C&R Loo website?
 

Anybody know what's going on with C&R Loo and their website?
I used to shop there when I lived in the Bay Area and loved it (the Candy Store!), but they're "reworking" their website--it's been at least a year and a half, and they STILL don't have soft glass rods up. I'm not sure that they've made any changes in that time.

Have they just given up, or do they not care about soft glass users? Are they going out of business? Are they luddites?

I wrote them several months ago, and they suggested that I tell them what I want, and they'll tell me how much it costs.

How the heck am I supposed to know what I want if I can't tiptoe through the pictures, adding and subtracting glass until I have the perfect balance of need, greed and budget?

HRRRUMMPHHHH

I shop at CRLoo. In fact, I was just there on Friday. The website has always been horrible. I don't even bother. Call them. Paula or Jamie will take care of you if you know the colors that you want and they are usually having a sale.

Oh, and by the way the moved to another location in Richmond.

Dang - we were just there last week also! Would love to have met you, Cynthia.

==and yes, the website is a mess, but if you are on their email list, you get notified of sales and discount codes.

They still have tons of soft glass, although we tried to buy out all the ASK/KUGLER, but could not afford all of it, LOL. Fully stocked with Effetre, though they go by number code, and not name of color (esp. as the names vary from reseller to reseller)

Oh, I wish I had seen you guys there. Shoot!

So basically you're saying both that they are luddites AND they don't care.

I miss being able to go in and fondle the glass, it's really hard to make choices based on pictures. I don't want the hassle of making up a list and getting a price plus shipping, then figuring out what I can do without so it's affordable, and getting another quote...
So I guess I better just give up on these guys. Makes me sad, I loved that store.

Nope, I didn't say they don't care. I said their website is not good. They have always been super helpful and I can't equate that to "they don't care". Just my opinion. Don't really know what a luddite is unless I look it up so I won't be able to address that.

If they cared about selling soft glass online, they'd get the website in order. Luddites are people uncomfortable with technology.

Oh, learned something:). Well I do see your point but like I said, they are very helpful in person. I would agree it is to their benefit to have a working website. Maybe the are Luddites.

This won't help your visual search, but you can download their latest price list. I have found at least one item on the price list that is not available, but that was because I was looking for an out-of-print VHS tape.

I wouldn't say that they are going out of business, since I've seen some newer stuff there. However, I believe that they aren't eager to restock their supply of soft glass tubing. They don't have any Herbert Arnold burners in stock anymore, but they can order them easily. They no longer have a studio area, and are not planning to offer any courses in the near future.

I believe that they are slow in getting organized from their move. The new warehouse is smaller than their previous location.

Maybe if they know you they are helpful, or maybe if your order isn't a measly $250. I found them impatient and rude on the phone when I tried to order from them last month. Evidently I did something wrong in my shopping cart, and even though it let me, and let me pay, they called and told me I needed to redo the order. I could never figure out what he was telling me I needed to do, so I just cancelled, apparently much to their relief.

Luddites is a reference to 19th century textile workers who protested the introduction of machines to replace artisans in their industry, as they felt it would cost people their livelihood and diminish the value of the product.