All posts by ABMWPblog1

My career has bridged over six decades, in the advertising and marketing industry. Having experienced working for: agencies, studios, publishers, manufactures, distributors, organizations, business to business, retailers, catalogers and e-tailers as an employee, consultant, or supplier provides a base of knowledge both practiced and proven. Creating, then manufacturing and fulfilling items of all kinds has built an extensive knowledge bank of how to get things started and done. Providing practical analysis of Product to Market and Market to consumer has been at the forefront of my career. Creating “art that works… not works of art” and looking at things “where they live” are the focal point of every project. As a result of my involvement and a commitment to these basics, many of the companies served have survived, grown and prospered. To learn more about me and follow my weekly posts log on and like “allthings abmadcouncil” on face book alan b.meschkow 11/21/2014

MJ gets his Garage or “ask Poppy he will build it!”

In 2019 my grand daughter asked me to build her a doll house and for her 7th birthday she got her doll house. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oBbi0DkaNI She is now 9 and enjoys it all the time.

So in 2020 when my grandson requested a garage and repair shop where someone could live; the challenge was on.

cardboard mockup
creating the garage in cardboard

The project had to be started when I was in Florida that presented problems in itself because my garage workshop is our New York home not my Florida condo. Working neatly in limited space was a skill I learned early in life growing up with a clean freak Mom. So A small work space between a folding table and 2 futon draws became my living room workspace. I knew that no kit existed to do what I wanted to create so I combined 2 1/24 scale garage kits and my own scratch built parts into my plan. ….I ordered the kits and when I received them the work began. After a long conversation with MJ I had a good idea of what he wanted, what name should go on the sign, what colors should be used and a general layout of the total project….work began first with a cardboard and foam core mock up incorporating the 2 garage kits…. With that accomplished I moved on to cutting and prepping the base and wood panels what would become the actual build.

creating wood panels
beginning steps of pre assembly

You can’t cut wood in the living room so the terrace became the wood shop and all the panels were cut; all cutting that made sawdust was done on the terrace. The base was cut at a local Home Depot. Hobby lobby is my go to for craft supplies and I have them in FL & NY.

With everything ready I could start the build but it had to be disassembled to get back to NY. I have done many projects in NY that went to Florida so that was easy; Heath visits in April by car so I had 5 months to get ready to send it home with him. I knew it would not be complete but well on its way and require re-assembly, paint and detailing in NY.

back in ny for final assembly
getting ready in New York workshop

Work continued and MJ got progress reports, and in April it was broken down packed and ready for NY. When I got home in may I realized I needed more work bench space so before unpacking I built additional work bench area in the garage. That done work commenced. Working in the garage made life easy and in just a few weeks the project was completed. From a wish the garage became a reality complete with a 1/24 scale car, gas pumps and operating lift. A roadway area was added and the sign saying “Stop Fix Cars Here” was up the garage was delivered to MJ on his birthday and all the tools and interior shop equipment was put in place…more important a promise was kept by Poppy!

delivered to MJ for his 7th Birthday 7/1/2021
let the playing begin…

This photo makes it all worthwhile! Follow the link for a video of the complete build.….https://youtu.be/DF9pC40aBGo

The Reality of another day in Paradise…

My opinion based on Florida condo ownership for over 50 years…

entrance to PTN &PTS
entrance to My Condo PLAZA TOWER SOUTH

Many of us enjoy the lure of the beach; some of us live in the north and rush away fall and winter and can’t wait for spring and summer. In the late 1960’s many northerners addressed the lure of summer sun by investing in vacation homes in south Florida. It wasn’t long till the south Florida’s gold coast became a focus not only for sun worshiping middle aged, over 55 relatively comfortable northerners but profit seeking developers.

Like a magic act; land deals evolved, easy ways of all types became available to those who sought it out and a new phenomena the condominium became the expressway for developers,  grandma’s and grandpa’s to get their very different piece of “Paradise”. It wasn’t long before Paradise turned into “The wild West” and the state of Florida in the 1980”s established “statute 718” the condominium act. This along with the Florida Department of Business development; have been at the forefront of condominiums and their operations.

