Let's Have An Auction for Ray!

Count me in! I am working on a blade now. Hope to have it done in a week or two. I've also got one waiting in the wings if you need it sooner. Thanks so much for organizing this. I was hoping someone would set something like this up. This community is wonderful. You folks make me proud!
Ed
 
I'm mostly a lurker here, Dave, but in a year and five months of daily reading I've never seen anything to suggest you're anything but a stand-up guy.

I'd hate for someone to make claims against you, but I don't see an easy method of auditing other than having those folks who contribute either post their names and amounts publicly, or privately to some third party, and the amounts then be compared, and then Ray sign off on what he receives...

Besides, if someone doesn't trust you, who's to say they'll trust the third party?

I'd say if anyone doesn't feel comfortable sending you the money then they should send it directly to Ray.

- Jim
 
ddavelarsen said:
I have recieved a couple of checks and cash donations from other folks at my home addess. I'm just collecting up the money for a couple weeks and will buy Ray a Home Depot or Lowes gift certificate (whichever he prefers) with whatever folks send. If anyone wants to send money for that, here is my address:

Dave Larsen
920 40th Street
Des Moines, IA 50312

If you send a check please make it out to me so I can deposit it! I'll have to pay for it with my own check.

Also, if you want to send money via PayPal, I think Ray has an account and he might be willing to give you the info if you ask him. Otherwise, anyone can send money to my PayPall account at dclarsen*@mchsi.com (take out the *) with a Subject of RAY'S AUCTION and I'll add it to the funds for the gift certificate.

I will respond to everyone who sends money in any manner, via email, so please be sure to include your email address in any correspondence.

When I send the card to Ray I'll list everyone who contributed; if you want me to list the amount say so and I'll do that too. I don't know how to assure you folks that all the money will go to Ray except to tell you here - it all will.

If anyone has an idea how to audit me on this I will gladly accept their offer, I want to make sure everyone is confident that their donations will go 100% to Ray.

Thanks to everyone for their generosity. You're making me feel good; it sure is great to be a small part of this fantasic community.
Click to expand...
I've just gotten off the phone with Chuck Bybee and Nick Wheeler. The three of us have elected to split up the organization of donations to help folks sort out who to send what. Here's how that lays out:

Chuck Bybee - Knives
Chuck will accept all donated knives between now and September 23rd. He'll have them photographed (Chuck I cannot remember who's volunteered to do that, would you let us know somewhere?) and will post photos on the website he's setting up for the auction. I'll ask Chuck if we can post the mailing address here; meanwhile send him an email for his address if you're ready to get a knife on its way. Chuck's email address is: titanium.man*@gte.net - take out the "*".

Nick Wheeler - Supplies
Nick will receive all donations of supplies etc, and he and Chuck will either deliver them to Ray at home or at Blade Show West. Same goes for Nick's address. Meanwhile you can reach him at merckman99*@yahoo.com - without the "*".

Dave Larsen - Money
I'll collect any monetary donations you folks care to send. You can mail a check/money order to me or make a PayPal payment - see the quote above. Please do not mail cash! Or you can write to Ray at rayskee13*@hotmail.com (without the "*") and see about sending it directly to him. Chuck is also going to see about setting up an account at a bank near Ray that would accept donations; more about this if it works out.

To help folks feel better about sending money, Nick, Chuck and I will exchange email with all donations recieved, and Chuck will post a list of all donations - whether it's knives, supplies & equipment or money - on the website. This way anyone making a donation can double check to see that your donation is accounted for. If you wish to make an anonymous donation of any kind your wish will be honored on the website.

Any further information about monetary donations will be posted here, post #43. I'll just keep editing this post with new information as it becomes available; that way no one will have to search through the whole thread to see what's developing.

If anyone has suggestions on how to audit monetary donations so that everyone is comforatble that their money gets where it's intended, please let me know. For now I'll photocopy all checks and money orders and I'll try to figure out a way to archive any PayPal donations that come through for Ray. I'll send a receipt by email to anyone who makes a monetary donation, and copy Nick and Chuck so you can be reasonably assured that I'm not sitting here on a pile of money. :D

By the way, your donation does not have to be converted to a gift certificate - if you would rather that Ray get the cash let me know and we'll arrange for a cashier's check made out to Ray also.

Any other ideas? Please let me know.

And thanks again for everyone's great response for our man Ramond Richard.

Edit August 23: Thanks to everyone who has sent donations to Ray's cause. I've collected $516 so far and am going to go ahead and get either a gift certificate to Home Depot or Lowes, or a cashier's check this weekend. Anyone have a preference? Including you Ray, let me know if you have a preference.

Edit September 16: I collected $671 in all from you great folks and sent a cashier's check to Nick today. He'll present it to Ray at Blade West. Thanks for all you've done!
 
I'll send a knife to Chuck, but not one I made, 'cause I have only made....2.

