This is the email they sent out Monday.
Greetings from beautiful and sunny New Smyrna Beach
where there is never a dull moment.
I know it's unusual to see an email from us at the beginning of the month but a situation has arisen which requires our attention and as such we're going to address it. I would ask that you please bear with me and read on as this is a humbling moment.
This email is sort of a double edged sword since many of you already know where I'm going with this and most of you probably don't have a clue as to what has transpired over the past few days and there's probably a third group that don't care. We decided that it would certainly be in our clients and friends best interest to address this issue and set the record straight since the gossip mongers seem to be enjoying themselves by distorting the truth. We've just now found out how evil and low people can stoop over other people's perceived misfortune. Some are just plain sick and they have our sympathy. So without further adieu here goes…
I don't have the time nor the inclination to get into the specifics nor do I have time to answer the morons on the idiot forum who have no life and are in general a bunch of losers. These idiots sit at their computer in their underwear with nothing better to do but profess their expertise and ethics and dream of success that they'll never have.
Here's the deal: In December 2007 the Federal Government executed a search warrant on our business looking for smuggled ivory. Days later we hired the finest lawyer in the state of Florida; Don Lykkebak. At that point it became his problem and we went on running our business. Fast forward almost three years later, the end result was that they confiscated 200lbs of perfectly legal scrap (off-cuts) ivory which the government agreed was purchased legally, 1,800 Cuban cigars (for those of you who are counting, that equals 98 boxes and most were well aged for you cigar aficionados).
The outcome is that we shipped three (3) of what they call "ivory laden" pool cues to England without a permit. Do you have that? We shipped three cues to England without a permit; period. I don't know if a butt cap, joint collar and ferrule qualify as "laden" so I guess it's a matter of interpretation. I was never formally arrested and that's the whole fiasco. I plead to a misdemeanor of not having a permit to ship three (3) cues to England and as part of the agreement I had to forfeit the 200lbs of scrap ivory; oh yeah and the cigars. Why did I have to forfeit the ivory if it was legal? Because I'm burned out and tired of fighting and at this point it doesn't matter nor do I even care. The ivory was written off the day they confiscated it and I moved on with my life and ran the business accordingly. I know 200lbs sounds like a lot of ivory to give up but it's not especially in the form that it was in. We never skipped a beat and ran our life and business as if nothing had happened. For those of you who want to make this into a larger matter that concerns our clients – no sales records are in the Feds hands nor were they ever in the Feds hands as they were only interested in where and how we purchased ivory. We had and have impeccable documentation as witnessed by the Feds agreeing that the ivory was in fact legally purchased. Period, end of conversation. Life is good, I'm a happy camper that I have closure and another adventure in my life is now a closed chapter. Time for coffee and a VSG Sorceror (that's a cigar for you non aficionados). Non-Cuban of course.
And now life moves on and it's back to business. To finally have closure after 3 years, I want to offer all of you some of our good fortune and show just how happy we are to put this behind us. Most of you will take advantage of this sale and the clowns on the idiot forum will say that they won't touch it with a ten foot pole (only because they have no money and no orders). Truth is we'll cancel any orders from the pinheads and they know it because that's what we do as we don't want their business under any circumstances. Besides all they know how to do is sit in front of a computer in their underwear dreaming of success that they'll never achieve. Next time you read a detrimental post about us, picture the idiot sitting there in their underwear because he has nothing else to do; what a picture!
Now if you really want to read something funny let me share this with you. I made the front page of the Daytona New Journal or whatever that rag is called. The headline was New Smyrna Beach man pleads guilty to ivory trade or something like that. We made page one for a misdemeanor plea. On a much more minor note, an 800 lb seizure of marijuana and a $1.5 million dollar cocaine bust ranked high enough to make it to page two. I kid you not!
Anyway, time to get back to work as it's a crazy Monday. I've been sitting here since 7am and it's now 3 pm answering emails, etc. I'm normally done with that crap at 10 or so. Busy weekend ; I wonder if national press had anything to do with it.
And to everyone who works hard and is successful -- Have a fantastic week!
I'm just going to put a few items on sale as follows:
Moori Medium tips only $9 each.
http%3a%2f%2fcuecomponents%2ecom%2fmooritips%2ehtml
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The following ivory is for USA sales only and all perfectly legal and well documented.
While supply lasts…
Ivory Ferrules -- $11.50 each
Ivory Joints ----- $26.00 each
Ivory Butts ----- $60.00 each
Ivory slabs only $12 per ounce if you buy 10 ounces or how about $175 per pound!
You can order here:
http%3a%2f%2fcuecomponents%2ecom%2felivco%2ehtml%23a2
This offer expires Tuesday November 16th 2010.
To order, just place your order online at our regular prices and mention 'Joe Special' in the comments field and we'll reduce the prices when we charge you out.
We have an unusual supply of ivory at the moment and we've gotten an unusual surge in inquiries over the past month; especially the past week. If any of you want to purchase tusk sections, please email us and we'll advise you as we decide to sell some sections. Pricing will be in the $100 to $150 range per pound. Can anyone use a 240lb pair or a 190 lb pair at $165 per pound? Serious inquiries welcomed and prices are firm as I don't want to haggle nor do I need to sell them for less. They're gorgeous and worth every penny. Terms are available to an appropriate buyer.
I want to thank all of you for your continued support and I want to especially thank all of you who wrote to us over the past few days offering support and rationality. Thank you!
Joe Barringer
P.S. We have two cues up on eBay:
