Freebies

[Tony's Table Tennis]

How often does this happen to you?

"Hey wasup Tony im in need of a big favor. Im in xxxxx. I luv ping pong a lot bt i dnt hv a gud bat t show ma skilz wel. Iv tryd t luk for 1 bt found none dey r expensive bt i dnt hv cash. Dont u hv an old gud bat dat u cud gv m pliz"

1 - no idea what language is used above
2 - seems like a grown adult with a full time job (judging by fb profile)
3 - seems like asking for freebies
4 - no idea who this person is

People just "want want want", and want people to "gv gv gv"

 

[Krispy]

Well, you've gotta hand it to him, he's trying his best to write slang with chat vocabulary. Maybe he thought it was worth giving it a shot.

And to answer your question, this never happens to me. I mostly end up giving my used stuff away before they ask

 

[Blai35]

This has also never happened to me but if someone asked me for donations with that language it would be an automatic no.

 

[joskokustura]

How often does this happen to you?

"Hey wasup Tony im in need of a big favor. Im in xxxxx. I luv ping pong a lot bt i dnt hv a gud bat t show ma skilz wel. Iv tryd t luk for 1 bt found none dey r expensive bt i dnt hv cash. Dont u hv an old gud bat dat u cud gv m pliz"

1 - no idea what language is used above
2 - seems like a grown adult with a full time job (judging by fb profile)
3 - seems like asking for freebies
4 - no idea who this person is

People just "want want want", and want people to "gv gv gv"

I love ping pong a lot but I dont have good bat to show my skills well Ive tried to look for one but found none they are expensive but i dont have cash. Dont you have an old good bat that you could give me please

 

[Der_Echte]

Now that Tony is revealing this kinda bothers him a bit, I'm gunna hafta occasionally send him random FB messgaes and PMs to hiz TTD PM box just to keep him in an optimal state of grumy bliss.

I get gazillions of junk emails from Nigeria and who knows where informing me that a dead dude with my same last name has a lot of money in a bank and is waiting for it to be transfered to my accout haha.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Hey Man, for some reason people who play table tennis are strange. I wonder if people who play tennis go around asking other people for rackets or tennis shoes. Somehow I doubt it. But in table tennis, either it has something to do with how people think about the sport, or it has something to do with people who like playing the sport. I am not sure which. But, I have even had people ask me for my used rubbers while the rubbers are still on my racket.

Often, when I get someone who is asking for free stuff, I show them the Der_Echte special--Galaxy 896 blade and Dawei 2008XP rubbers--and tell them that I think they can probably afford $30.00.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I agree people are either strange, or simply some just have no class.
Love the tennis comparison haha - I wonder if tennis has the same problem lol.

I don't mind helping people out, if I did, I wouldn't have done over 400 hours of coaching for free. Just imagine how many blades and rubbers I can buy with those hours of coaching income.

Regarding freebies, I will only give juniors - who come from disadvantage background. I'm not talking about spoil kids who doesn't have money for a Bat, but are wearing the latest Nike shoe. These kids that i'm talking about possibly doesn't even have internet connection, yet alone the above was from some one who is 20 odd years old adult and has a job.

But then again, there is a saying that some people just want handouts and freebies, they are not able to survive on they own.
I suggest those lazy people to visit some places with proverty and see how those people are making a living and still able to play TT with much less resources and financial means. (I'ved visited rural Argentina, rural Brazil, rural Paraguay, Cambodia, Philippines)

Here is a nice video from Thailand, something for the "I want, want want" guys to reflect a bit

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Yep, when someone really can't afford it, it is different than when someone has a job and really can but wants free stuff.

 

[Der_Echte]

Hey Man, for some reason people who play table tennis are strange. I wonder if people who play tennis go around asking other people for rackets or tennis shoes. Somehow I doubt it. But in table tennis, either it has something to do with how people think about the sport, or it has something to do with people who like playing the sport. I am not sure which. But, I have even had people ask me for my used rubbers while the rubbers are still on my racket.

Often, when I get someone who is asking for free stuff, I show them the Der_Echte special--Galaxy 896 blade and Dawei 2008XP rubbers--and tell them that I think they can probably afford $30.00.

