has nearly tripled over the past year, according to the Freightos Baltic Index. The increase reflects dramatic shifts in consumption during the pandemic, as consumers redirect money they once spent at restaurants or movie theaters to the purchase of record amounts of imported clothing, computers, furniture and other goods.
BBC - Brexit: 'I was asked to pay an extra £82 for my £200 coat'
Under the new rules, anyone in the UK receiving a gift from the EU worth more than £39 may now face a bill for import VAT - with many items charged at 20%.
For goods costing more than £135, customs duties may also apply, which can range from 0% to 25% of the product you're buying if they have not been paid by the sender already.
IMAGE - ‘I haven’t had an on-time delivery in weeks’: The grim reality of online shopping post-Brexit
The issue many are facing, from my research for this piece, is a lack of transparency from some courier companies – though evidently, the online retailer might not know themselves what the hurdles will be until the last minute.
WSJ - Covid-19 Shipping Problems Squeeze China’s Exporters
A logjam in the global shipping industry is testing the resilience of China’s exporters, who have driven the country’s economic recovery by churning out goods to meet surging global demand during the Covid-19 pandemic.
That demand in recent months has outpaced the capacity of a global shipping industry that has been slowed by pandemic safety measures. Chinese exporters have been paying sharply higher rates and struggling to find containers for their goods.
Pandemic-related safety measures have lowered efficiency at ports, leading to delivery delays and containers getting stuck all over the world. In November, only half of global carriers managed to stay on schedule, compared with 80% a year ago, according to a service-reliability index from Sea-Intelligence.
The average turnaround time for containers returning to China was up to 100 days in December from the more typical 60 days, according to the China Container Industry Association.
Container News - Shipping rates in Europe and East Asia continue upward trend
The largest shipping lines of the world have announced new charges in the European and East Asian regions in December and into next year.
Research and Markets - Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Cosmetic Industry
Effect of COVID-19 on the cosmetic industry can be observed globally in all the regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the Word. In the US, the lockdown situation is going on for a long period of time as per the government guidelines. Most of the companies also had to cut down the workforce or had to send their employee for work from home leading to a decline in production rate. Additionally, the same downfall of the cosmetic industry was also experienced in the European region.
One of the major effects was on the company’s global supply chain that was affected by halted factory work in China. Moreover, countries such as India have lockdown the whole nation and major e-commerce companies including Amazon.com and Walmart owned Flipkart has halted the supply of non-essential products (including cosmetics) which is also expected to affect the cosmetic industry in the near future.
The Guardian - Online order boom and flight cutbacks fuel parcel delivery delays across Australia
At the same time, Australia Post has warned of reductions in its air freight capacity as airlines have cut back their services, which means letters and parcels will take longer to arrive at their destination – particularly in regional and rural communities.
submitted by AutoModerator to AsianBeauty [link] [comments]

THE BIG INVADER ZIM SUPPORT GUIDE: Information on the books, show, movie, toys, collectibles, clothes, music, crew art, autographs, video game, convention, and theme park ride. v3.0

Hey, so this is to help you know what's available for official Invader ZIM stuff. There's a crash course on what to know about collecting the comics, and ways to get the original show. There's also a handy list of stores that have a license to sell official merch. I also am including currently available games, the ride that's under repair, the upcoming Invader CON experience at Fan Expo Boston, and other books.
A big reason I wrote this was not just to the benefit of collectors but (unfortunately) sometimes the best way to keep Invader ZIM alive is to vote with your wallet. Everything is broken down in headlines so feel free to skip past parts. Be sure to leave some encouragement, feedback, or criticisms below!~CB Johnny / Tallest Purple
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Invader ZIM comics

_________________________________________

Are they new stories?

Yes! Some parts of the story in issue #1 (The Returnening Part 1) are reinterpreted in the Netflix animated special "Invader ZIM Enter The Florpus". Some issues are akin to "lost episodes" as they were ideas from before the original TV series was cancelled.

Are they canon?

Yes. Some argue that the comics' stories and/or Enter The Florpus take place in an alternate universe due to varying depictions of events first seen in Issue #1 however....
Guys, it's a show where horrible things happen and then it just "gets better" without an explanation. If you try to piece together a comedy series' timeline like it's Metal Gear Solid or The Legend of Zelda then I guarantee you'll get a headache.

How do I get them?

