ATTENTION EVERLASTING IMAGES CUSTOMERS:

You MUST keep in mind whenever reading these posts is that this company is simply the hobby of two wealthy GAY men. Their in-depth knowledge of sports is non-existent as is their their willingness to "spend a buck to make a buck". The result: YOU SUFFER and so do the employees. Does the fact that they change sales people like you change socks aggravate you to no end? We'll get more into that later.

-Would it be more profitable for you to have access to a current catalog featuring the prints that you and your customers can actually look at (not a simple listing) just like Blakeway has for you?
This has been brought up by the sales staff but will never happen as Robbie is frightened that people will steal his images - but mainly that nice catalogs are too expensive.

- Would it be more profitable for you for Everlasting Images to supply you with a nice display rack for their product in you gallery just like Blakeway has for you?
This has been brought up by the sales staff but the boys consider display racks too expensive.

- Wouldn't you buy framed prints directly from Everlasting Images if they offered an aluminum, non-scratch frame instead of soft pine?
One Christmas, a new client said they were stuck with hundreds of unsold framed product - the reason? chipped wooden frames. Was the product credited? NO The customer told Loring that they would purchase more for next Xmas if he would supply them with aluminum frames. Although Loring agreed that the customer was absolutely correct, and that the entire industry offers aluminum frames - wooden frames are cheaper. The client requested cardboard corners be sent to protect the product (there were hundreds on hand at EI - Loring told the sales person to charge the customer twenty five cents per corner...the customer has not been heard from since.

- When you deal with other vendors, are you able to apply for credit terms with them?
This will never happen at EI - NO ONE (not even large national chains) have net terms with them, everyone pays up front - Loring thinks that people with net terms "will steal from me...f**k that". PLUS an accounting department (although in the long run would benefit the company's bottom line) would mean having to pay more employees. WAIT...this is why they have NO national accounts.

A Little Background

-The company is owned and operated by two gay men: Robert W Arra (aka Robbie) and Loring L Weatherholtz (dba Loring Holtz). Rob was raised in Massachusetts - part of a well-to-do family that owned Arra Thoroughbred Stables. Loring was born in Virginia and eventually married a beautiful woman and had children. Loring worked in the cosmetics business in New York City, there he met Rob and they have been together ever since. The couple eventually ran a picture framing business and stumbled upon the idea of panoramic sports photography. Rob & Loring's mailing address is PO Box 759 Cape Neddick, ME 03902. From April to the week before Christmas, the couple lives at 487 Shore Road in Cape Neddick (York), ME - here is a photo:

this property is located off of Shore Road on Cragmere Drive. From December to April, they live in a condo in Sarasota, FL - here is some information regarding the sale of this property:

- Everlasting Images is located in Cape Neddick (York), Maine, at 1272 U.S. Route 1, a yellow house with green shutters, right next to the Cape Neddick post office and directly across the street from the Cape Neddick Inn restaurant. In this building you will find the corporate offices, sales staff, owners offices, matting and framing facilities, shipping, receiving and a small supply (average of 200 of each) of all of the 600+ different posters they stock.

At 699 US Route 1, also in York (a large brick building, the former location of Central Maine Power), is their warehouse. This place will blow your mind because here you will find:-PALLET UPON PALLET of their posters stacked to the ceiling. For example, 4 to 5 THOUSAND of each poster, many more that will never sell.-PUZZLES - The owners had a company out of Buffalo manufacture some of their posters in puzzle form. What happened next is unbelievable: a disgruntled employee at the puzzle factory took ONE piece out of MANY of the puzzles...the result? the company receives regular calls from all over the country complaining that "we were all done with the puzzle, but there's one piece missing" - only to have an identical replacement puzzle sent out and THAT puzzle has the same piece missing...BUYER BEWARE!- A full matting and frame making facility.- Empty offices: Rob wants to move the entire operation to this building (there is plenty of room for all aspects of the business) - Loring wants to remain at the current office because it has more of a "home like" feeling. THE EMPTY OFFICES ARE FOR RENT - CALL THEM.- An antique auto, a birthday gift from Loring to Robbie (please call him Robbie...everyone including himself calls him Robbie) the car just sits there year after year.- A large motor home (in the old days the boys would actually DRIVE to their desired location - now they fly).Considering the amount of business the company actually does (and they don't do the huge $$ amount they would want you to believe), the smaller house would be sufficient to handle the whole operation, the warehouse is simply a gross over extravagance, typical of a mindset that believes they want to bring the company to the "next level" without any realistic plan, desire or admittance that it will never get there. The couple lives with their dog Molly on Shore Road in Cape Neddick.