Rocketry Planet

I placed an order with Aerosleeves a couple of weeks ago (They were having a great sale). Seems that was the going out of business blast. I wrote to see what was the status on my order and got a note that they had canceled the order as they were out. I went to the website to see if anything else was available and there is a note that they are now closed.

Bummer

This is probably wishful thinking, but could it mean that they are "now closed" as in for the holidays. Had they used the phrase "out of business" I would not be questioning it.

I wondered too, for the same reason as you, so I sent them an email. No reply yet.

Bruce

Nick and Jeff were looking for buyers for the business for a few months now. Binder Design nearly picked up the brand, but just couldn't swing it financially right now.

Best of luck to Nick and Jeff in their future endeavors! Aerosleeves will be missed.

Mike Fisher
Binder Design
http://binderdesign.com

Guys, if you need something Soller is a good place to do buisness. They wrap all of their cloths ona tube, then wrap in platic, then in paper and tape it up. They put it ina good size box for shipping and pack it with newspaper.

On the sleeving they did fold my sleeving but it's not like the cloth. It was not creased, or folded hard. It was layed back and forth and had a rubber band holding it. They then put that in a plastic wrapp9ing and taped that up nice.

They do a good job there. Be sure to check that you give them enough shipping on their website. They will refund the difference. It might calc too little and hold your order up. They only charge actual shipping costs...no fees.

Aw, and I have to say that I got some of the fastest shipping I have ever got before. I've been in lots of hobbies where I've had to order stuff, but I had a 1 hour turnaround from the time I placed the order to the time it was moving on a UPS truck! That kind of service is phenominal. There was discussion on another list if it was actually moving...it was. It was not just "billing info received". It was actually on a truck moving in less than an hour. I know that doesn't happen on every order, but it goes to show that they really get those orders moving there.

Hope this helps some guys out there in need.

I have gotten stuff from both Soller and Aerosleeves. I will miss Aerosleeves. Sometimes they had items that Soller did not have.

It's always sad to see a supplier or vender go out of business.

For those who have not gotten items from Soller they are great. Great products and customer service.

William

Now that Aerosleeves is gone the price of Soller stuff will head out of sight. Nonsupport of a rocket guy to save a few pennies will now cost everyone a fortune if they don't want seams.

The boat guy tried to put Aerosleeves out of business for quite a while, he's now succeeded with the chiselers help. Remember that next time you want to save a nickel to stick it to a rocket vendor who's just trying to make it work.

I believe self cannibalization is the correct term.

Chuck

Wow. I guess I'm lucky I got my order filled.

Chuck - I think you are being too hard on folks. Several factors need to be considered:

1) Not everyone had a clue that Aerosleeves was in trouble. Not knowing this they couldn't rally and save a valued rocket vendor.

2) Not everyone had a clue that the "boat guy" (who is that?) was trying to run Aerosleeves out of business. Many may have assumed that this person simply had a better business model and was able to turn a profit at a lower cost than Aerosleeves.

3) Even when people try to save a small retailer - it doesn't always work. I myself have closed three local hardware stores (one after the other over the course of several years). I tried buying everything from them - always going there before a big box store - and buying even when the price was higher than elsewhere. Eventually they all closed. The problem is that my patronage was not sufficient. The market that I represent is tiny compared to the rest of the market. The major portion of the people buying the kinds of things that a hardware store carries were happy to go to the big box first and were very price motivated. The same may be true for rockets vs. boats. The "boat guy" may just have a better set of products when viewed across the all markets that exist for these products.

My point is that if Aerosleeves had let it be known a bit wider that they were in trouble and no one in the community had responded to help - that might show that there was some self-cannibalism going on to save a penny. Even if people in the rocket community had rallied then the result may not have been any more than prolonging the agony - hard to say.

Well I see it all the time with the 'rocket' group.

Here. http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=41783

That's one instance, I see it in the Hybrid Forum, guys buying CO2 tanks and retrofitting with nitrous valvles to save $2 more it would cost at several of the rocket vendors.

Ingenuity is one thing, to throw something like that in the face of vendors on a forum is quite annoying to see.

It is simply amazing to me how so many can't see the rocket for the smoke. Too many in this hobby like to eat their own.

I'll give this guy credit, he asked and got a vendor's response. http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=41937

So many vendors do it for the enjoyment of the hobby and make it easier on others, to try to stick it to them is unconsionable.

Chuck