What you'll want to know is that there are two Invader ZIM comics series published by Oni Press.
They ALL have digital copies through Comixology, but lets talk about physical copies for the monthly series.
"Wait. What are variants?"
If you want individual issues, then contact any store that sells new comic books and collectibles. You can ask them questions about placing a subscription, getting variant issues, or seeing what they have for backlog. No need to be shy as comic book industry isn't doing so hot so if you worry it sounds like a dumb question then it's on them to be nice and understanding or they lose out on a new lifelong customer. ;)

Is the original series still sold on DVD?

Amazon has a license to sell and manufacture DVD-r discs of the show on demand... Honestly, the reviews look pretty bad. People are saying they don't play so well on their DVD players. There is also a DVD set compatible with any region DVD player. Keep in mind, folks, that this is not the Media Blasters DVD set with the commentary tracks, interviews, and other bonus features. That set is out of print and Media Blasters does not have an Invader ZIM licensing deal presently.
PS- While /InvaderZIM has zero tolerance for bootlegging the episodes, movie, or comics... You absolutely are allowed to share bonus feature content from the out of print DVDs. If Nickelodeon reads this entire guide and still has a problem with my policy on out of print content then they can go ahead and waste their money on a C&D. Coulda just released the footage on YouTube with that money.

Does the show still air on TV?

Yes! It is returning to Nicktoons for reruns starting Tuesday the 9th. Cable schedule so far suggests that it might be every Tuesday for roughly 11 episodes from mornings through afternoons.

Where can I digitally stream the show or movie?Does the show still air on TV?

Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus is a Netflix exclusive.
The original Invader ZIM animated series is streamed on CBS All Access (soon to be renamed 'Paramount+') and Amazon Prime Video's NickHits

Where can I buy Invader ZIM: Enter The Florpus?

It's only available for streaming on Netflix. And their secret computer programs will note how many people watch it and how often. So treat it like GIR watching Intestines Of War. Yell "I'M GONNA WATCH IT AGAIN" and keep on supporting it.

Can't we get Florpus or the show released on blu-ray?

Never say never but keep in mind that Netflix rarely releases their exclusive content on home video. The show or movie would have to be as hugely successful as the likes of, say, Stranger Things for that to happen. I know it's tempting to make your own blu-ray but please understand that we don't know for sure if the movie's doing well enough because Netflix keeps their numbers a secret. Try to just watch it over and over if you can. That would make it easier to get Netflix to produce a sequel.
As for the original series, the picture format is SDTV 480i. So you might get a blu-ray disc but don't hold your breath for 1080p.

Where can I digitally buy episodes of the show to keep?

Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, iTunes, and Microsoft Store(7806)(1246483)((6fc648e4d017b945d2ad9720b209bfe8)(81561)(2850890)(603eaf9759604a9c80adb36567fe60c3)())(6fc648e4d017b945d2ad9720b209bfe8)&irclickid=_tfxtxkf9a0kftgjfkk0sohzn1n2xsqb91pwg01gi00&activetab=pivot:overviewtab).

What if it's pulled from any of those services?

ReelGood and JustWatch are services designed to help you find your favorite shows online. Sometimes they're a little behind on information if a service is newer. So be nice! They're doing their best.
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How do I get the new Invader ZIM action figures?!

Contact your local stores (try comicshoplocator.com!) and inquire about pre orders.
Here's photos of the toys.
There is also an Invader ZIM diorama slated for Summer.
Keep in mind that it's a safe assumption that the success of the figures we've seen would lead to figures that we have NOT seen.
Tip: ask major brand vendors like Hot Topic if they could get '20th Anniversary Edition' figures. I want to see what happens if enough fans ask. ;)

Are there Invader ZIM books?

Yes. There's an official one The Art of Invader ZIM by Chris McDonnell. Published by Abrams. There's new interviews and never before seen production art.
There's also a pretty-stinkin-majestic near official but not officially official one (my words, not theirs). The Medium-Sized Book of ZIM Scripts Vol. 1: Pigs 'n' Waffles The Stories and the Stories Behind the Stories of Your Favorite Invader by Eric Trueheart. Eric is hilarious and he gives an excellently transparent, yet kindly expressed, perspective on the ups and downs of working on the show. Don't sleep on this one. See if he'll sign it for you. <3
I'm seeing trivia books and coloring books on Barnes & Noble but I cannot speak to the quality. They have the official trademarked Invader ZIM logo- and armchair geek lawyers know that trademarks are heavily guarded unlike regular copyrighted intellectual property. If anyone buys one, lemme know more about them. __________________________________________________________________________________________

What about video games?

