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Old 08-24-2010, 07:09 PM
 
Location: Maine
22,836 posts, read 28,060,928 times
Reputation: 31002

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Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper View Post
Our car mechanic has three full time guys; they are working full blast.
A lot of that has to do with the credit crunch too. It used to be that when someone's car had a major problem, rather than fix it, they simply went down and traded it in for a new one.

Remember those car commercials from three years ago? The scarily chipper guy screaming, "Bankruptcy? You're approved! Bad credit? You're approved!!! Got out of jail yesterday? YOU'RE APPROVED!!!"

Notice how his commercials disappeared about 2 years ago?

People are forking up the dough to fix their cars simply because they aren't buying a new car every 3-5 years like they used to.
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Old 08-24-2010, 07:27 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,223 posts, read 60,940,482 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reloop View Post
I agree. The number of ramshackle houses, "trouses" (prehistoric mobile homes with houses built around them) and falling down barns where we just visited in upstate NY tells me that we are most certainly not alone.
I see lots of those mobile homes with houses built around them

And barns that sag in the middle and lean, I think they are cool
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Old 08-24-2010, 07:29 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,223 posts, read 60,940,482 times
Reputation: 30093
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark S. View Post
A lot of that has to do with the credit crunch too. It used to be that when someone's car had a major problem, rather than fix it, they simply went down and traded it in for a new one.

Remember those car commercials from three years ago? The scarily chipper guy screaming, "Bankruptcy? You're approved! Bad credit? You're approved!!! Got out of jail yesterday? YOU'RE APPROVED!!!"

Notice how his commercials disappeared about 2 years ago? ...
I assumed that it had been a while since I had seen commercials simply because it had been a while now since the Fed outlawed high-power TV broadcast.

As for the commercial your talking about, I have never seen it on TV, even before when we still had TV reception. I have however heard him on the radio. He is still selling cars with that same pitch.
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Old 08-24-2010, 07:47 PM
 
19,957 posts, read 30,001,004 times
Reputation: 39987
walmarts, sams club, bj's, home depot, lowe's, kohls and rite aid and dick's sporting goods wasnt in the state years ago, neither was olive garden, texas roadhouse, longhorn's or applebees and many other national chains- also ebay and internet purchasing didnt exist years ago- all these have affected the local independent business owners-
shoe stores, clothing stores, and hardware stores use to be in just about every town, the millions (if not billions) these chain stores take in every year-use to go to local businesses

The upside of course, is more choices to shop

subways, dunkin donuts, family dollar (like maineah said) and mardens, seem to be doing well in maine

Im not throwing arrows at walmart and other chain stores, it's we the people that are patronizing and promoting them, at the demise of mainstreet and local businesses.

If we dont support local businesses when we can- they may eventually go out of business
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Old 08-24-2010, 09:24 PM
 
8,767 posts, read 18,563,885 times
Reputation: 3525
Quote:
Originally Posted by OutDoorNut View Post
Try not to be too offended by this guy's narrative of his vacation in New England, including Maine, because it's his habit to only see the negative aspects of every state in modern times.

"A dark mood spread through the body politic like a septic infection last week in response to bad numbers in employment, housing, and commerce, not to mention unease about the now complete takeover of the stock market by robot traders. But I left it all behind to trip across New England from the Vermont border to Maine and back, and many a strange thing did I see...."

What I Did On Summer Vacation - Cluster**** Nation
Another flatlander quote from a typical non resident. You don't live here so don't comment on my "vacation". When was the last time you toured Maine.....I thought so.

Last edited by Maineah; 08-24-2010 at 09:38 PM..
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Old 08-24-2010, 09:26 PM
 
8,767 posts, read 18,563,885 times
Reputation: 3525
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark S. View Post
Last summer killed a lot of motels throughout the Northeast. A combination of the bad economy and the constant rain killed all their business.

We talked to a motel owner in Greeneville over the weekend, who told us that they are having the best year this year in as long as they can remember.

Maine is largely a tourist economy (which is not good). When most of the country is suffering economically, they don't take vacations, which means they don't come to Maine and spend their money at our motels, restaurants, resorts, antique stores, etc. Which has a domino effect on the larger economy. The past 2 years have been very, VERY tough on Maine.

But things are looking up. We aren't out of the woods yet, and I do not thing we are on the verge of a boom. But I do think we are in the midst of a gradual recovery, and that's just going to take a while to get back to something even approaching "normal."
When you're the only surviving motel in the area things probably ARE looking up.....
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Old 08-24-2010, 09:32 PM
 
8,767 posts, read 18,563,885 times
Reputation: 3525
Quote:
Originally Posted by mainebrokerman View Post
walmarts, sams club, bj's, home depot, lowe's, kohls and rite aid and dick's sporting goods wasnt in the state years ago, neither was olive garden, texas roadhouse, longhorn's or applebees and many other national chains- also ebay and internet purchasing didnt exist years ago- all these have affected the local independent business owners-
shoe stores, clothing stores, and hardware stores use to be in just about every town, the millions (if not billions) these chain stores take in every year-use to go to local businesses

The upside of course, is more choices to shop

subways, dunkin donuts, family dollar (like maineah said) and mardens, seem to be doing well in maine

Im not throwing arrows at walmart and other chain stores, it's we the people that are patronizing and promoting them, at the demise of mainstreet and local businesses.

