Things I Have Missed Since I Have Been Away?

[tokerpipes]

So I have been scarce on the forum over the last year due to looking for work. Still collecting unemployment, struggling to find a job. I have done a little under the table work but nothing solid.

I noticed a lot has changed since I was last on here. I wanted to see if any of you guys were selling pipes, baccy, or what not and I don't see anything. What happened? What else have I missed? Please catch me up.

 

[crpntr1]

Good to see you, sorry bout the job situation..http://www.briarbid.com/..not allowed to buy sell or trade on here anymore since Kevin started Briarbid

 

[tokerpipes]

Well that sucks. I am fixing to have to sell off most of my collection to make a couple bills.
What else has changed. It's been about 6 months since I was on here.

 

[numbersix]

Good to see you here tokerpipes. Sorry you're still job searching. In regards to what's new, like Chris said, briarbid represented a big change. It's still struggling to get off the ground, but it's still worth a shot.
In other news, Storient has been banned. People weren't receiving their pipes, then he started going of the deep end and was dropped as a sponsor.
That's all I can think of, except we've recently gained a lot more new members including a couple of women pipe smokers, which is nice to see.

 

[tokerpipes]

Yeah I figured Storient got booted. He had promised me a PM2012 pipe and I got no response to the emails I sent.

 

[rmbittner]

Well that sucks. I am fixing to have to sell off most of my collection to make a couple bills.

Well, it doesn't have to suck. BriarBid.com, although still in its infancy, is growing. The Web UI isn't nearly as user-friendly as eBay -- I can't tell you much time I've spent looking for options, as a seller, that I think should have been much more clearly presented -- but there's something to be said for selling directly to a community that knows and loves pipes/tobaccos.
That said, because the BriarBid community knows its stuff, you're less likely to see the kind of, well, irrational bidding that exemplifies a lot of tobacco/pipe auctions on eBay. So you may actually end up making less money from a BriarBid auction.
Bob

 

[martiniman]

Nice to see you again Toker.

Most guys here do check Briarbid on a regular basis.

You will also see when someone post a pipe or two on briarbid

they normally put a link to them here.

 

[cynyr]

Good to see you back, toker!
Can't add much to roth's post, except that Lawrence won the lottery and sent everybody certificates for a Dunhill; The Old Cajun ran some kids off his lawn; Hobie & Harris formed a new venture and bought up the world's supply of Penzance and Edgeworth Sliced. Oh, and Kevin dipped into his vast store of matured IRAs and bought a shoe factory in Italy.
Other than that, pretty quiet. Tranquil, even.

 

[tokerpipes]

Lol. The only one I believe is Kevin buying a shoe factory. Hobby maybe if he actually ran out of Penz. And Lawrence is not that lucky.
Old Cajun nothing new there I thought it was regular exercise for him.
I am surprised cortezattic had not opened his own website on "Kevin smoking right now" trinkets.

 

[pipeinhand]

Glad to see you back, yup still here.

 

[tokerpipes]

Oh good. I was afraid you left. I need to email you anyway.

 

[bentmike]

Welcome back toker. Good to see you and your tricorn back on pm.

 

[tslex]

WB Toker.
What sort of work do you do? Where are you located? You never know who here might have a lead.
@rothnh: Good report!

 

[tanless1]

Ever consider driving a truck? Many states will issue a grant to cover school costs, and you don't have to drive forever.

 

[puffy]

It's great to see you posting again.I hope you find a job real soon.

 

[tokerpipes]

I have 15+ years in customer service and bill collections experience. A fair chunk in mortgage, most recently (a year ago now) I answered complaints filed against mortgage companies that were sent to the government. I would have to figure out if the complaint was valid and get it resolved with the borrower and the mortgage company while on a strict time frame set by the government. The problem I am having in getting back into a position like that since being laid off is that I worked my way up to that position with out a college degree. Fore me to go back to bill collections would mean I would be making less than 1/2 of what I had worked up to earning.

Now with child support and being remarried and additional children I can't make les than 40k a year and stay afloat. My wife and I were forced to file bankruptcy and most mortgage companies do a credit check for employment.

I live in Jacksonville Florida.

Also I had a situation about 8 years ago where I has written a check and wife (now ex) placed a stop pay on it. I was picked up on a bench warrant and spent a night in jail for it. The check was resolved but now I ping on a background check and mortgage companies won't hire anyone with something like that.

So I have a couple things that make it difficult to earn what is needed to get by.

 

[lonestar]

In other news; Hobie still thinks everything is :crazy: and Lawrence still smokes 1Q.