Invader ZIM characters have been featured in various 3rd party developer video games where Nicktoons have crossover adventures or party games such as go-karts and baseball. Presently, the only one that isn't out of print is Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix.
Here's a game by Nick Australia called Invader Zim - The DOOM Game by Art of Play. It's in HTML5 so you can play it on your computer web browser. If you live in Australia or New Zealand then you should be able to also play it on your smart devices as an app.

Is there an Invader ZIM soundtrack?!

Yes. Well. Not exactly. There was a special release of limited tracks in the original DVD bonus set. There was an unofficial limited released of the soundtrack and the ZIM-phony broadcast, too.
What you can do is check out Kevin Manthei's YouTube page. He has uploaded both the entire selections from the Enter the Florpus soundtrack as well as episode suites for FREE.
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UPCOMING INVADER ZIM EXPERIENCES!

Will InvaderCON ever happen again?

Yes, but in a different way from the three events they've had before. There were plans for InvaderCON events within a larger convention called Fan Expo Boston. The idea was that those who were going for InvaderCON programming, they could buy special passes that grant them access to even more Invader ZIM experiences or stuff than if one was to attend as a regular Fan Expo Boston attendee. It was slated for 2020, however, the pandemic has delayed plans. Keep an eye on InvaderCON's Twitter.
Please note: nothing is a guarantee this year for any conventions. I know, I know. It sucks. Be aware that convention organizers have contractual obligations to the venue and are therefore at their mercy (or local government) to shut down without going out of business. The closer we get to August, the closer we'll know where the world stands with the COVID vaccine and the viral spread. I'm hoping that some sort of online experience could take place as a back up. It's a big reason I'm putting together a list of ZIM crew, the world deserves to have a fun little 'artist alley' experience from the comfort of their seats after enjoying a few Zoom panels. But I don't work for Green Mustard soooooo... Just an idea

There's going to be an Invader ZIM amusement park ride?!

There was an Invader ZIM themed version of the Flip Zone ride (originally developed by Amusement Products).
It's called Invader ZIM's Flip 'N' Spin... OF DOOM and it had been in operation briefly at Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ.
When the park re-opened after pandemic lockdowns, the ride had been taken down and set aside for repairs. An American Dream Guest Services staff member was gracious enough to give an honest, clear, and optimistic answer. They clearly want this to succeed!
"We do hope to have it open again - but have had some challenges with the reliability as it is a prototype ride. We are working with the manufacturer on bringing it back online. With no firm date, we have decided to remove it from our advertising and delist it. When it is ready to reopen we will add it back online. I know this likely isn't the answer you want to hear - but we want to be upfront with you on when it could resume. Hopefully sooner than later.
(also, can we give a round of applause to them for being honest yet optimistic and forward thinking? I seriously think he deserves a raise. They could have easily ignored us or given a safe non-answer. I'm deeply impressed.)
In the meantime, you can still see some Invader ZIM lovin' at the park when going on the Nickelodeon Skyline Scream. GIR overlooks the rider queue after, uhh, engaging in some (kinda out-of-character) mischief while ZIM, Spongebob, and other Nicktoons await you at the top of the tower.
This is actually the second time that ZIM has made a cameo for an amusement park ride. He was also depicted in the on-ride footage for Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast at Universal Studios
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I can't afford these things or they aren't available in my country. What do you suggest I do?

Economically, lots of folks are having a hard time. Perhaps paypal's payment plans could help? I really didn't want to drop 50 bucks on stuff so I am paying back Paypal ten bucks or so a week.
If you live outside of the states then you might need to arrange something with a U.S resident. It's tempting to offer for the first 3 people who ask, but guys, I'm an exhausted and busy. Don't expect me to be reliable or timely.

Is there any other way I can help without buying stuff?

Spread word on social media: retweet, reblog, repost announcements from people who make and sell good ZIM stuff. Share this post for other fans (and let me know, for encouragement's sake). Contact vendors and express interest that you'd want ZIM stuff made for the 20th Anniversary.

Can't you help me bootleg the show, movie, or comics?

