On the nature of Money

Same as anything else. I deduct expenses and get billed on the rest

C&Rsenal

Sorry 75cents American for one Canuck buck!

Carmelo Madrigrano

Hi guys, really enjoy your work. And now for a laugh (I hope). I am Canadian, don't own a gun. Have only fired a pistol once (one shot) think that there are probably too many guns in the US (although between you guys and Ian at ''forgotten weapons'', I am rethinking that) and yet I have subscribed to your channel and bought 7 t-shirts with my measly dollars (75 cents Canadian for 1 US greenback) Oh, how I long for my youth when a Canuck buck would get you 92 US cents! Anyhow, I just wanted to tell you that I really love your work and the obvious passion you have for the history of guns and I get a kick out of Mae firing those guns! Wish you all the best of luck and that more manna will fall from the sky in the form of a decent wage and maybe one day some riding around money. Thanks

Carmelo Madrigrano

quick question just cause in curious how does taxes work with patreon and the tshirt campaign?

Want to think about your trip. I suppose you will be traveling I 70. Graff reloading supply in StCharles Mo. — Midway USA @ Columbia Mo. west side of Columbia just off I 70. No show room but customer pick has some old stuff on display (11mm Mauser ) then Sierra Bullets @ Sedalia Mo anything you could get them to show you would make Mark jealous. In KC try to eat at Jack Stack bbq down town . It’s not Tx bbq but it’s not bad. Hope you have a great trip. Take care. Be carful

Hi

The shirts are huge and the designs are awesome...I love them and stock up on them every time you run one of these. Hope that helps helps take a big chunk of the red. Whoever it was on the team that came up with that idea and designed them, take a bow.

I hope you can meet all your goals and succeed.

Quick thought: you mentioned that while doing specific research, you grab and keep anything you come across that might be useful later regardless of subject. You also point out that post-'1923 (?) copyright becomes an issue. Would it be viable to make a few 'Pre-Primers' about guns that predate normal Primer, but give relevant back story? Guns that might be common enough in the US, but that illustrate developments well, and that you already have info on and hence are easier to make. For example, maybe a Pre-Primer on the original Henry? Or even the Martini? We'd all lap it up, it would give you a break from the hard-to-do stuff, and eeek out WW1 pieces for a bit longer? Oh, and feature Crozier more, since I bet he racks up the views pretty quick ;-)

Gavin Rea-Davies

I think you and the team are doing a bangup job! Please keep the excellence and quality of the channel's content going. If you need any sort of help on a volunteer basis; I'd like to offer whatever services I might be able to render, if you could use any help from the Pacific side of the country.

Charles McCormack

If I were on the same side of the continent and in the same country I'd try to help. But sadly, none of that is true. All I can say is thank you to all of you guys and gals. This amazing project is a really important part of my pathetic life.

Christopher Pettirsch

Why wait til it's over? Selected videos on DVDs (or DVD sets) would probably sell today. If someone has a favorite old firearm wouldn't their own copy of the C&R episode be nice to have?

R Brooks

This I can live with.

C&Rsenal

I wish I could but there are some market factors I cannot escape. The only viable platform is geared towards volume production. So we have to meet the minimum volume for growth. Until we added Anvil, the 2-week process was really hindering growth. If we could get enough side shows for daily updates, we'd triple our audience in weeks. Since growth is still needed for basic overhead costs, regardless of production volume, the reduction of volume doesn't go very far on financial savings. It does improve stress/workload but makes the race to true sustainability drag out longer or even potentially impossible.

C&Rsenal

I've considered it but the alternative is employment without passion. Tricky call.

C&Rsenal

I definitely think the guns and history outshine myself!

C&Rsenal

I think you are under selling you and your team's hard work. Its not "a youtube show", C&Rsenal is effectively a documentary every two weeks. That's one hell of an accomplishment. I decided a long time ago that I would contribute accordingly. Damn fine work! Please pass along my sincere thanks and congratulations to the rest of the team.

Spencer R

I think everyone on here knows the quality of the work you put out and your openness and honesty is to be applauded but if making this work is literally making you ill I'm not sure what to say. Just enjoy your break. The internet will be there when you get back.

John S Wren

When the series is over, do a Blu-Ray [dvd is a dead end now, much like VHS post '95...] set with ALL the shows + some bonus features. Why would anyone buy it? 'Cause some of us know that the internet/cloud is f!ing unreliable, isn't always up to streaming, & won't always be there: for those like us, we still like having a local archive we can access at our whim [& loan out to those who may be Luddites w/o 'net feeds! ;-) ]

Bruce Brodnax

Ok, I doubled my Patreon contribution. (+$1 :-)

R Brooks

Its sad to hear how much hard work and stress you put up with to keep the show on schedule for the current pace. Like some others have said, maybe it would be worth stepping back and assessing what type of pace is sustainable. I personally wouldn't withdraw my support if the time between primers took an extra week or two. Good luck!

Man, Othais, you had my mouth set for monetarist theory...

For what it's worth. There is a perspective on money that you may be overlooking. Everyone here admires your hard work, but I start to be concerned that over work to the point of disfunction ( i.e. doctor's office for stress) is not to be encouraged. If you step back from what you and your team want emotionally and extrapolate the available resources over a sustainable model.... Wait too much business school. You know how fast you want to go and can calculate what that would cost. Now so the hard thing and turn the math backwards, put in what money you have and that will determine how fast you can go in a sustainable manner.

