IF we can get around to finishing our AGM Insider and other projects, there will be a lot of exciting changes here for 2010.  (I know - promises, promises.)

In the meantime, here is what we have already changed, and a bit of scuttlebutt on what is to come:

>New Website Graphics.  Well, not completely new, but redesigned to reflect the more general modern use of monitors that are larger than oscilloscope screens.  Also, this new design contains the hidden modules for the AGM Insider project which we will hopefully activate soon.

>The COUNTDOWN Clock.  Hoooray!!!  We have been talking about doing this for years.  We are fortunate enough to have customers in almost every time zone on the planet.  You would think that "what time does the catalog open?" is a simple question.. but it is not.  We can hardly keep the time differences straight among ourselves here in the US (yes, I’m thinking specifically of Arizona and Indiana).  So quick - tell me: when it is 3:00 pm in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, what time is it in Antwerp, London, Madrid, Rome, Moscow, Kabul, Taipei, Sidney, Auckland, Phoenix, Toronto, and Kuala Lumpur?  Hell if I know.  Who goes on daylight savings time and who does not?  Ditto.  You would think that there would be some great web applications for this, but the ones that we found were pretty clunky.  Still, better than nothing.  However, with the countdown clock it no longer matters.  Anyone anywhere in the world can now look at the AGM website and know exactly when they need to be at their computer for the new catalog opening.

> New Web Categories!  Toys will be around for a while, Shoulder Insignia will last only as long as it takes us to work through the collection that we are currently processing (like the recent US Collar Disc category), and may reappear later if and when another collection of WWII patches is left in a basket on our doorstep.

> New Shipping Scale.  This one was long overdue.  I know that it is not exactly fair to assign shipping by order total; ideally it would be assigned by package weight and dimension.  Since we are selling everything from steins to cannonballs, even knowing the weight of the items ahead of time doesn’t often work as it does not take into account the variables involved in shipping (such as the fairly typical order for 3 steins, a spiked helmet, and 2 cannonballs.)  If that was our only business for the day, sure - it would not be a problem to figure this package out to the ounce and inch.  However, on catalog opening day alone there will usually be somewhere between 200 and 300 individual orders.  There simply is not enough time to accurately weigh, plan, and estimate for each and every order - to get people’s invoices posted, we must work from a predetermined formula and trust that it will all work out in the end.  As with the old system, sometimes we may come out ahead by a dollar or two, and sometimes we will loose our proverbial butts.

We have been using the old rate chart for 10 years now.  At some point we added the ’feather rate’ distinction, but besides that there have been no AGM shipping price changes for the better part of a decade.  Each of these years has seen UPS and US Postal Service rate increases, fuel surcharges, etc., etc. 

And.. the actual postal and UPS bills only account for one part of AGM shipping expenses.  In 2009 we spent just a little over $7,000 on boxes and packing supplies.  (aack!!)  The last piece of the puzzle is labor.  The boxes don’t pack themselves, and oddly enough - the folks who wrap your orders up mill around indefinitely on Friday afternoons until I print and sign their paychecks.  We could probably get it done a bit cheaper, but since many of these items tend to be both valuable and fragile, hiring the Samsonite gorilla to pack customer orders seemed like a bad idea.  The ex-museum types here do a much better job (in my opinion) of wrapping your orders than you are likely to find at any other militaria business.

We also have a few customers who due to their own circumstances prefer to have the US Postal Service deliver their regular large size packages.  They are undeterred by the fact that USPS shipping is often much more expensive than UPS, especially on heavy stuff.  They are also unmoved by the fact that USPS shipping is always the last out the door here at AGM.  (This is because when compared to UPS and their Worldship program, using the Post Office with Click-and-Ship is a lot like trying to drive the Indy 500 in a 1970’s Soviet Lada.)  To quote the Emperor, "So be it."  We now offer a USPS alternative for all packages except Anvil rate items.  There are occasions where the USPS is actually the best option, notably the feather rate stuff, and heavy books that will fit in their medium and large flat rate boxes.  Also - to be fair to our active duty service personnel serving overseas, for APO and FPO addresses we charge the same rates as we would for a UPS package sent within the continental US. 

> Changes to Lay-Away Policy.  Actually there are going to be several changes to the Lay-Away policy, but some of it requires work on our end to set up a self-service lay-away page on the website.  Until that is complete, here’s the deal:
- Lay-Away orders must be paid in no more than three (3) individual payments.  We have been pretty flexible in the past, but we now find that a lot of the lay-aways are turning into $500 to $2000 orders that guys want to pay in 18 dozen different irregular unscheduled installments of $25 to $50.  Guys, this is no different for us than if you paid with the loose change that you ’found’ in the fountain at the mall.  It is very messy and time consuming on the bookkeeping end of things.  Invariably, we will get toward the end and there will be some burning question about whether or not there were two (or was it three??) payments of $24.98 received six months ago... geez.  No more.  Three payments.  That means that in addition to the downpayment and the final payment, there is room for only one other.  We offer Lay-Away because we are collectors too, and understand that it is sometimes difficult to cough up all the cash at once when something great comes along.  However, it has turned from the original idea of a simple and convenient service for our customers into some sort of unholy fusion of pawn shop shelving, a math test, and lists of code names in a bookie’s little black notepad.  Help us help you - 3 payments only.
- Lay-Aways must be arranged, and a deposit received within 10 days of the order.  We have had a few folks who reserve items, then we may not hear from them again for months.. until I finally give up and put their stuff in the "Emancipated Militaria" section.  Then suddenly they can receive our emails.  We are very flexible for payment, but I can no longer be flexible on the 10 day pay or make deposit rule.  Unfortunately I have learned that a number of people see "flexible" and read "gullible."  We’re not trying to be bad guys - we just need to serve our customers without wasting a bunch of time on administrative tail-chasing.  We also want to avoid situations where items that are ’sold’ and removed from the catalog during the big rush only to become ’available’ again days or weeks later when their presence on the website gets far less attention. 

>Upcoming Additional Changes to Lay-Away: (which will hopefully be done sometime in 2010)
- Autodeduct Lay-Away System.  This is going to make life easier for everyone.  We are working on a way for you to set up your own lay-away payments online.  When this is complete, all lay-aways will be automatically billed on the appointed due date to the card that you selected when you set up the lay-away.  This will make it a lot easier for us, and there won’t be anything for you to remember and risk forgetting.
- Longer Lay-Aways.  A number of people have asked for Lay-Aways longer than 30 days.  We can do that.  The 30 day Lay-Away will remain free.  Longer lay-aways will be available if requested, but will incur an additional service fee.

>Other changes planned at AGM for 2010:
- We are working on the invoice page to allow you to add insurance there if you wish to have your package insured, rather than having to ask us to add it for you.
- Bonus items that will be available to you as free gifts when you pay using our online system.  These will be at different levels depending on your invoice total.  Still working on this one; not sure exactly how it will work, but we’re excited all the same.
- The Insider.  We’ve been working on this for 3 years now, and it is nearly complete.  (I know, we’ve been saying that for years, too.)  Well this time I mean it!  The last time I was this enthusiastic about anything I was 12 years old, home alone... never mind.  Suffice it to say, you will like this!