DaveWF said:
Dave "I'm really not trying to screw anyone - honest!" WF ???
Don't sweat it. HB just said what he felt, and he said it wasn't a personal slam, and you told him "no sweat."
As you stated in your reply, there were gripes about your initial iteration, you updated, some folks (me included) signed up.
I'll post agreement with HB on one point: some people tend to pussy-foot around things. While we want to keep it light & fun, if someone's not happy, they should say so, rather than letting it burn at them and ruin future relationships. I applaud HB for stepping up the plate when he felt uncomfortable.
...But if this particular pass isn't his cup of tea -- that's ok. I can totally understand the bit about "when I was first starting, I bought cigars as if I'd be a newbie for years and now I find I've 'outgrown' them, and am looking to move up" thing. I'm still a newbie (although I find my tastes are "advancing quickly" -- probably due to my time with a pipe and fine wines, there are many parallels), and I think your pass sounds just fine.
Plus, it's just fun to be in a pass!
Even if I end up with a few cigars from this that aren't to my liking, I trust you not to stick us with any "dog rockets", so I know I'll at a very minimum have a cigar or two that I can give to new-to-cigars friends as THEY'RE just getting started.
...But I'm betting that there'll even be a bonus or two in there that I'll really like, and isn't that half the fun of trading cigars?!
So, yeah, yeah, I'm being long-winded -- it's not like this is the first time
But the bottom line is: if folks enjoy it, let 'em sign up -- if it's not their thing, let 'em "pass" (so to speak <G>)
Besides, we all know where you live...