Top 10 signs of "Armorers Curse"

joeranger

Sr Member
I have read a lot of posts about guys getting into trouble by using new money from orders to buy supplies to fill old orders. A recent warning post said this was the "Armorers Curse". You keep taking new orders because you don't have the money to fill the old orders and then it all falls apart like a ponzi scheme. I don't sell armor but I do have big theme events usually around Halloween where I charge my buddies for the materials and then make all of the outfits. Yesterday, I got my shipment of headlamps from China. I bought them for $2 each instead of $10-15 in a store, but I bought 16 of them since shipping was supposed to take 8 weeks. However, I am only making 8-9 suits. I figured, some would be crap, some would break, but the main goal was to have extra "just in case". I had to resist the urge to buy the entire stack of clearance snow sleds at target. (I am cutting them up for part of the armor).

This curse has let to some ugly interactions here but I did want to poke some fun at myself and open it up to others.

#? - Buying in bulk to save money but buying way more than you need.

#? - Buying all the stock available out of fear you won't find any more.

#? - Having you wife say, "How much is all of this costing?"

#? - Hiding the receipts from your wife
 
here are a few of mine that i have noticed that happens when the "armorer's curse" sets in.

1. robbing peter to pay paul.

2. maxing out your credit card at the supply house.

3. tons of pm's asking "where's my stuff??"

4. you start seeing threads with your name on it and not the good kind.
 
5. There is a death or major illness in the family that causes great delays. Although unfortunate it is a direct result of starting an armor run.

6. The run causes your car to malfunction in true Toyota fashion such that you have to replace your car and have no time to fulfill orders.

7. Halfway thru the run, your resource supplier closes up shop leaving the second half of your customer base high and dry...and yes all because you started an armor run.

8. Some self centered prop Nazi starts accusing you of recasting armor with little or no proof, but we all know he's right because his hunches are spot on every time because he knows everything.

yep, thats all I got.
 
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5. There is a death or major illness in the family that causes great delays. Although unfortunate it is a direct result of starting an armor run.

6. The run causes your car to malfunction in true Toyota fashion such that you have to replace your car and have no time to fulfill orders.

7. Halfway thru the run, your resource supplier closes up shop leaving the second half of your customer base high and dry...and yes all because you started an armor run.

8. Some self centered prop Nazi starts accusing you of recasting armor with little or no proof, but we all know he's right because his hunches are spot on every time because he knows everything.

yep, thats all I got.

I can't agree with #5 more. I think beginning a new run of something causes death or serious illness. I don't know how many times I've heard that sad tale :cry Yea, I feel for you. Now bury your second cousin, twice removed and get me my armor!
 
I did a project for a guy in Australia.
Never had any issues with life or anything else ever.
Once I started the project, I had a death in the family, and the power supply in my computer died.
Sometimes things really do happen.
However to protect both myself, and my customer, I took only a small deposit and did not ask for any more money until the project was done.
I also went to the library to send my emails from the computer there.
Scott
 
Death? This was supposed to be a lighthearted topic...
Didn't mean to introduce morbidity to the thread but it seems as tho its a common excuse wether its true or not.

I did a project for a guy in Australia.
Never had any issues with life or anything else ever.
Once I started the project, I had a death in the family, and the power supply in my computer died.
Sometimes things really do happen.
However to protect both myself, and my customer, I took only a small deposit and did not ask for any more money until the project was done.
I also went to the library to send my emails from the computer there.
Scott
A very responsible way of working this hobby, wish all the other artists had the same philosophy. And you are correct sometimes things do go horribly awry when you least expect it

oh yeah and I forgot about project runs causing major computer malfunctions.
 
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I did a run I took payment in advance for to buy materials last year. I actually DID have a death in the family amongst other things. It IS a curse.
 
A good friend of mine is an armorer/prop guy. He's managed to avoid this curse despite supplier issues, heath problems, etc. because he refuses to accept money until the armor has been pulled and is ready to go out the door. Once a run of sales are over he takes some of the money he has made and replenishes his supply of ABS, resin, silicone, etc.

Obviously that arrangement doesn't work for projects where one needs money to even start on it, but it works for him and hasn't failed him yet.
 
Well now when I do runs I don't take payment until I'm ready to deliver. There's more risk involved, but it's way less stressful if I have unavoidable delays.
 
So far, no curse here. Money from current orders pays for the material being used in that order, so I don't get how people need new orders to pay for what someone else already paid for. Sounds like mishandling of funds in the beginning.

Plus, I use a Mac so right there I avoid the "computer died" curse. :lol

Scott
 
i make armor and helmets. on big orders , (full armor and helmet kits) i take a deposit, then when the armor is finished i ask for the rest before the stuff is shipped. parts and helmets i ask for the money up front. i mean how long does it really take to make a freaking helmet kit??

if i think i am going start running behind i quit taking orders. then pm the folks who were interested when i am ready for more.

the key i always found to help was , constant contact. if someone pm's me , i respond pretty quick.

this is a part time gig with little financial reward for me, the reward is seeing cats in finished kashyyyk trooper cossies that i made the parts for!!
 
i make armor and helmets. on big orders , (full armor and helmet kits) i take a deposit, then when the armor is finished i ask for the rest before the stuff is shipped. parts and helmets i ask for the money up front. i mean how long does it really take to make a freaking helmet kit??

if i think i am going start running behind i quit taking orders. then pm the folks who were interested when i am ready for more.

the key i always found to help was , constant contact. if someone pm's me , i respond pretty quick.

this is a part time gig with little financial reward for me, the reward is seeing cats in finished kashyyyk trooper cossies that i made the parts for!!

and thats the way it should be done tom! i applaud you for doing that! heck, i got my GM stuff from you faster than parts at work!:lol
 
I think for the most part, it comes down to cash flow. if you are on a tight financial lease, and you get Ill, you won't be able to hire extra help. And if you are struggling to pay bills, a lot of the money coming has to pay for living expenses, as well as materials. Constant contact with costomers is paramont. I've been in situations where I was working on a t.v. show, and couldn't cash the check because the bank freaked when they saw the check was from "hollywood". and decided to hold it for 30 days. And it was a very hard deadline.
the amount of stuff that can go wrong is infinite. But, if you are a big co. with a lot of staff, and cash flow, then good to go, but if you are a one-man-band. the possibilities of stuff going wrong is infinite.
 
No one mentioned: a pallet of old Styrene (discovered after the truck has left) and orange peels every piece. That IS a curse, not an excuse
 
#? - Buying in bulk to save money but buying way more than you need.

I think you worded this wrong. Shouldn't it be "Buying in bulk to save money but buying so many you end up spending more for the extras than buying the number you needed at retail would have cost."
 
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