If we dont support local businesses when we can- they may eventually go out of business
This sums up my point...thank you...a large number of local businesses have closed leaving only the big box stores. In towns where the box stores never got a foothold it's a ghost town. Of course people like ODN who have never lived here know the whole history better than the rest of us.
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Old 08-24-2010, 09:32 PM
 
Location: On a Slow-Sinking Granite Rock Up North
3,638 posts, read 6,135,158 times
Reputation: 2677
Quote:
Originally Posted by forest beekeeper View Post
I see lots of those mobile homes with houses built around them

And barns that sag in the middle and lean, I think they are cool
It reminded me a lot of Maine - quite a lot of the Maine I recall growing up as a matter of fact. The DH said the same thing.

We had a few neighbors who raised many kids in what people today would equate with being a shack. There was one family who put two old trailers together - literally - and eventually built a roof on top and replaced the front windows. It sags, but there it sits today. But of course, like anything else, it would not be "up to code" by many towns today - in fact, I'm surprised it hasn't yet been torn down. I think it's because no one has built a McMansion near it - yet.

I grew up in a trouse (although, there wasn't any evidence of the trailer part of it once the house was built).

Was it the Taj Mahal? No. Was it a decent ranch? Yes. Did it have a mortgage? Nope (with the exception of around the first 3 years my parents bought the trailer).

Furthermore (GASP!) it was never insured, we heated with wood and oil, and we lived quite comfortably in it.

Somehow, I don't see that happening by today's standards. I like old barns too, but I'd rather to see them standing straight with something alive in them - preferably turning a profit for their owner.
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Old 08-24-2010, 09:43 PM
 
Location: On a Slow-Sinking Granite Rock Up North
3,638 posts, read 6,135,158 times
Reputation: 2677


Quote:
Originally Posted by mainebrokerman View Post
walmarts, sams club, bj's, home depot, lowe's, kohls and rite aid and dick's sporting goods wasnt in the state years ago, neither was olive garden, texas roadhouse, longhorn's or applebees and many other national chains- also ebay and internet purchasing didnt exist years ago- all these have affected the local independent business owners-
shoe stores, clothing stores, and hardware stores use to be in just about every town, the millions (if not billions) these chain stores take in every year-use to go to local businesses

The upside of course, is more choices to shop

subways, dunkin donuts, family dollar (like maineah said) and mardens, seem to be doing well in maine

Im not throwing arrows at walmart and other chain stores, it's we the people that are patronizing and promoting them, at the demise of mainstreet and local businesses.

If we dont support local businesses when we can- they may eventually go out of business

REP!! ^ Likewise, the local businesses kept their local profit in their local bank and didn't send a large portion of it off to another state.

They also didn't reap the rewards of "tax incentives" which yes, helped them to keep minimum wage jobs (most part-time and most without benefits at all). Who pays for those incentives when it comes time to ante up for municipal budgets, school budgets, and medicaid? Hint: I just got my property tax bill. It isn't pretty.

I'd rather see my money stay to support those who are trying to carve a living out here (especially in retail/farmers markets). Unfortunately, I think we now have little choice in that regard (although farmers markets seem to be coming back now thankfully).
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Old 08-25-2010, 08:45 AM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,223 posts, read 60,940,482 times
Reputation: 30093
Quote:
Originally Posted by reloop View Post
It reminded me a lot of Maine - quite a lot of the Maine I recall growing up as a matter of fact. The DH said the same thing.

We had a few neighbors who raised many kids in what people today would equate with being a shack. There was one family who put two old trailers together - literally - and eventually built a roof on top and replaced the front windows. It sags, but there it sits today. But of course, like anything else, it would not be "up to code" by many towns today - in fact, I'm surprised it hasn't yet been torn down. I think it's because no one has built a McMansion near it - yet.

I grew up in a trouse (although, there wasn't any evidence of the trailer part of it once the house was built).

Was it the Taj Mahal? No. Was it a decent ranch? Yes. Did it have a mortgage? Nope (with the exception of around the first 3 years my parents bought the trailer).

Furthermore (GASP!) it was never insured, we heated with wood and oil, and we lived quite comfortably in it.

Somehow, I don't see that happening by today's standards. I like old barns too, but I'd rather to see them standing straight with something alive in them - preferably turning a profit for their owner.

Everytime I see a sagging barn, my mind goes immediately to how much it would cost to replace that barn as compared to what a few braces would cost to fix it.

A little annual maintenance can keep a large asset going for many decades.

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