Sad news about a fellow upholster

[mike802]

I have a contract client that I have been working with for a number of years. Recently I noticed a drop off in work and by keeping my ears open I found they were using another upholster.  I don't blame them, I would also use more than one upholster if I was in their situation.  Today I found out their "other" upholster had committed suicide.  I was also told he was cheaper than I was, but not as good, no surprise there you get what you pay for.  It was also mentioned that if I needed some extra business I could lower my prices and pick up some extra work.  I just smiled and nodded, but really wanted to say "yea so I can be the next one to commit suicide."

I feel horrible for the guy, I know how stressful being an upholster can be.  People who have never run an upholstery business do not have a clue just how stressful it can be.  I wonder if it has something to due with how much of ourselves we put into each project, any craft or artistic venture must be similar, I would imagine.  Anyway, just the attitude of using someone up and throwing them away really struck a nerve, maybe I will raise my prices for that particular client >:(

[bobbin]

Two of my very dearest friends from HS made the decision to take their own lives.  Nothing can knock you to your knees faster than finding out someone you love "hit the end of their rope" or decided that tomorrow wasn't worth waiting for.  Nothing.   There isn't a day that passes that either of them doesn't cross my mind; a song on the radio, a vintage car, any little thing can trigger a memory.  Sometimes I still cry when I think of them.  The hurt never goes away and it never diminishes. but I've figured out how to pack it "life's luggage" and it's made me more introspective. 

I hope you raise your prices; a finky comment like the one made to you deserves the touch-hole surcharge. 

[kodydog]

There was a fellow in the next town over who's prices were quite lower than mine and I always wondered how he could be so cheep. When he passed away his sister called and asked if I wanted to buy some tools and supplies. He lived in an old beat-up single wide mobile home. His shop was in the front half. His sister said he didn't make pick-ups or deliveries and every day around noon he'd knock off and go fishing. Soon after that his customers starting calling me and were surprised at my prices. Like you said, I always felt that maybe people were using him.

I've always wondered if its the upholstery business that's stressful or are all self employed businesses that way?

The good thing is I make enough money to get away from it all every once in a while. Heading to the coast this weekend. See ya.

[sofadoc]

I was also told he was cheaper than I was, but not as good, no surprise there you get what you pay for.  It was also mentioned that if I needed some extra business I could lower my prices and pick up some extra work. 

I wonder what they would've said if you asked "Can I lower my quality as well?"

I used to do work for a designer that pitted me, and another upholsterer against each other. It got to the point where the other guy got all of the "gravy" jobs, and I got the ones that he culled.

I don't think that there is a high rate of suicide among upholsterers. Most of us learn early on, to live within our means. So financial problems aren't usually cause for an upholsterer to take his/her own life.
It's usually not marital problems either. Our spouses fully expect to follow behind us with a vacuum cleaner sucking up all of the loose threads that fall off as we enter the house.
By and large, we're pretty sensible people that lead sensible lives.
Stress (like life) is what you make of it. I don't feel one shred of stress in my life.
Even in my younger days, when I had to hustle for jobs just to pay bills, I never felt like it was more than I could handle.
It's bad enough that we are a vanishing breed. So I really hate to hear that one of us has checked out early.
Here's to hoping that he's gone to that "great workroom in the sky", with a brand new pair of scissors that never need sharpening.

[mike802]

Bobbin:  Both my wife and I have lost people we love to suicide, I know how you feel.  

a finky comment like the one made to you deserves the touch-hole surcharge.

LOL, I couldn't agree more and I just might, this is not the first time they have earned the "surcharge".

He lived in an old beat-up single wide mobile home. His shop was in the front half. His sister said he didn't make pick-ups or deliveries and every day around noon he'd knock off and go fishing

Kodydog: I have read where you posted this before and I think about it often, mostly when someone wants a cheaper price.  I get this vision in my head and decide no way the price is the price.  Glad to hear you are getting away this coming weekend.  I am taking a vacation for a week starting on the first week in August, cant wait.

I wonder what they would've said if you asked "Can I lower my quality as well?"

Sofadoc:  I wish I had thought of that!  what a great come back, defiantly will try it out.

Can't say that I feel stressed out, I used to when I first went into business.  That was before I found my target market and was real busy trying to be all things to all people and meet everybody's imposable deadline.  I still get a little stressed when I get behind schedule and people start pushing me to finish their projects.  I have played with the idea of just not doing deadlines, in my estimates I now word the deadline as an estimated time of completion, so I am working in that direction.    Approximately 10 years ago or so we had an upholster in the next town hang himself with his phone cord, I guess a customer came in and found him there.  I don't know if a upholstery business is any less stressful than another small business, but I have never heard of a mechanic, electrician etc committing suicide, but I am sure it happens.

The whole thing about this is, it was a  very unprofessional thing to due.  I felt like they were saying Hay, we just worked our other upholster into a state of despair so deep he checked out. If you lower your prices some maybe we can do the same to you. :o  No thank you.  My prices are fair and I deserve to make an honest living.  

[vinyldoctorlv]

heck of a way to check out. just wait until he gets the final bill. prolly come back as a lesser life form to relearn lifes lessons. maybe spend a few decades as a prey animal or something.

[kodydog]

Stress (like life) is what you make of it. I don't feel one shred of stress in my life.
Even in my younger days, when I had to hustle for jobs just to pay bills, I never felt like it was more than I could handle.

