Chapter 43

12/29/2004 

Ch 43 Million Dollar Month                                    Big Deal Not What it Seemed                                 

It's all about the units.

Got the heads up from Jennifer, that salesman Bill Jones had closed on 16 Accords with one phone call to a guy he never met, and that Bill wanted me to help drive the cars in from nearby dealers so they would be ready to ship by truck to Florida. He had done about 50 total Odysseys and Civics with the anonymous guy too, about a million dollars worth of write up. There is 'talk' of 300 more for next year? Mr. Big is connected (Steinbrenner et al) and does realty work throughout the south, that's all I can say. The first call had come in merely by chance. Since then, it's exclusive with Bill.

Born in the hard times of Mississippi in 1955, Oxford town, Bill saw his share of prejudice. Remembers the Federal Marshals cordoning off the streets to let James Meredith enter ole Miss University, first black integration 1962, per Attny Gen Bobby Kennedy. The whites only drinking fountains & walking on the opposite side of the street, etc. Last straw was when the Feds camped out in tents on their lawn after the Martin Luther King assassination. Race riots were feared all across the country. Family moved to Albany.

Attended Junior College of Albany and got a 2 year Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. Did the traveling insurance salesman bit door to door for a while. Now has had 24 years selling cars at various dealers here. Just bought a 1940's house from a SUNY Albany professor (sounds like the Uncle Dick story) on Cortland Street. Just a coincidence?

He has a friendly, soft spoken, easy going style about him, not like the stereotypical "car salesman". Bill takes us fellow swappers on road trip to Danbury Connecticut to buy up 4 vehicles from a dealer. He completes final phases of deal with Mr. Big on cell phone during the ride. Rookie Dave Kelly currently landscaper has son with philosophy degree from Univ. Montana doing CAD/CAM for Architect now in Bend, Oregon where he can sail/surf and all things outdoor with flex hours. George Allen was a telephone manager, wife also does swaps with us. Richard Atkinson was food broker and is Trout Unlimited officer conducting fly fishing classes, daughter is GIS Master Planner for Town of Malta.

Getting last one in Middletown in AM- of course breakfast at Starway Diner in Saugerties with old roomie. [the last shipment went sour, buyer was attempting a scam, merely cutting the margin and reselling retail, we kept the truckload and the check]