What's the status of the "Gift for Ben?"

[Louis]

I have to believe that by now we've collected 99.9% of what we're going to get.

Do we have any suggestions on the choice of wine? Hopefully we have enough for more than one measly bottle.

[slowgoing]

vqdriver has collected almost $450 from just over 20 of the 45 people who said in the original thread that they would contribute, although there may be some additional contributions. We are investigating what kind of red wine Ben likes (does anyone know this???), and after we learn that, SamIAm will be helping choose a wine (or two) and recommending a place to purchase. We are also considering purchasing a plaque in addition to the wine.

Does anyone live near the factory and can deliver the gift to Ben and maybe take some pics? Bumblebeedave?

[oliver1850]

I'm surprised that so few have participated in this. Maybe a few could be shamed into contributing if a list of donators is posted.

[slowgoing]

I think this thread should remind those who have not yet contributed. In fact, one member has already PMd me and said he will contribute later today.

After looking at my notes, there were 54 people who signed up to contribute, not 45. So we might receive a few more contributions over the next few days.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed.

[jpw]

I thought he'd already received his gift;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Web-Design-Dummies-Lisa-Lopuck/dp/0764508237

[vqdriver]

we've received a few more contributions this morning so expect the total budget for this to top 500.

i walked into a cluster*** at work this morning so i'm swamped right now, will update in a bit....

[Black Dog]

Here is how to donate:


We are ready to receive funds for Ben’s gift. The plan is to see how much we receive and then buy some wine of a quality that he wouldn’t normally purchase for himself, as suggested by NHAero. We don’t have a set donation request amount, so please donate what you feel appropriate.

Instructions:

1. We've set up a new email address to receive your Paypal contributions – giftforben@gmail.com

2. Please identify your Serotta screen name in the Subject Line of the donation so we can match up your paypal contribution to your Serotta handle. Any other comments should be placed in the notes box.

3. Please try to send the funds as a gift so fees are not charged. We don’t know if there is a limit on the number of gift transfers or the total quantity of funds that can be transferred as gifts, so don’t be surprised if at some point Paypal stops letting you send funds as a gift, in which case just send the funds with the fees to be subtracted.

Thanks to everyone for helping make this happen.

[jds108]

Thanks to all who thought of this, organized, etc. Just sent my share...

[AngryScientist]

if it's on a weekend i'm free i would be down for going to the factory and helping to present Ben with his gift, if we can get a few folks together for a ride, maybe a shop tour too?

[hokoman]

Payment sent - and I wasn't part of the original crew that said they would contribute, so +1. Thanks for organizing! :)

[vqdriver]

update: we're a hair over 600 now with one more coming by mail.

angryscientist, it would be awesome if you could do that. i'm sure it would be more meaningful if presented to him by fans.

[Ahneida Ride]

Maybe a few could be shamed into contributing if a list of donators is posted.

Donations are exactly that .... donations. VOLUNTARY actions.

No one should be shamed or coerced into making a donation to either the
Paceline or Ben.

If the transfer of frns is by force of arms, it is no longer a donation.

[echelon_john]

I just thought...."Damn! Ben could be reading this and then the surprise would be blown"....and then I thought....."Naaahhhh....he NEVER looks at the web!":banana:

Contributed this morning. Thanks for organizing this!

[David Kirk]

This is very cool and I'll bet it will more than make his day.

I have a suggestion - i would not send a super expensive bottle of wine and spend most of the money on it. I would instead send a number of good bottles that will last for a longer time and that he can enjoy without feeling like the bottle needs to be saved for a very special day. Let's give him the gift that keeps giving......at least for awhile.

My 2 centavos.

Dave

[slowgoing]

Thanks, Dave.

We received some inside info on the type of wine Ben likes so things are moving along.

[oliver1850]

I agree with DK. We could end up with a single bottle of something that may not be to his taste. More bottles = better chance of something he'll really like.

[echelon_john]

I agree. As a wine enthusiast, I'd love to drop $600 on a mixed case of $50+ bottles, and would prefer that by far to 1-2-3 bottles of VERY expensive wine. I wonder if we could find a cool box to house it? Any woodworkers on the forum?


This is very cool and I'll bet it will more than make his day.