Lets step back a little and focus on Condominium Basics…

From the developer side they:

1-fund it

2-build it

3-fill it

4-create estimates of operation and rules and regulations

4-create owner board

5-turn it over to unit owners board management

From Owner side they:

1-buy units(individually or multiples)

2-agree to share all expenses for common areas

3-accept maintenance fees

4-accept rules and regulations

5-on full occupancy owners vote to approve their board

6-Units as well as Common Areas become owner’s responsibility under newly established BOD

This is a very basic description, however the reality in my experience is most owners look at the benefits and ignore the truly important responsibility of co-ownership. With all the development left to builders, developers and management left to unit owner boards; a huge void has grown in Florida privately owned condominiums. This void can become a problem especially when the buildings have accepted the responsibility of self management.

Ask yourself these questions:

1-should I give an inexperienced person the right to overlook the care and maintenance of my co-owned low rise, mid rise, or high rise building?

2-should I allow those same people to manage a multi-million dollar budget?

3-should I allow those same people to make decisions on what safety measures need to be taken?

4- should I allow those same people to make decisions who moves in or out of the building?

5- should I allow those same people to make decisions on current or existing structural needs ?

6-are the board members interested in the owners or their own agendas?

7-are the board members knowledgeable enough to recognize their need for professional help?

8- can board members be honest in their evaluations ignoring friends needs or financial situations?

9-can board members project realistic financial planning based on required structural needs not their own popularity?

If you own a Florida condominium and have negative feelings about any of these questions; you should be very careful of who you elect to your board of directors, and probably should question the quality of your buildings self management or lack there of.

PTS/PTN Pool DEck
This seawall collapsed and is still being restored

In closing, I as well as many of our south Florida Condominium owners was shaken by the event that happened at “Champlain Towers South” in Surfside. The loss of life and impact on loved ones will never be completely known. We as a unique group of owners who enjoy singular ownership of our units for our, as well as our family’s enjoyment should be more pro active in our elections, the care and maintenance of our co-owned properties. If we haven’t already asked questions, attended meetings, verified and scrutinized board’s ability to protect our property and the loved ones who enjoy it…it is time now and we should!

These are my thoughts and opinions and I welcome any further discussion.

alan b. meschkow

past president of

Plaza Towers South 2009-2015

Hallandale Florida

Am I a Dreamer 9/11/2020

It was the morning of September 11th 2001. Normally I would be heading to my office at 6am. As director of advertising for P.C. Richard & Son I always enjoyed 2-3 hours of morning peace to setup for the day’s events and whatever surprises the morning newspapers and; advertising would break from the competition. This morning was different I spent an hour from 5am to 6am cleared my desk left notes for department key personnel and left for jury duty. Later that morning everyone was glued to TV screens as the Horror of 9/11 unfolded. I did what my position and good sense told me “I killed all advertising” knowing that the world had changed that morning!

alan at work

Spring ahead to today “We certainly live in a different world” social media is mainstream, E-commerce has evolved and Amazon Days have surpassed Black Friday. I however am more interested in the changes in social behavior we all have endured. Good manners were taught at home and reinforced among our families, friends and educators. Love of country and those things our country stood for were guide posts for all to be proud of. My company’s principles were based on “over 90 years of Honesty, Integrity, Reliability and a handshake to seal the deal.

When 9/11 hit us we, all of us, Americans from all walks of life joined arms, no matter what color, race or creed, we stood up, we saluted our flag, reached out to God and moved ahead. “One America Indivisible with Justice for all”

salute our flag

 at sunset of this day I ask you to;

Remember those who;

*Perished *Persevered *Prospered

Salute their;

*Memorials *Memories *Motivation

And God Bless the USA

Gallery Update…

gallery opening
Zara and alan

It all started in September of 2018. I have been working on my gallery for 18 months; completing 60+ of over 183 total AKC Breed Portraits. What is really cool is I am enjoying picking up a pencil and creating art to enjoy. The Gallery is being treated as a complete body of work none of which is for sale; however I have shown some in small groups and will exhibit in my community center and Longwood Library on long island this summer. The online Galleries on Pinterest and my blog are getting quite a few visitors and I will be starting to promote them through social media. I believe the entire work should take at least another 18-24 months giving me plenty of time to consider future plans for the collection. In the meantime I have also done some out of Gallery Portraits of wonderful (dog only) subjects.

