Daniel's final posting

Jewelry Discussion
1

About ten years ago when I first started posting and following
Orchid, I had a business partner, three full time employees and a
part time bookkeeper and we were doing somewhat over $750,000 a year
in annual sales. Today I have no partner and no employees and I am
selling and making in the neighborhood of $600,000 worth of jewelry
annually (including this year despite the recession) entirely on my
own (well my wife does the books). I find myself with less and less
time and a need to allocate my time carefully. My marketing gurus,
and my own reading of the marketplace, have led me to believe that I
need to be writing a blog and pursuing contacts on an assortment of
social networking sites in order to continue to boost my sales.
Because of my time constraints I don’t believe I can handle the
writing/reading involved in Orchid as well as the other new avenues I
need to pursue.

Consequently this will be my final posting on Orchid (well I posted
something last night and hopefully these will come out in the order I
sent them, so it doesn’t seem odd), or at least until the time when I
add some employees back into my mix (not likely in the next few
years). Orchid has always been a wonderful resource and a lot of fun.
I have met and made some friends over the years, including one who
became extremely dear to me and with whom, despite having never
physically met in person, I communicated with via email and phone, on
a daily basis for over 5 years until he ended up in a nursing home.
For those of you whom I have disagreed with over the years, please
note that disagreement does not indicate dislike. I have many friends
with whom I don’t see eye to eye on a variety of topics but it does
not diminish my friendship with them in the least.

Anyone wishing to see what I’m up to is welcome to go to my website
in about a month and there will be a link to my new blog there,
although it will be focused directly on my customer base and not on
jewelers or jewelry making per se. Those of you already in off list
communication with me are more than welcome to continue to email me
and I am, as always, happy to offer whatever advice I can, or you can
just say hi. I urge all of Orchid to follow their dreams, whatever
they may be, but listen to the posters who have the experience and
knowledge that comes with years of hard work in the field. I will be
watching Orchid for a few more days but as of July 1, I will be
asking Hanuman to remove me from the list. Good luck to you all. To
quote a current (and old) movie: Live long and prosper.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC

2

Good luck Daniel. I will be looking for your blog. Always enjoyed
reading your posts.

Dave

3

Daniel, Reading your posts has been a pleasure thru the years. A
pleasure I will miss. I have learned a lot from your sound reasoning
and extensive knowledge, both bench and retail. Speaking for all of
us, you will be sorely missed.

Tom Arnold

4

Daniel,

Thank you for the many helpful, inspiring and insightful posts on
Orchid over the years. It’s no wonder that you’re wanting to take a
break and focus on other endeavors. I always wondered if you ever
slept! In fact, I’ve had that same thought about other regular
posters on Orchid. So thank you all for sharing. And best of luck,
Daniel. I look forward to your blog and revamped web site. I’ll miss
you on Orchid.

Bonnie Cooper
Dancing Waters Studio

5

Daniel - best wishes, and you will be sorely missed! Your
perspective and insights are always interesting and useful. I’m glad
I had the chance to get to “know” you via Orchid.

Hope your new avenues do VERY well for you!

Beth Wicker

6

Daniel,

As a kindred spirit about the realities and the practical aspects of
both making jewelry and having a retail business, I will miss your
input as to the issues of both areas, and also the ethics you have
held. I do hope to meet you in person one day. Best to you!

Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co. 80210

7

You will be missed! Thank you for your very good advice over the
years.

Jan
www.designjewel.com

8

Dang! Gonna miss you, Daniel. Thanks for all the good advice you’ve
ever given me.

best regards,
Kelley

9

Daniel, you have been a cyber-friend and colleague to us for many
years. Yours has always been a valued and respected opinion, even to
those who occasionally saw things differently.

Your insights and inside look at your niche in the business world of
jewelry has undoubtedly benefitted many if not all of us.

Thanks for the being a voice of reason and rationality and for all of
the inspiration and benefit you’ve contributed to the forum.

