A SHINY New Year!

Ni Hao!

Just a quick post to let you know that the NEW SHINYS for 2010 are starting to make their way into the Firefly Cargo Bay! Some are original items I'm making myself, others are exclusive items I'm having produced and some are from those 'verse lovin' folks at QMx! All very squee worthy and all coming in the next few weeks.

Watch this space for further details!

Until next time:
"Oh! Look at all the pretties!"

FFCB is *IN* At Norwescon!

Just got the word today that FFCB is confirmed for two tables in the dealers of Norwescon33 in Seattle April 1-4. And can you guess what I'm going to say...? Yep-- SQUEE!

Now... I will post more about this later, but for the moment I'm looking for someone to help me work the booth, as my usual lackey will most likely not be able to make it. You will need to find you own accommodations, and transportation, but membership to the con is covered.

Let me know if you're interested.

Until next time:
"Ladies and Menfolk, we have a job."

Not Quite Back, But Working Anyway

Ni Hao and Happy (almost) New Year!

I'm back at the ol' Cortex keyboard and working on getting Firefly Cargo Bay's line up of convention attendances going for 2010. As mentioned before, we are confirmed for Dragon*Con in Atlanta for Labor Day weekend. Other possibilities are:

Norwescon 33 in Seattle April 1-4 (waiting on acceptance or not)
FKO Toronto April 9-11 (will have the filk related items at the interfilk bazaar, but not a separate FFCB booth)
Balticon Baltimore May 28-31 (awaiting response from organizers)
Confluence Pittsburgh July 23-25 (undecided if I'm attending again this year)
Dragon*Con Atlanta Sept 3-6 (we're SO there mei mei!)
SFContario Toronto November 19-21 (not applied yet, but will most likely have a full booth here of all the shinys)

That's all on the line up for now. I was going to attend Conflikt in Seattle at the end of January but my Permenant Resident card won't be renewed in time to leave the country- and be allowed back in!. I also scratched Orycon from the list although it pained me to do so. This has con has come highly recommended by some filkers who love it, but there aren't that many flights from here to there, and I'm having trouble working out the logistics. Plus, I found out that to get to the dealers' room, guests have to go outside the hotel to the exhibit hall. Going anywhere away from the con (even if it's at the far end of the hotel inside) doesn't bode well for dealer sales. I learned that the hard way at DucKon.

So, that's what's in the works at this point. Six is a good number and they are spaced out in time and local a bit, too. I'm thinking if I don't get in some places I'll add other cons to keep the number at six. I'd like to do more, but I haven't found that man from Gallifray to help get me and my stuff all the places I want to be!! (yes, I know, wrong fandom! But the TARDIS could get me to so many more cons than Serenity could-- even ones I've already missed!)

Now... you're up to date!

Until Next Time:
"I may not be a fancy gentleman like yourself, with your very fine hat. But I'm here for business."

Closed for the Holidays

Browncoats! Go forth and celebrate whatever it is you celebrate! And if you don't celebrate anything.... then party on someone else's behalf! It's cold and dark out there gorram it- gotta party just t get through!

I will be closing the Cargo Bay doors until next week. Any orders that come in during that time will be processed in the order they were received once I get back (Monday). Until then, Happy Holidays!

Until next time:
"Dear Buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket."

OOOOO Ficial!

Got the official "yes you paid for your space in Dragon*con 2010" letter in the mail today. It's on their letterhead and everything, so, woot! Firefly Cargo Bay is confirmed for 2 tables in the dealers' hall again! *squee!*

Naturally there is no location of said tables yet, as it's not even '10, but WE'RE THERE!!!!!!!!!

Damned Allied Postal System

Ni Hao!

You may or may not know that the hub of operations for Firefly Cargo Bay is located in Canada. Now, I love living here, but running a small business from Canada when 99% of your customers are located in the States is not always the easiest. My main problem of late deals with shipping.

Now, things usually take about 2 weeks to get from me over that invisible line to anyone in the States. That was bad enough, but tolerable. See, they would always clear customs at Detroit or Buffalo or where ever the package crossed. Once they made it through there, they would be delivered to the person the next day.

Since September they all seem to go to a bulk processing post office in New Jersey (I know this because we had a long heated discussion about these policies with Canada Post recently). There it can sit until they damn well please. Seriously. Both countries' post offices say to us, "It's Customs, they can do whatever they want." Are you friggin' kidding me??!?!?

Now, I've discussed the matter with Ma Cobb to see how she handles shipping. She sends her stuff regular air mail and she says for the most part things arrive okay and in a timely manner. I'm a little leery of doing that because it doesn't come with a tracking number. Therefore if it doesn't arrive I A) don't know where it is and B) can make no claim on it. Unlike the Postal System, I do not like having to tell customers "oh well, you're S.O.L!"

So, where soes that leave us? I'm not quite sure. I'm looking into starting to ship UPS because the cost is not that much higher. HOWEVER I have no way of knowing what the brokerage costs would be and if the customer would have to pay any duty or taxes and such. I've looked into the next highest up method for the post office because they say the guarantee delivery in 6 days. When pressed, the postal agent admitted that was guaranteed to the customs point. And then again, it could sit forever.

I do not know what I want to finally do about all this at this point, but I am telling you it all because I want to let you know I am aware of the crappy situation. I am not happy about it in the least and I am working to rectify it. *Sigh* How come it never goes smooth?

Anyway! Hang in there with me please. I'm sure we'll get it all sorted out in the end. I'll keep you posted. No. Wait. If I keep you "posted" you won't find out anything for over a month! I'll keep you informed! :)

Until next time:
"Things always seem to get a little more complicated, don't they, sir?"

Browncoats Beware!

I got this email from a customer who told what happened after he flew his Browncoat Independence Flag outside his home:
"We ran the flag up the pole and had a police officer visit to ask if it was a terrorist flag. As a terrorist expert that was a new one on me." ~P.C. Tuscon, ARIZONA. I, myself don't know what to make of that, but got a laugh out of it just the same.

Annnywaaaay...
In other news, I will be out in the Black at the end of the week attending OVFF and will be unable to process orders until I return on Tuesday (Oct 27). Please note that I will be filling orders up until and including Wednesday, and will even ship them from the States if I have to. All others will be processed as soon as I return, and in the the order they were received, as usual I'm-away-at-a-show procedure.

You may have noticed I said I was "attending" OVFF and not "working" it. Yep, I scheduled in a working vacation- just going to check out the show and see where I can spread my Browncoaty Goodness! Yea me.

So, stay shiny and keep flying all you wonderful Browncoats! See you in the world.

Until next time:
"I wasn't planning on any dirt-kissing, Sir."