Is a hard-working, honest, USA-based family business that produces high quality manuals
(and has a huge library of items) worth supporting? - Home Page Version |
| | | Some of you reading this will think, "Who cares? Screw 'em". Hopefully, most of you are more intelligence and will understand YOU may not be able to purchase a high quality printed manual in the future when you really want one. If you care, YOU CAN HELP! The only way people can usually find us is by internet search. With so many constantly pointing everyone to free sites, they get pushed to the top of the search results. We do not participate with "link farms" or do other unscrupulous things trying to increase our search visibility. We really do want to be here in the future to serve you, but WE NEED YOU TO HELP US by mentioning us (with links to our site) in your web sites, in your discussion groups, in your forums, and in your blogs. If you want to know why this appeal, read on... | We KNOW many treasure their vintage audio components as do we. We are one of you in this regard. One of the first pages on our site was about loving the whole audio experience back in the day. We also believe there are many who desire, appreciate and similarly value owning a top-notch quality printed manual for their electronic treasures. Nothing compares well to having a clean, well-constructed, hard copy printed manual in your hands. Without fear of contradiction, we are one among few who can be depended on to consistently provide excellent quality printed manuals virtually every time (or tell you first if otherwise).
PDF files and scans have their place and may be perfectly suitable or even preferred in some cases. But they simply do not compare favorably with an (analog) book (or electronics manuals) for many people. | A situation of recent years is causing an unintended effect that may result in having no dependable (quality) printed manual source (with large inventory) in the future. | Well-meaning folks in audio clubs, forums, web sites, and discussion groups are obsessed with sharing manuals scans. Many are "on a mission" and actively push, promote, help pay for and spend much time so that free scans are available to all comers. Some are supposedly intended only for "buddies" (by virtue of having joined a forum), but of course, all those also become available to all comers. Some people have made a hobby of collecting hundreds or even thousands of manuals scans for stuff they will never own just to have around to offer to anybody they run across who might ever be looking for one.
Many web site and forum owners are being praised, thanked and bragged about for providing free download manuals. But many of those are making money from their forum members and web site visitors by several means. They ask for donations (to help cover the costs and keep the free stuff flowing), And/or they sell CD's of the free manuals which were given to them. And/or they sell advertising on their site/forum while visitor traffic builds and more of a buzz develops about their "selfless free sharing" of content which was given to them.
Some of the files are quality, but many are lousy, barely (or not) screen readable and a total waste of paper and expensive ink to print, with maybe half missing... but... they're FREE (so who could complain about quality). So in the end, some of these sites and forums are actually businesses in disguise being operated for the benefit of the owner, not necessarily for it's visitors/members. Some of the free manuals sites actually are scams to get you there, then try to load spy-ware on your computer.
The above is NOT just sour grapes, it's the truth, as is this... 80% of manuals sales have traditionally been for perhaps a couple thousand of the most popular models. So now, anyone willing to spend the time, can find a free scan somewhere for those same models. If 80% of potential customers continue to opt for those free scans in lieu of a quality printed manual, it very well may not be economically feasible to remain in business. Contrary to what some may think, a quality printed manual business has never been a get rich quick scheme. Just think about it.
Thanks for reading, and keep on hanging in there... I am.
Rick ("theman" behind StereoManuals) Stout
We aren't the only one who shares this view. We added comments made by some vintage audio tech's. See the side menu on this current page. |
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