Valve Audio Predator for charity

[Ampdog]

Hey all you big spending audiophiles, what is R400.00 when we easily spend ten times that on audio gear

Yah, like buying expensive cables for ...... Sorry 

Seriously, a wonderful idea. Not to better anybody's offer; simply because ... well, to try follow the example of somebody better than myself.

Put me down for 10(ten) tickets of R100 each.
Signed ...er - well

[GearSlave]

I'm also down for a few tickets.

[Family_Dog]

Shot, Schalk! Must admit I had not heard of this case before either.

Any chance of getting AVSA involved, even if they just refer their readers to the eventual topic posted here.?


-F_D

[Schalk]

Schalk, according to the page at http://www.theimpossiblejourney.co.za/donate.html the legal folks are sponsoring this and not charging. Good on them, and good on you sir. Maybe contact them? I'm keen on a ticket or so. Always wanted to see the innards of one of those

Hi Ludo and all Ye Merry Responsive Fellows,

Agreed, that would make for a bigger "audience". Somehow though I thought that giving the audiophile community such as the guys on this forum a better chance, and thus be more willing to buy a couple of tickets (each and every one of the almost 800 members if I get Abe right). That would then give one of the guys in our community a sporting chance of being drawn as winner. Thus it goes to the "right" hands  

However, probably not all of the guys on this forum will buy into this raffle as many members are dormant (ghost members actually). Therefore it might not be such a bad idea as to give this to the guys handling the fund and say, here is this item valued at such a price, set it up for a raffle and get as many tickets sold as possible. That way they might get even more than the unit is worth. Great thought or not? That would however lessen the chances of this here group of guys on the forum though.

What say you kind people?

[Family_Dog]

What say you kind people?

No problem at all. Except you'll have to then donate two such units - one to the forum and one to the official fund raisers!...    


Difficult choice, though. The object is, of course to raise the maximum amount of funds towards the cause, but it would be nice to see the unit going to a member here. Let's get some more views.


-F_D

[Hi-Phibian]

This is a great initiative but I must play devils advocate for a bit. Many raffles I see done by schools and other charities often raise less then the value of the item. This is sad and actually a loss.
I think one needs to really look at the stats and do proper research on how many tickets you are likely to sell. If not enough, it would be easier for Schal to donate money for eg.
My suggestion is something along the lines of R100 a ticket for eg but forum members get 6 for R500. Few non audio folk will commit to more then one if any. My in laws for eg will sooner spend 50 bucks for a half sheep raffle then a 30K amplifier.

Also, I dont mean to be obnoxious, but some of us can throw more at something like this than others. The many oohs and ahss and if only I had the cash some of the used bargains draw shows this too.

So yes, I am game and may have a rummage through my mind about something to do too and may approach someone for some participation.
I am prepared to commit to some type of runner up prize if the numbers gel but can not yet say what.

If played well, we can ask Andrew if AVSA is prepared to give a half or quarter page of news about this and this could grow the pool.

IMO unless more value is generated from tickets then the unit is worth, it is a false economy.

Oh yes, can we make this one a sticky?

[Schalk]

This is a great initiative but I must play devils advocate for a bit. Many raffles I see done by schools and other charities often raise less then the value of the item. This is sad and actually a loss.
I think one needs to really look at the stats and do proper research on how many tickets you are likely to sell. If not enough, it would be easier for Schal to donate money for eg.

  And where do you see me getting R30k from?   Ahm a po boy boet
Of course I'd like it to get as many hits as possible, 'cos if I only had to put in my manufacturing cost it would not help much. I am confident that we can get at least more than that easily. To me it's not about how much I lose by having this sold for whatever it gets eventually, but how much is gained for the cause. I could easily just donate the equivalent of what it costs to build and be done, but this is an effort to get, or rather "stir" other guys to also get involved. See, this has already nudged you into thinking of doing something too   THAT is the spirit that makes the Tree of Giving grow!

[dotVIBE]

kay, how's about a poll for the raffle idea. might give a rough indication of how much money can be raised from forum members for a start.

[Daniel]

Man, I'd love to own one of those!

please keeps us informed as to where to get the tickets!!!

Great work Schalk

[ludo]

Well it's up to you really Schalk. I wouldn't have any reservations about you or Kay or anyone you want handling the admin. But if the legal folk are willing to rubber-stamp the thing properly maybe it makes things easier. I'm not into law, I try to behave and avoid it, I just like good and useful results. But what I meant is sometimes it's good to ask lawyers to help if they're willing. When one tries to do good the law may see funny-business where there was none, even for reasons we don't think of. Maybe they can just tell you what works for this sort of thing and what doesn't. I'm not sure non-audiophools would be terribly interested, or if you'd like your logo on a rubber dingie on the high seas. All up to you to sort that out with the administrators of the venture. Just so the one hand knows what the other is doing, sort of like when you solder 

If AVSA is involved that would be fantastic to get to the right audience.