The pencil as we know it has only been around for 200 plus years. When we look at the great Sketches of Leonardo da Vinci they were not done with pencils they were done with a silver point and coated paper. Pencils were something that I always had a plentiful supply of. Having a father that was in the trades gave me access to specialized pencils from all sorts of supply houses. I could pick and choose pencils for; carpenters, plumbers, mason etc, each one had special characteristic, I learned each ones application. Before I was 10 years old (thanks to my father) I had mastered the ability to look at blueprints and visualize or draw them in dimension; to me that is the most important thing in making any art work believable. The next thing I learned was how to suggest shades of color in black and white and texture. Over many years of trial and error I can suggest details that look realistic. The pencil lets me do all this.

amazing dog
Dan’s Dog…”Shadow”

My technique incorporates mechanical and artists pencils with different lead and a mechanical pointer. I pull the image out with an under drawing that is very detailed, I hardly ever erase anything because of the very soft under sketch that works out any problems. Some of the under drawing can be completely obliterated in the finishing steps however strong buildings are built on foundations few people ever see. I concentrate on specific characteristics once the under drawing is complete. I let my work rest as the process evolves especially when textures and details are being finalized. I don’t overwork my art; I want to give just enough realism without being photographic. I want people to know this is a pencil drawing.

If you would like to; view my gallery, have an interest in a portrait, or become a fan please follow the links; or Search #baarkart

View my gallery    Interested in your own Portrait   or Become a Gallery Fan

Thank you,

alan b. meschkow

Raquel’s “Victorian Painted Lady” or Poppy builds a dollhouse

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I have been a lifelong hobbyist and an on demand craftsman. As a young child I built model cars with my dad and created all sorts of things with materials available to me. Having a dad that was a plumbing contractor and a mom that decorated our temple for parties exposed me to lots of materials and things that sparked my creative interest. I never liked making things that didn’t have a purpose. Crafting turned me off; making things that looked like real real products with a purpose was my motivation. As I matured and my responsibilities to family, home, and career grew my varied skills came in handy. Because of time, budget or need, some projects although purpose built did not meet my personal standards;today it’s a whole different story.

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This past summer my granddaughter Raquel said “Poppy I want a dollhouse” and I replied after talking with Nanny “sure I remember building one for your Mommy” so a trip to Hobby Lobby was planned for one of our many weekend visits. Raquel showed such an interest in selecting the right one; we could not even consider a more basic one. Raquels choice was a 3 story “San Francisco style Painted Lady” a kit that weighed 75 pounds, requiring lots of time and skill to complete correctly. Raquel was thrilled; she and Nanny picked out a large selection of furniture and accessories and off to home we went.

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Reality kicked in as I started the car for our drive home… this is not an easy project… I need lots of time…the garage will be tied up for a while…we need a color scheme inside and out…the last one I built some 25 years ago was a real pain…what did I get myself into…I have so many other things going on… OK I thought this is for Raquel and she wants it. Raquel and I had a serious discussion; we spoke about the time it would take, that I would keep her updated on my progress, that she needed to help with a color scheme, I had to finish some other projects before I started, and it would be done by her 7th birthday, she agreed without question.

The kit is by Real Good Toys a Vermont Company; they specialize in miniature houses for serious collectors to display their collections. These houses are not your typical toy dollhouses and are suggested for the more mature user; when completed correctly they can become a valuable possession or family heirloom. https://youtu.be/Y7glCtlrnas the kits are amazingly accurate with virtually no misfits or missing parts. As for the instructions they too are excellent and when and studied carefully leave little room for error. There were some things that I did because of my own experience as a hobbyist that made it easier for me and might help others. I created a photo video of the steps along the way and some small details. The video is meant as an aid not a cure all, it focuses on the whole project as it evolves not the actual parts and pieces.

