| ...BitHed Has Spoken... |
| ...NOVEMBER XX... ...A recent thread on a FORUM I frequent brought up an interesting topic...What is a hobby? And is it correct and proper to say whether one hobby is better or worse than another? ...Did you know that the most dangerous hobby in Japan ISNT unorganized street racing; it ISNT gambling with the Yakuza, (although that CAN get pretty hairy ;) it is actually a Japanese form of the French game of CROQUET; called GATEBALL here...The REASON it is the most dangerous is the mere fact that the average age of its participants is 80 something...More players of gateball fall over dead than any other hobby in Japan...So does that make it any more or less exciting than street racing at 200 kmph? You would have to ask each participant that question... ...If there were a GOD of hobbies in Japan it would be TAMIYA...Whatever your age, sex, interest or economic position, TAMIYA will have something to satisfy your free time...TAMIYA is like a religion here, spanning generations and providing a framework for family activities on that wet Sunday afternoon...It is as warming as it is scary to see father and son / mother and daughter crouched over the work table at the TAMIYA booth at an event or show, frantically putting together their DANGUN RACER in time for the start of the next round of races...Sometimes it is difficult to decide if it is the child who is most enthused or the father... ...My hobby is this site and its activities...and it sometimes consumes me...I body-mod Mini Z's into the wee small hours of the morning and my body has adjusted to 4 hours of sleep a night...My skin is pasty and my kitchen floor is constantly covered in a veil of fine putty dust...But thats my hobby :) ...Bit-Mum KNITS...Bit-Dad sails radio control YACHTS...Baby-Bit watches Japanese SUPER HEROES and Mrs. Bit redesigns Bit HQ every Sunday...YOUR hobby is YOUR hobby and it might bore the living daylights out of those around you but its what makes you YOU...and thats what its all about :) |
| ...THURSDAY NOVEMBER 27... ...Its a dog eat dog world...Retail sux...Customers dont pay and suppliers are late...The bank thinks you are 'fly-by-night' and the competition is always doing something BIGGER and BETTER...Hey its a tuff job but somebody has to do it :) ...PanicToys isnt a big fish in the world's toy box at all...We dont REALLY want to be...No one makes money out of toys...Except Maybe Scott at Hobby Link Japan :) But homie has worked REALLY HARD for it...Panictoys has a point of view...A way of doing things that dictates the way we run...MOST companies have one...Some might call it a 'mission', some might call it a 'culture'...but whatever its name and however its presented, its the underlying flavour of the icecream...The creamy center of your oreo after your 3 year old has eaten all the biscuit off the outside...Its the filling of your rice ball, (just hope it isnt a pickled plum :p)...Its whats left of your candy after the harsh outside bits have melted away...Hopefully this will help you, our client, understand our direction and our style...You dont have to like it or agree with it...Its just the way we do it at PanicToys :) ...HOW TO PANIC 101... 1: PanicToys will endeavour to provide a FRIENDLY, NO PRESSURE, STRESSLESS sales atmosphere to establish the client as a WELCOME FRIEND and not JUST a customer. We will try to create a surrounding where friends gather to enjoy the atmosphere connected with the product. Our FINAL OBJECTIVE is NOT to 'get' $$$ from our clients but to EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN and INVOLVE the client in the LIFESTYLE and ATTITUDE of the product and PanicToys.... 2: ALL efforts will be taken to find the client the EXACT product they desire, even if it means MAKING IT oursleves... 3: NO PRESSURE will be applied to the client to buy UNWANTED or NOT-QUITE-RIGHT products... 4: PanicToys will strive to create an IMAGE in the relative communities that will be ADMIRED and RESPECTED by all involved in connection with the business, i.e STAFF, CLIENTS, SUPPLIERS AND SUPPORTERS. PanicToys will construct this image with EVENT SPONSORSHIP, CLIENT SPONSORSHIP and key-placings of AID, HYPE and EDUCATION... 5: ALL STAFF, SUPPLIERS and SUPPORTERS will be required to UNDERSTAND the DIRECTION of PanicToys and RESPECT the RIGHTS of the CLIENT as stated ABOVE...ALL PRODUCTS and SERVICES provided by PanicToys MUST be appropriate to PanicToys and ensure the FORWARD GROWTH of the company... 6: PanicToys will remain FLEXIBLE in regard to PRODUCTS and MARKETS alike; being able to instantly REACT to EXPANDING MARKETS and SPIN-OFFS but it will never KNOWINGLY undertake ANY ACTION which will inhibit its growth... 7: The PRODUCTS and SERVICES PanicToys provides will be made available to ALL clients who DESIRE them, REGARDLESS of AGE, SEX, RELIGION, RACE or ECONOMIC POSITON, provided the client does not INTENTIONALLY bring BAD KARMA upon the company :) ...QUESTIONS WE ASK OURSELVES... 1: WHAT are our clients interested in and what are their concerns when it comes to using the products we stock ? 2: What can PanicToys DO to make our clients feel comfortable and to help them ENJOY BUYING from PanicToys ? 3: WHAT value-added goods and services would PanicToys clients enjoy? 4: I wonder whats for dinner tonight because I am REALLY HUNGRY :) |