Supplies-Does Ray have a favorite supplier, and do they offer Gift Certificates? If they do, I'll kick down there too. Green-It's always the right color.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Thanks again Dave... and everyone that's contributing! I am absolutely baffled and thrilled with the out-pouring of help. You guys rock!!!

My mailing address is-

Nick Wheeler
1109 NW Mill St.
Winlock, WA 98596

:) :) :)

I'd like to add, you may see your donated supplies on my knives down the road. :eek: LOL, JUST KIDDING!!! Actually, that type of thing is exactly why the three of us are going to stay on top of this and keep each other in check. So all boxes are checked off and everything is on the up and up.

Thanks
 
The donated knives will be auctioned at Blade West. Krause Publications has donated a table for the auction. The table will be next to Alpha Knife Supply's tables.

1) The auction will be a silent auction. Every person who bids will be assigned a number.

2) Every knife will have a bid page. If a person wants to bid on a knife they will show their number and then write down their number and the bid.

3) The knifemakers who donate knives will have the option of a Buy It Now price. Only the knifemaker can set the buy it now price. If the bidder wants the knife and does not want to bid, they can pay the Buy It Now.

4) I will have my cell phone at the auction table so bids can be taken by phone.

5) Payment can be made by credit card. We will have our machine at the show.

6) Knives that don't receive bids will be auctioned through the website after the show.

The grinder donated by Rob Frink will be auctioned with the knives.

Factory knives are a great donation. We are also talking to several factories.

A website will be made with professional photos of the knives. Mitch Lum volunteered to photograph the knives. Contact Mitch if you want to buy prints.

Ship the knives to:
Chuck Bybee
22964 NE 26th PL
Sammamish WA 98074

When you ship the knife send me an e-mail with tracking information. I will respond with an e-mail when the knife arrives. I've been having problems with a new e-mail program but I think all the problems have been resolved. If I don't respond e-mail again or call.

I'm always amazed at the generosity of the knife community. You folks are the best people in the world.
 
Chuck, are the knives strickly custom or can I put a couple of factory knives in the box too?
Scott
 
I'd like to thank Dave, Nick, and Chuck for what they are doing. You'd have to look real hard to find anyone more honorable and trustworthy then them.

There's no doubt in my mind that Ray will end up with 100% of the donations being given.
 
Helluva family we got here. Thanks again for all the work you guys are doing to put this together. :thumbup: I'm going to make this knife a good one. (unlike my other ones. :D )
 
Everytime I take a look at whats going on here my eye's start flowing over with tears.

I met with the adjuster yesterday. Its going to be a fair amount of time before I find anything out. Basically yesterday was more about the structure than the contents and he did say there would be a limit on what they would pay but I did feel he was going to be in my corner. He spoke the univeral language, Knives and was also a Viet Nam Vet like myself. He was wanting me to make him a couple sheaths when I get back on my feet. Before he left I asked if I can start getting rid of the debre so thats a go. I got a phone number of a local fellow that handles scrap steel. I'm still giving more thought on what type of structure I'm going to have. Thinking more in the line of all steel.

Thank you all so very much!
 
Ray,

I have a salesman coming over Monday to give me the schpeal on the all steel quanset type buildings. They are actually a pretty good deal. If you use the aerated lightweight concrete for insulation, they are fireproof.

Hope they take care of you
 
i hate quonset huts, ever try to hang anything on wall of a quonset hut? Ver lean over to pick up something on the floor next to the wall in a quonset hut?
I worked in a weld shop in one for three years.


Plus they are noisy and hot, did I mention i hate em :grumpy:
Kids be banging balls off of em and trying to ski off it in the winter...
dang racken fracken quonset huts.......
 
Put one in the mail today........... Check your email Chuck.

Thanks for allowing me to participate........ and thank all of you for being who you are and for sharing so much information.

Robert
 
I wished I could add one but right now I don't have one made of my own and time wise it would be late getting one out, one have to many paid desposits breathing down my neck .. sorry

I am going to send some stuff from here today, if I can catch UPS, some shop tools, some wood.
and a highly prized survival knife :rolleyes: just to remind Ray why we make knives :D (for motivation or digging in the dirt :) ) :D
and a bunch of other stuff that you just don't think about being lost in a fire..
I just weighed it,,,, 39 pounds of stuff :D
sorry I can't do the knife with you guy... :(
 
This is fantastic! It's great that so many are putting forth the effort to help out a fine fellow like Ray. Having the auction at the Blade Show West must be a big boost as well, they too are a great bunch of folks. Thanks again to the trio for organizing and collecting, that's alot of extrta work and you guys are great for putting in the extra effort. I started forging my hawk a couple days ago and it shouldn't be too long before I send it your way Chuck. Also, sending supplies directly to Ray isn't a problem I hope....if so it's too late, now sorry Nick. Again thanks to everyone, having been there (though I didn't loose nearly as much as Ray) I really understand what this support means. Ray, my friend, all our best and as always anything were can do here to help, please don't hesitiate.
 
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