I developed a cutting tool for the shingles, an easy way to lineup the shingles, a way to batch stain, and how to build a miniature mailbox; these are detailed at the end of the video. I spent about 150 hours to complete the project, having a dedicated work space is invaluable-pre-planning and study of instructions is a must- getor have a good quality razor saw, miter box, dremel, fine sandpaper, shop light before starting- painting the interior interior walls and floors to a Predetermined scheme should be considered- using high quality paint, Aleenes’ tacky glue a must- use suggested non water based liquid nails for roof shingles- I suggest adding sawdust to foundation paint- after batch staining is dry organize shingles neatly in a tray or pan- use tape on outside to hold windows in place when installing inside window frames- focus on each steps needs,requirements and test fit- paint main exterior colors before applying trim- use small good quality lettering brushes for molding and trim pieces- keep parts organized, check off as needed and used- read ahead of step your on before starting- DON’T RUSH ANYTHING…ENJOY RELAX HAVE FUN…for me it was a labor of love for Raquel.

I hope you enjoyed…don’t forget to watch the video https://youtu.be/Y7glCtlrna

alan b. meschkow

Where have all the Customers Gone?

AJ Richard and I
AJ and alan 2003

I remember many afternoons caught up in conversation with AJ Richard the Son in P.C.Richard & Son the iconic New York Retailer of Appliances and Electronics. We would talk about advertising, why people buy, and building customers not sales, AJ would always remind me and grind in his belief that every day when the doors to our stores opened “Everything Was on Sale!” if it was advertised or not! He was also cautious to remind me that there were those that were ready to buy and a whole lot more that weren’t and we had to cultivate the forest and harvest the needs of our in store customers. Advertising had to be used carefully always adjusting for the winds and the tides in a timely manner, this was important to the your customer as well as your competition.

Over my 16 years with AJ and five decades in advertising I have learned an awful lot about the ebbs and flow of the marketplace; the benefits of promotional tools and the serious consequences of developing price driven not customer driven events. That is what inspired me to write this article.

packages abound after prime days events….

We are just a few days away from Amazon Days, I have written about this event since its birth. It seems to me that the effects of Amazon on E-Commerce side and Wal-Mart on the traditional side have reshaped many buying patterns. First major effect was the predatory practices of Wal-Mart establishing a lowest price paradigm. This led to shifting shoppers and buyers away from downtown and malls and then in many cases moving or expanding those locations to to new locations drawing those customers totally away from their old patterns. Just walk down Main Streets all over America they are either loaded with vacancies or transitioning to restaurant or boutique rows. Down town was the place to shop then came the impact of the mall years, now it’s Walmart and discount clubs draining what remains. while this was going on E-commerce was evolving, in 1969 Compu serve appeared on the internet, it took till 1995 for Amazon to appear, 1998 for the Paypal Shopping Cart, 2003 for Google Search, and 2007 for FaceBook Advertising to evolve. We are now in our 4th year of “Amazon Daze”. Amazon Days has expanded to a 36 hour event. Very much in the same way WalMart decimated downtown; Amazon is dominating and capturing e-shoppers. Amazon during its annual event controls more than 70% of all business and they can easily deliver them. While those two battle for supremacy something else is going on too!

July can be a challenging month for many retailers and very often “Christmas in July Sales Came to their rescue.. Those were also times when a customer based market thrived and customer service and salesmanship were looked at as a requirement for success. Walmart brought a price first atmosphere to the marketplace and it has taken root. Amazon has captured the internet, delivery, and price first reason to buy. Traditional advertising is wanining; people spend more and more time on devices and less on television, many if not most don’t read newspapers or turn on a radio. We always as advertisers were careful not to over advertise, however much of the market approach is through Sales. Many companies advertise themselves into self dug graves using price as the only reason to buy. Is there a void developing in anticipation of Amazon Days? Is there a void left behind in the wake of sales created on price based purchases that take customers out of the market? Has Amazon created an event that is so disruptive to the marketplace that it is eroding sales across all channels? Will they use this type event category by category to dominate other product categories?

Consumerism has been around for centuries, the “Golden Age of Consumerism” was 1950-1960 along with the Mall Era this was long before; Price Clubs, Home Shopping Networks, Compuserve, PayPal, Walmart and Amazon. Through all these years there has always been only two reasons people buy things “Need and Want“; how those needs and wants are satisfied has changed to meet the requirements of buyers and sellers. Will unique regional retailers and their products survive or be stifled by Mega Marketers Selling “Lowest Priced Everything’s” and “One Size Fits All Somethings”? to “Low Price Everyone’s”

Just my thoughts, would love to hear yours… alan b. meschkow