Good for you Sofadoc. For some reason I've been feeling a little more stressed than usual. Something I need to  turn around. Never had it so bad that suicide was a option. Somebody on the Forum once said, it's a long term solution to a short term problem

[Ihavenoname]

I'm sure it was more then upholstery that did the guy in.

Although I have to agree the last 3 years have been pretty hard to stay in business.

[Mike8560]

touch-hole  

a friend of mine used that saying allot. Although I don't think he knew a touch hole was on a muzzleloader

[bobbin]

Bung-hole is another favorite; bung holes are on barrels.  ;)

[Mike8560]

Bung-hole is another favorite; bung holes are on barrels.  ;)

now that reminds me of brevis and butthead :)

[tapissier]

TO ILLUSTRATE YOUR POST HERE IS THE FOLLOWING STORY:
I HAD A 15 YEARS RELATIONSHIP WITH A BIG ARCHITECTURAL FIRM IN NYC, FOR 15 YEARS EVERYONE WAS THRILLED AND HAPPY, THE WORK WAS TOP SHELF, THE MONEY WAS GREAT AND I NEVER MISSED A DEADLINE...THEN ONE DAY I GOT 2 WEEKS LATE ON MY DEADLINE, THEY DROP ME OVERNIGHT AND WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE...LOST $450.000.00 WORTH OF YEARLY CONTRACTS.
YES I THOUGHT ABOUT JUMPING OFF A BRIDGE BUT I DID NOT LET THEM GET THAT SATISFACTION.
LETS BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES...WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN.
OUR TRADE DOES NOT GET THE RESPECT IT DESERVES. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT, ITS A GHOST TRADE AND FRANKLY NOONE GIVES A RED RAT'S ASS ABOUT UPHOLSTERY OR ANY TRADE RELATING TO THE CULTURAL WEALTH OF THIS NATION.
IT'S NOT TAUGHT ANYWHERE PROPERLY, THERE IS NO OFFICIAL TRADE BOOK, NO STATE CERTIFICATION, NOTHING.
ALL THE LABOR AVAILABLE IS ILLITERATE OR DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.
THIS IS A PATHETIC ENVIRONMENT AND A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
SO MOTE IT BE!

[sofadoc]

tapissier: All of the older posts got wiped out a few months ago.
I wish that you would re-tell your upholstery background for the newbies here. I remember you saying that your training in France was quite extensive, and you seemed bitter about the fact that, as you put it, "In America, all you have to do in order to be an upholsterer is be able to pay rent."  I don't think that you can compare ultra high-end work with that of the everyday garden variety upholsterer. If our government required the type of training that you had, there would only be a few hundred upholsterers in the entire nation. And even a  cheap sofa would cost over $5,000.
I'm not trying to spark a debate about qualifications. I just think that your story would be interesting.
Sorry to hear about your business downturn.

[bobbin]

Mais oui, Tapissier!  (my French is really basic and you'd be appalled, I'm afraid).

I had just joined this site and your posts were of great interest to me, too.  I have often wondered in what exciting direction you'd moved; I'm sorry to learn that you were summarily "dumped" for a delivery delay.   I know it's no consolation but it was their loss. 

And I couldn't agree more about the pervasive lack of respect accorded skilled tradesmen in this country.  It always irritates me that people think I do the work I do because I'm not "smart enough" to do anything else.  It's only on very rare occasions that I allow myself to deploy my adequate intellectual firepower and deliver a broadside volley to some arrogant and smug know-nothin'.

I listen to the interminable talk about the state of our economy and the necessity of college... I think we need to begin training people to do meaningful things; throwing things away the second they break carries a very high cost indeed.  Have any of you noticed that they're just now beginning to speak of "apprenticeships" and trade work? fancy that?!

[vinyldoctorlv]

TO ILLUSTRATE YOUR POST HERE IS THE FOLLOWING STORY:
I HAD A 15 YEARS RELATIONSHIP WITH A BIG ARCHITECTURAL FIRM IN NYC, FOR 15 YEARS EVERYONE WAS THRILLED AND HAPPY, THE WORK WAS TOP SHELF, THE MONEY WAS GREAT AND I NEVER MISSED A DEADLINE...THEN ONE DAY I GOT 2 WEEKS LATE ON MY DEADLINE, THEY DROP ME OVERNIGHT AND WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE...LOST $450.000.00 WORTH OF YEARLY CONTRACTS.
YES I THOUGHT ABOUT JUMPING OFF A BRIDGE BUT I DID NOT LET THEM GET THAT SATISFACTION.
LETS BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES...WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN.
OUR TRADE DOES NOT GET THE RESPECT IT DESERVES. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT, ITS A GHOST TRADE AND FRANKLY NOONE GIVES A RED RAT'S ASS ABOUT UPHOLSTERY OR ANY TRADE RELATING TO THE CULTURAL WEALTH OF THIS NATION.
IT'S NOT TAUGHT ANYWHERE PROPERLY, THERE IS NO OFFICIAL TRADE BOOK, NO STATE CERTIFICATION, NOTHING.
ALL THE LABOR AVAILABLE IS ILLITERATE OR DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.
THIS IS A PATHETIC ENVIRONMENT AND A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
SO MOTE IT BE!

Yep, You are right. the companys dont care about us, unless they get what they want and when they want it.
thats why I picked my trade, Vinyl and Leather Repair.
I think there are 2 people in nevada that do what I do.
I hand out business cards for one week and get a month of work from that. and everyone wants their stuff done NOW. I get calls from these import furniture places day and night. please come to my shop I need you now.
I can't be everywhere at once thou.