Helping out the average joe


 
Bruce

Bruce

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
This is a situation that keeps popping up for me and I was wondering how you guys do or would handle it. The last couple of years of doing my rehabs, I get messages and emails from people that see adds for the rehab grills I am selling. They are not really interested in buying the grills, but want know "how I get them so clean" or ask for other rehab advice because they want to do their "own weber grill".

I have absolutely no problem helping a guy to clean up his own grill, but sometimes I wonder if they don't start thinking they might want to take up the "hobby". Sometimes, they don't even say they are asking so they can do their "own" grill. In the past I have been very forthcoming about passing along tips and advice, but I recently saw a weber pop up on CL in my area that had been "rehabbed" and was advertised as such and the guy stated that he rehabs grills. I had never noticed his adds before so it makes me wonder if he wasn't one of those guys I lended my knowledge to. What tipped me off was that he used a wire brush of some sort in the fire box. It wasn't a very good job, but was quite familiar and I could tell that he at least attempted to clean up the inside of the lid. The job was pretty rudimentary but so was my first grill or two. I just don't want to help myself out of a market but I would like to help out the average guy looking to get another decade out of his trusty Weber.

What do you guys do or what would you suggest if someone starts asking for advice on fixing up their Weber?
 
It's a tough question. I'm an IT consultant and people call me all the time asking how to fix this and that on their computers or networks. I'm glad to share, but my wife says it's my business and if they want my expertise, they should pay me for it. I would say help people you know or people you genuinely think are restoring their Webers. Otherwise, be cautious of strangers looking for free tips.
 
Of course, anyone can stumble onto this board - like I did - and find all the advice, links for very part and plenty more all for free.
 
Jon Tofte said:
Of course, anyone can stumble onto this board - like I did - and find all the advice, links for very part and plenty more all for free.
Click to expand...

Jon, this is true, but the people on this forum don't normally live in my area. I freely offer up advice and tip (sometimes even when no one asks for it) on this forum. I am confident than any grills you rehab and sell won't affect my market.

Also, I think of the guy who had me rehab his personal grill. I assume he didn't want to mess with it, but others figure they can ask me how to do it and then just go ahead and do it themselves. Even if they don't rehab another grill, I might have simply gave up a rehab by telling the customer how to do it themselves. Basically same as LEW is talking about.
 
Yeah I have given out plenty of "free" advice mostly on here on mixer repairs. but it has been to people who don't live around here. Otherwise it would be "bring it here and I will fix it for a price" and no waffling on that
 
Here you go. I still haven't figured FB out.

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Well there ya go. Perhaps not really encroaching on your territory but what's nice is there is a set price for services rendered and makes it more predictable. Kinda what I do as well and actually prefer doing a customer's rebuild as opposed to selling a machine as this way I don't have to put up with all the PIA cheapskates who always figure if you're asking $200 on a machine they would have to pay $600 for new they should be able to buy it for $100. When I fix the customer's machine it's a fixed price. $65 plus any ancillary parts. Boom.............done
 
On my last rehab grill, it was that kind of a system as your mixers. The guy brought me the grill, a Silver B, I looked it over and gave him a price on what I new I would need to replace/fix and then added in my time for the rehab and came up with an out the door price that both of us agreed upon. Like you said, it eliminates the buying and selling aspects which are at times aggravating. However, I do enjoy the thrill of finding a "steal" rehab candidate and I also enjoy the challenge of selling it which I have had very little trouble doing in the past. The only real issue that I always seem to get one or two of those "I will give you $100 cash in hand for that grill you are selling for $250" type guys. Or the ones that say they want to come out and look at it but keep postponing and want to tell you all about their personal problems and want you to hold the grill until payday next week.
But, Love it when a guy (or gal) comes out and looks at the grill and says "WOW, how did you get that so clean" and can't get the money out of their pocket fast enough. Then we get to share some of those 25 year old Weber memories.
 
Once folks get the bug, there's more competition for the CL deals in your area. Then there's the guy that posts on CL that he will pick up your used Webers free of charge to 'Save Them From The Landfill'.
 
I have seen so many Webers at the local transfer station that were JUST crushed, and have saved several just minutes before getting crushed.

The last one that got crushed just before I got there had a side burner and everything...
 
I keep telling myself that I need to stop by the county dump and see if I can rescue a Weber or two. It is a 20 mile drive out of my way though and they have stupid hours.
 
Yah, I've been able to scavenge parts from grills at my local transfer station also. Never took a whole grill back though.....yet.
 
Bruce, Rich, Larry, Jon, Sam et al, I can’t tell you how much help you have been to me in my personal rehabbing project, after doing my first one last summer and looking at it more closely over a little time, I see what I cut corners on and where I will be spending some time THIS summer going back in and re doing those shortfalls!
I just scrounged a “Free” redhead that’s mostly in the dump as we speak but, the firebox and hood were sound, frame was worthless, bars, burners, even the side table was pretty much toast.
Through the generous sharing of ideas and you guys holding my hand through the “Maroon Genny” I will have a lot more confidence when I cleanup this box to swap out into the blue top I put new innards in before I noticed the box had more problems than I’d realized. Then my wife’s son and his squeeze will have a better piece of equipment to work with.
I know I don’t have the space, interest to go into it as any kind of business.
 
I rescued my first grill from the Ace Hardware throwaway pile near my old Ma location. New homesite Ace doesn't have any turned in. Also, he free pickup in CL was big back there, not so much here. I did finally score an A bluetop yesterday for $35, so now I have a match! Have started to see a lot of grill cleaning ads for the same $65 price though.
 
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