[Raffs]

I'm definitely in for a couple of tickets if the raffle is the way this goes.If not I will support however I can  Maybe AVSA would be kind enough by putting some sort of link on their site as well, just to broaden the exposure.......every little bit helps !!!
Hats off to all and sundry ................proof, we are not just a bunch of tech-heads, or what ever we are referred to as...........beneath all the wires and solder lies a beating Heart , Schalk you are a scholar and a gentleman !   

[placebo]

After finally getting my computer working since Friday night I find this post very interesting as I am also virtually blind in my left eye and the right eye is just on the driving limit with glasses.I have not seen anywhere the cost of the operation to allow the poor girl to see anywhere on this forum?From the previous statement the fact remains that sufficient money has to be raised to cover as much of the amplifier so kindly donated by a fellow forumite plus the cost of the operation.The logistics are not that easy from what posts I have read.Not knowing this forum members as well as others it is my contention that a raffle would be more likely to bring in more money than any other suggestion.e.g if raffle tickets were sold at R100.00 each and the assumption being there are 308 active members on the forum then the cost of the amp is covered.However certain members have pointed out that they would be quite willing to purchase more than 1 ticket which the cost thereof would be donated towards the operation for the girl concerned.Let us therefore assume that the average donation is R500.00 (5 raffle tickets)the amount of money raised is therefore R154000.00 by this forum less the amplifier cost would be R123950.00 which I believe would be far more than selling raffle tickets at R400.00 a throw taking into account that 1 ticket has as much chance of winning as 10 ticketets. e.g The lotto

[Schalk]

Quite right Ludo,

The only way I'd like to be involved is to actually just build and hand over to whomever handles the logistics. I want nothing more to do with the whole thing other than just sitting back and watching the seed grow. And NO, I am not doing this to get my logo on the side of a rubber dinghy. Biblical principle suggests that if you do something from the heart for the good of a fellow man, then your left hand should not know the actions of your right hand. Simple speak, you do not brag about it. Bad enough already that everybody knows that it is a VA amp and there really is no way to sell a Predator looking like something else.

If this goes nowhere and gets thrown out, well then I just sell it out of hand to "the highest bidder" and then commit the full bid amount to the cause. Like Kay suggested though, it is quite likely that more funds can be generated with a raffle than selling on a bid basis. Like someone rightly mentioned today on this thread, bidding would automatically put it out of range of some thus effectively removing them from the "donation" chain.

I'll leave the organizing to more capable hands now, as I have to deliver a Predator soon

Thank you all for your valued input. I think talking to Andrew or Bob might reach a larger audiophool pool and that might therefore be the best route to go. Why heck, they can mention that THEY organized "an amplifier" to put up for this cause. Think of the publicity for the magazine.

[Schalk]

After finally getting my computer working since Friday night I find this post very interesting as I am also virtually blind in my left eye and the right eye is just on the driving limit with glasses.I have not seen anywhere the cost of the operation to allow the poor girl to see anywhere on this forum?

Let us therefore assume that the average donation is R500.00 (5 raffle tickets)the amount of money raised is therefore R154000.00 by this forum less the amplifier cost would be R123950.00 which I believe would be far more than selling raffle tickets at R400.00 a throw taking into account that 1 ticket has as much chance of winning as 10 ticketets. e.g The lotto

Hiya Placebo,

You are probably better placed to understand the "eye" thing than most, as you yourself have a problem. You have risen above the handicap and good for you! The projected cost of such an operation is approximately R140 000. And no, the cost of the amplifier is not deducted. It all goes for the cause.

Goodnight guys, got work to do

[kay]

Hey guys! Excellent discussion so far - including the devil's advocate points, those are much needed too.

Just a couple of points from me: it seems everyone agrees that a raffle will generate more funds, so that's pretty much a given. I suggested the actual draw is administered by a neutral third party so that there is no accusations of rigging the giveaway or anything like that - it's in everyone's best interest really.

Also, we should definitely have multiple amounts including a ridiculously high one like R10,000 - even if noone actually makes use of it, it subconsciously opens up the expectations so everyone can pick the highest amount they're comfortable with. It's a standard charity trick Of course the higher amounts should include more raffle tickets, perhaps at a slight discount - e.g. if R100 buys 1 then R1,000 perhaps gets you 11 or 12.

And yeah, I was also thinking that some AVSA exposure wouldn't hurt