Hey Mike,
No, I was not dissappointed that I could not get some from you even though I've been a customer for a little while. That's the nature of the business. I think you did fine. Sometimes there's enough to go around and sometimes there's not enough. So do what works for you.
I often hear the refrain that plugs are made to be fished. That's fine. I just think differently at times. I think there can be some exceptions or that they can, at least, be enjoyed beyond that single goal. Face it, Ryan Smith is not an average builder -- he is an exception. He is an artist. His paintings just happen to be on some very good fishing lures. If people haven't realized that by now perhaps they should also notice that when artists create art, people will collect it. Me -- I collect some and I fish some. I try to buy two of the ones I would like to collect -- one to fish and one to keep. Sometimes I get three and trade one with other collectors.
Right now I'd say I have about three dozen Smiths that will probably never see the water. Sorry, but I've removed those from the collective pool of the hundreds of lures that Ryan releases every month. Those are mostly unusual scale patterns, mackerals, trout, weakfish, etc. Even my wife, who facetiously complains that I'm "married to fishing and not her," enjoys Ryan's work so much that she wants me to put a display box on the living room wall. If she'll let me hang lures on an upstairs wall I'll do that. The remainder of those that I have in the cave are at risk -- even at risk of bluefish attack.
Thanks again Mike for the times you do have enough to sell a few to me.
Mike