I have a suggestion - i would not send a super expensive bottle of wine and spend most of the money on it. I would instead send a number of good bottles that will last for a longer time and that he can enjoy without feeling like the bottle needs to be saved for a very special day. Let's give him the gift that keeps giving......at least for awhile.

My 2 centavos.

Dave

[David Kirk]

I agree. As a wine enthusiast, I'd love to drop $600 on a mixed case of $50+ bottles, and would prefer that by far to 1-2-3 bottles of VERY expensive wine. I wonder if we could find a cool box to house it? Any woodworkers on the forum?


what this guy said.

dave

[oliver1850]

I can donate cherry and/or oak lumber sawn from my timber. I can plane it but don't have the tools to do nice joinery.

[nighthawk]

I'll be sending a donation this Friday after work.

Life is kicking my butt this week....

[SamIAm]

I agree. As a wine enthusiast, I'd love to drop $600 on a mixed case of $50+ bottles, and would prefer that by far to 1-2-3 bottles of VERY expensive wine. I wonder if we could find a cool box to house it? Any woodworkers on the forum?

I can easily source 12 very nice bottles of wine in that price range of the varietals that I am told Ben enjoys. It turns out that the varietals of interest fall on the lower side of the price curve anyway.

I will also say that as a wine collector and drinker!, what makes a wine most enjoyable and memorable is the setting, people and food in place when consumed. But it still needs to be good wine and as I said with the varietals of interest, this should not be a problem. If he was in to Bordeaux first growths, we might have a problem.

For me I would have opted for 3 very special bottles, because I think the best gifts are the ones you would never buy for yourself.

Love the idea of a nice wood box though. I just hope Ben has a nice cool place to store it properly.

[AngryScientist]

I will also say that as a wine collector and drinker!, what makes a wine most enjoyable and memorable is the setting, people and food in place when consumed. But it still needs to be good wine ...

:hello:

[slowgoing]

We are hearing that Paypal is not allowing some recent contributions as gifts. We may have passed some internal Paypal limit on the total amount that can be gifted to a particular account... If was good while it lasted... But feel free to still make contributions with fees to be deducted.

[echelon_john]

Somewhat ironic, since in this case it actually IS a gift! (as opposed to countless transactions processed this way that aren't)

Oh well.

[echelon_john]

RE: A custom box, I found this place which is NY-based:

http://www.winepine.com/custom-work.html

They manufacture customized wine boxes that can be personalized. They list single bottle, 3-bottle and 6-bottle boxes on their site; I have inquired about availability, pricing and timing of a 12-bottle box.

I think it would be a nice 'permanent' component of a wine gift that could stick around after the wine has been enjoyed.

I'll let the group know what I hear back from them in terms of pricing & availability.

Maybe customize with a Serotta logo and simple "To Ben with appreciation from your friends on the Serotta Forum, 20XX-20XX"

[slowgoing]

Very cool!

RE: A custom box, I found this place which is NY-based:

http://www.winepine.com/custom-work.html

They manufacture customized wine boxes that can be personalized. They list single bottle, 3-bottle and 6-bottle boxes on their site; I have inquired about availability, pricing and timing of a 12-bottle box.

I think it would be a nice 'permanent' component of a wine gift that could stick around after the wine has been enjoyed.

I'll let the group know what I hear back from them in terms of pricing & availability.

Maybe customize with a Serotta logo and simple "To Ben with appreciation from your friends on the Serotta Forum, 20XX-20XX"

[echelon_john]

OK, heard back. They can do a 12-bottle wooden case, with custom engraving on one end.

Directly from them (Patrick is his name):

*******The price for a slide-top 12 bottle wine crate with one engraving on the short side is $150. This includes the engraving, slide-top lid, decorative excelsior shred and shipping costs (Continental US only). We offer a substantial bulk discount for 10 or more pieces if you'd like to move forward with more down the road.

We need 2-3 business days to complete the crate and ship out. FedEx Tracking will be sent to this e-mail address once the crate ships.

Let me know your thoughts and thank you again for your time and business.*******

So basically $150 for the custom engraved wood box including shipping, and 2-3 days to make it happen.

I have no vested interest, etc. etc...just think it's a nice idea that enhances the wine gift. What sayeth the group?

[Louis]

The fancy box sounds like a great idea. I'd say we have enough to splurge - it will be a nice touch.