No, absolutely not. Look, I'm not here to make money for Nick. This is a 'vote with your wallet' guide. So while I understand that money and/or geographical obstacles make things hard for printed physical stuff but you still have digital releases at very least... Please do NOT post episodes and issues for free for strangers to experience en masse. You're making this harder for everyone else.
Morally, I stop caring once the item is out of print: bonus features from the original DVD sets for instance.

Will you list stuff that is not licensed?

If they worked on Invader ZIM, yes. Or if it's professionals looking to get ZIM stuff greenlit, yes.
In fact, I've been putting together a Google Sheet of crew members on the show, books, and film for you to support their craft: some do commissions, some sell autographed ZIM comics, and some have ZIM art or behind scenes content. .... the sheet is coming soon. When I can get to it. Once again, I'm kinda a busy guy.

I saw some stuff on Amazon that might not be licensed. How do I know if it is?

Amazon.com's Invader ZIM selection requires a bit of caution
Keep in mind I have zero problem with unlicensed merchandise sold in good faith
Here are the reasonable indicators that you're getting something authentic.

What if I buy something that isn't licensed? Is that okay?

Okay enough FAQ... Give us that sweet sweet list of Invader ZIM vendors so we can GIVE OUR URTH MONIES TO ZIM!!

Of course! First, here's some of the crew's stuff

Honestly, everything a crew member works on is worthy of a fan's support. I'm going to link to those who are selling some ZIM stuff (prints, autographs, etc), OR do commissioned requests, OR make convention appearances. Their success does not get brought to the attention of Nick's number crunching service drones but your support of the ZIM staff is still a worthy cause. Show up for the ZIM stuff, and stay for the rest of the cool stuff they work on!
It bears repeating that Eric Truehart's book THE MEDIUM-SIZED BOOK OF ZIM SCRIPTS VOL. 1: PIGS 'N' WAFFLES - THE STORIES AND THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORIES OF YOUR FAVORITE INVADER is available in paperback and digital download.
Jhonen has plenty of stuff based on JtHM, Squee, and whatnot. Don't forget the "Grinning Space Jerk" mask and the 'bowels will release' shirt inspired by ZIM and Florpus.
Vol. 7 of the Invader ZIM comic signed by K.C. Green is sold here
This list will expand but for now we've got delightful stuff from:Rikki & Tavisha Simons
Aaron Alexovich
Richard Horvitz (he also does voice acting workshops!)
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Outside of Amazon's stock there's also...................
Amazon.com (see previous sections on how to avoid buying unlicensed goods)
Hot Topic, of course! They have been the most prominent, longest running, and most loyal of vendors in ZIM's twenty year history. Also, I have experienced first hand that they take polite, constructive, courteous, forward thinking feedback into consideration such as in regards to character depictions, design trends, available clothing types, etc... Please be chill if you fill out those feedback forms. I can't emphasize enough to be courteous. Don't let me regret telling you that.
Zen Monkey Studios is a small company that sells amazing Invader ZIM enamel pins. My favorites are the ones based on Florpus and Dark Harvest.
Diamond Select Toys is talked about earlier. Keep your eyes on them.
Zavvi UK & Forbidden Planet sell stuff overseas
Dumbgood recently acquired a merch license. There's designs featuring ZIM and robot GIR. Some argue that these design are a little bit on the pricier side due to manufacturing costs and quality of fabric.
Funko's catalog of Invader ZIM Pop Figures are out of print but keep an eye out for any limited time exclusives especially during events like San Diego Comic Con.
The Nick Box had a GIR plush in their fall edition. There could be Invader ZIM stuff again in the future. Never a guarantee. If you're not a big Nicktoons fan then you might want to pass on this.
Nickelodeon Universe's online shop get the most results when you search 'ZIM' and 'GIR' together
Newbury Comics has stuff. Socks as of this writing. Products subject to change.
Aquarius has a puzzle and playing card set.
Seven Times Six has a shirt license.
FOCO's Eekeez figures include some ZIM and GIR
IDW Games has an Invader ZIM dice game and a Nickelodeon board game featuring Invader ZIM.
My Party Shirt has playing cards.
Ikon Collectables has the lasercut keychains, some resold Funko in stock and other collectibles.
Vision Toys is an overseas vendor for the 3D lasercut keychains.
Giant Kids World sells the Invader ZIM lip gloss made by Boston America.
Invader ZIM Rock 'Em Socks
TheMysteryShack has the Lootcrate DX Enamel Pins among other neat things previously listed.
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Let me know of anything I've missed!

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