Live long and prosper,
Michael

10

Daniel,

Before I read any other comments on your bombshell post, let me get
in a few words of my own.

Over the years, there have been a few posters of great value, John
Burgess for sure was one. I feel you may be in that category as
well, posts of value, and content. Personality, well, of course, at
times a bit reactive, but hey, that’s human.

Life certainly has changed over these years, for all of us. There
are time constraints, and all of us have these at times, as well.

Orchid is far more a site of human sharing than most, and as such is
too valuable to lose for whatever reason, time, disappointment,
appreciation.

The friendships I, You, We, have built up here are unique, and far
deeper than any that can be turned off and forgotten. I sincerely
hope you take a deep breath, enjoy a fine wine, listen to great
music, and rethink your decision.

Orchid’s volume can be managed by allowing a thread to develop, and
then read it all at once. Reply, comment, or not, it is up to you.
Just don’t go away.

Stuff happens, best to go with the flow. My having to return to work
to survive, and commuting 4 hours for 4 hours pay, has severely cut
into my Orchid time, and I don’t have a laptop to read on the
commute.

Social networking is another area I have had to learn, and get into
for work. It takes tons of time and can be rewarding, as well as
frustrating.

Daniel, please find a way to hang in, you are one of Orchid’s
Pillars.

Hugs,
Terrie

11

Daniel:

You will be missed. Your postings were always thoughtful and well
informed.

I’m moving up to the Bay area sometime this fall. If I get into the
city during normal hours, I may drop by to say ‘hi’.

Regards,
Brian Meek

12

Sorry to hear you’re leaving us, Daniel! We’ll miss the energy that
you brought to the forum and the time and effort that clearly went
into your posts.

Best of luck in all your ventures - I hope you’ll rejoin us when
(and if) you choose to retire.

Take care,

Jessee Smith
Cincinnati, OH
www.silverspotstudio.com

13

I will miss your comments and pertinent advice. Rest assured the the
gap will be filled. I can only spend so much time to answer or
comment on a few topics and that’s the way it is!

All the best, Alastair

14

Thanks for what I’ve learned from you.
…you can always come back…

Jay

15

Daniel,

Although you will be sorely missed, only you know the best turns to
take in your life.

Your contributions were amongst that small group from which I always
read. You could be counted upon to present the voice of reason, based
on years of being in business as well as years of being on the
planet. You also could be counted upon to interject the right amount
of wry wit, that “just right” dose of conversational cilantro to the
mix. I still remember the story of the psychic predicting Sam would
be a girl.

Best wishes and the very best of luck in your future endeavors.

Nel Bringsjord

16

Thank you, daniel, for always writing posts worth my reading. I’ll
miss you here. Best wishes for your business!

M’lou

17

Thank you for the time you did take for Orchid over the years! We
will miss your thoughtful posts. As a guy running about six blogs and
two web sites for the trade I understand how time consuming all the
“new media” or web 2.0 work can be.

Sincerely,
Daniel Ballard
PMWest.us

18 
Daniel, please find a way to hang in, you are one of Orchid's
Pillars.

Not much more to say than that…Good Luck, if you’re still
reading…

19

Daniel,

I hope this is kind of a temporary thing. I know it takes time to
keep up on Orchid but your posts are a prime example of what makes
Orchid great. I usually skim the headings and authors on Orchid
emails but always read every one of your posts for the information
and insight. I will miss that.

I made a point not to even log in this weekend until Sunday night
and had a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Maybe you will return in time. I hope so…

Rick Copeland
rockymountainwonders.com

20

Daniel, I will miss your insightful input. I completely understand
what you are going through. I hope that your business continues to
thrive, and that it remains a constant source of joy in your life. I
will search out your blog, and I hope to remain in contact. I hope
that you get to a point where you can rejoin us here, it’s just not
going to be the same without you.

All the very best to you, my friend
Dave