This “haircut” was a nuisance fee that most retailers didn’t mind paying, just like they accept credit cards and don’t mind paying the fee.   However, a few Congresspeople (mostly Democrats but the Republicans don’t get any points on this one either since they went along with it) got incensed about this and legislated an end to it.  The banks, deprived of their usual fee from retailers, are compensating by charging consumers, who for the most part are livid.  It’s hard to imagine $5 causing such distress in any other circumstance.  It’s because this $5 fee is totally due to Congress not thinking before they act and solving a fairly minimal problem by creating a much bigger one.

Solution:  repeal this law, about the dumbest idea since Prohibition other than WIN Buttons, and replace it with a very simple rule that allows banks to charge the haircut, but allows retailers to charge less to people who pay cash.

Instead of paying a $5 monthly fee, consumers get lower prices.   Retailers are no worse off than they were before this all started, and banks can get their money, only now that we consumers know debit cards aren’t “free” to use at checkout, we might use them less and pay cash (and save cash) more.   I know I will.

The Gehrig Jersey idea was a perfect example of that.  However, we have many other ideas that we will post, as we await a breakthrough on the jerseys.   Comments as always are welcome on Facebook and right here, though for the latter we realize it is a pain to comment on a blog these days but you wouldn’t believe how much spam gets avoided by requiring a two-step sign-in procedure for commenters.

In particular, if you like an idea, forward it to as many people as possible so we can get some grassroots support and tell your friends to “like” this site.

The first new idea will be posted this afternoon.

In business, few things are more frustrating that not being able to convince someone to act in their own best interest.  That is exactly what happened here with CMG.  They could have made money on these jerseys AND gotten positive PR.  (There is always the added benefit of  “doing the right thing” but that didn’t seem to move them either.)

So I will stop posting for a while, possibly a long time, until it looks like we are going to get a break of some kind — possibly a someone-who-knows-someone kind of thing.  But keep us on your “friends” list because if and when it happens, you’ll want to know about it.

The guy we work with at Majestic couldn’t have been nicer about it.  He understands what people in Gehrig Jersey Nation are going through, and really wanted to help (he would have gotten a commission for selling them too, but he seemed genuinely moved by our plight well well beyond the minor financial benefit to him) but the CMG people simply didn’t say yes when it became time for the “official” OK from them. 

We were just a little blip on their multi-billon dollar radar screen, I’m afraid.  The farther removed someone is from the actual pain that we and our loved ones have gone/are going  through, the more our proposal looks like a quirky, very small, business deal and the less it feels like something that is simply the right thing to do, even with all the publicity benefits to MLB that we’ve discussed.

So…

If anyone knows anyone who can get this in the media, or who can appeal to the higher-ups at CMG (Phil?), or get the Gehrig Estate to lean on them (Judy?), well, the time is now.

The bad news is that the folks who are making the jerseys (Majestic) need to essentially re-create our path, getting their own approvals from MLB and the Gehrig estate, and their own legal department.   I have to say these Majestic folks have been very responsive.

While no one should have any objection to anything we have proposed, there is a rule of thumb in life that what’s most important to you is never as important to someone else.  The MLB, Gehrig and legal departments for Majestic no doubt have other priorities that will take precedence.  (For instance, I suspect for MLB that the Roger Clemens trial is probably a bit more time-sensitive.)    And, all three of them would have to say yes, so if even one of them is slow, the process will be slowed down.

However, at least now we have a process to slow down, which by itself is a large step forward.

Second, these will differ from OTC Gehrig jerseys in that they will say K  ALS on them.  I am hoping for the personalization, which would be great in addition to the K ALS.

Third, to get Luckiest Man, just email me directly and I will give you the logistics.  Remember, for an absolutely free copy you need to bring in 20 “facebook friends” to the site.  Otherwise, the book is free except shipping.

Finally, the latest progress is, we are talking to the RIGHT person at the RIGHT place (finally), and are just now working out logistics.  It looks like everything is a “go” except:

(1) They may want to get 50-100 advance orders (on their website) in order to customize the jersey with  K ALS, and sell it at a regular jersey price (+ ALS proceeds).   This would create a scale “production run” for them.

(2) Adding the characters to memorialize a specific person may not happen right away.

The key guy will be out for much of next week (his whole company goes to the All-Star Game) but I should be able to report progress by the end of the week.

(1) How much more would you be willing to pay to have your jersey personalized?   So on the back under K ALS it might say (the choice is yours) the name of a loved one who passed or who you are supporting or anything else you could write in 30 characters or less.   not sure this will be do-able but the only way to know is to find out how much it’s worth and then how much it would cost.

(2) I would like to get informal commitments for FIFTY jerseys.  (I myself would commit to 10.)  Can you just comment on how many you would buy?  Figure $79-$89.  (remember, a little bit higher-priced than a regular jersey because some of the proceeds becomes a donation.)

Today also brought a piece of good news:  CMG Marketing, the licensing arm of Major League Baseball, said yes.  The (hopefully very slight) catch is that we have to contact the current licensee and just be sure they are willing to market the jerseys, which, with 6645 people on Facebook waiting to buy them, should not be a hard decision.  They would simply put them on their website and we would link to the site.  They would sell the jerseys for $10 more than they now do and keep track of the sales, and donate the money to ALS organizations that we would agree on.  (I am rather partial to Les Turner ALS, because of their support of our book drive.)

We will follow up later this week and report back next week.