I carry several of those around with me at all times, often, I have the FH side a rubber more suited to my FH, a modern rubber like Aurus, often a used sheet, but serviceable enough. I also have at least one Walmart Special with me always, $3 blade and recycled rubbers, works fine enough. Yep $30 is the target I set for new equipment for cheepo setups that work. With edge tape and grip tape, the 896 setups do not look like cheepo stuff and play way better. No I repaired the crack in the Arirang and have used it at the USO a few times now, maybe I ditch the old sheet of Evo MX-P, it is too small for the blade anyway and makes that expensive blade look cheep.

Point being that one can easily fashion a very serviceable bat on the cheep that works for what they do if they know what to do and where to get their stuff. One can also carry around an expensive bat that does well two. I enjoy the best of both worlds and carry around both.

 

[Der_Echte]

I got TT equipment literally crawling out my ears and I am always buying or obtaining or gifted more. I just ordered another 10 sheets of XP 2008 and ironically another 896 blade to make on the cheep for a more serious rec level player here. He will end up getting a complete bat that works well for him for the 2/3 the cost of a somewhat inexpensive modern rubber.

It really annoys me to see such blatant freeloading requests and I would sarcastically tell such a one there is a veritable free pile of TT gear waiting in a certain place I give instructions, that when followed, would take them to the middle of a bridge and involve a sudden perpendicular right turn and forward movement. (that would take them right off the bridge and into the river !)

At the same time, I am not worried about coughing up a little of the equipment I have to players around me. I did that all the time in Korea and here with the rec crowd. I do it willingly and I do not expect them to shower me with anything, they can do that for others new to the sport later down the line and that is a better way to make the sport grow.

 

[tabletennisuk]

Table Tennis is as it is in this way because it is a sport for geeks! We all know it! There are so many options for bats. Do I go slow or fast? Long or short pimples? 38.5 degree throw or 42.5 degree throw? Do I want the latest Stiga "awesome" 7 ply blade with better feel yet still high speed capacities or do I want the joola blade with honeycomb built in for less vibrations!? The options are endless, and the geeks in us love to test and be in control of the best piece of equipment. In the UK, there was a programme called robot wars about 6 or 7 years ago. Grown men would try and build a robot to destroy someone else's. That is basically what table tennis is. Can I research the best equipment to make a killer bat that will leave my opponents in turmoil? We are all geeks, and we love to experiment with new things and know rubbers and blades inside out. We want to critique others equipment and praise our own. Who is correct, nobody knows! That's why we love this sport......!!!


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[UpSideDownCarl]

Table Tennis is as it is in this way because it is a sport for geeks! We all know it! There are so many options for bats. Do I go slow or fast? Long or short pimples? 38.5 degree throw or 42.5 degree throw? Do I want the latest Stiga "awesome" 7 ply blade with better feel yet still high speed capacities or do I want the joola blade with honeycomb built in for less vibrations!? The options are endless, and the geeks in us love to test and be in control of the best piece of equipment. In the UK, there was a programme called robot wars about 6 or 7 years ago. Grown men would try and build a robot to destroy someone else's. That is basically what table tennis is. Can I research the best equipment to make a killer bat that will leave my opponents in turmoil? We are all geeks, and we love to experiment with new things and know rubbers and blades inside out. We want to critique others equipment and praise our own. Who is correct, nobody knows! That's why we love this sport......!!!

I think that is a pretty decent summation of something about table tennis.

But how does it connect to people asking for free stuff? Do they think that they are going to get the latest, greatest, newest, coolest, most expensive, fastest super zlc defensive, offensive super speed control and spin equipment by asking for free stuff? Or do they think other people have that so they can give up their stuff that was all-that, last month but no longer is? Or something is it something else?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think that is a pretty decent summation of something about table tennis.

But how does it connect to people asking for free stuff? Do they think that they are going to get the latest, greatest, newest, coolest, most expensive, fastest super zlc defensive, offensive super speed control and spin equipment by asking for free stuff? Or do they think other people have that so they can give up their stuff that was all-that, last month but no longer is? Or something is it something else?

Indeed, so why table tennis makes people become "beggers"
Or what makes table tennis people become "donators"

Indeed something funny.
On my FB, one guy states it is a cultural problem. I agree that it is very bad in South Africa (many people living on gov handouts etc), but this TT "beggers" problem seems to be world wide.

