Editing The Pen Addict 177/transcript (section)

== Field Notes ==


'''Myke Hurley:''' Why?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I mean, it's a good-looking pack. I think I'm getting a little burnout with the ancillary issues that are floating around. It's so much stuff that the next new thing doesn't get me excited like it used to when it used to be a lot fewer new things. Does that make sense?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Like, I mean, I've totally blown out the budget, like, on pens in the past month. And I'm like, well, the last thing I need is another pack of Field Notes that's going to sit there unused. And so I'm not even going to order this one just because I don't need it. I love it. It's cool-looking. I just don't need it. And I'm super concerned if this is going to be the new business model for Field Notes. And that's fine. If that's their new business model, that's great. They just need to say it because in the past, you've never been allowed to sell Field Notes as a thing. So I don't know. They're talking about the Cole Field Notes in the chat room. That was in conjunction with Aaron Draplin. So I think there were some considerations made there to have that as an option to sell individually. But if we're going to start seeing every shop carry their own branded Field Notes, that's cool. I mean, and they can do some cool stuff. But it's just like, I mean, I just don't need it, right? I mean, it's too much. It's too much. And, you know, that's fine if Field Notes wants to do it that way. But just from my perspective, I just don't need that many more Field Notes. I am loaded for bear with Field Notes. So we'll see. It's just a sea change for the brand.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And totally fine. I'm not against it. It's just not for me. Because now I'm going to see every cool shop with their own Field Notes. And, you know, it'll be good for those companies' brands. And it's good for Field Notes. They can get their brand into new hands. But, you know, I'm good with the colors.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So, like, were they J.Crew or JCPeney? Were they never sold?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' The J.Crew ones were in the store. I do remember that. The JCPeney ones I actually bought off the website. So, yeah, they've had some or they've sold in the past. So I don't get it. But if you ever wanted to order some, you know, for a project in the past, I mean, the rules are always you cannot sell them. So there have been exceptions in the past. I'm just wondering if this is an exception or if this is the new standard. Yeah. So, anyway, I mean, it doesn't matter to me in the end. It's just I've only got so many dollars to spend, you know, and I'm way over that. So then seeing something else new pop up today is like, oh, man, that's the last thing I need. So I'm not even interested in the least in ordering these.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Well, I'm going to order them.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. They're awesome. They're great colors. I think they're super cool. But I'm just whatever. I think they're blank on the inside, too. Are they blank?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Doesn't even say. Oh, no, it's a mixed. It's a mixed three pack. I got you. Graph rule playing. That's cool. I like it. I think it's good for Nixon. It's good for field notes. It's just not necessarily good for me. I mean, I just don't. I've gotten a little bit burnt on the eight million special editions.

'''Myke Hurley:''' There's a lot right now. I wonder if it's just coincidence that there's so much right now. I don't know.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I have a feeling it probably is. And believe me, I'm not. I feel notes should absolutely do it. It's only it's a good business decision. It's just as a customer. I just this isn't this is not a Pokemon thing for me. Right. So, yeah, I'm good with not owning every edition. So, there's certainly the price point is what I think was what's hanging me up. Why do they get to charge a premium? That's my biggest hang up, I think. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So, we'll see. I think not.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I guess they're charging. I mean, I don't know how much it's costing. It might be costing Nixon like seven or eight dollars per pack, right? We don't know how that works out, I guess. Right. Right. Because Field Notes will naturally put their markup on that they wouldn't usually need to do. And then, I mean, I'm not excusing it. But that's why they're more expensive.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Well, and this is why Field Notes has always had that policy in the past. Yeah. You can't sell them. So, is this a new thing? They're going to charge for this. And this is the new retail price of these books. Or. That's the confusing part.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Or.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Nixon just selling them.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. It's Nixon. Very well could. Yeah. Like, they're just doing it. Right.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. I mean, I don't think it's that big a deal. I'm not trying to make drama out of it. I just find it. I just have more questions. I have lots of questions about it.

'''Myke Hurley:''' There is a part of me that wants to not be able to buy limited editions. They're more fun when you can't buy them. Right? Sure. That's kind of the fun of it all. Like, you have to fight for them.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And who even says this is limited?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Doesn't it say it's limited on there? I think it does.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It says special edition.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Okay. Well, yeah. Maybe I just conflated that in my mind. Oh, no.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It says limited edition and special edition on the belly band. It says both things.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So, yeah. I don't know if it's when they're gone, they're gone. Or they just print more. So, it just opens up a lot of questions. I mean, in the end, I don't totally care. I honestly think it's a good business decision by Field Notes. They can get their brand in front of more people. Right? I'm just saying it's different than how they've behaved in the past.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yep.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And the price is what's really got me questioning things. Like, what is this? So, anyway. Moving on, sir.