My last M-422/M-422A/AN-J-3A/G-1 etc (maybe) - Sheeley

[coolhandluke]

My advice: you should see if you can mend fences with Dave, chalk it up to being inexperienced with this hobby, and get that jacket that you’ve already paid several hundred dollars for. You won’t regret it.

@moskal This is the best advice that you'll get. See if you can mend fences. You don't have unrealistic expectations, but this is unfortunately the nature of the beast when dealing with one-off custom orders. Patience is the key. Something that I struggle greatly with myself. Dave will deliver on the jacket and it will be everything that you wanted and more. My Monarch AN-J-3A from Dave is a work of art and the star of my collection.

 

[Skyranger]

By dint of being consumers to idealize some replica manufacturers too much, perhaps they forget the simplest law of commerce: communicate with the customer who trusted them by paying a large sum for what is... ultimately only a replica, which they agreed to have within a certain time but at least by being honestly informed.
I am surprised by what seems to be the temperamental side of some manufacturers who allow themselves not to give information on the order or even to despise their customer: I am thinking of certain topics here on Bill Kelso, or others like this last topic.
These manufacturers who are often of great technical competence should learn to better manage the commercial side if they do not want to end up without any orders, due to lack of trust in the sales relationship.

 

[leper-colony]

By dint of being consumers to idealize some replica manufacturers too much, perhaps they forget the simplest law of commerce: communicate with the customer who trusted them by paying a large sum for what is... ultimately only a replica, which they agreed to have within a certain time but at least by being honestly informed.
I am surprised by what seems to be the temperamental side of some manufacturers who allow themselves not to give information on the order or even to despise their customer: I am thinking of certain topics here on Bill Kelso, or others like this last topic.
These manufacturers who are often of great technical competence should learn to better manage the commercial side if they do not want to end up without any orders, due to lack of trust in the sales relationship.

Well said.

 

[B-Man2]

I think that this is an unfortunate situation for both sides however … I don’t see anything here that can’t be resolved with a little more patience and communication. As we all agree Dave makes some of the finest and most accurate USN repros available, and he’s able to do that based on his outstanding knowledge , attention to detail, and craftsmanship. The fact that he is a one man operation is one of the reasons that he is able to produce such accurate detailed jackets. He oversees all phases of production. This is great on one hand but one of the consequences of a one made show is that production time lines are often extended.
Have some comfort in knowing that owning a jacket from Dave Sheeley will be the prized jacket in your collection. He has never left a client” out in the cold” (pun intended) without delivering a purchased jacket.
All this is fixable …

 

[Silver Surfer]

Mind if I chime in here? Some of the better jacket makers are one man operations….the buck stops on their table. They have to pre pay for their supplies out of pocket. So, when (and they do) get a batch of hides that are not correct, it throws their schedule. Wait time for proper hides? Not to mention that these guys are often using machines that are nearly one hundred years old, and require constant monitoring. And yes, they do break down. Repair time? ,ya don’t send these machines to Amazon for replacements, ya learn to fix them yourself. Oh, and than there are customers last minute changes, and, and, and. Needless to say, all of these makers want to have good customer relations, but sometimes, customers have to man up, and realize, shit happens. There are alternatives to these one man operations, so if ya want IT in a hurry go that route, but it isn’t going to be a sellers, or a sheeley, or a Chapman. That’s just the way it is.

 

[Pilot]

Mind if I chime in here? Some of the better jacket makers are one man operations….the buck stops on their table. They have to pre pay for their supplies out of pocket. So, when (and they do) get a batch of hides that are not correct, it throws their schedule. Wait time for proper hides? Not to mention that these guys are often using machines that are nearly one hundred years old, and require constant monitoring. And yes, they do break down. Repair time? ,ya don’t send these machines to Amazon for replacements, ya learn to fix them yourself. Oh, and than there are customers last minute changes, and, and, and. Needless to say, all of these makers want to have good customer relations, but sometimes, customers have to man up, and realize, shit happens. There are alternatives to these one man operations, so if ya want IT in a hurry go that route, but it isn’t going to be a sellers, or a sheeley, or a Chapman. That’s just the way it is.

So true!

 

[Lord Flashheart]

You don't have to look far here to see people frustrated with waiting and/or limited communication from a maker or read about others chuffed to bits with a super accurate repro which took ages but was worth it.

Most of us have learnt that patience does pay off and that if you're a skilled jacket maker that doesn't mean the customer will get regular email updates. I had a few jackets on order through the pandemic lockdown in 2020 and thought that was my cash lost. They all turned up (at odd times but hey...) and were what I hoped for.

I'd echo the recommendation about mending fences as @B-Man2 and others have recommended. Dave really does make impeccable Navy reproductions. Would I like a running commentary on my place in the queue etc? Perhaps. But I've learnt to manage my impatience safe in the knowledge that when that jacket arrives it will be top notch and a prized part of my collection.