Its different to asking a top player for his playing rubber - so you can frame it etc (ie getting ZJK's personal rubber).
It is asking random people to give them freebies, because they are too lazy to save up for it, or simply they are indeed in an unfortunate suitation - then I will ask, why want $300 option and not the $30 option then?

 

[tabletennisuk]

It is similar to the craze that follows things like trading cards. Some people will go to the ends of the earth to buy as many cards as they can. Others will then look to take swaps or multiple swaps from them as they are perceived as not needed. People like yourself Tony are giving out the message that you are a table tennis expert, meaning that surely this guy will have so many rubbers and blades he won't know what do with them all!? People who are new to the sport are bound to chance their arm! If I saw someone with 20 rubbers they weren't using and I saw a barely used tenergy in the stash, I would be the first to say "if you're not using it, could I have it!?" I'm not saying tony that you have a shed load of spare rubbers, but with a name such as Tonys table tennis, you can understand why some people would assume there may be the odd rubber going spare that you no longer use!


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[Tony's Table Tennis]

Trading cards and asking for freebies is totally different....
Trading rubbers/blades = trading cards

I'm not into these cards things, but if 1 person has 20 cards, and other person too lazy to buy card - is it normal to ask the guy for free cards then?

Expert or not, seller or not, having 20 x equipment or not has nothing to do with culture of people who wants to become a begger (while having income)

Tabletennisuk - from my education and culture background, giving the state I am in (have all my limbs, able to talk and work), my skin will be too thick to ask for a free rubber. However, I do ask, because I am collecting and giving equipment as donation away to kids who needs it and not asking for myself.

This adult, and also many adults before this dude, are simply trying to take aways equipment from kids who really needs it. Its like me giving food to the young and hungry, but stolen by the older adults - both wrong.

Another time, this other dude (adult) painted a funny story, it goes like this:
You know, I'm new to the sport, but i'm very good. If I have proper equipment, I can beat Luke (SA champion at that time) and take his title. So you must sponsor me, so I can become SA champion..... I continue to chew on pop corn while laughing at his message.

 

[tabletennisuk]

All it is is un-knowledgable people who want in on something. People asking for freebies is what comes from being successful. I'm sure pro footballers get thousand of letters a year asking for them to give away a pair of boots or a match shirt. Friends of mine own a tt company here in the uk, they get hundreds of requests for sponsorship and free stuff from people who claim that giving them free stuff will be of benefit to the company! It isn't just restricted to table tennis, lots of sports will have similar problems.


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[JHB]

Hey Man, for some reason people who play table tennis are strange.

Lol that has been true since the dawn of creation. Vive le difference !!

 

[Der_Echte]

Hmmm, JHB appears to be an Aurus disciple (like me haha) and prolly has a few old rubberz laying around handy haha.

 

[JHB]

The only old rubbers I had were Yasaka Tornado from @1980, and those went in the bin at the turn of the year. In any case anything which came off the Stiga Contra would probably be too small for most bats ! By comparison the rubbers on the Giant Dragon blade are like bedsheets, that blade measures 171mm x 164 mm lol. As I only returned to TT at the start of the year I haven't managed to wear any of my rubbers out yet - but maybe Der_Echte could tell me how long I can expect the Aurus to last ?

 

[Bishop Rasta 27]

in our place, most players that i know, that are close friends and opponents do not like to lend their bats to others especially if that borrower is going to use it for, like going to other place other than the venue that we are playing...but we lend it to players who do not have equipment or like to try our bats as long as they will not leave the place and play with us...why?because, as per experience, many of us save lots to have a decent bat, we started with cheap bats until such time that we can afford to buy our present ones...when we were starting, many would love to borrow ours, bring them home and lo!when the time that you are going to retrieve it, its gone, or destroyed already...its very hurting!who are you going to blame when you let it borrowed by others in the first place...its hurting especially if that bat comes from your own savings with sweat and blood...you can call me selfish but its different if we are talking about table tennis...i consider my bat as my special friend...

there's no problem with me if somebody that i know will ask some of my spare rubbers or blade (i still do have but saving it for my daughter soon), but he has to work for it...i can give him free training or coaching if he wants and use my old stuff until such time that he's worth owning it...not begging without any effort or don't know how to value the stuff...