[AngryScientist]

The fancy box sounds like a great idea. I'd say we have enough to splurge - it will be a nice touch.

agree

[laupsi]

sorry for being inept but if someone could give me instructions on how the how to, I would like to contribute

thanks...

[echelon_john]

1. We've set up a new email address to receive your Paypal contributions – giftforben@gmail.com

2. Please identify your Serotta screen name in the Subject Line of the donation so we can match up your paypal contribution to your Serotta handle. Any other comments should be placed in the notes box.

[vqdriver]

For me I would have opted for 3 very special bottles, because I think the best gifts are the ones you would never buy for yourself.



I'll go along with whatever the majority decides but I'm of the same mind on that

[slowgoing]

The fancy box sounds like a great idea. I'd say we have enough to splurge - it will be a nice touch.

Also agree. Maybe include the custom box instead of a plaque, as the box would say basically the same thing as a plaque. Although Elefantino is working on a mock up of a plaque as we speak...:crap:

On the wine, as far as a variety box v. two or three special botles, I'll go along with the majority. My only concern with a variety pack is we may pick less expensive bottles that he is more likely to have tried before whereas if we try a few more expensive bottles, maybe that is less likely. But I see the benefit in both approaches.

[echelon_john]

The artwork for the plaque could potentially be etched; I don't know what their limitations are.

If folks continue to give, we could probably be at the point where we'd do a $700+ case of wine plus the box. I think that's pretty solid, but if folks want to do 6 $100+ bottles that's cool.

Also agree. Maybe include the custom box instead of a plaque, as the box would say basically the same thing as a plaque. Although Elefantino is working on a mock up of a plaque as we speak...:crap:

On the wine, as far as a variety box v. two or three special botles, I'll go along with the majority. My only concern with a variety pack is we may pick less expensive bottles that he is more likely to have tried before whereas if we try a few more expensive bottles, maybe that is less likely. But I see the benefit in both approaches.

[Frankwurst]

If the plaque is in the pipeline so be it. Personally I'd favor the box simply because a plaque is something I could only look at (not saying that isn't nice) but a box is something I could both look at and use. Either way I think Ben will be quite happy and appreciate the efforts.:beer:

[slowgoing]

If the plaque is in the pipeline so be it. Personally I'd favor the box simply because a plaque is something I could only look at (not saying that isn't nice) but a box is something I could both look at and use. Either way I think Ben will be quite happy and appreciate the efforts.:beer:

The plaque is only in the design stage by a forum member, so no big deal to stop it in its tracks now.

[slowgoing]

See Elefantino's plaque design in the sticky original "Gift for Ben" thread above. Looks great! Maybe we should do a wine box AND plaque.

[Elefantino]

Or ... here.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l84/gmmtwo/newplaquecomplete.jpg

[sc53]

Affix the plaque to the box! Problems solved.

[slowgoing]

We are going to pass on the plaque due cost. The estimate was $300 which would have eaten up too much of the wine fund.

We now need someone near Saratoga Springs to volunteer to receive the wine from SamIAm (he will buy it and send it to you) and the custom box we are ordering until it is time to present them to Ben. Such a person can also deliver the gift to Ben, if desired, although others way want to participate as well.

Volunteers?

[akelman]

Ideally, it should be someone who will, upon delivering the gift, also deliver a lecture about how much the Serotta website sucks, haranguing Ben for hours and hours, making the same point over and over again, until first his eyes glaze and then his brain leaks from his ears. (Note: I think the website sucks and have complained about it myself. It's just that I really like the idea of capturing the tone of the forum with this gift of ours.)

[nighthawk]

Ideally, it should be someone who will, upon delivering the gift, also deliver a lecture about how much the Serotta website sucks, haranguing Ben for hours and hours, making the same point over and over again, until first his eyes glaze and then his brain leaks from his ears. (Note: I think the website sucks and have complained about it myself. It's just that I really like the idea of capturing the tone of the forum with this gift of ours.)

So the person should also plan on following Ben around for awhile occasionally and repeatedly asking him if he has a cheap Serotta or Campy stuff for sale.

[AngryScientist]

as i have mentioned, if the delivery occurs on a weekend, and some folks want to ride in the Saratoga area, i'm game to accompany the delivery and do some scenic riding up there.

I dont know Ben well enough to be the sole deliverer though...