I am fortunate and honored to have the personal funds to support you and your team Othais. I will keep doing so and offer extra participation when possible. Thanks so much Sir!!!

If you have the opportunity to find/get paid sponsorship for the channel (like many other YouTube channels are doing), Please Do So! I will not mind because it will help put you and the project on a stable footing. Many of the channels I watch do commercials and Patreon, so you would not be the first. Maybe "Great Courses Plus" as I see you as an historical channel, doing history.

Bruce Stein

I've read enough of these utterly insane workload posts to think quite seriously ... You should call it a day and pack it in. I love your show and this reality you live makes me sad. Only one life.

I much appreciate you personally. You and your charismatic personality are the show. With the firearms as guest Star. Your transparency and honesty do you credit. I am really glad I stumbled on to you and could be part of such a worthy endeavor. No joke, I feel like you may be the next Johnny Carson of firearms Edutainment. You have a family out here that loves what YOU do.

A Pete Bingham

autoloader?

C&Rsenal

Dino episode is still a go-er? Huzzah!

Minion

Mae has the passwords that dangerous

Please dont wish that evil on them!

Afflickted

You and Mae will get bought out to be stars of your own show Discovery or National Geographic before long so I really wouldn't worry about it. (Crozier will get a show on Cartoon Network)

chris hodgson

Haven't really looked into it honestly

C&Rsenal

And by the way. Is finding good information on the brown bess as hard for you as it is for me? Because I really want to learn about it further.

Afflickted

I did a post a bit ago why staying in WWI is actually easier because of the multi-hundred hour prep work to change to another era. When we leave WWI there will be these odd bursts of setup for other periods and unique challenges to sort. Only the guns and ammo are hard now. Everything else is simple. We can only turn that inside out, making guns easy and everything else (so 70%+ of the time cost) hard.

C&Rsenal

Othias, have you considered, and I know it seems like blasphemy at this point; but moving past WW1 for a bit of time until you can get the funds for the crazier stuff. It sounds like you guys are really going crazy for just the last dozen or so firearms. Why not extend the period + or - 15 years to help grow the channel. Id LOVE to see an episode on the chassepot and Dryse needle rifle. Those things can keep the hardcore fans happy and maybe hopefully not break your bank, or time. Maybe go up a bit and give an episode or two on something easier? I know your episodes have been getting more detailed and overall, its rhe best thing ive ever experienced on youtube. But not every gun needs the Mauser or Browning treatment.

Afflickted

You need a holiday. I once finished a contract in Gibraltar and I was so stressed by the heat I drove home to the UK via Finland. Cost me a fortune, I've never regretted it. Get out there on the road and worry about $ afterwards.

chris hodgson

I honestly agree. I'm severely concerned about viability as C&Rsenal has in the long run as it requires a team and yet generates an annual income of about 2 well employed adults GROSS. Dialing back production would help with stress but it would have material cost on growth and momentum. Some things, like animation etc, can't be simply dialed down for cost since it affects livelihood/job planning. The scariest thing is how, personally, it's just a swing in the dark at an age where I should be laying down the roots of a later retirement. That's all out the window.

C&Rsenal

Only person on YouTube I support keep it up. Hope you can get Mae on full time!

However I have real doubts about the long-term viability of the channel in its current form. The workload and financial load that you've described in several posts just don't seem sustainable over the long run. Eventually something will give out - either your health, your bank account, or you will simply burn out. I'd like you guys to be around for the long haul and frankly I'd be just as happy with fewer, less polished videos with the occasional high quality in-depth one. There's no need to rush to get video posts out when you're covering firearms that have been around for a century or more - so a slower paced posting schedule is perfectly fine with me. Please don't kill yourself trying to maintain both a schedule and quality level that's simply unrealistic for a one-man operation.

Othais, I love your channel and support it through patreon. You're doing good work.

Pls don't. I feel guilty.

C&Rsenal

My only regret is that I cannot afford to give more. Maybe soon!

Curtis Handsaker

I have definitely spoken to some grant writers. The issue is one of the time it takes to apply for grants and lack of guarantee. Right now I'm just so pressed it's hard to do the things that might bring in more. Also I've always wondered why the NRA has their own shows, like American Rifleman or anything with the Museum so hidden away. We'd love to have their backing so long as it was kept to history alone for viewer's sake. Certainly would help their image to have a no-strings historical preservation mission.

C&Rsenal

While I stand by our product, I understand that YouTube really isn't setup for shows over 15 minutes. Our biggest single issue is probably that there is not a platform for us. We belonged on the History Channel before it gave up on its mission.

C&Rsenal

I don't think we get Patron's with any one video. I've found people want to give because they believe in the overall mission. So something with a good narrative like the Lewis Gun, or the Maxim go over well. Or something rare like the Pedersen. But really? Just share the ones you love.

C&Rsenal

With the amount of work you guys put into the episodes, is there any chance of getting the Smithsonian to give a grant or underwrite some of the costs? This seems to be right in their wheelhouse.

Daniel R.

Honnestly this show should have At least 100k+ viewers an episode You guys should be proud of you do,There's no other channel on YouTube that dives this deep. You more then deserve my donation.

So I admin several surplus groups on FB with a combined member count of probably about 10K+. Is there a link that I can post that will get people straight to your Patron to start donating?